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Criteria for evaluating the weldability of steels

a a
G.M. Grigorenko & V.A. Kostin
a
E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute , Kiev , Ukraine
Published online: 23 Jul 2013.

To cite this article: G.M. Grigorenko & V.A. Kostin (2013) Criteria for evaluating the weldability of steels, Welding
International, 27:10, 815-820, DOI: 10.1080/09507116.2013.796633

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09507116.2013.796633

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 Welding International, 2013
Vol. 27, No. 10, 815–820, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09507116.2013.796633
Selected from Svarochnoe Proizvodstvo 2012 65(10) 3 – 10

Criteria for evaluating the weldability of steels

G.M. Grigorenko and V.A. Kostin
E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute, Kiev, Ukraine

The term ‘weldability’ is analysed and the methods for evaluating this parameter are discussed.
Keywords: welding; weldability; cold and hot cracks; carbon equivalent value; weldability criteria

It is well-known that the weldability of steels differs. Some of ‘weldability’ through the capacity of the material to
steels can be welded without any restrictions, for others it form a welded joint does not indicate how this parameter
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is necessary to apply special technological measures. can be measured.

Therefore, the concept of weldability is interpreted by
many different approaches. For example, according to the
standard ISO 581:1980, the metal can be regarded as
weldable if welding results in the formation of a sound
welded joint using the welding process producing the
joints satisfying the requirements on the local properties.
According to the standards of the Welding Institute
(United Kingdom) 499-1:2009, weldability is the capacity
of the material to be welded by any method without any
special measures in order to produce the welded joint with
the properties satisfying the requirements.
According to the standard DIN 8528-1 (Germany), the
weldability of components made of metallic materials is
good if a specific welding method and technology result in
the formation of joints in materials by welded joints
satisfying the requirements on the properties and the effect
on the structure.
In accordance with the GOST 29273-92 standard, the
metallic material is regarded as weldable up to the required
extent in the given processes and for the given application
with the welding process resulting in metallic integrity in
the appropriate technological process so that the welded
components satisfy the technical requirements with
respect to both the interface quality and the effect on the
construction which they form. The determination of
weldability by the standard DSTU 3761.1-98 is close to
this definition.
Thus, the ‘weldability’ concept should include four
related factors: the type of material, the type of structure,
the required properties and the degree of reliability.
Depending on their selection in combination, a specific
level of weldability is reached [1].
Individual welding scientists also have their own views
on weldability. A large amount of work in the system-
atization of the term ‘weldability’ and the methods for
evaluating weldability has been carried out by K.A.
Yushchenko. For example, in studies [2] and [3], a new
concept of the term ‘weldability’ is proposed on the basis
of the analysis of the currently available approaches to the
evaluation of weldability and standards valid in the
individual countries and organizations. It is shown that in
the large majority of cases the weldability is evaluated
qualitatively and subjectively; the term ‘weldability’ is
regarded as a philosophical concept, and the determination
q 2013 Taylor & Francis
In [4], the weldability of materials is regarded as a
collective concept, characterizing the suitability for
welding and reliability of the welded joint, and in [5] the
weldability of the given material improves with the
increase in the number of welding methods which can be
used to weld the given material, with simplification of the
technology and the increase in the range of the permissible
welding conditions resulting in the required properties of
the welded joint.
In [6], evaluation of the weldability of high-strength
steels is reduced to the determination of optimum welding
conditions that preclude the possibility of a welded joint
cracking and maintain the required ductility, strength and
cold resistance of the welded zone.
In [7], the authors indicate the principal difference in
the concepts of ‘weldability’ and ‘joining capacity’ and
denote the position of weldability in the formation of the
welded joint.
At the same time, analysis of studies concerned with
the weldability of steels and alloys shows that concepts
such as metallurgical, physical and technological weld-
ability are widely used.
Metallurgical weldability [8] (http://www.xiron.ru/
content/view/21389/28) is determined by the processes
taking place in the fusion zone of the welded components
leading to the formation of a permanent welded joint. The
contact boundary of the welded components is character-
ised by the physical – chemical processes determined by
the properties of the welded metals. Metals with the same
chemical composition have the same metallurgical
weldability. The welding of dissimilar metals may be
associated with difficulties because the properties of these
