The effect of titanium addition on the SAW weld metal microstructure of API 5L-X70 pipeline steel was investigated. The relationship between microstructure and toughness of the weld deposit was studied by means of full metallographic, longitudinal tensile, Charpy-V notch and HIC tests on the specimens cut transversely to the weld beads. The best combination of microstructure and impact properties was obtained in the range of 0.02–0.05% titanium. By further increasing of titanium content, the microstructure was changed from a mixture of acicular ferrite, grain-boundary ferrite and Widmanstätten ferrite to a mixture of acicular ferrite, grain-boundary ferrite, bainite and ferrite with M/A microconstituent. Therefore, the mode of fracture also changed from dimpled ductile to quasi-cleavage. The results showed an increase in the titanium content of inclusions with increased titanium levels of weld metal. Titanium-base inclusions improve impact toughness by increasing the formation of acicular ferrite in the microstructure. No HIC susceptibility was found in the weld metals with titanium contents less than 0.09%.

Keywords