Weldability of Tantalum Alloys

Two-phase program investigates the major

factors that influence weld ductility in
simple
solid-solution
strengthened tantalum alloys

By P. A. K A M M E R , R. E. M O N R O E A N D D . C . M A R T I N

ABSTRACT. The factors w h i c h might

affect the ductility of fusion welds in
tantalum alloys include: interstitial
impurities,
welding
parameters,
alloy-elements, and w e l d m e n t microstructure. The study of these factors
showed that base metal alloy content and interstitial impurity content
were most important. In general, machine fusion welds in simple, solidsolution
strengthened
tantalum
alloys w i t h a total alloy content (Hf,
Mo, W, Re) greater than 13 atomic
percent w i l l have a room temperature m i n i m u m bend radius greater
than 2t in the as-welded condition.
The interstitial content of t a n t a l u m alloy sheet should be less t h a n 100
ppm by w e i g h t total of Q 2 , N 2 , and H 2
w i t h a carbon content of about 5 0
ppm or less if fusion welds are to be
ductile at room temperature. The 2t
bend transition temperature of f u sion welds in T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o and Ta10W-2.5Mo is < 3 2 0 F if the
welds are stress relieved 1 hr at
1500 F. This postweld stress-relief
heat treatment w i l l lower the 2t
bend transition temperature of welds
in T a - 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o from > 75 F to <

P. A. KAMMER, formerly with Battelle Memorial Institute, is now associate director of research, Teledyne McKay Company, York, Pennsylvania, R. E. MONROE and D. C. MARTIN are
division chief. Materials Joining Technology
Division, and senior technical advisor. Process
and Physical Metallurgy Department, respectively, Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus.
Ohio.

304-s I J U N E

1972

- 3 2 0 F. Tensile joint efficiencies from

86 percent at room temperature to
88 percent at 3 5 0 0 F can be obtained w i t h fusion welds in Ta-5W2.5Mo and T a - 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o , but the
joint efficiencies of welds in Ta-17W
are lower: 27 percent at 75 F and 68
percent at 3 5 0 0 F. The application
of an S n - A I - M o oxidation-resistant
coating to fusion welds in Ta-5W2.5Mo and T a - 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o impaired
the ductility of welds in both alloys.
Elevated temperature exposures of
10 hr at 3 0 0 0 F and 1 hr at 3 5 0 0 F
in vacuum did not affect the ductility
of base metal or welds. A more severe exposure of 10 hr at 3 5 0 0 F i m paired the ductility of both base
metal and welds in the T a - 1 0 W 2.5Mo alloy.
Introduction
Tantalum is inherently a soft,
fabricable, weldable metal that possesses a high melting temperature
(5425 F) and excellent ductility at
cryogenic temperatures. Its
high
melting point provides excellent potential for structural utilization at
temperatures higher than any other
common refractory metal
except
tungsten.
However,
tantalum
is
vastly superior to tungsten w i t h respect to fabricability, ductility, and
weldability. To develop this potential
and provide competitive strength at
temperatures greater than
about
2 0 0 0 F, tantalum must be alloyed.
Recognizing the potential of t a n talum-base alloys, the Air Force

Systems
Command
and
other
Government agencies have sponsored, comprehensive alloy development and scale-up programs. A s a
result of these ana otner programs,
several promising alloys w e r e developed w h i c h combined the excellent
fabricability
and
low-temperature
ductility of pure tantalum w i t h good
strength at temperatures up to
3 5 0 0 F. These alloys can be divided
into t w o main classes: (1) simple
solid-solution
strengthened
alloys
such as T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o , T a - 1 0 W 2.5Mo, and Ta-8W-2Hf and (2) c o m plex
alloys
using
solid-solution
Strengthening
and/or
dispersion
strengthening such asTa-9.6W-2.4Hf0.01 C, and
Ta-6.5W-3.0Re-1.0Hf0.3Zr-0.025Y. This paper deals w i t h
the weldability of the former alloys; a
subsequent paper w i l l cover the c o m plex alloys.
Preliminary evaluations of
the
weldability of these alloys s h o w e d
that fusion welds in some (Ta-10W,
Ta-8W-2Hf) were ductile w h i l e in
others (Ta-5W-2.5Mo, T a - 1 0 . 2 . 5 M o ,
Ta-17W) fusion welds were brittle. 1
These results showed that further
study w a s required before the requirements of good ductility could be
met by w e l d m e n t s in many of the
current alloys. Furthermore, it was
apparent that as stronger, more
complex
alloys w e r e
developed,
similar welding problems could be
expected. Therefore, the present program was initiated w i t h t w o main ob-:
jectives: (1) To determine the causes

1 -Hr annealing
Alloy
temperature, F
4,6,7
2500
1t, 5, 8, 9, 10,
2700
12, 13, 14, 15
2t
2800
1
2900
2, 3t
3000
3.
3100

For convenience the

materials
used during the program can be
divided into two groups as follows:
Special Alloys The 11 alloys
w h i c h w e r e to be prepared or procured for use in Phase I to study the
factors w h i c h affect w e l d ductility.
Experimental
Alloys The three
alloys w h i c h w e r e prepared for use
in Phase I and for w h i c h w e l d mechanical property data were obtained
in Phase II.
In addition, sheet material of three
alloys, No. 1t, 2t, and 3t was available from a previous sheet evaluation program. 2 The details of the fabrication of the sheet used in the
program are given in Reference 3.
A l l materials w e r e prepared f r o m
vacuum arc-melted ingots or buttons.
The major differences in fabrication
was that the buttons w e r e hot and
cold rolled directly to sheet w h i l e the
large ingots were first broken d o w n
by extrusion and press forging and
then rolled to sheet. Unless otherwise noted, all of the welding w a s
done w i t h material annealed as f o l lows:

of the poor ductility of welds in many

tantalum alloys and to evaluate m e t h ods to improve w e l d ductility and (2)
To evaluate the mechanical properties of welds made w i t h improved
procedures in three selected alloys:
T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o , T a - 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o , and
Ta-17W.
A two-phase program was established to accomplish these objectives. Each phase was planned to accomplish one of the above major
objectives. The Phase I study was
planned to investigate the influence
of four major factors on w e l d ductility: (1) interstitial impurities, (2)
welding parameters, (3) alloying elements, and (4) w e l d m e n t microstructures. Phase II was a comprehensive
study of the welded mechanical properties of selected alloys.

