Metodologia para simulação computacional da distribuição de temperaturas para identificar sub-regiões reaquecidas da ZAC e avaliar suas influências nas propriedades mecânicas na soldagem multipasse de aço API 5L X80.

Abstract

In pipelines projects, the high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels are used, such as the API 5L X80 steel. During the multipass welding of these pipes, the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the root pass is subjected to a new thermal cycle by the subsequent welding passes. This results in changes in the values of the physical properties. In the HSLA steels, the intercritical reheated coarse-grained heat-affected zone (IR-CGHAZ) can become a local brittle zone, that is, a region with greater hardness. Consequently, structural failures could happen, causing undesired shutdowns in fluid transportation. The objective of this work is to develop a methodology based on the distributed heat sources model of Mhyr and Gröng, to evaluate the heat flux in the welding considering the temperature-dependent physical properties. Extend the application of this tool in multipass welds to identify HAZ subregions of a previous pass being affected by the HAZ of subsequent passes. The simulated isotherms were validated through measurements made on macrographs of welded joints. The simulated thermal cycles were validated through the maximum temperatures reached and the cooling times from 800 °C to 500 ºC (Δt8-5) of the experimental thermal cycles. By applying the proposed methodology, it was possible to accurately delimit reheated HAZ regions and analyze the effects of subsequent passes in each of the root pass HAZ subregions. The IR-CGHAZ in the root pass region was localized, but it did not behave as a brittle zone due to the good weldability of the API 5L X80 steel as proven by the hardness and Charpy-V impact tests.