Re-weldability of neutron-irradiated stainless steels studied by multi-pass TIG welding

Weldability of neutron-irradiated stainless steel (SS) has been studied by multi-pass bead-on-plate and build-up tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, simulating the repair-welding of reactor components. Specimens were submerged arc welding (SAW) joint of Type 304 SS containing 0.5 appm helium (1.8 appm in the SAW weld metal). Sound welding could be obtained by one- to three-pass welding on the plates at weld heat inputs less than 1 MJ/m in the irradiated 304 SS base metal. In the case of the build-up welding of a groove, no visible defects appeared in the specimen at a heat input as low as 0.4 MJ/m. However, build-up welding at a high heat input of 1 MJ/m was prone to weld cracking, owing to the formation of helium bubbles on grain boundaries of the base metal or dendrite boundaries of pre-existing SAW weld metal, in the area within 0.6 mm from the fusion line.