An investigation of the effect of GMAW and SMAW processes on mechanical and microstructural properties of welded E350 grade steel

In the construction industry, power plants, shipbuilding, aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, and a wide variety of other industrial sectors, IS2062 steel is in high demand as a structural material. Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process, which are both traditional fusion arc welding methods, are utilised extensively for joining structural materials. This study presents the results of a comparative investigation into the mechanical properties and metallurgical characteristics of IS2062 E350 grade steel that has been fusion welded by GMAW and SMAW processes separately. Correlations were found between microstructures and the evaluation of tensile strength, impact strength and microhardness. Both GMAW and SMAW welded joints reached maximum transverse ultimate tensile strengths of 634 and 676 MPa, respectively. As an additional point of interest, the overall percentage of elongation for the GMAW and SMAW processes was 25.49% and 26.19%, respectively. Impact toughness of 235 J and 213 J was measured for joints that were created using GMAW and SMAW, respectively. When compared to other regions, the microhardness that was produced in the subcritical heat-affected zone was lower. The maximum microhardness obtained for GMAW and SMAW are 175 VHN and 185 VHN respectively. The investigation found that GMAW joints exhibited qualities that were somewhat better than those of SMAW joints. It has been discovered that the majority of weld failures occur in the subcritical heat affected zone. The reason behind these failures is that the weldment softens as a result of grain deformation.