Cr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Flux Assisted TIG Welding of Type 316L Stainless Steel Plates

An exploratory study was conducted to investigate the effect of Cr2O3 flux used in tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding on the weld morphology, retained ferrite content, welding residual stress, and hot cracking susceptibility when welding 5 mm thick type 316L stainless steel plates. The results showed that Cr2O3 flux assisted TIG welding can create a high depth-to-width ratio weld. Since the activated TIG welding can reduce the heat input per unit length in welds, and the residual stress of the weldment can be reduced. TIG welding with Cr2O3 flux can increase the retained ferrite content of stainless steel 316L weld metal and, in consequence, the hot cracking susceptibility is reduced.