Evaluation of the Influence of Post Welding Heat Treatments on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of API 5L X70Q Weld Joints

Abstract

Pipelines for oil and gas conduction are manufactured of steel tubes that meet the API 5L requirements. Currently, much of the research related to the materials used in this industry is target to steels with higher tensile strength such as API 5L X70Q. But studies related to seamless pipes remains rare. During the manufacture of the pipelines, the pipes are usually welded by the SMAW process and may be heated by the inducted bending process to fit the topography of the land, processes that can change the proportion or morphology of the constituents in the heat affected zone (HAZ) and in the fused metal. The present study used an API 5L X70Q seamless steel manufactured by the Mannesmann Process to produce weld joints by the SMAW process. The joints were subjected to post weld heat treatments in the temperatures of 920 °C and 600 °C. Mechanical tests which included tensile test, Charpy impact and microhardness were applied, in addition to microstructure evaluation in the joints as welded and after heat treatments. The results showed that the first heat treatment (920 °C) promoted the formation of structure ferrite/pearlite, which reduced the mechanical properties to values under the specified for materials API grade X70Q. The second heat treatment (600 °C) was feasible in reducing the volume fraction of the Martensite-Austenite and Martensite-Austenite-Bainite constituents, without significant reduction in mechanical strength of the welded joints and with significant gain in impact toughness in the HAZ and in the weld metal.

Key-words: Carbon and low alloy steels; Welding metallurgy; Mechanical properties of welded joints