Fatigue and hardness effects of a thin buffer layer on the heat affected zone of a weld repaired Bisplate80

Heat-affected zones (HAZs) in extensively weld-repaired Bisplate80, or the parent metal (PM), have been studied and examined using hardness measurements in conjunction with fatigue crack growth measurements and detailed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations. Three different groups of specimens have been prepared, i.e. as-received PM, weld-repaired PM with a thin 4 mm BL between PM and weld metal (WM), and weld-repaired PM without BL. The extended compact tension (E-CT) specimens for fatigue measurements are prepared according to the ASTM specifications, which are also used for hardness measurements. Hardness and fatigue crack growth variations across the boundaries between WM, BL and PM have been measured together with detailed SEM observations. It has been found that the welding process without BL reduced both hardness and fatigue resistance, especially around the weld interface and within the HAZ. Incorporation of a thin soft BL between WM and PM has increased both hardness and fatigue resistance around the weld interface and within the HAZ.