ABSTRACT
Submerged arc welding is a production method commonly used in shipbuilding industry, which showed a significant growth in the past decade. The present manuscript shows a study of the chemical interactions that occurs among base metal, weld metal and weld flux to a specific case study applied in the Brazilian shipbuilding industry. The evaluation of such interactions indicated that chemical elements such as Mn and Ni showed a migration from the flux to the weld pool, whereas Si flowed from the weld pool to the flux. In addition, carbon was lost to the atmosphere. Other flux elements constituents showed interaction only among themselves, and no reaction with the weld pool was observed. Microstructural analysis and mechanical properties allowed one to identify the presence of phases already expected for this type of iron, however the images obtained from the weld pool microstructure indicate an increase in precipitates in the weld pool area that may be related to the migration of the flux chemical elements to the weld pool. In addition, the welding proceeding used in this study attained all mechanical behavior requirements to be applied in service, in the shipbuilding constructions.
Keywords:
SAW fluxes; Microstructure; Mechanical Properties.
