Degradación de la tenacidad al impacto durante el envejecimiento acelerado de soldadura en acero microaleado

The effect of accelerated aging on the toughness and fracture of the longitudinal weld metal of an API5L-X52 linepipe steel was evaluated by Charpy V-notch impact test, fracture analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Aging was performed at 250 °C for 100 to 1000 h. The impact results indicated a significant reduction in the fracture energy and impact toughness as a function of aging time, which were achieved by the scanning electron microscope fractographs that showed a decrease in the vol fraction of microvoids by Charpy ductile failure with the aging time, which favored the brittle fracture by transgranular cleavage. The minimum vol fraction of microvoids was reached at 500 h due to the peak-aged. The microstructural analysis indicated the precipitation of transgranular iron nanocarbides in the aged specimens, which was related to the deterioration of toughness and change in the ductile to brittle behavior.