AN EVALUATION OF THERMAL STABILITY IN DISSIMILAR WELDS BETWEEN 310 STAINLESS STEEL AND ALLOY 657

The investigation is carried out to characterize welding of AISI 310 austenitic stainless steel to Inconel 657 nickel-chromium superalloy. The welds were produced using four types of filler materials: the nickel-based corresponding to Inconel 82, Inconel A, Inconel 617 and austenitic stainless steel 310. This paper describes the effects of aging treatment on the joint. The comparative evaluation was based on microstructural features and estimation of mechanical properties. While Inconel A exhibited highest thermal stability and mechanical properties (hardness and ultimate strength), Inconel 82 weld metal also showed good thermal stability and mechanical properties. On the other hand, welds produced with Inconel 617 and 310 SS filler materials showed weak thermal stability and failed in the weld metals. It is therefore concluded that for the joint between Inconel 657 and 310 stainless steel, Inconel A and Inconel 82 filler materials offered the best compromises, respectively