Effect of post-welding sensitisation on the degree of sensitisation of the welding zones of AISI 304 resistance spot welding joints studied by using an electrochemical minicell

ABSTRACT In resistance spot welding (RSW) joints of austenitic stainless steel (ASS), a small-scale electrochemical cell (minicell) was used for assessing individually, on each of the three welding zones, of size less than 1000 µm (fusion zone (FZ), heat affected zone (HAZ) and base metal (BM)), the combined effect of a RSW process and post-welding sensitisation on the degree of sensitisation (DOS). The results show that the three welding zones have different microstructures that make each of them respond differently to post-welding sensitisation. The DOS varies with post-welding sensitisation time in all three welding zones, but it varies at a different rate in each welding zone (the highest rate in the FZ). This variation is due to the fact that when the DOS reaches a certain level, which is observed when plotting the reactivation charge (Qr) versus the post-welding sensitisation time, a microstructural regeneration occurs.