The Welding of Two-Layer (Composite) Tubes with the Use of Laser Technology †
1
Łukasiewicz Research Network—Upper Silesian Institute of Technology, Centre of Welding, Karola Miarki 12-14, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
2
Joint PhD School, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
3
Division of Engineering Materials, Faculty of Materials Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Krasińskiego 8, 40-019 Katowice, Poland
4
Department of Welding, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18A, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 31st International Conference on Modern Metallurgy Iron and Steelmaking 2024, Chorzów, Poland, 25−27 September 2024.
Proceedings 2024, 108(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024108004
Published: 27 August 2024
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 31st International Conference on Modern Metallurgy Iron and Steelmaking 2024)
Welding technologies are the most popular technologies used in the joining of steels. Increasing demands concerning the quality of welded joints and the need to increase the efficiency of the welding process force designers and technologists to look for new and innovative joining methods [1].
Power generation is one of the most important sectors for the economy. Today, innovative materials and technologies are key elements of power generation development [2].
The development of new-generation steels is closely linked to the ever-growing power industry. The elements of power boilers are protected against the aggressive effects of combustion products by ceramic liners or overlay welds characterized by high corrosion resistance and heat resistance. Flue gases formed during waste combustion contain very aggressive and environmentally harmful compounds, including sulphides, chlorides and fluorides [3,4].
To date, the most popular process used in the power industry to increase the durability of boiler components involves surfacing the latter with nickel-based alloys. Nickel alloys are characterized by very good service properties. The above-named materials are resistant (within a wide temperature range) to the effects of a corrosive environment, and, in particular, to pitting as well as intergranular and crevice corrosion [5].
Another solution applied to protect boiler components from the aggressive effects of combustion products is the use of double-layer tubes (commercially referred to as composite tubes).
A two-layer tube is used where conditions outside and inside the tube require properties which cannot be provided by only one material. Such a tube consists of two different alloys combined metallurgically to achieve good heat transfer properties. One alloy is used to resist corrosion, while the other is tasked with preventing creep processes [5,6].
This paper presents the results of research concerning the application of laser welding technologies used for the butt joining of double-layer tubes. The tests were carried out on 3R12/4L7- and Sanicro 38/4L7-grade two-layer tubes produced by Alleima (Table 1).
The research also included the adjustment of the parameters of the laser welding of the inner layer (steel 4L7—1.0425) and the hybrid welding (laser + MAG) and surfacing of the outside layer (steel 3R12—1.4301, steel Sanicro 38—2.4858) [7,8].
The welding of the double-layer tubes was carried out in two steps [9]. First, the inside layer of the tube (4L7) was made with a beam of laser radiation (without the filler metal; Figure 1). The parameters of the laser welding process for the inside layer of the tube are presented in Table 2.
The second stage of the process involved hybrid surfacing [8] with the use of the filler metal (3R12, Sanicro 38, Figure 2). The parameters of the welding process and the hybrid deposition (laser + MAG) of the outside layer are presented in Table 3.
The research revealed that the laser welding method used to join the test tubes (4L7—inside layer) made it possible to obtain quality butt joints with a uniform face and properly formed root (meeting the requirements of quality level B according to ISO 13919-1) [10].
The use of the hybrid surfacing process for the deposition of the outside layer of the pipe enabled the obtainment of an overlay weld with a properly shaped face (meeting the requirements of quality level B according to ISO 12932) [11].
Author Contributions
M.U.: assumptions, practical tests, the optimization of welding parameters, destructive test and conclusions; R.C.: assumptions, practical tests; J.A.: methodology, metallographic tests and the analysis of test results, S.T.: analysis of test results. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
Subvension from Ministry of Science and Higher Education for current activities in 2024 for Łukasiewicz Research Network—Upper Silesian Institute of Technology in Gliwice.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
Not applicable.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
References
- Brian, M. Victor Hybrid Laser Arc Welding; Welding Fundamentals and Processes; Edison Welding Institute, ASM: Almere, The Netherlands, 2011; p. 6A. [Google Scholar]
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- Sandvik 3R12/4L7, Sanicro 38/4L7 “Composite Tubes for Recovery Boilers and Other Boiler Applications”, Alleima (Sandvik Materials Technology). 2023. Available online: https://www.alleima.com (accessed on 10 June 2024).
