Welcome

A warm welcome to all our new subscribers.  We are glad to have you.  I also want to welcome
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In This Issue

1  WebSite Update
2  Dissimilar Joint Cracking
3  Featured Product- Postalloy® 30 SPL
4 Humor: Quips and Quotes

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WebSite Update

Just a few words of thanks to all those who took the time to respond to the new website changes. The "yes" certainly got the nod, and there were none in "no" column. Thanks for your help
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Dissimilar Joint Cracking

Successful dissimilar weld joints can sometimes be very difficult to achieve.  I recently had the opportunity to investigate a failed component with a dissimilar weld joint.  There were a number of reasons for the failure, but the main problem focused around a dissimilar weld joint of a (high carbon) rail section and a 304 stainless structural  member.  A recommendation of a 309 stainless wire was made by a local source and the company followed all the preheat and interpass temperature rules.  Almost immediately upon cooling, a crack developed longitudinally along the length of the weld.  After cross sectioning and observing under the microscope it was determined that the weld deposit was fully austenitic. There was no doubt that the weld failed because of this.

But how did it happen?

While 309 is a good alloy in some dissimilar weld joints it was not good enough for this joint because of the high carbon rail.  High carbon in a stainless deposit has a bad habit of causing a reduction in Ferrite.  What is Ferrite?  Ferrite is a magnetic phase of stainless steel, and most stainless electrodes are designed with a small amount to decrease the chance of cracking. Ferrite can be thought of as a garbage collector for impurities and carbon.  Actually it offsets the bad effects of carbon.  In this case the dilution from the high carbon rail was simply too overwhelming for the 309 deposit, which normally has a Ferrite Number around 15.  The carbon drove the Ferrite down to zero, thereby rendering the deposit fully austenitic.  Fully austenitic welds are very crack sensitive. Thus the failure.

And what could have been done to avoid this failure? 

Well, a higher Ferrite Number wire, such as Postalloy® 30SPL would have probably had enough Ferrite to handle the high carbon. Postalloy® 30SPL typically has about a 25 Ferrite Number. Successive weldments made with this product resulted in NO CRACKING. Problem solved.

This problem is just not confined to joints.  Overlays are also affected in the same way.  Dilution, penetration and welding parameters all play a significant roll in the outcome of a successful stainless overlay, but that is a subject for another newsletter.
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Featured Product - Postalloy® 30 SPL

The above failure could have been avoided if a higher Ferrite Number product was chosen. Postalloy® 30 SPL is an outstanding choice for dissimilar joints between carbon or low alloy steel and stainless steels. It is not recommended for joining carbon to 14% Manganese steel. A better choice for that combination would be Postalloy® 2865.

Below is the data sheet, but if you cannot view it, just click on the link, http://www.postle.com/Newsletter/V4_3/30spl.htm

Humor - Quips and Quotes

Here are some quips and quotes I thought you might enjoy. Paul Vogt is responsible for most of these.

Marriage changes passion. Suddenly you're in bed with a relative.

I don't do drugs. I get the same effect just standing up real fast.

I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here.

I don't approve of political jokes. I've seen too many of them get elected.

I love being married. It's great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.

Every time I walk into a singles bar I can hear Mom's wise words: "Don't pick that up, you don't know where it's been!"

A good friend will come and bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Whoa! That was fun!"

I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!

When I was young we used to go "skinny dipping," now I just "chunky dunk."

Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.

Just remember...if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.

Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?

If raising children was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called LABOR!

Brain cells come and brain cells go, but FAT cells live forever.

I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it. So I said "Implants?" She hit me.