Materials
Table 1 lists the materials available for the program by code n u m ber, composition, source, quantity
and use.

Since the quality ot the base

metals is very important in welding
programs, the
materials
utilized
were evaluated by (1) visual and
metallographic
examination,
(2)
chemical analyses, and (3) m e c h a n ical testing. These first t w o evaluations are summarized in the following discussion; the latter is included
w i t h the welding results.
Visual and Metallographic
Examination
Visual examination of the three experimental alloys indicated that both
the sheet prepared as p a r t ' o f this
program and that transferred from
the previous program were of excellent quality. The sheets were free
from cracks and surface defects.

Table 1Materials Available for the Program

Alloy
code
no.
1

It
2
2t
3

Nominal
composition,
w e i g h t percent
Ta-5W-2.5Mo

Ta-10W~2.5Mo

Ta-17W

3t

Ta-2.5Mo

5
6
7
8
9
10

Ta-5Mo
Ta-3Re
Ta-5Hf
Ta-10W
Ta-12.5W
Ta-7W-3Re

11

Ta-5W-2.5Mo

12

Ta-5W-2.5Mo-0.01C

13
14

Ta-5W-2.5Mo-0.03C
Ta-5W-2.5Mo-0.05C

Approximate
a m o u n t of
0.040-ln.thick sheet,
sq i n .

Source
Prepared f r o m 20-lb
arc-melted ingot

400

Transferred f r o m previous program (a)

Prepared from 2 0 - l b
arc-melted ingot
Transferred f r o m previous program (al
Prepared from 20-lb
arc-melted ingot
Transferred f r o m previous program (a)
Prepared from 150-g
arc-melted button

110
400
230
350
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20

Furnished by General
Electric Company;
made from arc-melted
ingot
Prepared from 150-g
arc-melted button

20

Prepared f r o m 1 50-g
arc-melted button

20

20
20

Use in
program
Base-line alloy
In Phase I;
Phase II alloy
Initial studies in
Phase I
Phase II alloy
Initial studies in
Phase I
Phase II alloy
Initial studies in
Phase I
Phase I alloy,
effects of
composition

"
"

Phase I alloy,
effects of
interstitial
elements
Phase I alloy.
effects of
interstitial
elements

"

(a) See Reference 2.

WELDING

RESEARCH

SUPPLEMENT!

305-s

,._,

Fig. 1 Typical
microstructures
of
recrystallized
experimental
and
special
alloys. (X 100; etchant: 30 cc lactic. 10 cc
HNOi, 5cc HF.) (a) Experimental
alloy 1,
Ta-5W-2.5 Mo; (b) special alloy 4, Ta-2.5
Mo; (c) special alloy 8, Ta-lOW

'--;>.:,

However, as is common for materials prepared on an experimental

basis, some of the sheet was not
completely flat. Thickness variations
as much as _+_ 0.005 in. were measured from end to end on single
pieces and from piece to piece.
The quality, as indicated by visual
examination, of the special alloys
prepared at Battelle was not as good
as that of the experimental alloys.
The sheet surfaces w e r e rougher
and, in some instances, shallow
edge cracks w e r e detected. However, these minor imperfections are
typical of sheet rolled directly from
button ingots. Thickness variations
w e r e measured similar to those
found for the experimental alloys.
Samples of recrystallized sheet of
both the experimental and special
alloys were prepared for metallographic examination.
Photomicrographs of typical microstructures are
s h o w n in Fig. 1. The microstructure
of all three experimental alloys, Ta5 W - 2 . 5 M o , T a - 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o , and Ta306-s I J U N E

197 2

17W, w a s similar to that s h o w n in

Figure 1(a). However, the microstructure of the recrystallized Ta-17W
showed a marked degree of banding.
This banding w a s evidence that the
alloy had not been completely homogenized during fabrication. The
microstructures of the special alloys
were of t w o general types as s h o w n
in Fig. 1(b) and 1(c). The following
special alloys had microstructures
w h i c h w e r e mixtures of f i n e - and m e dium-sized grains as s h o w n in Fig.
1(b):
Alloy 42.5 M o
Alloy 63 Re
Alloy 75 Hf
Alloy 1 0 7W-3Re
Alloy 1 4 5 W - 2 . 5 M o - 0 . 0 3 C
Alloy 1 5 5 W - 2 . 5 M o - 0 . 0 5 C
The other special alloys had microstructures w h i c h were mixtures of
fine, medium, and very coarse grains
as s h o w n in Fig. 1(c). This type of
microstructure is often found in
sheet rolled directly from button
ingots.

Chemical Analyses
Many of the program materials
were analyzed for chemical and i n terstitial element contents. The results of these analyses are given in
Tables 2 and 3. One of the most significant observations based on these
analyses w a s that the oxygen c o n tents of the experimental alloy sheet
prepared during this program were
much lower t h a n those of the sheet
transferred f r o m the previous contract:
Average
Oxygen
Content,
ppm by wt.
Alloy
1 (Ta - 5 W - 2.5Mo)
65
1t(Ta - 5 W - 2.5Mo)
204
2 (Ta - 1 OW - 2.5Mo)
33
2t (Ta - 1 O W - 2.5Mo)
97
3 (Ta-17W)
7
3t(Ta-17W)
95
In general, the analyses indicated
that all the experimental sheet and
the special alloy sheet prepared during the program were of good quality.

