Comparative analysis on delta ferrite determination for austenitic stainless steels

The determining δ-ferrite in the weld metal can be performed with predictive methods from the chemical composition of weld metal provided by the welding consumable (the diagram of Schaeffler, Delong, WRC 1988, WRC1992), by metallography and using nondestructive testing technique by magnetic determination of ferrite.

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the predictive determination of δ-ferrite and the magnetic method using austenitic stainless electrodes for SMAW process using different classifications and diameters. The filler metals used correspond to different batches of such consumables and it has used a standardized methodology for magnetic determination. The correlation between the two methods seems to work best for NF values between 4 and 8.