Welding of Advanced Materials

E. SURIAN, H. G. SVOBODA

Wels

Encuentro; 2nd IIW European-South American School of Welding and Correlated Processes; 2012

International Institute of Welding

In recent years the implementation of new technologies has been strongly related to the development of materials which properties are in agreement with the new requirements that the mentioned technologies imply. In this regard, in many cases, the speed of progress of the technological frontier is controlled by the possibility of the development of advanced materials. Due to the fact that the use of these materials in several situations requires the utilization of welding technologies, a new challenge has appeared for those who deal with the area of the technology of welding, which consists in the development of processes and procedures applicable to these materials, with the least possible impact on their properties. It is in this sense that the Multi-Institutional Group of Welding (MIGW), conceived as a network of welding research groups from different public organizations of Argentina, has been developing its activity during the last twenty years. Nowadays, the MIGW is working in several research and development lines related to the energy, transportation and agricultural-mining (surfacing) industries. The conceptual line followed in all the cases is the study of the relationship among welding process, microstructural evolution and properties. The research has been developed on supermartensitic stainless steels and 9CrMoW P92 type modified steels using high productivity electric arc welding processes (FCAW, MCAW) for the energy industry, as well as on high strength advanced steels welded by GMAW, RSW and PAW for the automotive industry. Also, the MIGW has developed activities in Friction Stir Welding on Al alloys and is working with the Laser Brazing process. Regarding the aeronautic industry it has dealt with 7075 T651 alloys by FSW, studying different problems such as fatigue life, residual stresses, etc. With respect to the surfacing area, studies with nanostructured materials among others, using different processes are been carried out. Other processes the Group deals with are Thermal Spray and Friction Stir Processing.