Experimental Equipment
and Procedures
The following sections describe
the equipment and procedures used
during the program. The discussion
is divided into sections on (1) w e l d ing, (2) mechanical testing, and (3)
other procedures, including
heat
treatment, oxidation-resistant coating, chemical analyses, and metallography.
Welding
The majority of the welding in the
program was done w i t h the gas tungsten-arc process (GTA). In addition, a
lesser amount of w o r k w a s done
w i t h electron beam and resistancespot welding processes.
Gas Tungsten-Arc Welding
Most of the GTA welds w e r e made
by machine w e l d i n g ; only a f e w
welds w e r e made manually. A l l of
the GTA welds were
made
in
vacuum-purged welding chambers.
Three different chambers w e r e used,
but the majority of the machine
welds w e r e made in a chamber that
had a vacuum capability of p u r g e , < 5
x 10~ 5 torr, and pressure rise, < 5 x
1 0 " 5 t o r r / m i n . Most of the GTA welds
w e r e made in the fixture sketched in
Figure 2. This fixture'provided a moderately high level of restraint combined w i t h a large heat sink to produce rapid cooling of the welds.
All of the machine GTA welding
was done w i t h a 3-phase rectifier
equipped w i t h a high frequency unit
to assist in starting the d-c straight
polarity welding arc. The manual
GTA welding was done w i t h a d-c
motor
generator
power
supply
equipped w i t h a foot-operated current control. The welding parameters
of arc current, voltage, and travel
speed for each automatic w e l d w e r e
recorded w i t h pen-and-ink recording
electronic millivolt
potentiometers
using the necessary voltage divider
circuits and precision shunts. The accuracy of these recorders was _0.25
percent.
Carefully
controlled
procedures
were used to prepare and w e l d s a m ples during the program. The standard procedures used are given in
Table 4. A n y deviations from these
procedures w e r e noted and are indicated w h e r e
appropriate.
Major
deviations w h i c h were evaluated include the f o l l o w i n g : (1) substitution
of machine grinding for milling to
prepare the edges of the w e l d specimens and (2) elimination of the pickling step from the cleaning procedure.
Welds
were
deposited
parallel to the sheet rolling direction.
Typical specimens comprised t w o
coupons % by 3 inches. Except for a
f e w manual welds all of the gas tung-

sten-arc welds w e r e made w i t h o u t

the addition of filler metal. The filler
used for the manual welds w a s obtained by shearing sheet material
into narrow strips.
Electron Beam Welding
Electron beam welds were made
w i t h t w o different units: (1) a 3 k w
low power density machine and (2) a
9 kw high power density machine.
Preliminary welds were made w i t h
both units; the 3 k w unit was selected for the detailed study. Most of the
welding w i t h the unit w a s done in
the 5 x 1 0 " 3 to 5 x 1 0 - 4 torr range.
The specimen size, preparation and
welding fixture were the same as
used for the GTA w e l d i n g . A strip of
tantalum sheet was placed in the
bottom of the backing bar groove to
prevent vaporization of copper from
the bar during welding.
Resistance-Spot Welding
A limited number of resistancespot
welding
experiments
were
made to establish w e l d i n g schedules
and prepare shear specimens from
the three experimental alloys. A
50 kva single-phase spot welder
equipped w i t h synchronous controls
was used. This machine has maximum rated current of 2 5 , 0 0 0 amp
and maximum electrode force of
1550 pounds. The welding electrodes were % - i n . diam R W M A Class
II alloy w i t h a 10-in. spherical radius
face. The actual w e l d i n g current and
number of cycles were measured
through a pickup coil connected to a
current analyzer. Welds were made
w i t h a pulsation technique to produce a w e l d w i t h o u t melting at the
weld interface.
Bend Testing
Two different bend tests w e r e
used during the program: a V-block
bend and the Materials Advisory
Board (MAB) 3-point bend. In the Vblock test, each specimen is bent
w i t h a series of decreasing radii
punches. The radius of the smallest
punch causing no cracking and the
radius of the punch causing cracking
are recorded. This test permits a
minimum bend-radius value to be obtained for each specimen.
M i n i m u m bend radius (MBR) =
Radius of smallest punch passed
Thickness of specimen
The
MAB
3-point
bend
test,
however, permits only one bend per
specimen. Thus a series of specimens must be tested w i t h different
radius punches to obtain a MBR value. Therefore, the V-block test w a s
used during Phase I w h e n only a limited number of specimens could be
WELDING

prepared. A previous comparison of

these t w o bend tests has s h o w n that
the V-block is more severe and results in apparent bend transition t e m peratures about 60 F higher than
those determined w i t h the M A B 3point bend. 2 Two types of bend data
were obtained: (1) M i n i m u m bend
radius (MBR) at room temperature
and - 1 0 0 F and (2) Bend transition
temperature for a 2t radius bend
w i t h a bend angle of at least 9 0 degrees.
Two sizes of bend specimens w e r e
used during the program. To conserve material during Phase I, a subsize specimen, 0.5 in. wide by 1.5 in.
long, was used. In Phase II, the M A B
recommended specimen for 0 . 0 4 0 in.-thick material, 0.50 in. wide by
2.50 in. long, was used. The welds
were parallel to the length d i m e n sion. The specimens were tested
without removing any w e l d reinforcement. The thickness of the portion of
the specimen that cracked was used
to calculate bend values. Cracking
was detected by visual inspection at
20X and w i t h dye penetrant.
Tension Testing
A l l tension tests at room temperature were conducted using conventional hydraulic testing machines.
Load-strain curves w e r e obtained
w i t h a strain gage attached to each
specimen. A strain rate of 0.002
i n . / i n . / m i n was used throughout
each test. Elevated temperature t e n sion tests were conducted in vacuum.
A constant strain rate of 0.05
i n . / i n . / m i n w a s used for all elevated
temperature tests. The specimens
had a gage section VA by 0.25 in.
and were tested w i t h the w e l d reinforcement intact. Tensile strengths
were calculated using the original
cross-sectional area of the portion of
the specimen in w h i c h failure occurred.
Phase I W e l d a b i l i t y
The experimental studies in Phase
I determined the effects of four primary factors on the bend ductility of
welds in tantalum alloys. These factors were: (1) Interstitial impurities,
(2) Welding parameters, (3) Alloying
elements, and (4) W e l d m e n t microstructure. During the program it was
determined that there were other
factors w h i c h also would affect w e l d
ductility. The effect of one of these,
bend specimen surface condition,
was found to be so important the
results from the bend tests of specimens improperly prepared are not
considered reliable.
The results of the nondestructive
inspections of Phase I welds revealed, w i t h a f e w exceptions, that
the only w e l d defects present were

