Vibration Assisted Hot-Wire Gas-Tungsten Arc Welding of Duplex Stainless Steel 2205

Duplex stainless steel are excellent corrosion resistance two-phase alloy as compared to stainless steel. The corrosion resistance of duplex stainless steel depends upon the balance phase of ferrite and austenite. During non-equilibrium processes such as welding, the fast cooling rate (as compared to the controlled environment where it is produced) suppresses the austenite to ferrite transformation. A low frequency vibration assisted hot-wire Gas-Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) has been used to weld commercial duplex stainless steel alloy 2205. The results are compared with cold-wire GTAW weldments. The micro-hardness and microstructure of the weldments and heat-affected zones are characterized. A pitting corrosion test was performed on the weldments to measure the weight loss. A lower weight loss was achieved by using the low frequency vibration assisted hot-wire GTAW, however small pit was observed on the weld cap.