metals are sometimes not capable of ensuring the
occurrence of the required physical –chemical processes
in the fusion zone and, consequently, these metals have no
metallurgical weldability.
Physical weldability [9] (http://www.metalloved.com/
spravochnik/svarochnye_raboty/fizicheskaya_svarivaemost/)
is the possibility of producing monolithic welded joints
with chemical bonds. This weldability is typical of almost
all technical alloys and pure metals and also a number of
compounds of metals with non-metals.
Technological weldability [10,11] is the characteristic
of the metal which determines its reaction to the effect of
 816 G.M. Grigorenko and V.A. Kostin
Technology Weldability Structure
Material
Figure 1. Relationship between weldability and materials used.
welding and the capacity to form welded joints with the
required service properties. In this case, weldability is
regarded as the extent to which the properties of the
welded joint correspond to the same properties of the
parent metal or normalized values of these properties
(Figure 1).
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The degree of weldability in [4] is determined by the
extent of formation of contacts (Figure 2).
The suitability of steel for welding is determined by
weldability tests which include in most cases the tests of
susceptibility to formation of cracks of different types. For
example, the following weldability parameters are used for
welded joints in carbon and alloy steels:
. hot cracking (HC) resistance;
. cold cracking (CC) resistance;
. lamellar cracking resistance;
. temper crack (TC) formation resistance;
. values of the main mechanical properties of the
weld metal and the heat-affected zone (HAZ);
. resistance to the propagation of crack-like defects;
. other parameters in accordance with the special
features of working load and service conditions
(endurance under cyclic loading, cold resistance in
service at sub-zero temperatures, etc.).
Sufficient parameters of the weldability of the
materials are those which are equal to or higher than the
normalized values of the required properties according to
the technical conditions for service of welded structures of
a given type. If all of the weldability parameters are
regarded as sufficient, i.e. all of the requirements on the
service properties of the welded joints with the given
assumptions are satisfied, the weldability of the materials
is regarded as sufficient. If the minimum acceptable level
of at least one of the weldability parameters is not
achieved, the weldability of the material is classified as
insufficient. It should be mentioned that in this approach
the weldability of a specific material can be evaluated
differently, depending on the purpose for which the
component is produced.
Satisfactory
All service requirements fulfilled
Satisfactory
Good
Change welding conditions
Figure 2. Degree of weldability.
The weldability of the materials is strongly affected by
the chemical composition of steel or alloys, the structural-
phase composition and changes of the composition in the
process of heating and cooling, the physical –chemical and
mechanical properties, the activity of elements in relation
to oxygen, carbon, etc.
As the number of parameters characterizing the parent
and filler (electrode) materials is very large, the
weldability is a complex characteristic including the
sensitivity of metal to oxidation and formation of pores,
the correspondence of the properties of the welded joints
to the given service properties, the reaction to thermal
cycles, the susceptibility to formation of hot and cold
cracks, etc.
Of these parameters, the cracking resistance is the most
important parameter in welding and surfacing of carbon
and low-alloy steels.
Weldability should take into account the resistance of
weld metal to the formation of hot, cold, lamellar and
reheat cracks.
Hot cracks form in most cases as a result of reduction
in the deformation capacity of the metal due to the
formation in the structure of low-melting brittle eutectics,
crystal structure defects and internal and external stresses.
The probability of formation of hot cracks in welding
surfacing can be determined using the Wilkinson
criterion [8]:
%Cð%S þ %P þ %Si=25 þ %Ni=100Þ
HCS ¼ £ 103 : ð1Þ
3%Mn þ %Cr þ %Mo þ %V
In welding low-alloy steels, cracks start to form at
HCS . 4 [13].
The methods of reducing the risk of formation of hot
cracks include methods such as reduction in the content of
sulphur, phosphorus, and carbon, increase in the
manganese content, application of austenitic steels and
the formation of a primary ferritic structure.
The cold cracks form mostly due to the hardening of
the steel, in rapid cooling and saturation of the metal and
the HAZ with hydrogen. They often nucleate after a
certain period of time after welding and surfacing and
propagate over several hours or even days.
In most cases, the susceptibility of the metal to the
formation of cold cracks is evaluated using the carbon
equivalent which can be used as the parameter
characterizing the weldability of steels.
The carbon equivalent parameter, proposed by the
International Institute of Welding (IIW Doc. IX-535-67),
used for low-carbon steels containing no more than 0.8%
carbon, or when the cooling time in the temperature range
Unsatisfactory
At least one requirement not fulfilled
Limited Poor
Change welding method Positive results cannot be achieved
 Welding International 817

Table 1.

