The influence of electron beam welding technology on mechanical properties of GH4169 welded joints

Abstract Super-alloy GH4169 and related welded structures were widely used in the aero-engine industry region. Vacuum electron beam welding is one of the most advanced welding technologies, and the influence of the mechanical property caused by the welding technology still needs further research. Firstly, the hardness, microstructure, and tensile properties of the GH4169 electron beam welded joint were tested. After electron beam welding and two-stage aging treatment, the weld zone was strengthened and its hardness is higher than that of the base metal zone. The microstructure characterization results showed that the grain size of the weld and heat-affected zone was larger than that of the base metal. The tensile results show that the static properties of the welded joint are similar to that of the base metal, and the residual height has no obvious effect on the static strength of the welded joint. The high-temperature creep properties of GH4169 electron beam welded joints with residual height were tested. The results show that residual height will lead to a transient fracture of welded joints under relatively safe service conditions. The fatigue performance of GH4169 welded joints with and without residual height was tested respectively. The results show that the fatigue life of the welded joints without residual height was about 10 times longer than that of the welded joints with residual height under the same stress level, and for the welded joint with residual height, the residual height position will become the main fatigue crack source.