Effect of Secondary Welding Thermal Cycle Peak Temperature on Microstructure and Properties in Simulated Reheat Coarse Grain Heat Affected Zone of High Strength Medium-Mn Steel

The microstructural characteristics and low-temperature impact toughness of simulated reheat coarse grain heat affected zone (CGHAZ) of high strength medium-Mn steel were investigated based on thermal simulation. The results indicated that the impact energy of unaltered reheated CGHAZ (UA CGHAZ), supercritical reheated CGHAZ (SCR CGHAZ), intercritical reheated CGHAZ (ICR CGHAZ) and subcritical reheated CGHAZ (SR CGHAZ) at -40 & DEG;C was 38, 65, 26 and 9 J, respectively, and the microhardness was 376, 385, 400, and 329 HV, respectively, at welding heat input of 15 kJ/cm. Fine martensite lath microstructure and the high proportion of misorientation boundaries in SCR CGHAZ induced relatively higher impact toughness and microhardness. The microstructure of ICR CGHAZ had inferior uniformity and consisted of lath martensite with high dislocation density and lamellar twin martensite. Thereinto, twin martensite with higher hardness and less toughness deteriorated the ICR CGHAZ toughness. The segregation of Mn at grain boundaries reduced the adhesion between grain boundaries and led to severe embrittlement of SR CGHAZ.