Technological approaches
Preheating Heat treatment
Steel Carbon equivalent according Prior to During Prior to After
group Weldability to Equation (2) CE (%) welding welding welding welding
1 Good , 0.2 – – – Desirable
2 Satisfactory 0.2 – 0.35 Necessary – Desirable Necessary
3 Limited 0.35– 0.45 Necessary Desirable Necessary Necessary
4 Poor .0.45 Necessary Necessary Necessary Necessary

of 800 – 5008C does not exceed 12 s, is assumed to be monotonic increase in the maximum hardness in the weld
equal to zone. Therefore, the restriction of the maximum hardness
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by some critical value can be used as an efficient criterion

%Mn ð%Ni þ %CuÞ
CE ¼ %C þ þ for selecting the steel and application conditions. For
6 15 ð2Þ example, in Japanese standards for steel welded structures,
ð%Cr þ %Mo þ %VÞ
þ : in addition to the restrictions on the carbon equivalent
5 introduced in the 1970s, there is also a restriction on the
In [15], the following parameter is proposed for steels maximum hardness of the weld zone, which should not
containing less than 0.22% carbon and for rapid cooling exceed 350 HV.
(cooling time in the temperature range from 800 to 5008C The classification of steels on the basis of weldability
is shorter than 6 s): is presented in Table 1.
The first group includes the most widely used grades of
%Si ð%Mn þ %Cu þ %CrÞ low-carbon steels (Ce , 0.2) which can be welded by
PCM ¼ %C þ þ
30 20 ð3Þ conventional methods, i.e. without preheating prior to and
%Ni %Mo %V during welding, and also without subsequent heat
þ þ þ þ 5%B:
60 15 10 treatment. The cast components with a large volume of
deposited metal should be welded with intermediate heat
Another modification of Equation (3) is used quite often:
treatment. For the structures working in conditions of
%Si ð%Mn þ %CuÞ static loading, heat treatment after welding is not carried
CE ¼ %C þ þ out, whereas heat treatment is recommended for important
25 20 ð4Þ
%Cr %Ni %Mo %V structures operated under dynamic loading or at high
þ þ þ þ : temperatures.
10 40 15 10
The second group includes carbon and alloy steels
In [16], it is proposed to use a different equation for the (Ce ¼ 0.2– 0.35). In welding these steels in the normal
carbon equivalent for the steels containing up to 0.25% production conditions, the welded joint is free from cold
carbon: cracks. This group includes the steels which should be

