Hydrogen austenitic steel weld metal

Similar comments are applicable to weld metal hydrogen cracks, with the further observations that cracking in weld metals is frequently transverse to the weld and that in weld metals of the acicular ferrite type, cracking is most common in the primary ferrite (if it is present) at the prior austenite grain boundaries, as in Fig. 1.3(a). In relatively hard, alloyed weld metals (e.g. in the Cr-Mo steels) any transverse weld metal cracking is usually perpendicular to the weld surface, but in C-Mn weld metals the chevron type of cracking (Fig. 1.3(c)) at 45° to the surface is common. 

Fracture toughness (J-integral) results for a solid-state inertia weld (IW) and gas-tungsten arc (GTA) fusion weld in the austenitic stainless steel 21Cr-6Ni-9Mn (adapted from Somerday ef al. [28]). Results are shown for the hydrogen-exposed and non-exposed conditions. Data for the base metal are included for comparison. 

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