Dissimilar Joining of 316L and A131 Steel by Shield Metal Arc and Tungsten Inert Gas Welding to Evaluate Bending and Tensile Behavior

ABSTRACT: In this paper, the effect of filler metal and type of welding on the strength and ductility of dissimilar welding of two different grades of stainless steel was investigated. One of the benefits of stainless steel is its corrosion resistance, which is often necessary for equipment longevity in these facilities. During shipbuilding, as required, stainless steel 316L needs to be welded to the shipbuilding-grade carbon steel A131. In these applications, welding between the two should demonstrate superior strength during vessel construction. To provide a clear illustration, experimental work was needed to allow a careful selection of the joining procedure and filler metal or electrode. The current research work includes a comparative experimental analysis of dissimilar-metal welding (SS-316L & A131 steel). The reasons for choosing these two materials are their greater corrosion resistance and high strength in humid environments. Furthermore, two different welding methods (SMAW & TIG) with varying filler metals were employed in the experiment. The ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of the SMAW welds using E308-16 filler metal were the highest among all, while the TIG welds with ER308L showed superior bending strength. Observations suggest that SMAW with the E308-16 electrode exhibits superior tensile strength, while TIG joints with ER 308L filler provide better bending strength for the welding of SS-316L and shipbuilding (SB) grade A131 steels.