RESEARCH

SUPPLEMENT

307-s

Table 2~Chemical
Alloy
1
It
2
2t
3
3t
10

Analyses of Selected Program Materials

Nominal
Form
composition, analyzed
Ta-5W-2.5Mo

Ingot
Sheet
Ingot
Sheet
Ingot
Sheet
Ingot

Ta-10W-2.5Mo
Ta-17W
Ta-7W-3Re

rw

Mo

5.5
4.8
9.2
9.7

Fe

Composition, weight percent (a)

Al
Ni
Cb

Re

Hf

2.17

0.0015 < 0.0005 < 0.0005 < 0.0025

2.5

NA

NA

2.16

2.3

NA

NA

Cr

NA
NA
NA
NA
0.0020 < 0.0005 < 0.0005 < 0.0025
NA
NA
NA
NA
0.0010 < 0.0005 < 0.0005 < 0.0025
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

17.3
0.0020

NA
NA NA
17.4
6.89
NA
2.84 NA

T,

Cu

< 0.0010

< 0.0001
NA

NA

< 0.0010

NA

< 0.0001
NA

NA

< 0.0010

NA

< 0.0001 < 0.0005

NA
NA

NA
NA

NA
NA

(a) NA indicates not a n a l y z e d for or not r e p o r t e d , a d a s h {} i n d i c a t e s not d e t e c t e d

Table 3Interstitial Contents of S elected Program Materials

lysis (a) ppm by weight

1
Alloy
1
1
1t
1t
1t
2
2t
3
3t
5
8
9
10
12
13
14
15

composition,

Material code

Ta-5W-2.5Mo

GP-530
GP-532

"

(c)

Ta-10W-2.5Mo

GP-501
GP-506
GP-538

Ta-17W

GP-554

Ta-5Mo
Ta-10W
Ta-12.5W
Ta-7W-3Re
Ta-5W-2.5Mo
Ta-5W-2.5Mo-0.01C
Ta-5W-2.5Mo-0.03C
Ta-5W-2.5Mo-0.05C

GP-517
GP-520
GP-523
GP-507
GP-526
GP-527
GP-528
GP-529

1
2
3
10
11b

35
30
13
40
50

H2

79 + 2
50 + 3

0.9 0.3
5.2 t 0.4
0.6 + 0.5
0.7 + 0.5
0.4 i 0.2

97

30

60
20
20
20
90
20
90

10.5 t 0.3
11.4 t 0.5
4.5 l 0.3
2.9 + 0.3

+
+
+
+

3
3
4
2

3.7
3.7
7.3
2.2

Micro-Kjeldahl,
M2lbi

1.1 + 0.2

95

'

7,0 t 0.4
14 1 1

7.4 + 0.2
44.4
71.7
58
47

N2lbl

193 + 2
211 + 2
33 + 2

(c)

Alloy
Alloy
Alloy
Alloy
Alloy

o2
207

(c)

(a) Analyses given are for recrystallized sheet

'

0.4
0.4
0.5
0.3

16.8
20.5
33
8.6

t
+
+

0.5
0.5
1
0.4

"-

Conductrometric,
C

58
44

40
32
15
20
16
20
67
53
83

53
120
300
520

Ingot analyses in p p m by w e i g h t w e r e as f o l l o w s

2
3

-3 2

31
33
21
20

19
32
11
12
1 10-120

(b) Nitrogen c o n t e n t s for s o m e of t h e m a t e r i a l s w e r e d e t e r m i n e d by both v a c u u m - f u s i o n a n d m i c r o - K j e l d a h l m e t h o d since the f o r m e r is considered

less reliable for d e t e r m i n i n g n i t r o g e n in t a n t a l u m alloys
(c) Data from previous p r o g r a m . Contract No AF 33(6571-891 1

pores. However, proper

preweld
cleaning, including an acid pickle,
eliminated gross porosity. Alloy 3
and 3t, T a - 1 7 W , w e r e the only materials w h i c h showed susceptibility
to cracking during w e l d i n g , but the
susceptibility w a s not severe.
Effect of Interstitial Impurities
The effect of interstitial impurities
w a s studied w i t h three different techniques:
(1) Comparison w a s made of the
bend ductility of welds made in sheet
materials w i t h similar n o m i n a l compositions but w i t h different interstitial contents. This w a s primarily a
comparison of the materials transferred from the previous program
w i t h the materials prepared as part
of this program,
(2) Special alloys w e r e prepared
308-s l J U N E

1972

w i t h different interstitial contents.

The effect of carbon content w a s
studied w i t h
special
Alloys
12
through 1 5.
(3) Welds w e r e made in helium atmospheres w h i c h w e r e deliberately
contaminated w i t h oxygen, nitrogen,
or hydrogen.
As previously noted, the interstitial
content of the T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o , Ta1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o , . a n d T a - 1 7 W sheet pre, Clcmpnq ba*.
Mold-down ba*

Fig. 2Details
of welding
fixtureSpacing S for hold-down bar varied from
0.5 to 0.75 in.

pared as part of this program (Alloys

1, 2, and 3) w a s lower than that of
the comparable alloy sheet transferred from the
previous
study
(Alloys 1t, 2t, and 3t). Figure 3 compares the bend ductility of gas t u n g sten-arc welds made in these materials. In each of the four comparisons
the welds w e r e made in pure helium
w i t h the indicated welding conditions. In every case but one, the average w e l d bend-ductility value is
lower for the low interstitial material. Only one data point was obtained for the low interstitial m a terial in the case of the exception (Ta1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o welded at 10 ipm),
w h i c h may have caused the exception. However, it appears w e l l established that weldable tantalum alloy
sheet must have a low interstitial
content. The maximum
tolerable
level w a s not established quantita-