 preheated in order to prevent the formation of cracks, and
%Si %Mn %Cu %Ni
CE ¼ %C þ Að%CÞ þ þ þ postweld heat treatment is also recommended. The
24 6 15 20 procedures of postweld heat treatment differ and depend
ð%Cr þ %Mo þ %Nb þ %VÞ on the steel grade and the design of the component. For
þ þ 5%B;
5 example, annealing is compulsory for cast steel 30 L.
ð5Þ Machine components produced from rolled materials or
forgings, with no sharp contours, can be welded in the
where A (%C) ¼ 0.75 þ 0.25 tanh[20(%C –0.20)].
heat-treated condition (quenching and tempering). Weld-
Equation (5) can be easily transformed into Equations
(2) – (4) because parameter A (%C) strongly depends on ing at an environment temperature below 08C is not
the carbon content of the steel. recommended. The components with a large volume of
It should also be mentioned that the formation of deposited metal should be welded with intermediate heat
quenched structures and of the associated cold cracks treatment (annealing or high-temperature tempering).
depends on the cooling rate of the metal and the weld zone, In cases in which tempering after welding is not
which is influenced by the thermal parameters of welding possible, the welded component is subjected to local
(heat input and initial temperature) and design features of heating. Postweld heat treatment welding differs for
the welded joint (shape and thickness). In welding steels different steel grades. In welding of small defects in steel
with the same carbon equivalent, the increase in the containing more than 0.35% carbon to improve the
cooling rate increases the probability of formation of mechanical properties and machinability, it is necessary to
quenched microstructures and this is reflected in the apply heat treatment (annealing or high-temperature
 818
tempering using the conditions recommended for the
given steel).
The third group (Ce ¼ 0.35 – 0.45) includes carbon and
alloyed steels of the pearlitic grade susceptible to CC in
conventional welding conditions. The weldability of these
steels is ensured using special technologies, based on heat
treatment prior to welding and preheating. In addition to
this, the majority of components in this steel group are
subjected to postweld heat treatment. For components and
castings produced from rolled material or forgings with no
sharp contours or rigid sections, it is recommended to
carry out welding in the heat-treated state (quenching and
tempering).
These steels can be welded without preheating in cases
in which the joints contain no sharp contours, the thickness
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of the metal is not greater than 14 mm, the environment
temperature is not lower than 58C and the welded joints are
of the secondary type. In all other cases, the specific
temperature of preheating during welding and surfacing
depends on the type of welded materials and normally
varies in the range of 250– 4008C [17].
The fourth group (Ce . 0.45) includes the carbon and
alloyed pearlitic steels which are difficult to weld and are
susceptible to cracking. In welding these steels using
advanced technologies, it is not always possible to obtain
the required service properties of the welded joints. The
weldability of the steels is limited and, consequently, they
are welded with compulsory preliminary heat treatment,
preheating during welding and postweld heat treatment.
These steels should be annealed prior to welding.
If the evaluation of weldability on the basis of the
carbon equivalent indicates that the steel is susceptible to
CC, it is necessary to carry out preheating of the welded
component. The preheat temperature for avoiding the
formation of cold cracks can be determined from the
equation proposed in [18].
pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
T ¼ 350 ½CEtotal
2 0:25;
where [CEtotal] is the general carbon equivalent equal to
[CE]c þ [CE]s, [CE]c is the carbon equivalent which
depends on the chemical composition of metal, calculated
from one of Equations (2) –(5); [CE]s is the carbon
equivalent which depends on the thickness of metal and is
calculated from the equation [CE]s ¼ 0.005d[CE]c (d is
the thickness of the metal of the welded component).
If the effect of important parameters, such as the
hydrogen content of the weld metal, is taken into account
[19], the preheat temperature should be increased by a
further 30 – 508C [18]. Welding of such large components,
such as shell structures, offshore platforms, large diameter
pipes, etc., with such preheat temperatures is not
recommended, and the manufacture of small components
by this technology may increase the energy and labour
consumption by approximately 40%.
The hydrogen content of the deposited metal is reduced
by improving the shielding of the weld pool against the
effect of the environment, efficient surface preparation
prior to surfacing, baking of the filler material, etc.
G.M. Grigorenko and V.A. Kostin
In analysis of weldability, it must be taken into account
that at high temperatures cause softening of the steels
strengthened by heat treatment. Thus, prior to developing
welding and surfacing technologies, it is necessary to
determine the weldability of the parent, filler and weld
metals, the probability of cracking, softening of the alloy,
and to indicate the measures for reducing or preventing the
occurrence of undesirable phenomena.
Lamellar cracks form in T joints. The formation of
these cracks is caused by the presence of sulphides and
silicates at the grain boundaries and this is determined by
the quality of steels and high internal stresses formed as a
