Residual Stress Distributions in Bi-Metal (Ferritic to Austenitic Steel) Joints Made by Laser Welding

In this work, autogenous laser welding was used to join thin plates of low carbon ferritic and austenitic stainless steel. Due to the differences in the thermo-physical properties of base metals, this kind of welds exhibit a complex microstructure, which frequently leads to an overall loss of joint quality. Four welded samples were prepared by using different sets of processing parameters, with the aim of minimizing the induced residual stress field. Microstructural characterization and residual strain scanning (by neutron diffraction) were used to assess the joints’ features.