Strengthening Effect of C and V on Austenite Stainless Steel Welds

The strengthening effects of C and V on high strength austenite stainless steel welds were studied. The results manifested that C had solution strengthening effect and V had precipitation strengthening effect.V strengthened welds exhibited higher toughness than that strengthened with C in the same strengthening effect. Increasing C content in the stainless steel led to the carbide particles forming in austenite grain boundaries while increasing V content may result in small and disperse vanadium carbide precipitates distributing in austenite grain.