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Laser welding under high power, high degree of automation and high production rate is extremely advantageous in automotive application. Super austenitic stainless steel is the preferable material for high corrosion resistance requirements. These steels are relatively cheaper than austenitic stainless steel and it is expensive than nickel base super alloys for such applications. The main purpose of this paper is to present the investigations of the microstructure and mechanical properties of super austenitic stainless steel butt joints made by 3.5 kW cooled slab CO₂ laser welding using different shielding gases such as argon, nitrogen and helium.

The tensile and impact tests were performed and the fractured surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscope. The hardness across the joint zone was measured. The X‐ray diffraction technique was used to analyze the phase composition. The microstructure of the laser welds were analyzed through optical microscopy.

The tensile sample fractures indicate that the specimen fails in a ductile manner under the action of tensile loading. The impact fracture surfaces of the different shielding gas laser welded joints show mixed mode fractures, that is, ductile and cleavage fractures. The hardness values of the Helium shielded laser joints in the weld metal regions are much higher than the others.

There is no limitation, except for the availability of the high beam power laser welding machine.

The only practical implication is the laser welding shop hazard during the experiment.

Social implication is limited. The only hazard during the laser welding is that it may affect human body tissues.

The research work described in the paper is original.

Super 304HCu super austenitic stainless steel tubes containing 2.3 to 3 (Wt.%) of copper (Cu) is used in superheaters and reheater tubings of nuclear power plants. In general, austenitic stainless steels welded by conventional constant current gas tungsten arc welding (CC-GTAW) produce coarse columnar grains, alloy segregation and may result in inferior mechanical properties. Pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding (PC-GTAW) can control the solidification structure by altering the prevailing thermal gradients in the weld pool.

Super 304HCu tubes of Ø 57.1 mm and the wall thickness of 3.5 mm were autogenously welded using CC and PC-GTAW processes. Joints are characterized using optical microscopy, electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques. Hot tensile properties of the weld joints were evaluated and correlated with their microstructural features.

Current pulsing in GTAW has resulted in minimal eutectic film segregation, lower volume % of delta ferrite and appreciable improvement in tensile properties than CC-GTAW joints.

The EBSD boundary map and inverse pole orientation map of Super 304HCu weld joints evidence the grain refinement and much frequent high angle grain boundaries achieved using weld current pulsing.

A very wide variety of alloy types are available for selection to combat the potential corrosion problems posed in a diverse range of industries. Although in today's climate cost reduction is an important goal, the price of unexpected failure of equipment is often measured as risk to human life, and materials selection must always be given a prime place in design, engineering and construction. Material selection should not be based simply on low installed cost of equipment — the need to maintain safety standards and effective long‐term utilization of a production asset, with minimum costly maintenance and downtime, mandate the selection of materials which can be justified on the basis of life‐cycle cost and risk analysis. The material chosen should provide the lowest cost viable, and if possible, “fit and forget” solution. In the Offshore Oil and Gas industry in the North Sea the solution adopted would need to address the CRINE cost reduction strategy.

Friction welding (FW) is a solid state joining process. Super austenitic stainless steel is the preferable material for high corrosion resistance requirements. These steels are relatively cheaper than austenitic stainless steel and it is expensive than nickel base super alloys for such applications. The purpose of this paper is to deal with the optimization of the FW parameters of super austenitic stainless steel using artificial neural network (ANN) simulation and particle swarm optimization (PSO).

The FW experiments were conducted based on Taguchi L-18 orthogonal array. In FW, rotational speed, friction pressure, upsetting pressure and burn-off length are the important parameters which determine the strength of the weld joints. The FW trials were carried out on a FW machine and the welding time was recorded for each welding trial from the computerized control unit of the welding machine. The left partially deformed zone (L.PDZ) and right partially deformed zone (R.PDZ) were identified from the macrostructure and their values are considered for the output variables. The tensile test was carried out, and the yield strength and tensile strength of the joints were determined and their fracture surfaces were analyzed through scanning electron microscope (SEM).

The tensile test was carried out, and the yield strength and tensile strength of the joints were determined and their fracture surfaces were analyzed through SEM. An ANN was designed to predict the weld time, L.PDZ, R.PDZ and tensile strength of the joints accurately with respect to the corresponding input parameters. Finally, the FW parameters were optimized using PSO technique.

There is no limitations, difficult weld by fusion welding process material can easily weld by FW process.