result of the incorrect shape of the structure.
Reheat cracks form in heat treatment and the formation
of these cracks is associated with the reduction in ductility
of the overheated metal in heating to 500 –6008C.
The ductility of overheated metal may be reduced by
the increase of the energy of the primary grain boundaries
by surface-active elements. In a number of studies,
special attention has been given to the effect of the
method of deoxidation and the content of microalloying
elements. However, the experimental results obtained in
this area are very complicated and contradicting. For
example, a small increase in the copper and antimony
content has proved to be detrimental and the tin content
appears to be quite beneficial. It should be mentioned that
deoxidation of the steel with aluminium with the higher
aluminium content of up to 0.035% has a detrimental
effect, whereas deoxidation with titanium is has a number
of advantages. The increase in the P þ Cu þ n
þ Pb þ As content from 0.5% to 1.2%, and also of the
grain size, increases the susceptibility of materials to
the formation of TCs (http://www.mswelding.com/
treschiny_povtornogo_nagreva.html). Many researchers
have concluded that vanadium and chromium, present in
the low-alloy steels in the amount of up to 2%, have a
strong detrimental effect. The views on the effect of
nickel and molybdenum differ, although generally it is
ð6Þ assumed to be beneficial.
Current views regarding the mechanism of formation
of temper brittleness are linked with the processes of grain
boundary segregations of harmful impurities (P, Sn, Sb
and As) and, consequently, with the reduction in the
cohesion strength of the grain boundaries and with the
change in the intragranular failure mechanism to
intergranular. The strength of the negative effect of
harmful impurity elements in the weld zone on the
resistance of metal to temper brittleness is higher than in
the parent metal as a result of the larger austenite grains
and the large resultant reduction in the specific surface of
the grain boundaries.
The detrimental effect of the impurity elements
increases with the increase in the content of manganese
and silicon in the composition of the welded joints. The
condition for ensuring the temper brittleness resistance of
the metal is expressed by the Watanabe factor (http://
www.mswelding.com/treschiny_povtornogo_nagreva.
html):
I ¼ ðMn þ SiÞðP þ SnÞ104 # 200%: ð7Þ
 Welding International
The Bruscato factor [20] has been proposed for evaluating
the temper brittleness resistance of the weld metal:
X ¼ ð10P þ 5Sb þ 4Sn þ AsÞ100 # 25: ð8Þ
The results of the tests on low-alloy steel with a maximum
chromium content of up to 1.5% were used in http://www.
mswelding.com/treschiny_povtornogo_nagreva.html to
derive the equation for evaluating the effect of the chemical
composition of steel on susceptibility to the formation
of TCs.
The parameter for evaluating crack formation
susceptibility has the form (http://www.mswelding.com/
treschiny_povtornogo_nagreva.html):
DG ¼ Cr þ 3:3Mo þ 8:1V þ 10C 2 2: ð9Þ
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The equation taking into account the effects of
microalloying elements on temper brittleness PSR has
been proposed in http://www.mswelding.com/
treschiny_povtornogo_nagreva.html:
PSR ¼ Cr þ Cu þ 2Mo þ 10V þ 7Nb 2 5Ti 2 2: ð10Þ
If DG or PSR is greater than 2, i.e. these parameters are
positive, both the steels and welded joints in them are
susceptible to TC formation.
The chemical composition of the steel has the
controlling effect in evaluating the weldability. This
parameter is used in the first approximation to evaluate the
weldability.
Carbon is one of the most important admixtures and
determines the strength, ductility, hardenability and other
characteristics of the steels. The carbon content of the
steels of up to 0.25% does not impair weldability. A higher
carbon content leads to the formation of quenched
structure in the HAZ metal and to cracking [21].
Sulphur and phosphorus are harmful impurities. The
higher sulphur content leads to the formation of cracks
(red shortness), and a higher phosphorus content causes
cold cracks to form (cold shortness). Therefore, the
sulphur and phosphorus content in low-carbon steels is
restricted to 0.03– 0.05% [21].
Silicon is present in steels as an impurity and in an
amount of up to 0.3% as a deoxidation agent. At this
silicon content, the weldability of the steels is not
impaired. When silicon is used as the alloying element
with a content of 0.5 –1.0% (especially higher than 1.2%),
silicon oxides, reducing the weldability of steel, can form
[21].
Manganese at a content of 0.1% in steel does not
complicate the welding process. Welding of steels with a
manganese content of 1.8– 2.5% may be accompanied by
the formation of quenched structures and cracks in the
HAZ metal [21].
The content of chromium as an admixture in steels is
restricted to 0.3%. The low-alloy steels can contain up to
0.7 –3.5% chromium. The chromium content of alloy
steels varies in the range of 12– 18%, and in high-alloy
steels it may reach 35%. In welding, chromium forms
carbides, which impair the corrosion resistance of the
819
steel. Chromium supports the formation of refractory
oxides, which complicate welding [21].
Like chromium, nickel is present in low-carbon
steels in the amount of 0.3%. In low-alloy steels, the
nickel content increases to 5%; and in high-alloy steels, the
nickel content increases to 35%. In nickel-based alloys,
the nickel content has the controlling effect. Nickel
increases the strength and ductility properties of the steel
