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ML00010 - Oct.2017

Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal

Low magnification micrography of a transverse section of the weld at the heat affected zone region. The macrosection was hardness tested and the base metal hardness is 27HRc, the HAZ is 32HRc and the weld metal is 45HRc, revealing something wrong in the weld metal at the position close to the cracked area.

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Low magnification of a of the weld at the region. The macrosection was hardness tested and the hardness is 27HRc, the is 32HRc and the is 45HRc, revealing something wrong in the at the position close to the cracked area.
M

Material

Low Alloy Low Carbon QT
  • ASTM A 514 grade H
Ds

Description

During maintenance of a structural member in an platform a was repaired by adopting a E10018-M , and cracked in the after cooling. Non destructive metallurgical inspection indicated that the were of a induced nature, later confirmed in laboratory. The weld metal presented localized hard spots due to the entrapment of carbon from the adopted , not properly conducted.

C

Chemistry (% in weight)

Plate base metal

0.16C; 0.25Si; 1.30Mn; 0.022P; 0.021S; 0.53Cr; 0.03Ni; 0.22Mo; 0.030V.

Weld metal

0.07C; 0.49Si; 1.61Mn; 0.024P; 0.023S; 0.34Cr; 1.52Ni; 0.35Mo; 0.03Cu.

Associated Images
The repair weld presented several cracks in the weld metal, transverse to the weld, detected during inspection using magnetic particle test. The cracks were mainly located in regions of the structure where the repair was conducted by welding in the vertical position using 1/8" stick electrode.
709
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Aspect by NDTDf - Cracking
After grinding to remove the cracks, it was possible to see that they originated in the root, with longitudinal and transverse cracking, and localized in the weld metal only.
167
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Aspect by NDTDf - Cracking
Acetate metallographic replica from the surface, before cracking removal, showing the intergranular morphology of the cracks in a very refined weld metal structure.
123
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital etched, OMDf - Intergranular Cracking
Detail of the acetate metallographic replica from the surface, before cracking removal, showing the (previous austenite) intergranular morphology of the cracks in a very refined weld metal structure.
107
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital etched, OMDf - Intergranular Cracking
Tempered martensitic structure of the plate base metal.
93
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Base Metal
Detail of the tempered martensitic structure of the plate base metal. Hardness level of 27 HRc.
92
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Base Metal
Low magnification micrography of a transverse section of the weld at the heat affected zone region. The macrosection was hardness tested and the base metal hardness is 27HRc, the HAZ is 32HRc and the weld metal is 45HRc, revealing something wrong in the weld metal at the position close to the cracked area.
79
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Transverse Section
High temperature heat affected zone of the plate, welded in repair. The micrography was taken from a sample collected close to the cracked region, but not containing any macroscopic cracking.
76
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Heat Affected Zone
Detail of the high temperature heat affected zone of the plate, welded in repair.
69
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Heat Affected Zone
The weld metal, hard, presented a martensitic structure, probably due to the localized increase in carbon content, from the unsuitable carbon arc gouging procedure.
62
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Weld Metal
Detail of the weld metal, hard, presenting a martensitic structure.
65
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Weld Metal
Low magnification micrography of the weld metal, evidencing regions of low dilution of the entrapped carbon from the arc gouging.
61
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Hard Spots
Detail of a region of entrapped carbon from the arc gouging, in the weld metal.
55
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Hard Spots
Detail of a region of entrapped carbon from the arc gouging, in the weld metal.
55
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Hard Spots
Microhardness identations in the regions of entrapped carbon, showing that in these regions there are carbides and retained austenite.
62
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Hard Spots
Aspect of the all weld metal broken tensile test conducted in the sample removed from structure close to the region where the cracking was detected, indicating that the material entrapped hydrogen for several days, since the test was conducted more than 2 weeks later than the cracking was detected.
61
VIEW
ML00010 / Oct.2017
Cold Cracks in a Gouged Weld Metal
M - Low Alloy Low Carbon QTP - Rolled PlateAp - OffshoreCd - Welding Defect
Cm - Fracture Surface AspectDf - Fish Eye