Development of microstructure and residual stress in electron beam welds in low alloy pressure vessel steels

Reduced-pressure electron beam (EB) plate butt welds were manufactured in two low-alloy pressure-vessel steels, SA508 Gr 3 Cl 1 and SA508 Gr 2, at two thicknesses in both steels, 30 mm and 130 mm. Transient temperatures during welding were recorded using thermocouple arrays. Residual stresses in the as-welded condition and after post-weld heat treatment were measured using diverse methods: neutron diffraction and the contour method at 30 mm thickness; and deep hole drilling and the contour method at 130 mm. Incremental centre hole drilling measurements were performed at 130 mm thickness to better understand near-surface stresses. Weld and heat-affected zone microstructures and microconstituents were evaluated using a combination of hardness mapping, optical microscopy and electron microscopy. The as-welded residual stresses exhibit the characteristic M-shaped distribution for hardenable steels, reaching 500–600 MPa in tension in both steels at both thicknesses. However, the modest changes to the chemical composition and the change in plate thickness both significantly influenced microstructures, mechanical properties and residual stress distributions. These sensitivities underline the need for physically faithful models. This extensive characterisation study enables the development and validation of models that predict the development of microstructures and residual stresses in EB welds in low alloy pressure vessel steels.