and has a positive effect on weldability [21].
Vanadium in alloy steels is present in the amount of up
to 0.2 –0.8%. This element increases the toughness and
plasticity of the steel and improves the structure and also
hardenability [21].
The molybdenum content of steels is restricted at
0.8%. At this content, molybdenum has a positive effect on
the strength properties of steels and refines the structure.
However, in welding, molybdenum burns out and this
causes cracks to form in the deposited metal [21].
Titanium and niobium in corrosion-resisting and
creep-resisting steels are present in the amount of up to
1%. They reduce the susceptibility of steel to intercrystal-
line corrosion and, at the same time, niobium in the 18-8
steels supports the formation of hot cracks [21].
Copper is present in steels as an admixture (up to 0.3%
inclusive), as an addition in low-alloy steels (0.15 –0.5%)
and as an alloying element (up to 0.8– 1.8%). Copper
increases the corrosion properties of steel without
impairing weldability [21].
The weldability of the welded joints from the
viewpoint of HC resistance must be evaluated taking
into account the effect of hydrogen. The results of
investigation of the effect of all three main factors
(composition, gas saturation and the rigidity of the
structure), supporting the formation of cold cracks, have
been used to determine the criterion for evaluating the
susceptibility of steels for the formation of cracks of this
type – the crack formation criterion [22].
H K
Pc ¼ Pcm þ þ ; ð11Þ
60 4000
where Pcm is the coefficient characterizing the embrittle-
ment as a result of the structural transformation and is
calculated from Equation (3); H is the amount of diffusible
hydrogen in the weld metal; K is the coefficient of rigidity
of the welded section, calculated from the equation
K ¼ K0d (K0 is the coefficient determined by the force of
displacement of the edge of the welded joint by 1 mm,
related to the unit thickness of the sheet and the length of
the welded joint; d is the sheet thickness). The value of the
coefficient K0 can be calculated or determined by
experiments [23]. For welded joints, the value of
coefficient K0 changes from 200 to 4000 N/(mm2 mm),
and for the Tekken test piece it is 690 N/(mm2 mm)
[23,24].
The formation of cold cracks is strongly affected by
the residual tensile stresses after welding. These stresses
depend on the thickness of the welded joint, the type of
welded section and, in particular, the rigidity of the welded
 820 G.M. Grigorenko and V.A. Kostin
part of the structure. The value of these stresses can also be
expressed by the coefficient of rigidity intensity K.
The results of a large number of experiments show that
the steel is sensitive to the formation of cold cracks if
Pc . 0.286.
Thus, up to now there is no united view as to what the
term ‘weldability’ means and which criteria should be
used to evaluate it and, similarly, there is no general
recommended method for the determination of weld-
ability. In addition to this, the methods which are available
are qualitative. It should be mentioned that the most
complete systematization and analysis of the ‘weldability’
concept of the individual authors and documents has been
published in Refs [2,3].
In most cases, the weldability tests are replaced by the
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tests of susceptibility to cracking, i.e. one odd term
‘weldability’ is replaced by another odd term ‘suscepti-
bility to cracking’. Following the logic of this approach,
weldability should be evaluated by the parameters
characterizing the failure of the welded joint (tensile
strength, yield strength, the work of crack initiation and
propagation, stress intensity factor, critical crack opening
displacement, etc.) and not by the parameters of alloying
of the welded joint (carbon and other equivalents). On the
other hand, as a result of the existence of a very large
number of the types and methods of welding, it is quite
problematic to localize the failure directly in the welding
zone for it to be used for the characterization of the
properties of the welded joint as a whole and not of its
individual sections – weld metal, diffusion line and HAZ.
Although a number of phenomenological assumptions
of the framework and boundaries of partial criteria have
already been proposed, no physical and mathematical
facilities have been developed for numerical evaluation of
weldability. This is due to the fact that the weldability of
steels depends both directly and indirectly on a large
number of external and internal welding parameters, and
every investigator studies basically only one specific
aspect of this phenomenon. In the analysis of the literature
data, it has been concluded that there is no need for the
numerical mathematical interpretation of weldability.
The very large number of materials which are welded,
and also the very large number of welding processes,
greatly differ from each other in physical nature and,
consequently, it may be very difficult to develop general
numerical criteria.
One can agree with the authors of [1 – 3] and
understand ‘weldability’ as the property of materials to
form high-quality permanent joints with physical –
chemical parameters similar to the parent metal, which
can be used for structures for important application
satisfying the relevant requirements. In this case, it is
possible to evaluate the weldability of each material and
available and applied criteria. In addition to this, in a
specific case it is necessary to define the requirements on
the welded joint.
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