Heat Affected Zone (HAZ)

Prepared by
Nasrizal Mohd Rashdi
Senior Lecturer
Fabrication & Joining Section
Universiti Kuala Lumpur
 Definition

• The portion of parent metal which has

not been fused, but has nevertheless
been metallurgical affected by the heat
of welding or cutting.
• The peak temperatures are too low to
cause melting but high enough to cause
the microstructure and properties of the
materials to change significantly.
Base Metal
Heat Affected Zone (HAZ)

• Experience a whole range of thermal

cycles, from below melting temperature
to just above ambient temperature.
• As a result, verities of microstructure in
HAZ area.
• This variation of microstructure in turn
leads to a gradation of mechanical
properties.
Heat Affected Zone (HAZ)

• Maximum temperature reached by the

material is inversely proportional to
distance from the fusion zone boundary
• Structure changes in the material
depend on the temperature to which the
material rises in the HAZ
• Less than 650OC no structural change
 HAZ Regions

• There are three main regions

– Sub critical
– Inter critical
– Super critical
HAZ Regions
 Sub critical region

• Below A1 line
• No obvious structural change occurs as
observed in the optical microscope.
• Strain ageing may take place in susceptible
steels if plastic strain occurs.
• Recrystallisation of ferrite may take place
above 400OC and grain growth above 700OC
in some cold worked steels.
 Inter critical region

• From A1 to A3 Line
• In this region there is partial transformation to
austenite occurs
• The amount of transformation to austenite
increase progressively with increasing
temperature as A3 temperature is approached
• Renucleation of ferrite and pearlite with a
finer grain size will occur during cooling
 Inter critical region

• Martensite can occur depending on

cooling rate.
• Diffusion rates of alloy elements are
slow and homogenization is limited.
 Super critical region

• Divided into two

– Full austenitisation (fine grain)
– Grain growth (grain coarsened)
 Full austenitisation
(fine grain)
• Above A3 to approximately 1110OC
• Diffusion rates are still relatively low and full
homogenization is not achieved, particularly if
alloy carbides having high solution
temperature are present
• On cooling, a wide variety of microstructure
may be produced depending on steel
composition and cooling rate.
• Martensite to bainite to pearlite and ferrite as
the cooling rates progressively lowered.
 Grain growth

• Above 1110OC to melting point

• Austenite form coarse grained with
increasing the temperature.
• The actual degree of grain growth
depends on
– Peak temperature attained
– Time at high temperature
– Alloy elements
Multi-pass weld
Multi-pass weld
Phase Transformations

• Phase transformations which occur in

HAZ during cooling are importance to
determine the mechanical properties, in
strength, toughness and susceptibility to
hydrogen cracking.
• The transformation behavior of the
HAZ’s can be illustrated in convenient
from by a welding CCT diagram.
Phase Transformations
Phase Transformations

• At fast cooling rate (line 1), obtained using

the MMA process at low heat input of
0.8kJ/mm on 25 mm thick plate, the coarse
grained HAZ transform directly to martensite.
• Martensite at carbon level 0.24% is
undesirable as it severely impairs the
toughness of HAZ and susceptible to
hydrogen cracking.
Phase Transformations

• At slower cooling rates, 1.4 kJ/mm on

19mm thick plate, the cooling curve
intersects the bainite transformation
nose and mixed bainite/martensite
structure.
• Less susceptible to hydrogen cracking.
Phase Transformations

• At slowest cooling rates, 1.7kJ/mm weld

on 6.4mm thick plate, the microstructure
consists almost ferrite,pealite and
bainite.
• Not susceptible to hydrogen cracking.
 Factor influence HAZ

• Welding process
• Welding parameter
– Heat input
• Size of HAZ region
– Welding process
• Gas welding- HAZ bigger
• Arc welding – HAZ medium
• Laser- HAZ smallest
- Heat Input

Effect of heat input to HAZ location

 Potential problem
associated with HAZ

• The most significant problem

– Poor HAZ toughness
– Loss of strength
– Hydrogen induced cold cracking
– Corrosion and Fatigue corrosion
 Poor HAZ Toughness

• Mostly in coarse grain region

• Main factors responsible due to
– The formation of brittle microstructures
– Excessive grain size
• For improvement
– Post weld heat treatment (PWHT)
• 600OC – 650OC
– Mutlipass welding
• Cause tempering and grain refining effect
 Hydrogen induce cold
cracking

• Cold cracking will occur if all 4 factors

met simultaneously
– Susceptible microstructure (hardened)
– Sufficient hydrogen present
– Stress
– Near ambient temperature
 Hydrogen induce cold
cracking

• To avoid by
– Avoid a susceptible microstructure
• Hardness below 350 HV
– Reducing hydrogen concentration level to
the weld metal
• Using low hydrogen electrode
• Baked electrode
 Corrosion

• Intergranular corrosion will occur in

stainless steel when HAZ area is
exposed to corrosive environment.
• Fatigue induce stresses as well as the
corrosive salt water environment. This
will produce fatigue corrosion.