The Development Of An Electron Beam Weld Solidification Cracking Test

TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 47/1977

By J D Russell

Background

A test has been developed for the investigation of the factors affecting solidification cracking during electron beam welding.

The test has been used to assess the significance of C, S, P, and Mn on cracking using a factorial experiment with high and low values of each element for 20mm thick C-Mn steel plates. A regression analysis using crack lengths measured in the tests gave a formula to predict crack length from compositional factors of the form:

Crack length mm (for an applied load of 5000kg) = 52.6C + 1972S + P(4268C - 285) - Mn(1135S - 9) - 21.2.