Applicability of simulated weld thermal cycle test for cold cracking of quenching crack type - study on weld cold cracking in HAZ of medium, high carbon low alloy steel (report II)

A thermal and mechanical testing approach was applied to evaluating the susceptibility to cold cracking in welds of medium/high carbon low alloy steels. The simulation test was done with a notched specimen during cooling of a simulated weld thermal cycle by means of high frequency induction heating. The measured fracture stress decreases with increasing peak temperature. Measured under the condition of peak temperature resulting in grain boundary liquation, it is nearly the same as that in the RRC test which was discussed in a previous paper. Grain boundary liquation promotes intergranular fracture.