Heat Flow Simulation and Evolution of Microstructure in Welding of Rail Steel

Abstract

In the present study heat flow simulation was carried out to predict the microstructure and examine the effect of preheat and plate thickness on cooling rate of the weld metal. SOLIDCAST software is used for simulating thermal regime in the base metal. The results of simulation studies revealed that cooling rate and hence the evolution of microstructure along the parent metal were functions of the preheating temperature and the plate thickness. The superimposed simulated temperatures on CCT diagram indicated the absence of martensite precipitation in HAZ region and this was experimentally verified. The results also indicated the possibility of suggesting the preheating temperature for defect-free welding of plates of given thickness.