Chemical Composition and Crystal Structure of Oxide Inclusions Promoting Acicular Ferrite Transformation in Low Alloy Submerged Arc Weld Metal

High toughness are requested in the weld metals for offshore steel structures and steel line-pipes used at low ambient temperatures. Micro-alloying of titanium and boron effectively improves the toughness of low-alloyed weld metals with tensile strength ranging between 490 and 590 N/mm2. It is well known that refined intragranular ferrite or acicular ferrite nucleates on titanium containing oxides. However, there have been few reports on the chemical composition at local positions of these effective inclusions and their crystal structures. Two types of submerged arc weld metals were used ; one is a silicon-and-manganese type weld metal with a ferrite with aligned second phase and the other is a titanium type one with the acicular ferrite. The mechanical and metallurgical examination included the microscopic observation, Charpy impact tests of the welds and the characterization of oxides in weld metals with X-ray diffractions and analytical electron microscope. The following facts were clarified from the above investigations. The oxides in the titanium bearing weld metal are crystallized in a form of (Mn, Ti) (Al, Ti)2O4 with angularly rugged surfaces, while the oxides of a Si-Mn type are amorphous with smooth spherical shape. Titanium as low as 0.005 wt% in a weld metal satisfactorily crystallized oxides if titanium is included in oxides with aluminum and manganese.