tively for the three experimental

alloys. However, on the basis of the
data in Fig. 3 it appears t h a t the total
interstitial content should be at least
less t h a n 10 0 ppm by w e i g h t .
The effect of base metal carbon
content on w e l d bend ductility is
s h o w n by the data in Table 5. A t first
glance the data in Table 5 appears to
indicate that base metal carbon c o n tent had a marked effect on w e l d
ductility. The bend values increased
from V2t to 281/2t as the analyzed carbon content increased from 53 to
5 2 0 ppm by weight. However, the re
suits of vacuum fusion analyses of
selected welds (footnote in Table 5)
s h o w e d that the hydrogen content
w a s high in the welds w i t h the high
bend values. These effects
are
s h o w n in Fig. 4. The hydrogen content of these welds w a s higher than
that of any other w e l d s in T a - 5 W 2.5Mo sheet that w e r e analyzed.
Therefore it is not possible to determine if the decreases in w e l d ductility were caused by increasing carbon, hydrogen, or both. However,
t w o important conclusions can be
stated: (1) A carbon content of at
least 100 ppm by w e i g h t can be tolerated in weldable
Ta-5W-2.5Mo
sheet and (2) A w e l d hydrogen c o n tent of at least 17 ppm by w e i g h t
does not affect the ductility of welds
in T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o sheet.
The relative effects of three w e l d ing atmosphere contaminants, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen, on w e l d
bend ductility are s h o w n in Fig. 5.
Nitrogen
was
most
deleterious;
oxygen had a slightly lesser effect.
Hydrogen was much less deleterious t h a n either nitrogen or oxygen.
The ductility of welds in Alloy 1, Ta5 W - 2 . 5 M o , w a s much less affected
by w e l d i n g atmosphere contamination than w e r e welds in Alloy 2, Ta10W-2.5 Mo. This is clearly s h o w n
in Fig. 6.
Vacuum fusion analyses of welds
made in contaminated and pure helium w e r e made. Although the bend
test results clearly s h o w e d that w e l d ing atmosphere contamination affected the welds, there w a s no correlation between atmosphere and w e l d
analysis nor w e l d analysis and w e l d
bend ductility. The reasons for this
are not k n o w n , but it appears that
the results of the interstitial analyses
of the welds may not be reliable.
Effect of Welding Parameters
The basic w e l d i n g
parameters
w h i c h w e r e studied include the f o l lowing: (1) A r c travel speed, (2) A r c
current, (3) A r c voltage and (4) Restraint and cooling rate as influenced

ttii

40

Indicates value
greater than
plotted value

Average
value

30
CD

20

r*~i

10

n
Alloy

ft. ft
2

2t
10 ipm

1
KJ
V

2
2t
20 ipm

31

Fig. 3Effect of base metal interstitial contents (shown in Table 3) on the average ductility of gas tungsten-arc welds. Welds were made at 10 ipm, except on Alloys 2 and 2t
which were welded at 20 ipm, as well as 10 ipm

Table 4Standard Specimen Preparation and Gas Tungsten-Arc Welding Procedures

Preparation of Specimens
1. Cut coupons from sheet with water-cooled cutoff wheel
2. Identify each coupon with material identification number showing parent sheet
and location in parent sheet
3. Mill edges to be welded to obtain square straight edges
4. Draw file edges to remove any machining marks
5. Clean as follows:
(a) Rinse in acetone
(b) Pickle for 30 sec in a mixture of 55 percent H 2 S0 4 25 percent HN0 3 , and 20
per cent HF
(c) Rinse in warm water
(d) Dry with warm air blast
6. Wrap in clean tissue paper; handle with tongs or clean, white gloves only
GTA Welding Procedure
1. Disasseinble welding fixture and clean with acetone
2. Assemble fixture and align prepared specimens and tabs in fixture; handle with
clean, white gloves
3. Close chamber and evacuate to a pressure of 5 * 10~5 torr or less. During
roughing pump operation (10H3 torr), flow purge the inert-gas-backfill system
4. Check chamber leak rate; maximum of 0.5 x 10^" torr/min over a 3-min period
Re-evacuate to 5 x 10 - 5 torr or less
Backfill chamber to a slight positive pressure of about 1-2 psig; backfill time
is about 40-60 sec
Weld; use recording meters
Allow weld to cool in chamber, about 5 min
Remove welded specimen from chamber and identify with weld number

by the welding fixture. The first three

parameters were used in the usual
manner to calculate energy input
and, in conjunction w i t h measurements of the w e l d fusion zones,
energy input per unit fusion-zone volume.
During the program the energy
input at each travel speed was adjusted to produce full penetration
WELDING

welds w i t h face w i d t h of about Va

inch. The data in Fig. 7 s h o w this
was accomplished for all welds used
to study the effect of welding parameters except for one w e l d made w i t h
a high energy input at 5 ipm. The
data show that the w i d t h s of the root
of these welds w e r e not as consistent as the w i d t h s of the faces. A l though there are relatively large

RESEARCH

SUPPLEMENT!

309-s

35

differences

in

tungsten

among the

three

alloys,

content
no

signifi-

c a n t d i f f e r e n c e s are a p p a r e n t in Fig.

30

7 or i n F i g . 8 .
The

25

approximate

cross-sectional

a r e a s of t h e w e l d s w e r e
using the w i d t h

20

calculated

measurements

and

assuming that the w e l d cross section

h a d t h e s h a p e of a r e g u l a r t r a p e z o i d .
T h e r e s u l t s of t h e s e c a l c u l a t i o n s

15

plotted

in

areas

were

slightly

10

Fig.

as

9. T h e
found

the

are

fusion
to

travel

zone

decrease *
speed

was

increased. In o t h e r w o r d s , a s m a l l e r
v o l u m e of m e t a l w a s

i\ /

r>

-D
D

o:
x>
c

CD

J^r^^.

100

200

T h e data p l o t t e d i n Fig. 1 0

300

400

500

zone

volume

was

greater

at

lower
re-

s u l t e d f r o m a l o w e r e f f i c i e n c y of h e a t
transfer

that

g r e a t e r v o l u m e of n o n f u s e d m e t a l

at

low

speeds

and

is

subjected to a t h e r m a l cycle at

35

speeds.

