Microstructure and Phase Composition of a Low-Power YAG Laser-MAG Welded Stainless Steel Joint

This article presents multipass hybrid welding of austenitic stainless steel (ASS) structure by using the low-power Nd:YAG laser-metal active gas (MAG) arc hybrid welding method. The purpose of this work is to investigate and qualify the effects of multipass hybrid welding of ASS structure on the microstructure, phase composition, weld postheat influence, and weld bead (WB) precipitated phase. The results demonstrated that sound welded joints without any solidification and shrinkage defects could be obtained after welding. The top and the bottom portions of the workpieces were joined completely. At room temperature, the microstructures of different regions in WB were different and the WB microstructures were composed of columnar gamma-austenite and delta-ferrite phases. The fraction of delta-ferrite decreased from 20% to 10%, and its morphology changed orderly from lath, skeleton, vermicular to reticular with an increase in the number of welding cycles. Because of the influence of postweld heat, the weld metal phase chemistry at 3 mm distance from the top of the WB surface underwent a notable modification that corresponded to an evolution of the partition coefficients toward the parent metal values. This indicated corrosion resistance of the microstructure is equivalent to that of the parent metal.