Effect of Welding and Post-weld Heat Treatment on Tensile Properties of Nimonic 263 at Room and Elevated Temperatures

Nimonic 263 has been developed for the improved ductility in welded assemblies and is a candidate material for gas turbine combustor and transition pieces along with its good weldability and mechanical properties at room and elevated temperatures. In this study, the tensile behavior of an as-welded Nimonic 263 specimen at room temperature and 1053 K (780 °C) was examined in conjunction with microstructural evolution during welding and postweld heat treatment (PWHT). With the welding and the PWHT, the yield strength (YS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and tensile elongation of Nimonic 263 varied in a complex manner. It was observed that the PWHT of resolutionization at 1423 K (1150 °C) for 2 hours gave the highest YS and UTS values, whereas the tensile elongation was the lowest, at both testing temperatures. With increasing resolutionization time, the YS and UTS tended to decrease along with the increase in tensile ductility. The tensile behaviors of as-welded Nimonic 263 specimens was affected by several factors, including grain size, residual stress, possible microsegregation of γ′ forming elements, a tendency for interdendritic or intergranular fracture and a morphological change in both M23C6 and MC type carbides, depending on the testing temperature and the PWHT. The complex changes in tensile properties of Nimonic 263 with welding and PWHT at room temperature and 1053 K (780 °C) were discussed based on the micrographic and fractographic observations.