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<p>Austenitic stainless steels, particularly SS304, are highly regarded for their outstanding mechanical performance and resilience under load, making them a&#xa0;popular choice in a&#xa0;wide range of industrial applications. SS304 stainless steel is frequently used in environments where both mechanical strength and corrosion resistance are critical, e.g., in chemical processing, food and beverage industries, and marine environments. This study investigates the effect of multiple weld repairs and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of SS304 weld joints. Repeated welding causes a&#xa0;significant carbide segregation and the formation of non-metallic inclusions, leading to embrittlement, reduced ductility and mechanical properties. Grain boundary sensitization results from multiple weld repairs; due to non-uniform thermal cycles carbide segregation ultimately causes sensitization. Moreover, very disturbed grain microstructure is ameliorated to the coarse-grained austenite matrix, which promotes ductility. Specifically, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield strength (YS) decline by 37.8% and 24%, respectively, after the first weld repair, with further reductions observed after the second repair. Heat treatment, particularly a&#xa0;stress relieving process, effectively mitigates these adverse effects by promoting the uniform diffusion of carbides and other precipitates in the austenite matrix, reducing embrittlement, relieving residual stresses and coarsening grain boundaries. PWHT further mitigates the UTS by 4.7% and 6.3% for the first and second weld repairs, respectively, while the YS decreases by 8.5% and 9.1%. Percent elongation, a&#xa0;key indicator of ductility, increases by 46% for initial weld samples and approximately by 71% and 68% for repaired samples following PWHT.</p>

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Effect of repeated weld repairs and stress-relief annealing on tensile properties and microstructure of SS304 stainless steel

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月19日

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  • Atif Shazad,
  • Muhammad Uzair,
  • Lubna Sharif,
  • Muhammad ShahAreeb

摘要

Austenitic stainless steels, particularly SS304, are highly regarded for their outstanding mechanical performance and resilience under load, making them a popular choice in a wide range of industrial applications. SS304 stainless steel is frequently used in environments where both mechanical strength and corrosion resistance are critical, e.g., in chemical processing, food and beverage industries, and marine environments. This study investigates the effect of multiple weld repairs and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of SS304 weld joints. Repeated welding causes a significant carbide segregation and the formation of non-metallic inclusions, leading to embrittlement, reduced ductility and mechanical properties. Grain boundary sensitization results from multiple weld repairs; due to non-uniform thermal cycles carbide segregation ultimately causes sensitization. Moreover, very disturbed grain microstructure is ameliorated to the coarse-grained austenite matrix, which promotes ductility. Specifically, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield strength (YS) decline by 37.8% and 24%, respectively, after the first weld repair, with further reductions observed after the second repair. Heat treatment, particularly a stress relieving process, effectively mitigates these adverse effects by promoting the uniform diffusion of carbides and other precipitates in the austenite matrix, reducing embrittlement, relieving residual stresses and coarsening grain boundaries. PWHT further mitigates the UTS by 4.7% and 6.3% for the first and second weld repairs, respectively, while the YS decreases by 8.5% and 9.1%. Percent elongation, a key indicator of ductility, increases by 46% for initial weld samples and approximately by 71% and 68% for repaired samples following PWHT.