Reheat cracking susceptibility of new generation 2%CrMo(W)V P23 steel multipass welds made using matching and mis-matching filler metals

In comparison with conventional creep resisting grade T/P22, the modified 2%Cr steels T/P23 and T/P24 show nearly twice the creep strength at typical service temperatures of about 520-570°C. The possibility of welding thin-wall boiler tubes without preheating or PWHT has promoted the use of T23 and T24 in practical boiler service. For thick-wall applications and multipass welds, welding consumables still require further development to improve creep strength and ductility. Susceptibility to reheat cracking and hydrogen cracking increase with the wall-thickness and structural rigidity of the component. Consequently, thick-wall sections generally require the use of PWHT and sometimes preheating as well. This paper is concerned with weldability of P23 pipe steel, with particular emphasis on reheat cracking sensitivity of simulated HAZ microstructures and thick-section multipass welds made using closely matching and mis-matching filler metals. The results demonstrate that the weld metal is far more critical than the parent steel HAZ, both in terms of reheat cracking sensitivity and ductility & toughness. In the as-welded condition, the weld metal exhibited excessive hardness of 380 HV and only diminutive Charpy toughness at room temperature. Adoption of the PWHT (760°C/2h) enhanced the weldment toughness; however, it also inevitably raises risk to reheat cracking in the weld metal that showed values of reduction of area (RA) no more than 2-3% in the BWI cracking test. The results imply that thick-section multipass welds made using filler metal with the chemical composition closer to P24 grade material are much less susceptible to reheat cracking than 'matching' P23 grade welds.