In

other

words,

low

the

weld

heat-affected zones should be larger

30

and any metallurgical reactions

E
o
o

CC

show

arc travel speeds. T h i s p r o b a b l y

Carbon C o n t e n t , p p m by weight

Q.

the

t h a t t h e e n e r g y input per unit f u s i o n -

d. Possible E f f e c t of Carbon

m e l t e d at

higher speeds.

as

grain

growth

should be m o r e

25

or

such

precipitation

pronounced

at

low

speeds.
T h e r e s u l t s of b e n d t e s t s of w e l d s

20

m a d e t o d e t e r m i n e t h e e f f e c t s of t h e
welding parameters on w e l d ductility
15

a r e s u m m a r i z e d in Figs. 11 a n d
The

scatter

made the

10

in

the

bend

12.

test

effect of e n e r g y

data

input

or

arc travel speed difficult to establish.

Therefore the following results
be

viewed

rather

than

qualitative

quantitative

must
trends

relation-

ships. E x a m i n a t i o n of Fig. 11 a n d

*-*~*
10

as

20

30

40

Hydrogen C o n t e n t , ppm by weight

50
A-5IS73

(1) T h e d u c t i l i t y o f w e l d s
interstitial

b. Possible Effect of Hydrogen

Fig. 4Comparison
of the possible effect of (a) carbon
bend ductility of special Ta-5W-2 5 Mo + C alloys

sheet

of

on the

weld

in

the

low-

Ta-5W-

2 . 5 M o a l l o y ( A l l o y 1) is n o t

and (b) hydrogen

affected

by arc travel speed or e n e r g y

input.

W e l d s at all c o m b i n a t i o n s are d u c t i l e .
(2) T h e d u c t i l i t y of w e l d s i n

Table 5 E f f e c t of C a r b o n C o n t e n t o n B e n d D u c t i l i t y of W e l d s in T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 0 M o S h e e t

Alloy

Carbon content,
ppm by w e i g h t
Desired
Analyzed

12
12
13
13
14
14
15
15

<100
<100
100
100
300
300
500
500

53
53
120
120
300
300
520
520

Weld
GP-53 (
GP-60
G P - 5 4 a)
GP-61
GP-55

GP-62
GP-56

GP-63

Minimum bend
radius, t
RT
100 F
<0.5
<0.5

<0.5

<0.5

3.5
5.5
27
28.5

o,
N,
H2

GP-54
55 4
2 0 . 4 t 0.5
17.2 1 0 . 5

310-s I J U N E

1 9 7 2

3P-55
68 1 5
26 + 1
25.8 1 0 . 5

interstitial
2.5Mo

sheet

alloy

high travel

of

(Alloy
speeds

the

1t)

high-

Ta-5W-

is b e t t e r

and

low

at

energy

inputs 3 0 to 7 5 ipm and 2 5 0 0 to

3 0 0 0 joules per inch.

(a) Results (ppm by weight) of vacuum-fusion analyses of welds w e r e as follows:

GP-53
49 1 4
29.1 0.5
15.2+0.5

12

reveals the following:

GP-56
55 1 3
31 1 1
36.8 1 0 . 5

(3) T h e d u c t i l i t y of w e l d s
low-interstitial

sheet

high-interstitial

(Alloy

sheet

the Ta-10W-2.5Mo

in

both

2)

and

(Alloy

alloy

2t)

is b e s t

moderate energy inputs 3 4 0 0

7 6 0 0 joules per

inch. Travel

of
at
to

speed

has no definite effect.

(4) T h e d u c t i l i t y of w e l d s

in

low-

i n t e r s t i t i a l s h e e t of t h e T a - 1 7 W A l l o y
( A l l o y 3) is b e s t at m o d e r a t e
inputs

3 4 0 0 to

energy

7 6 0 0 joules

per

inch. Travel speed has no definite effect.

The studies of the effect of restraint and cooling rate as influenced
by the w e l d i n g fixture did not s h o w
that the variations studied had any
effect.

- 1

25

tffl

Miiuy i , l u - y v v - i ^ j IVIO

ID

Alloy2,Ta-IOW-2.5 M

20

Boseline bend values ore

Alloy 1, < | t

Effect of Alloying Elements

The effect of alloying elements on

w e l d bend ductility was studied by
making w e l d s in nine special alloys
and the three experimental alloys.
The results of this study are given in
Table 6. Based on these results, the
alloys can be divided into three
groups on the basis as welded of
w e l d ductility: (a) Welds ductile* at
both room temperature and - 1 0 0 F;
Ta-2.5Mo, Ta-3Re, Ta-5Hf, Ta-5W2.5Mo, (Alloys 4 , 6, 7, and 1), (b)
Welds ductile at room temperature
but not at - 1 0 0 F; T a - 5 M o , Ta-10W,
Ta-12.5W (Alloys 5, 8, and 9) and (c)
No ductile welds at room temperature: Ta-7W-3Re, T a - 1 7 W (Alloys
10 and 3).

Alloy 2, I 3 j t
15

-o-

10
-On
O-

100 0 2
Welding

Fig. 5Relative

1?

0
100 H 2

--

-100 N 2

Atmosphere

effect of welding

--

500 N 2

- i

500 0.,

Contaminant, nominal
atmosphere

200 H 2

1000 N 2

ppm by volume

contaminants

on weld bend

ductility

10

T h e T a - 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o alloy is borderline between (2) and (3) since one

specimen w a s ductile at room t e m perature w h i l e the second was not.
T w o factors must be considered
w h e n the validity of the above classifications is evaluated. First, the results for most of the alloys were obtained using only one w e l d i n g speed
and energy input. As pointed out previously, different alloys may require
different welding conditions to produce optimum weld ductility. Second,
the results cover only one lot of
sheet for most of the alloys. In most

/'

/
c

- /

*/

IA

JV ^

^ -

CA
D
A

CD/

2
a;

~->-^.
~^^

Root

'o

.? 2 5

/ Face

\T^

/
/

A /

^Minimum bend radius of 2t or less in V-block

test at room temperature.

Foce Root

o Ta-5W- 2.5Mo

a To-lOW 2.5Mo
A
A
T0-I7W

2000

4000

6000
Energy

8000

1
10,000

12,000

Input, joules/inch

1
14,000

16,000

A-51683

Fig. 7Effect of energy input on face and root widths of gas tungsten-arc
To-IC

1000 H 2

welds

W-25M0

16,000
- To-5W-2.5Mo
o - T a - l O W - 2 . 5 Mo
- Ta-l7W

i/
o /

/
Y

//

//

.4

12,000

J-

8000

// V

4]

Ta-5W-2.5Mo

rd

4000

Hydrogen

-*-

Level of Conlaminolion in Welding Atmosphere, ppm by

volume

Fig. 6Difference
in loss of weld ductility, due to atmospheric
contaminants,
between Alloy 2 (solid lines) and Alloy 1
(broken line and single point)
showing
effect of alloy
content

10

20

30

40

50

Arc Trovel Speed , ipm

Fig. 8Energy input required
talum alloy sheet

for full penetration

WELDING

gas tungsten-arc

RESEARCH

60

70

80

A-5i68i
welds in 0.040-in.

SUPPLEMENT!

tan-

311-s

/
/ A

/ /
/

/
/

o-

/ /

-TQ-5W-2.5MO

O - Ta-lOW-2.5Mo
A-Ta-17W

/
/

v ^~~~7""-~->^
/

/ /a./

/^~~*~7~~~

30

Areas based on the assumption

that the weld cross section has
the shape of o regular trapezoid

TX i

rv
1

Arc Travel Speed,ipm

Fig. 9Effect of arc travel speed on weld area for gas tungstenarc welds

Fig. 10Effect of arc travel speed on energy input per unit

fusion-zone volume for gas tungsten-arc welds

Alloy

I]

a - Alloy

2!

A - Alloy

A -

3t

Alloy

J
13

5 l
t

t.
ki

O - Alloy
- Alloy 2

T
A

D
A
A

Alloy I

- Alloy
- Alloy
- Alloy
- Alloy

2
2t
3
3t

t I
D
i

SL.

'
o

jr

Arc Travel Speed, ipm

k1

To- 5 W - 2 5 M o
Ta- I O W - 2 5 Mo
T0-17W

j-^3

%m

: *

(I2J00)

Arc Travel Speed, ipm

(14,400)

Sauare Root of Energy Input, /jovresTTTf

Fig. 12Effect of energy input on the ductility of gas tungstenarc welds. Abscissa values in parentheses are energy inputs in
joules/in.

Fig. 11Effect of arc travel speed

on the ductility of gas
tungsten-arc welds

cases this lot w a s fabricated from

button ingots, a method w h i c h often
does not produce sheet of optimum
quality.
The total effect of alloying additions to tantalum has been s h o w n to
aepend on the relative number of
atoms added and on the electronic
structure of these atoms. 4 5 Rhenium
w i t h a total of 7 s- and d-electrons
has a greater hardening effect at
small concentrations t h a n hafnium
(4 s- and d-electrons), molybdenum
(6 s- and d-electrons), or tungsten (6
s- and d-electrons). A n empirical correction factor can be derived from
the relationship between cast hardness and alloy content and used to
correct the alloy content of the alloys
studied for the relatively large effect
of rhenium:
(a) Effect of Re = 34.7 V H N / a t o m i c
percent
(b)
Effect
of
other
=
11.8
V H N / a t o m i c percent
(c) Correction Factor =
Effect Re

= 2.94

Effect othei

312-s I J U NE 1 9 7 2

This factor w a s used to correct the

compositions of the alloys studied in
this program. Using these data, the
effect of the total of the metallic a l loying elements on w e l d bend ductility can be determined. As s h o w n in
Fig. 13, this establishes the compositional ranges for the three classes of
tantalum alloys previously defined:

Room temperature
IOOF

20
CIQ5S

Class

Class

1 j

1 '
E

Of

-<*

C*-'

->-

<

nr

o*

Total Metallic Alloying Elements, oto*n*c percent (corrected for Re)

Fig. 13Effect of alloying elements oh

the ductility of gas tungsten-arc welds

Metallic alloying
elements, atomic %,
Weld ductility (a)
corrected for Re
Class I
Class II
Class 111

0 to 9.6
9.6 to 13.0
13.0 and over

(a) Machine deposited welds in the as-welded

condition.
It should be kept in mind that these
limits of alloy content have been derived
for
simple,
solid-solution
strengthened alloys.
Furthermore,
the guidelines are based primarily on
sheet rolled directly from button
ingots and, therefore, are conservative.
Effect of Microstructure
The general microstructural features of the welds in most of the special and experimental alloys w e r e
similar, as s h o w n in Fig. 14(a) and
(b). Since most of the bend test failures occurred in the w e l d fusion
zone, the study of this portion of the
welds w a s emphasized. The fusion
zones of the welds contained relatively large grains and, w i t h the exception of the t w o hafnium-containing alloys, cellular substructures.

This cellular substructure has been

observed previously in t a n t a l u m alloy welds. Depending on the orientation of the metallographic section
with respect to the cell g r o w t h direction, the structure visible varies from
a network of hexagonal cells to
groups of nearly parallel lines. The
orientation of the cells w i t h i n a
single grain appears to be similar. A s
the total alloy content increased the
substructure became more sharply
delineated as a result of greater
segregation.
The contrast between the t w o
types of fusion zone substructure is
s h o w n in Fig. 15. The dendritic substructure of the Ta-5Hf alloy is similar to that observed in many other refractory metal welds. This difference
by itself did not produce any significant differences in w e l d ductility.
Ductile welds w e r e found in both
groups.
Measurements of both fusion zone
grain and cell size w e r e made in an
attempt to correlate t h e m w i t h w e l d
ductility. Neither grain size nor cell
size could be correlated w i t h weld
ductility. However, there w a s a correlation between energy input and
cell and grain size as s h o w n in Fig.
16. W h e n the cell diameters were
plotted as a function of energy input,
it was apparent that there w e r e t w o
different relationships as indicated
by Curves A and B in Figure 16(a).
However, it was not clear from the
available data w h e t h e r Curve A represents the relationship for the high
interstitial materials, Alloy 1t or 2t,
or the low alloy materials, Alloys 1
and 1t. Similarly, Curve B could represent the low interstitial materials,
Alloys 2 and 3, or the high alloy materials, Alloys 2, 2t, and 3. Since
either impurity or alloy content could
affect solidification of the welds, the
problem cannot be resolved w i t h the
available data.
The effect of energy input on
fusion zone grain size w a s much
clearer. A s s h o w n in Fig. 16(b), i n creased energy inputs resulted in i n creased grain size as expected, Increased energy input results in
larger grains in the w e l d heataffected zone and thus f e w e r sites
for the nucleation of fusion zone
grains. In addition, the lower cooling
rates associated w i t h high energy
inputs would also result in fewer
grains in the w e l d fusion zone.
As previously discussed, material
quality had a significant effect on
w e l d ductility. Similarly,
material
quality affected the microstructure of
welds in T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o sheet. As
s h o w n in Fig. 15, the fusion zones of
welds in better quality material,
Alloy 1, contained only a f e w scat-

