ASSESSING MECHANICAL PROPERTY GRADIENTS ASSOCIATED WITH MICROSTRUCTURAL CHANGES IN STAINLESS STEEL WELDMENTS BY SHEAR PUNCH TESTING

摘要

Electron beam (EB) weldments of 17-4 precipitation hardening (PH) martensitic stainless steel (SS) consisted of a series of heat-affected zones (HAZ) with different microstructural characteristics (composition, fraction, and/or size of precipitates, phases and grains). Considering the limited size of each HAZ, shear punch testing (SPT) offers a practical solution for evaluating the mechanical and fracture properties of individual regions within the weldment. This paper describes the use of SPT to determine the variation in the strength (yield and maximum), ductility and strain hardening properties of different regions of the weldment that occur within a narrow distance.