Influence of Metallic Sodium on Repair Weldability for Type 316FR Stainless Steel

The effect of residual metallic sodium on the solidification cracking susceptibility of type 316FR stainless steel was investigated via transverse-Varestraint tests. And a solidification brittle temperature range (BTR) of type 316FR stainless steel was 37 K. However, the BTR expanded from 37 to 67 K, as the amount of metallic sodium at the specimen surface increased from 0 to 7.99 mg/cm2. Microstructural observation of the weld metal suggested that metallic sodium existed in the weld metal, including in the cell boundaries, during welding solidification. Thermodynamic calculations suggested that sodium expanded the temperature range of solidliquid coexistence during welding solidification of the steel weld metal. Therefore, the increased solidification cracking susceptibility (i.e., expansion of the BTR) in the residual sodium environment was attributed to enhanced segregation of sodium during the welding solidification; this segregation, in turn, resulted in an expanded temperature range of solid-liquid coexistence. Key words: Welding, Solidification cracking susceptibility, Varestraint test, Metallic sodium