Influence of Multiple Repair Welding on Microstructure and Properties of 06Cr19Ni10 Stainless Steel

Repair welding technology is widely used in the manufacturing and maintenance of rail transit equipment to repair welding defects. However, repair welding induces modifications in joint performance, and it is necessary to study the microstructure evolution behavior to reveal the reasons. In this study, the effects of multiple repair welding on the microstructure, mechanical, and fatigue properties of 06Cr19Ni10 stainless steel samples were studied. The surface texture and fracture morphology analyses of the samples were conducted by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and its equipped backscattered electron diffraction (EBSD) technique. The mechanical and fatigue properties of the samples with different repair welding times were further obtained by hardness, tensile, and fatigue tests. The results show an increase in the grain size and the substructure content in the heat-affected zone (HAZ), and the austenite orientation is changed, attributable to multiple repair welding. Multiple heat inputs result in a significant increase in hardness from 165 HV to 185 HV, a noticeable decrease in tensile strength and elongation, and an upward trend in yield strength. Under the constant stress level, the heat input of multiple repair welding causes a decrease in the fatigue life and significantly reduces toughness in the instantaneous fracture zone of the secondary repair sample.