Characterization of Dissimilar Welded Joints Between Austenitic and Duplex Stainless Steel Grades for Liquid Tank Applications

Lean duplex stainless steels have similar corrosion and better mechanical properties than the austenitic grades, which ensure their extensive spreading in industrial applications as a substitute of austenitic grades. In the construction of liquid tanks, however, it is often necessary to weld such steels with a range of fittings which are commonly fabricated with austenitic stainless steel grades. Therefore, this paper examines dissimilar welded joints between LDX 2101 (or X2CrMnNiN22-5-2) lean duplex stainless steels plates and austenitic stainless steel pipes, carried out by different arc welding processes. The investigation focuses on the correlation between the welding procedures and the microstructural and mechanical properties of the welded joints.