| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2024 AWS Professional Program
|
| Symposium
|
2024 AWS Professional Program
|
| Presentation Title |
Effects of Residual Copper Content on Laser Weldability of Low Carbon Steel Sheet |
| Author(s) |
Henry Geerlings, Jonah Klemm-Toole, Kester Clarke, Amy Clarke |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Henry Geerlings |
| Abstract Scope |
Steelmaking in the electric arc furnace (EAF) provides both energy and cost savings for steelmakers due to processing flexibility and scrap utilization when compared to primary methods such as in the basic oxygen furnace (BOF). However, scrap recovery rates are limited due to the increasing accumulation of residual elements such as copper in the steel scrap cycle. EAF charges must often be diluted with iron to achieve chemical specifications for a given grade or demoted to a lower grade altogether. While copper’s role in steelmaking up through thermomechanical processing is well understood, its effect on subsequent weldability is not as thoroughly researched. Because copper is expected to steadily increase in the scrap stream due to increased electrification, more work is needed to understand its influences on steel product characteristics such as weldability. In this work, we examine the effects of increased copper content on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and weldability of autogenously laser welded steel sheet with copper contents ranging from 0.02 – 0.85 wt %. Sheets with varying copper contents were keyhole laser welded under identical processing parameters to compare heat-affected zone (HAZ) morphology, cross-weld tensile strength, and cracking susceptibility evaluated with Sigmajig. We found that copper’s contribution to hardenability leads to a larger HAZ in the laser welded samples. We show that a reduction of the alloy’s manganese content guided by calculations of carbon equivalent can compensate for the increasing copper content and maintain similar hardenability. The results of this work show that quite high copper contents can be accommodated in low carbon sheets steels without sacrificing weldability, providing a positive outlook for increased scrap utilization. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |