What About Interpass Temps?
What About Interpass Temps?
(OP)
I can determine preheat temperatures and have a lot of reference material to guide me in stress relief and PWHT, but what formulas, logic, theory, rule of thumb, etc., etc., do you use to set max interpass? (If it matters, we do mostly GTAW, SMAW, FCAW applied to AWS & Milspec shop fabrications).
Thankyou.
T
Thankyou.
T





RE: What About Interpass Temps?
Interpass temperature is usually the temperature range between minimum preheat and some maximum temperature to avoid having the base material reach a temperature away from the weld that could affect mechanical or corrosion properties. The concerns for too much heat relate to possible changes in the base material corrosion resistance from sensitization (for austenitic stainless steels) and softening of low alloy steels from original heat treatment.
So, selection of the maximum interpass temeprature is specific to the materials that are joined.
RE: What About Interpass Temps?
To add to your reply;
If the temperature of the base metal approaches the maximum interpass temperature, welding operations cease until the temperature of the base metal drops below the maximum IPT.
In some cases the interpass temperature has little detrimental affect on the base metal. In the case of carbon steel the interpass temperature isn't usually a concern unless notch toughness requirements are invoked. Q&T steels have IPT that must be controlled to avoid a loss of strength in the HAZ.
In the case of heat treatable aluminum alloy, they can be overaged if held at high temperatures for too long a period of time. Cooling with a "blower" can be helpful to minimize the affects of high temperature.
Different welding standards provide some direction as to when IPT must be considered and what the max. IPT is. In other cases the manufacture should be consulted. Many have websites that provide good information.
Best regards - Al
RE: What About Interpass Temps?
Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer
http://www.pdo.co.om/pdo/
RE: What About Interpass Temps?
ISO 13916 Welding - Guidance on the Measurement of Preheating Temperature, Interpass Temperature and Preheat Maintenance Temperature First Edition
RE: What About Interpass Temps?
Then with no access to API RP 582 as suggested by Steve, or any other specific guidance can I just arbitrarily set IPT to, say 300 deg F above preheat BUT not to exceed, say 500 deg F as a universal shop practice and be happy about it?
Thanks.
RE: What About Interpass Temps?
No, not exactly. The maximum interpass temperature is selected to avoid putting too much heat into the weld and surrounding base metal that will affect properties, and create more distortion.
For example, carbon steel with no special heat treatment to the base metal, the maximum interpass temperature is based on balancing arc time with reducing distortion by placing too much heat into the weld region.
RE: What About Interpass Temps?
I'm fully with you on ISO 13916 - I was waiting for someone to take the bait and say something like 50 mm from the bevel! Application of ISO 13916 will come as a great shock to the 'Tempilstik Brigade' when the owner's engineer tells them no way can the weld zone be contaminated with crayon residue.
Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer
http://www.pdo.co.om/pdo/