MUZAMMIL BASHIR

QC INSPECTOR
Hydrogen Cracking (H2 Cold Cracking)
Hydrogen cracking is known as cold cracking and may be found in HAZ and weld metal
depending on the type of steel being welded.
Location:
HAZ
Weld metal

Longitudinal
Transverse or longitudinal

Steel Types:
All hardenable steels (i.e. low alloy steels, HSLA steels, QT steels, Medium High carbon
steels.
Susceptible Microstructure:
Martensite
Causes:
1.
Hydrogen content > 15 ml/100 gm of deposited weld metal
2.
Hardness > 350 HV
3.
Stresses > 0.5 of Yield Stress
4.
Temperature < 300 C
5.
Moisture on plate or in the air
6.
Paint or oil on plates
7.
Moisturized flux
Preventions:
1.
Use low hydrogen process and/or hydrogen controlled consumable
2.
Use correctly treated H2 controlled consumable
3.
Minimize restraint
4.
Ensure plate is dry and free from rust, oil, paint or other coatings
5.
Use a constant and controlled arc length
6.
Ensure pre-heat is applied and maintained before any arc is struck
7.
Control inter pass temperature
8.
Ensure welding is carried out under controlled environmental condition

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Solidification Cracking (Hot Cracking)

Solidification cracking is hot cracking, hot shortness and centerline cracking in the weld.
Location:
Weld center

Longitudinal

Steel Types:
All
Susceptible Microstructure:
Columnar grains (In the direction of solidification)
Causes:
1.
High sulphur content
2.
Stress
3.
Joint design
Sulphur comes from parent metal joins with the iron and becomes iron sulphide. Iron sulphide
has low solidifying temperature than steel. Iron sulphide becomes a thin film in liquid form
between the solidifying grains on the center of the weld. Iron sulphide posses a very little
tensile strength. Any stress makes a solidification crack at this moment.
Prevention:
1.
Use low dilution processes
2.
Use high manganese consumables
3.
Maintain a low carbon content of plate
4.
Specify low sulphur content of plate
5.
Minimize restraint/stress
6.
Minimize dilution
7.
Remove laminations
8.
Thorough cleaning of preparation

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Lamellar Tearing
Location:
Parent Material
Steel Types:
All steels
Susceptible Microstructure:
Low through thickness ductility
Causes:
During welding high thickness ductility stress may be passed in through thickness direction of
one of the plates within the joint. This short transverse direction generally lacks in ductility
particularly in cold rolled plates. As ductility is the property required in the steel to
accommodate this plastic strain caused by contraction stresses a stepped like crack may initiate
in the affected plate just below the HAZ in a horizontal plane.
Micro inclusions of impurities (such as sulphides and silicates that may occur during steel
manufacture) are also a contributory cause, which when subjected to short transverse stresses
may lead to lamellar tearing.
Prevention:
8.
Check the chemical analysis (Below 0.05% S or P)
9.
Check laminations with UT (PT on plate edges)
10.
Check the short transverse ductility value (> 20% reduction in CSA)
11.
Use buttering layer of high ductility weld metal deposited beneath the member to be
welded, enabling contractional stresses to be absorbed as plastic strain.
12.
Leave a contraction gap between members enabling any contractional movement
13.
Re-design of the weld
14.
Re-design of the joint
15.
Use of pre-formed T pieces (Mainly critical applications)

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Inter Crystalline Corrosion

Location:
Weld HAZ

Longitudinal

Steel Types:
Stainless steels
Susceptible Microstructure:
Sensitised grain boundaries
Causes:
Reduction of chromium from grains is main cause of inter-crystalline corrosion. When
material is over heated 600 C to 850 C, chromium comes out from the grains, joins with
carbon and becomes chromium carbide on the grain boundaries. It happens in the HAZ.
Chromium is retard corrosion. Corrosion occurs between the grains as chromium is
reduced.
Prevention:
1. By using low carbon content material such as 316L & 304L instead of 304 & 316
2. By adding the Titanium and Niobium. Titanium and Niobium join the carbon and
become Titanium and Niobium carbide. Titanium and Niobium give stabilization to
chromium.
3. By the keeping of appropriate heat input
4. By the keeping of appropriate inter pass temperature

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