Effect of Welding Processes on Texture and Anisotropy of HSLA Steel Sheet

In the present investigation, the effect of welding processes on the microstructure, crystallographic texture, mechanical properties, and anisotropy of weldment joints of a high strength low alloy steel (HSLA) was studied. The main goal of this research is to establish the relationship between microstructure, texture evolutions, and mechanical properties of the weldments. GTAW and SMAW welding processes were conducted, and macro texture of samples was investigated with the X-ray diffraction technique. Mechanical properties were evaluated by using the uniaxial tensile test in three directions of 0, 45, and 90° to the weld line and a micro hardness test. Preferred orientation in the weldment develops in different welding processes based on the initial base metal texture. The texture of the base metal consisted ofγ-fiber, α-fiber, G {110} <001>, and R-Cube {001} <110> main components that evolves during the welding processes. Weakening of the γ-fiber texture component results in a significant reduction in the mechanical properties of the weldments. Moreover, the percentage of the γ-fiber component in the GTAW sample is greater than the SMAW sample, which results in superior mechanical properties.