An experimental investigation on the effect of gas tungsten arc welding current modes upon the microstructure, mechanical, and fractography properties of welded joints of two grades of AISI 316L and AISI310S alloy metal sheets

In this investigation, dissimilar welded joints of AISI 316 L and AISI 310S stainless steels were produced using continuous and pulsed modes current of the gas tungsten arc welding process. A filler metal type ER309L was used to strengthen the welded joints. The fracture mode of the tensile and Charpy impact test samples was studied using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Results showed that the welded joints were broken in the 316 L steel side during the tensile test due to the presence of lower alloying elements in this steel compared with the AISI 310S stainless steel. As well, microhardness and Charpy impact tests results showed that changing the welding current from continuous to the pulsed one increased the values of these two mentioned attributes. Fractography analysis, performed on the fracture surfaces of both joints, showed a completely ductile fracture under both tensile and Charpy impact tests. Moreover, microstructural observations showed that the weld metal (WM) structure was austenitic-ferritic (AF) and contained columnar and equiaxed dendrites. Changing the welding current from the continuous to the pulsed one led to the transformation of the columnar dendrites to the very fine equiaxed dendrites. This welding current variation reduced the dendrite size of the WM and decreased the area of the unmixed zone (UMZ). Finally, XRD results indicated that austenite was the predominant phase in the welded joints. •Microstructural observations indicated that austenite was the predominant phase in the WM and the BMs.•Pulsed current increased delta ferrite distribution in the WM & changed columnar dendrites to fine/equiaxed morphology.•The welded joints of both welding current modes were broken from the 316L steel side during tensile tests.•Microhardness results pointed out that hardness values were ascending from both BMs towards the center of the WM.•Fractography analysis of the joints depicted a completely ductile fracture with the dimple characteristic.