EFFECT OF THE GMAW AND THE GMAW-P WELDING PROCESSES ON MICROSTRUCTURE, HARDNESS, TENSILE AND IMPACT STRENGTH OF AISI 1030 STEEL JOINTS FABRICATED BY ASP316L AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL FILLER METAL

In this study, medium-carbon steel (AISI 1030) plates of 10 mm thickness, were welded by using the synergic controlled pulsed (GMAW-P) and manual gas metal arc (GMAW) welding techniques. Constant wire feed speed, voltage, welding speed and gas flow rates (3.2 m/min, 22.5 V, 4 minis, 16 1/min) and ASP316L austenitic stainless steel filler metal were used in these techniques. The interface appearances of the welded samples were examined by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-Ray diffraction (X-RD). In order to determine mechanical properties of samples, the tensile, impact and microhardness tests were conducted. The GMAW-P joints of AISI 1030 steel couples showed superior tensile strength, less grain growth and narrower heat affected zone (HAZ) when compared with GMAW joints, and this was mainly due to lower heat input, fine fusion zone grain and higher fusion hardness. Keywords: welding, mechanical properties, GMAW-P