Effect of Welding Heat Input on Grain Size and Microstructure of 316L Stainless Steel Welded Joint

Influences of heat input on the microstructure and grain size of shielded metal arc welded 316L stainless steel joints were studied. Three heat input combinations were selected from the operating window of the shielded metal arc welding process and welded joints made using these combinations were subjected to microstructural evaluations so as to analyze the effect of thermal arc energy on the microstructure and grain size of these joints. The results of this investigation indicate that the microstructure of the weld zone and the fusion zone are austenite and a small amount of ferrite while the microstructure of the heat affected zone (HAZ) are austenite and a small amount of MC type carbides, and it can be seen that the amount of ferrite in the weld zone decreases with heat input. For the joints investigated in this study, the average grain size in the HAZ increases with heat input.