Atmospheric Corrosion Behavior of High Strength Steel Weld Joints Formed by Low Transformation-Temperature Welding Consumables

Abstract

When low transformation-temperature welding consumables are applied to welding of high strength steels, there is chemical mismatch between high strength base metal and the Cr-Ni system low transformation-temperature weld metal. The chemical mismatch may affect galvanic corrosion of welds in outdoor steel structures such as a bridge.
In this study, atmospheric corrosion behavior was investigated for chemically mismatching weld joints formed by low transformation-temperature welding consumables.
Corrosion depth profile at weld interface was measured by using laser microscope after outdoor exposure test of a year and the measured profiles were analyzed by plotting on Gumbel probability paper.
Results of measurement and analysis showed that corrosion depth of base metal was independent on Cr content of weld metals and distance from weld interface.