Effect of Ti/N Ratio on TiN Particles, Microstructures, and Toughness of Heat-Affected Zone After High Heat Input Welding of the Ca-Treated Steel Plates

The high heat input welding (HHIW) can greatly enhance the welding efficiency of the steel plates. However, coarse grains and brittle microstructures will be formed in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) during the HHIW process, which deteriorates the toughness of HAZ. In the present study, the effect of the Ti/N ratio on the size and distribution of titanium nitride (TiN) particles, microstructures, and toughness of HAZ after HHIW of 400 kJ cm-1 is investigated for the Ca-treated steels with different Ti/N ratios of 1.61, 3.79, and 5.00 for TN16, TN38, and TN50 steels. The TN38 steel has the highest number density of the TiN particles with the sizes between 20 and 25 nm and the highest pinning force of the particles in three steels, resulting the smallest grain sizes in its HAZ. In addition, in three steels, the TN38 steel has the main microstructure of intragranular aciculate ferrites with the highest high-angle grain boundaries density in its HAZ, thereby obtaining the highest value of low-temperature impact toughness of the HAZ. The effect of the Ti/N ratio on particles, microstructures, and toughness of the heat-affected zone after high heat input welding of 400 kJ cm-1 is investigated for Ca-treated steels with different Ti/N ratios. The steel with a Ti/N ratio of 3.79 exhibits the highest low-temperature impact toughness value in the heat-affected zone.image (c) 2024 WILEY-VCH GmbH