Effects of welding time on microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel resistance upset welded joints

IF 3.2 2区工程技术 Q3 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Nuclear Materials Pub Date : 2025-07-25 DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2025.156058

Zhen Li , Bingbing Chen , Lu Zhao , Yuanbo Bi , Qing Guo , Shuyue Luo , Zhen Luo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

In this study, a resistance upset welding method was employed to achieve reliable joining of 316 L nuclear fuel rods. By varying the welding time, the effects on nugget size, microstructural evolution of the weld zone (WZ), and mechanical properties were systematically investigated. The results align with the development trend of advanced nuclear materials, demonstrating that resistance upset welding with adjustable welding time enables reliable joining of nuclear fuel rods. Welding time had no significant effect on the macroscopic morphology of the weld zone; however, with increasing welding time, the upset length, effective weld length, and expelled flash volume all increased. Compared to the base material (BM), the grain size in the WZ was significantly refined. As welding time increased, both the grain size and the fraction of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) increased, with a distinct transition observed when the welding time exceeded 15 ms. In contrast, the dislocation density and texture intensity decreased with longer welding times. These microstructural changes influenced the average microhardness of the WZ, primarily due to variations in grain size and dislocation density. Tensile test results showed that fracture consistently occurred in the BM, indicating that changes in welding parameters did not compromise the maximum load-bearing capacity of the joints. This finding confirms the reliability of the welding technique employed in this study.

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焊接时间对316L不锈钢电阻镦焊接头组织演变及力学性能的影响

采用电阻镦焊方法实现了316l核燃料棒的可靠连接。通过不同的焊接时间，系统地研究了熔核尺寸、焊接区组织演变和力学性能的影响。研究结果与先进核材料的发展趋势相一致，表明焊接时间可调的电阻扰动焊接能够实现核燃料棒的可靠连接。焊接时间对焊缝区宏观形貌无显著影响；随着焊接时间的延长，镦粗长度、有效焊缝长度和喷出闪光量均增大。与基材（BM）相比，WZ中的晶粒尺寸明显细化。随着焊接时间的增加，晶粒尺寸和高角度晶界（HAGBs）的比例均增加，当焊接时间超过15 ms时，相变明显。相反，随着焊接时间的延长，位错密度和织构强度降低。这些微观组织的变化影响了WZ的平均显微硬度，主要是由于晶粒尺寸和位错密度的变化。拉伸试验结果表明，BM连续发生断裂，说明焊接参数的变化并未影响接头的最大承载能力。这一发现证实了本研究中采用的焊接技术的可靠性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Nuclear Materials 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

25.80%

发文量

601

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Nuclear Materials publishes high quality papers in materials research for nuclear applications, primarily fission reactors, fusion reactors, and similar environments including radiation areas of charged particle accelerators. Both original research and critical review papers covering experimental, theoretical, and computational aspects of either fundamental or applied nature are welcome. The breadth of the field is such that a wide range of processes and properties in the field of materials science and engineering is of interest to the readership, spanning atom-scale processes, microstructures, thermodynamics, mechanical properties, physical properties, and corrosion, for example. Topics covered by JNM Fission reactor materials, including fuels, cladding, core structures, pressure vessels, coolant interactions with materials, moderator and control components, fission product behavior. Materials aspects of the entire fuel cycle. Materials aspects of the actinides and their compounds. Performance of nuclear waste materials; materials aspects of the immobilization of wastes. Fusion reactor materials, including first walls, blankets, insulators and magnets. Neutron and charged particle radiation effects in materials, including defects, transmutations, microstructures, phase changes and macroscopic properties. Interaction of plasmas, ion beams, electron beams and electromagnetic radiation with materials relevant to nuclear systems.