Performance of the INCONEL 625 alloy weld overlay obtained by FCAW process

ABSTRACT Nickel-based weld overlays (cladding) are commonly used in oil & gas industry to extend the life of equipment under corrosive environment, as it improves the corrosion resistance without a significant increase in the manufacturing cost, when compared to a full nickel-based alloy equipment. Although there are extensive literature involving overlays applied by SMAW, GMAW or GTAW processes, works about the use of FCAW process are limited. Consequently, an investigation of the performance of the overlays deposited by this process, which provides a higher productivity in comparison to the processes usually used, can be an interesting option for this application. The present work evaluates the mechanical and microstructural properties of the nickel-based superalloy 625 weld overlay deposited on a ASTM A516 Grade 70 carbon steel plate by the flux cored arc welding process (FCAW), both in as welded and heat treated conditions. Bending and microhardness tests were performed in order to verify possible effects of welding thermal cycles on the mechanical properties. The microstructure was evaluated through both optical (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), with the use of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. Corrosion tests were conducted on samples removed from the top layer of the weld overlay according to ASTM G 48 Method A. All results obtained with this welding process, in both as welded and heat treated samples, were considered satisfactory.