Researchers from South Ural State University (SUSU) together with their collaborators from China have worked on welding a new and uncommon structural material.
Image Credit: South Ural State University.
A study performed on modeling and improving the weld profile under several welding conditions was reported in the highly renowned International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (Q1).
Through the study, the researchers identified voltage, wire feed speed, welding speed and welding mode that guarantee high strength properties of the joint and the essential microstructure.
The welding process of A606 steel, commercially called Corten steel or COR-TEN steel, was examined by an international group of scientists from the SUSU Polytechnic Institute. This type of steel has been only recently created and exhibits great atmospheric corrosion resistance.
There is a necessity to study the material’s technical characteristics and also the features of its welding process as this kind of steel is a hopeful material and has numerous applications. Thin sheets are typically made using this material. They are utilized in bridge building, shipbuilding, the production of sea containers, tanks, pipes and building and landscape design. One can find similar design solutions in Chelyabinsk.
High atmospheric corrosion resistance is due to such alloying elements as copper and phosphorus. The same elements are considered harmful additives in other steels. In addition to these components, the composition contains elements inherent in low-alloy steels, including nickel, silicon, manganese, chromium, and carbon.
Lyudmila Radionova, Department of Metal Forming, Institution of Engineering and Technology, South Ural State University
“The high durability of Corten steel is ensured by an oxide layer (patina) that forms on the surface and stops the corrosion process. Under normal weather conditions, a non-eroding oxide film forms within 18-36 months with the obligatory repeated cyclicity of wetting and drying the surface. At the same time, each subsequent cycle of steel wetting increases its service life,” added Radionova.
In the laboratory of the Welding Engineering Department, welded seams were done on a Fanuc GMAW welding robot. Representatives of the Department of Metal Forming engaged in sample preparation and studied the microstructure and stiffness of the achieved welded joints.
Dawei Zhao, a researcher from Xi’an Jiaotong University (China) and a senior researcher of the Department of Welding Engineering, is the project manager. On the part of SUSU, the study is accompanied by PhD, Associate Professor, Head of the Department Lyudmila Radionova, Head of the Laboratory Yuri Bezgans, and postgraduate students Nikita Vdonin and Vitaly Bykov.
The collaborative work of the researchers is not yet over. Currently, they are making one more article for publication. The research group has now applied for a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.
Journal Reference:
Zhao, D., et al. (2021) Modeling and optimization of weld bead profile with varied welding stages for weathering steel A606. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-07722-y.