Temperature distribution of multipass TIG welded AISI 304 L stainless steel

Abstract

Tungsten inert gas welding (TIG) is one of the most important material-joining processes widely used in industry. AISI type 304L stainless steel plates with 8 and 10 mm thicknesses are widely used in the fabrication of pressure vessels and other components. These plates are mostly joined together by multipass welding methods. The temperature distribution that occurs during multipass welding affects the material microstructure, hardness, mechanical properties, and the residual stresses that will be present in the welded material. Very limited experimental data regarding temperature distribution during multipass welding of plates is available in the literature. Experimental work was carried out to find out the temperature distribution during multipass welding of the AISI 304L stainless steel plates. The temperature distribution curves obtained during the experiments are presented. The average maximum temperature rise during each pass of welding is calculated and plotted against the distance from the weld pad centre line. From these plots, the maximum temperature rise expected in the base plate region during any pass of welding operation can be estimated.