Abstract

Underwater wet welding using the flux-cored self-shielded wire (FCAW-S) process has been the focus of study in recent years mainly due to its higher productivity compared to the shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process. In the present investigation, the effect of an increase in heat input on the geometric and microstructural characteristics of weld beads on the ASTM A36 steel plate is evaluated. For this purpose, three experimental weld beads have been produced at different travel speeds, resulting in three different levels of heat input. The geometric characteristics evaluated were the penetration, reinforcement, and heat-affected zone (HAZ) width. In addition, the analysis of the internal porosity and the microstructure in the cross-section of each weld bead was realized. The main results showed that the increment in heat input increases the HAZ's reinforcement, penetration, and width. On the other hand, the microstructure of the fusion zone consisted of ferrite and bainite, while the presence of martensite was detected in the coarse-grained HAZ. The general analysis of the results indicated that it is possible to obtain class B welds according to underwater welding code AWS D3.6.

Key-words:
Underwater wet welding; FCAW-S process; Heat input; Welding parameters; Characterization of materials