The research work described in the paper is original.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate interface characterization of CO₂ laser welded AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel and AISI 1010 low carbon steel couple. Laser welding experiments were carried under argon and helium atmospheres at 2000, 2250 and 2500 W heat inputs and 200‐300 cm/min welding speeds.

The microstructures of the welded joints and the heat affected zones (HAZ) were examined by optical microscopy, SEM, EDS and X‐Ray analysis. The tensile strength of the welded joints was measured.

The result of this study indicated that the width of welding zone and HAZ became much thinner depending on the increased welding speed. On the other hand, this width widened depending on the increased heat input. Tensile strength values also confirmed this result. The best properties were observed at the specimens welded under helium atmosphere, at 2500 W heat input and at 200 cm/min welding speed.

There are many reports which deal with the shape and solidification structure of the fusion zone of laser beam welds in relation to different laser parameters. However, the effect of all influencing factors of laser welding has up to now not been extensively researched. Much work is required for understanding the combined effect of laser parameters on the shape and microstructure of the fusion zone. This paper, therefore, is concerned with laser power, welding speed, defocusing distance and type of shielding gas and their effects on the fusion zone shape and final solidification structure of some stainless steels.

The purpose of this paper is to optimize the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process input parameters simultaneously considering the multiple output variables (bead width (BW), bead height (BH) and depth of penetration (DP)).

Grey‐based Taguchi approach was used for designing the experiment, L27 orthogonal array was used which composed of three levels and 27 rows, which means that 27 experiments were carried out. Design of experiments was selected based on a four welding parameters with three levels each. The selected welding parameters for this paper are gas flow rate, voltage, travel speed and wire feed rate. The bead‐on‐plate welding trials are carried out on AISI 904L super austenitic stainless steel (SASS) sheets and evaluate the shape of the fusion zone depends upon a number of input parameters.

Bead‐on‐plate welding of 904L SASS sheet is successfully performed (without any cracks and discontinuity) by GMAW process and the bead profiles are measured. The predicted bead profiles have the better DP and lower BH and BW. It is found that the optimized setting values are improving the response values by 10 per cent.

The optimal welding conditions are identified in order to increase the productivity and minimize the total operating cost. The process input parameters effect is determined under the optimal welding combinations.

This study aims to determine the near optimal welding process parameters (beam power (BP), travel speed (TS) and focal position (FP)) using grey relational analysis by simultaneously considering multiple output parameters (depth of penetration and bead width). Further, the optimized parameters were evaluated through the microstructural characterization and hardness measurements across the weld zone.

It is appropriate to apply Taguchi's technique to a complex system like welding process. Therefore, this study is made to determine the near optimal welding process parameters (BP, TS and FP) using grey relational analysis by simultaneously considering multiple output parameters (depth of penetration and bead width).

Taguchi experimental design for determining welding parameters was successful. The hardness of the Argon shielded weld metal was comparatively lesser than the Helium shielded weld metal. The Helium shielded weld metal microstructure comprises of finer grains and higher amounts of equiaxed grains. Argon and Helium shielded weld metal microstructure was endowed with a higher amount of secondary interdendritic austenite phase.

The optimal welding conditions were identified in order to increase the productivity and minimize the total operating cost. The process input parameters effect was determined under the optimal welding combinations.

Important reserves of oil and gas, which are left to be discovered and produced, are mainly concentrated in challenging locations and under severe conditions such as high pressure (HP)/high temperature (HT). The presence of aggressive environments including H₂S, CO₂ and chlorides plus HP/HT causes a series of corrosion problems, which cost the oil industry billions of dollars a year. Thus, there is an increasing challenge for tubes (i.e. oil country tubular goods, for short, OCTG) used in producing oil and gas. The purpose of this study is to summarize different kinds of corrosion problems and their mitigation, to more efficiently protect OCTG from corrosion.

To effectively select proper mitigation methods, the mechanism of corrosion must be understood, which can be classified into four categories: sweet corrosion, sour corrosion, galvanic corrosion and microbiologically induced corrosion. Also, the effects of environmental and material factors on the corrosion rate are presented. Subsequently, current technology of mitigating these corrosion problems has been discussed, including the development of materials, application of chemical inhibitors and application of protective layers.

It is stressed that limits exist for each individual mitigation method; therefore, a careful balance between economic life of OCTG and safety in operation is required.

The main purpose of this essay is to give a brief review and detailed introduction and analysis about those technologies.