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- Urbańczyk, M.; Adamiec, J. The Welding of Two-Layer (Composite) Tubes with the Use of Laser Technology. In Proceedings of the 4th Edition of International Conference on Materials Science and Engineering, Materials 2023, Singapore, 13–15 March 2023. [Google Scholar]
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Figure 1.
Laser welding of the inside layer of the tube: (a) joint (3R12 and Sanicro 38 tubes) viewed from the face side and (b) macrostructure.
Figure 1.
Laser welding of the inside layer of the tube: (a) joint (3R12 and Sanicro 38 tubes) viewed from the face side and (b) macrostructure.
Figure 2.
View of the joint after the welding process and hybrid deposition (laser + MAG): (a) view of the surfacing from the face side (3R12 tube), (b) macrostructure of 3R12 tube and (c) macrostructure of Sanicro 38 tube.
Figure 2.
View of the joint after the welding process and hybrid deposition (laser + MAG): (a) view of the surfacing from the face side (3R12 tube), (b) macrostructure of 3R12 tube and (c) macrostructure of Sanicro 38 tube.
Table 1.
Chemical composition of 3R12/4L7 and Sanicro 38/4L7 double-layer tubes [5].
Table 1.
Chemical composition of 3R12/4L7 and Sanicro 38/4L7 double-layer tubes [5].
| Tube | Chemical Composition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Si | Mn | Cr | Ni | Mo | Cu | Ti | |
| 4L7 (P265GH) | 0.18 | 0.30 | 0.69 | 0.14 | 0.25 | 0.04 | 0.030 | 0.005 |
| 3R12 (AISI304) | 0.008 | 0.36 | 1.11 | 18.22 | 10.04 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.004 |
| Sanicro 38 (Alloy 825) | 0.012 | 0.15 | 0.47 | 19.92 | 38.24 | 2.57 | 1.61 | 0.75 |
Table 2.
Parameters of the laser welding process of the inside layer of the tube (steel 1.0425).
| Welding Parameters | Inside Layer (Steel 1.0425) |
|---|---|
| Laser power (kW) | 4.5 |
| Welding rate (m/min) | 0.8 |
Table 3.
Parameters of the welding process and hybrid deposition (laser + MAG) of the outside layer (3R12, Sanicro 38) with the use weave seam double triangle.
Table 3.
Parameters of the welding process and hybrid deposition (laser + MAG) of the outside layer (3R12, Sanicro 38) with the use weave seam double triangle.
| Welding Parameters | Outside Layer (Tube: 3R12, Sanicro38) |
|---|---|
| Laser power (kW) | 0.5 |
| Welding rate (m/min) | 0.3 |
| Filler metal wire feed rate (m/min) | 8.5 |
| Weave amplitude (mm) | 6 |
| Weave length (mm) | 1.5 |
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MDPI and ACS Style
Urbańczyk, M.; Ciokan, R.; Adamiec, J.; Topolska, S. The Welding of Two-Layer (Composite) Tubes with the Use of Laser Technology. Proceedings 2024, 108, 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024108004
AMA Style
Urbańczyk M, Ciokan R, Adamiec J, Topolska S. The Welding of Two-Layer (Composite) Tubes with the Use of Laser Technology. Proceedings. 2024; 108(1):4. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024108004
Chicago/Turabian StyleUrbańczyk, Michał, Radosław Ciokan, Janusz Adamiec, and Santina Topolska. 2024. "The Welding of Two-Layer (Composite) Tubes with the Use of Laser Technology" Proceedings 108, no. 1: 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024108004
APA StyleUrbańczyk, M., Ciokan, R., Adamiec, J., & Topolska, S. (2024). The Welding of Two-Layer (Composite) Tubes with the Use of Laser Technology. Proceedings, 108(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024108004
