Abstract
The behavior of helium bubble in helium-doped austenitic stainless steel weldment was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and numerical calculation technique. The stainless steel was helium ion-implanted and welded by YAG laser apparatus. Helium ion implanting to the sample was carried out using 8 MeV implantation apparatus. The sample was doped 1.0×1019 atoms/m2 at 5 MeV and then doped 2.45×1019 atoms/m2 at 6 MeV.
The region where helium bubbles formed in the heat-affected zone increased with increasing laser power. For low laser power, the helium concentration was above 10 appm in the weld metal and many large helium bubbles larger than 3μm in diameter were observed at the bond region. The volume of weld metal increased and the size of helium bubble decreased with increasing laser power respectively. Number of fine helium bubbles below 0.2μm in diameter were observed along the dendrite cell boundary in the weld metal.
The increases of laser power and travel speed led to the initiation of cracking at the dendrite cell boundary in the weld metal, even at 2.9 appmHe.
