Gas metal arc welding of modified X2CrNi12 ferritic stainless steel

X2CrNi12 ferritic stainless steel is a low cost stainless steel grade exhibiting good corrosion and abrasion resistance. Typical applications for this steel are bus frames and chassis, railway wagons for coal and iron ore, mining and mineral processing, sugar and chemical process equipment, furnace parts etc. The modern production routes now allow fabricating this grade with low carbon content (< 0.015 %) and low impurity levels improving the weldability substantially. Regarding to these conditions, this modified stainless steel grade becomes more attractive. In this paper, microstructural and toughness properties and mechanical properties of gas metal arc welded 6 mm thick modified X2CrNi12 stainless steel with two different heat inputs are presented. Promising results have been obtained. Interesting correlation has been found between microstructure (e.g. grain size) and impact toughness. K e y w o r d s : ferritic stainless steel, X2CrNi12, welding, GMAW, grain size