In addition to electromagnetic attraction between the arcs in Tandem Pulsed gas metal arc welding (GMAW), arc interruptions, mostly in the trailing arc at low mean current levels, may also occur, which is a phenomenon not widely discussed in the welding field. These arc interruptions must be avoided, since they also represent interruptions in metal fusion and deposition during the welding process, leading to lack of fusion/penetration and/or deposition flaws, adding cost for repairing operations. To improve the understanding on arc interruptions in Tandem Pulsed GMAW and how the current pulsing synchronism between the arcs relates to this phenomenon, this work proposes to evaluate the influence of parameters of adjacent arcs (Tandem Pulsed GMAW) and also of a single arc (GTAW—gas tungsten arc welding), but similarly subjected to magnetic deflection, on the occurrence of arc interruptions/extinctions. High-speed filming was used to help understand the interruption/extinction mechanism. In the case of Tandem Pulsed GMAW, the pulses of current of the leading and trailing arcs need to be almost-in-phase to prevent interruptions in the trailing arc. The distance of 10 mm between the adjacent arcs helped reduce the incidence of trailing arc interruptions, yet keeping a sound weld visual quality. In the case of GTAW, the higher the electrical current flowing through the arcs and the shorter their lengths, the more they resist to the extinction. The trailing arc interruptions in Tandem Pulsed GMAW seem to be determined by the deflection and heat in this arc, and their prevention can be achieved by a balance between these two factors, which is reached by synchronized pulsing currents.

This study investigates the microstructure and tribological behavior of Inconel 625 overlays applied via GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) with and without a 316LSi stainless-steel intermediate layer on top of A36 steel. The microstructural characterization was conducted via FESEM with EDS. The tribological behavior was evaluated using a tribometer in a reciprocating configuration. The results showed that the wear rate of the Inconel 625 weld overlay with the 316LSi intermediate layer was higher than without it. However, no variations were observed in terms of hardness and the friction coefficient of the Inconel 625 weld overlays. The difference in the behavior of the two coatings was justified due to the microstructure morphology found in each case and chemical composition. When applied without the intermediate layer, Inconel 625 coating’s structure was dendritic, whereas it was cellular otherwise. An increase in the amount of Nb was observed in the layer deposited over 316LSi. This rise likely led to an increase in the number of precipitates and/or Laves phase formation. Thus, the results indicated that the difference in thermal conductivity and dilution between the stainless and carbon steels modifies the morphology of the microstructure of the Inconel 625 weld overlay, decreasing wear resistance when deposited on top of the stainless steel.

RESUMO A liga de Inconel 625 é uma superliga à base de níquel altamente resistente à corrosão particularmente utilizada na forme de revestimentos sobre um substrato menos nobre. Existem inúmeras formas de aplicação deste material, sendo uma delas o uso de processos de soldagem. Tradicionalmente faz-se uso de processos de deposição por soldagem que promovam baixa diluição (menor contaminação do Inconel com o material do substrato), mas estes processos possuem característica de baixa produtividade devido às baixas taxas de deposição empregadas. Assim, este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a aplicação de Inconel 625 utilizando o processo GMAW com diferentes energias de soldagem, que possibilita operar com altas taxas de deposição, mas com o inconveniente de promover alta diluição. Para isso, revestimentos foram depositados com três níveis de energias de soldagem, avaliando seus efeitos sobre a microestrutura e a resistência à corrosão dos depósitos. As macros e microestruturas dos depósitos foram avaliadas por microscopia óptica, microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), espectrometria de energia dispersa (EDS) e difração de raios-X (DRX). Foram medidas a diluição, os espaçamentos dendríticos secundários e avaliadas as microestruturas. A resistência à corrosão dos depósitos foi avaliada por ensaios de polarização potenciodinâmica cíclica. Os resultados mostraram que a relação entre energia de soldagem e diluição dependem da amplitude de tecimento. Observou-se também que a energia de soldagem afetou a quantidade de fases, sendo que energias mais baixas produziram estruturas dendríticas mais refinadas. Além disso, o estudo mostrou que os ensaios de corrosão realizados a temperatura de 25 ºC não promoveram corrosão superficial nas amostras independente da energia de soldagem imposta ao revestimento e que os ensaios a 60 º C causaram corrosão em todas as condições.

The deposition of Inconel 625 can be performed by MIG/MAG (Metal Inert Gas/Metal Active Gas) welding process. Despite resulting in larger dilution than other welding methods, MIG/MAG has the advantage of a high production capacity. The present work aimed to study the use of a variant of the MIG/MAG process known as MIG/MAG Double Pulse (MIG/MAG-DP), where the variation of the welding current in the form of pulses can alter the microstructure of the deposits. The effects on corrosion resistance of the macrogeometry and microstrucure of Inconel 625 weld overlays onto low carbon steel substrates were evaluated via cyclic potentiodynamic polarization corrosion tests under two test temperatures (25 °C and 60 °C). The results showed that the MIG/MAG-DP process produced weld overlays with higher dilution (almost twice of that observed for conventional MIG/MAG). Moreover, MIG/MAG-DP resulted in more refined microstructure; the spacing between the dendritic secondary arms was around 49% smaller than for conventional MIG/MAG. This had a negative impact on the corrosion resistance of the deposits at both temperatures and increased the susceptibility of the deposits to crevice corrosion. Therefore, the use of MIG/MAG-DP, although often a positive strategy in welding operations, is not a good route for depositing high corrosion resistance deposits.