In situ chemical composition analysis of a tungsten-inert-gas austenitic stainless steel weld measured by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

The chemical composition of a weld metal determines the resulting solidification mode of stainless steel and the consequent weld metal quality. In this work tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding of EN grade 1.4435 austenitic stainless steel was monitored using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the in situ measurement of chemical composition changes. This research aims to prototype a real-time chemical composition analysis system for welding applications and prove the feasibility of such quality control loop. LIBS was used to investigate in situ the monitoring of metal vaporization during TIG welding. We found Mn vapor formation above the weld pool and subsequent condensation of Mn on the weld metal surface using LIBS. Post-weld line scans were conducted by LIBS on various welds produced with different welding currents. Local changes of Ni and Mn were observed at higher welding currents. The results are in good agreement with the literature and proved that LIBS can be used in situ to inspect the TIG welding process.