Correlation between corrosion resistance properties and thermal cycles experienced by gas tungsten arc welding and laser beam welding Alloy 690 butt weldments

This study investigates the correlation between the thermal cycles experienced by Alloy 690 weldments fabricated using gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and laser beam welding (LBW) processes, and their corresponding corrosion resistance properties. The corrosion resistance of the weldments is evaluated using a U-bend stress corrosion test in which the specimens are immersed in a boiling, acid solution for 240 h. The experimental results reveal that the LBW inputs significantly less heat to the weldment than the GTAW, and therefore yields a far faster cooling rate. Moreover, the corrosion tests show that in the GTAW specimen, intergranular corrosion (IGC) occurs in both the fusion zone (FZ) and the heat affected zone (HAZ). By contrast, the LBW specimen shows no obvious signs of IGC. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.