Microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of the thin-plate AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel joints by interrupted pulsed arc welding

The feasibility of the interrupted pulsed argon arc welding (IPAW) of the 0.5 mm-thick AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel (FSS) was studied. The results showed that the sound appearances of the butt joints were obtained by the IPAW under different welding parameters. Two joining modes were obtained: (1) typical fusion pool structure with continuous coarsen columnar grain by short interrupted time and low welding speed; (2) snowflake-shape melting pool structure with relatively independent radially grew columnar grain by long interrupted time and high welding speed. The fusion zone (FZ) and heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the joints showed higher microhardness compared to the base metal because of the carbide precipitation and martensite transformation. The joint with a typical fusion pool structure fractured at the fusion zone with a low tensile strength and elongation rate because the weak bonding region between the columnar grains was perpendicular to the tensile direction. The joint with the snowflake-shaped structure displayed a high tensile strength and elongation rate, which was fractured at the BM, as a result of the randomness of the intergranular bonding interface to the tensile direction caused by dendritic radial growth