Thermal Dilation Compatibility in the Selection of Stainless Steels on Welding Processes

The selection of the materials to a specific application in the Industry has a great importance for the success of a project, particularly when there exists the union of two or more parts, by a weld fillet. The mixture of different classes and chemical compositions in stainless steels in high temperature applications can cause the nucleation and early propagation of fatigue failures, decreasing the life of the product. The present article shows a case study, on which the adequation of the chemical and physical compatibility, and consequent thermal dilation in a specific structure, increased the durability of the component. The study consists of chemical analysis, macroscopic and microscopic evaluation tests on variated materials combination on welding fillets.