Wear performance of weld joints of AISI 304L stainless steel fabricated by activated flux tig welding

Abstract This study investigates the wear behaviour of AISI 304L stainless steel weldments fabricated using Conventional TIG (C-TIG) and Activated TIG (A-TIG) welding processes employing SiO 2 , TiO 2 , and Cr 2 O 3 activating fluxes. Dry sliding wear tests were conducted at sliding speeds of 50, 100, and 150 rpm using a pin-on-disc tribometer. The results revealed that the welding process and activating flux significantly influence the tribological performance of the weldments. Among all the investigated joints, the C-TIG weldments exhibited superior wear resistance with wear percentages of 46.4%, 52.3%, and 44.2% at 50, 100, and 150 rpm, respectively. Among the A-TIG weldments, TiO 2 -assisted joints demonstrated improved wear resistance compared to SiO 2 and Cr 2 O 3 assisted welds. Microstructural analysis revealed that TiO 2 -assisted A-TIG weldments exhibited refined dendritic structures and improved fusion characteristics, whereas Cr 2 O 3 -assisted welds showed comparatively coarser microstructures with localized oxide inclusions. Vickers microhardness measurements indicated enhanced hardness in TiO 2 -assisted weld regions owing to grain refinement and improved solidification behaviour. SEM analysis of worn surfaces showed smoother wear tracks and reduced delamination in C-TIG and TiO 2 -assisted weldments, indicating improved resistance to abrasive wear. The overall wear resistance trend was observed as: C-TIG > A-TIG (TiO 2 ) > A-TIG (SiO 2 ) > A-TIG (Cr 2 O 3 ) > Base Metal. The study demonstrates that activating flux composition significantly affects the microstructure, hardness, and wear performance of AISI 304L stainless steel weldments, with TiO 2 identified as the most effective activating flux for achieving improved tribological performance.