Structure of the heat-affected zone in the 24 Kh2NMFA steel welded joints

It is shown that in the heat-affected zone of the joints welded with preheating there appears a bainite having a complex composition and the following structure: asub(m)+(M+Asub(ret)). The matrix of the bainite is represented by an a-solid solution formed by martensite kinetics (asub(m)). Small regions of granular or elongated shape, uniformly distributed over the bainite matrix, are either a retained austenite (Asub(ret)) or a martensite with a retained austenite (M+Asub(ret)). The non-equilibrium character of the bainite phases is, to a large extent, responsible for the inadmissably high hardness of the heat-affected zone immediately after welding