Influence of Ni on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of HSLA Steel Welds

The microstructure and mechanical properties of the high-strength low-alloy steel weld metals with a variation of nickel content were investigated. The weld metals with a variation of nickel content from 2.3 to 3.3 wt% were prepared using Gas Metal Arc Welding process. The amount of acicular ferrite decreased with increasing nickel content; this is accompanied with an increase in the region of bainite and martensite, hence the hardness and tensile strengths were increased with the increase in nickel content, whereas the impact energy was deteriorated