Evaluation of inhomogeneity in tensile strength and fracture toughness of underwater wet friction taper plug welded joints for low-alloy pipeline steels

Abstract The microstructural characteristics of underwater wet friction taper plug welded joints for API X52 pipeline steel were investigated and tensile strength and facture toughness of the welded joints were experimentally evaluated. The microstructure of welded joints is considerably inhomogeneous. The tensile strength of welded joints shows heterogeneity in thickness direction. All of the tensile specimens taken from upper side of welded joints fracture at base material, while those taken from the bottom are broken at bonding interface or base material. The fracture toughness of welded joints deteriorates seriously, as compared with base material. The welded joints with notches in weld center have higher fracture toughness than those in bonding zone and the axial force has few influences on fracture toughness of welded joints. The bonding zone between plug and base plate should play a role as fissure defect for the whole welded joint, considering that it is tens of microns and much softer than its vicinity. In addition, the coarse grain, quenched martensite and Widmanstatten ferrite in weld region should also be responsible for the reduction of fracture toughness.