Temperature fields and residual stress distributions in dissimilar steel butt welds between carbon and stainless steels

Abstract

Dissimilar steel welds between carbon and stainless steels are necessary for the efficient utilization of stainless steels in construction. The structural integrity assessment of welded structures requires consideration of weld-induced residual stresses. Therefore, it is of critical importance to estimate the magnitude and distribution of residual stresses in the dissimilar steel welded joints. Simulation tools based on finite element (FE) method are very useful to predict welding residual stresses. However, the numerical reproduction of residual stresses in dissimilar steel welds is generally more challenging than that of residual stresses in similar steel welds because of the differences in thermo-physical and mechanical properties of the materials to be joined. In the present work, three-dimensional FE simulation of dissimilar steel welding process was carried out to identify temperature fields and residual stress states in dissimilar steel butt-welded joints between carbon and stainless steels. The thermo-mechanical FE model used as well as the simulation methodology is detailed, and the results are discussed. The simulated results demonstrated that welding residual stresses in the dissimilar steel butt welds are by no means of the same magnitude or distribution as those in corresponding similar steel butt welds. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.