Improvement of UNS S32205 Duplex Welds by GMAW and Controlled Magnetic Field for Offshore Pipelines and Flowlines Applications

Abstract

Mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of UNS S32205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) welds obtained under the application of controlled magnetic fields were evaluated in the context of offshore pipelines and flowlines applications. Tensile tests, impact toughness, and hardness measurements were performed. Corrosion behavior was evaluated by linear polarization resistance (LPR) and potentiodynamic polarization curves (PCs) using a synthetic seawater solution at different temperatures. An improvement in tensile strength, impact toughness, and corrosion resistance was observed with the application of magnetic fields during welding. This effect is attributed to the refinement in the microstructure of the weld metal along with the suppression of detrimental intermetallic tertiary phases. Applying an axial magnetic field of 3 mT during DSS welding by the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process is a potential technique for improving the performance of offshore pipeline welds and may be implemented in both, double-sided single pass and single-sided multipass butt joints.