Effects of factors in flux-cored arc welding process on the structure and hardness of 900A grade railway track
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Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of repair welding process parameters on the structure and hardness of 900A grade railway track using the Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) process. Four types of filler wires with different carbon equivalent (CE) values 0.684, 2.233, 4.600 and 0.743% were used. Prior to welding, the rails were preheated at 150, 250, and 350°C, followed by welding with 1, 2 and 3 passes. Heat distribution was then examined using a thermal imaging camera, which revealed that heat propagated radially outward from the weld center. The structures of the repaired rail sections welded with all four filler wires consisted primarily of pearlite and ferrite. Preheating at 150 and 350°C resulted in insufficient fusion between the weld metal and the rail base metal, whereas preheating at 250°C produced better metallurgical bonding with no visible boundary separation. The hardness results indicated that lower preheat temperatures led to higher hardness values compared to higher preheat temperatures. Additionally, Regarding the effect of the number of weld layers, the hardness decreases with increasing layers, and the overall structure becomes coarser. Statistical analysis further indicated that the type of filler wire, number of weld passes, and preheat temperature had significant effects on both the structure and hardness of the welded rail steel.
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