**:::

Fig. 14Microstructures typical of welds in special alloys: (a) Alloy 5, Ta-5Mo; (b) Alloy
8. Ta-lOW. (X100, reduced 30%; etchant, 30 cc lactic WccHNO
,5ccHF)

Table 6Effect of Alloy Content on Bend Ductility of Welds in Tantalum Alloys

Alloy

Nominal
composition,
percent

1
2
3

Ta-5W-2.5Mo
Ta-10W-2.5Mo
Ta-17W

4
5

Ta-2.5Mo
Ta-5Mo

6
7
8

Ta-3Re
Ta-5Hf
Ta-10W
Ta-12.5W

10

12

Ta-7W-3Re

Ta-5W-2.5Mo

Minimum bend radius, t

Room
temperature
Avg < 0 . 5
11, 0.5
26, 33
12, 21.5
<0.5
<0.5

Weld
Various
GP-88
GP-104
GP-116
GP-47
GP-50
GP-57
GP-48
GP-49
GP-51
GP-58
GP-80
GP-52
GP-59
GP-46
GP-82
GP-83
GP-183
GP-186
GP-53
GP-60

-100 F
Avg < 0 . 5

<0.5
<0.5
<0.

<0.5
<0.5

4.5, 0.5
5, 8
5, 5
< 0.5,0.5
<0.5c0.5
<0.5

<0.5

1.5

<0.5
<0.5

5.5

12

<0.5
<0.5

<0.5

All data Is from welds made at 20-ipm travel speed and tested in the as-welded condition

tered micropores as compared w i t h

welds in poorer quality material,
Alloy 1t. This effect w a s not observed in Alloys 2 and 2t and Alloys
3 and 3t. The fusion zones of welds
WELDING

in both Alloys 2 and 2t contained

moderate amounts of microporosity,
w h i l e the fusion zones in Alloys 3
and 3t welds contained f e w micropores. Therefore, it appears that the

RESEARCH

SUPPLEMENT!

313-s

'"
Fig. 15Effect of alloy content on fusion-zone substructure: (a) cellular substructure in Alloy 1. Ta-5W-2.5 Mo; (b) dendritic
substructure
in Alloy 7, Ta-5 HF. Both XlOO, reduced 20%. Etchant: (a) 20g NHA FHF, 100 cc H20, 50 cc HNOz; fb) 30 cc lactic, 10 cc HN02, 5 cc HF

Curve A

:AS:KSW-2.5MO

Hoy 3

To-I 'W

o X
^^v

Curve B
KM

2000

2C00

4000
6000
Energy Input, joules/in.

Fig. 16Effect of energy input on fusion-zone

(a) effect on cell size; fb) effect on grain
diameter

Table 7Effect of Postweld Heat Treatment on Ductility of Gas

Tungsten-Arc Welds

Alloy

Weld

2
2
3
3

GP-87
GP-95
GP-1 12
Various

Arc
travel speed.
ipm

1 -hr vacuum
heat treatment
temperature, F

10
10
10
10

2200
1500
2000
None

Room temperature
min bend radius, t
As welded
Heat treated
13.5

<
<

0.5
0.5
(a)

Avg > 36

(a) Minimum bend radius could not be determined Specimens were brittle and broke outside bend area on average
die radius of 43.5t.

Table 8Gas Tungsten-Arc Welding Conditions

Arc
si speed.
ipm

Alloy
Ta-5W-2.5Mo
Ta-10W-2.5Mo
Ta-17W

314-s I J U N E

20
10
10

1972

4000
6000
Energy Input, joules/in.

Arc
current
amp

Arc
voltage,
v

Energy input,
joules/in.

110
83
85

15
15
15

5,000
7,500
7,600

microstructure;

large amount of microporosity of

welds in Alloy 1t is a result of its exceptionally high interstitial content:
204 ppm 0 2 , 33 ppm N 2 , 1.4 ppm H 2
and 3 6 ppm C. However, the possible effect of unknown metallic impurities cannot be eliminated.
There was a marked contrast
between the size of w e l d porosity detected by radiography and the microporosity revealed by microscopy. The
large pore in Fig. 17 w a s detected by
radiography, but the small pores
were not. Microporosity w a s particularly pronounced in welds made w i t h
unpickled sheet. Pickling should be
included as part of the preweld cleaning procedure in all tantalum alloy
fusion welding.
As a final effort to determine
further effects of microstructure on
weld ductility, microhardness measurements were made on transverse
sections of selected welds. No consistent correlation between
weld
hardness and bend . ductility w a s
noted except in the case of special

Fig. 17 Variation in fusion-zone porosity due to base metal quality

in Ta-5W-2.5 Mo welds: (a) Alloy 1. weld GP-42, no porosity; (b)
Alloy It, weld GP-24, microporosity;
(cj Alloy It, weld GP-23,
microandmacroporosity.
AIIX100, reduced30%. Etchant: (a)30 cc lactic,
Wcc HN03,5ccHF;(b)and(c)20gNHAFHF,
WOccHiO,
50ccH/\IO3

carbon-containing
Ta-5W-2.5Mo
alloys (12, 13, 14, and 15). For the
other alloys, some of the hardest
welds w e r e ductile w h i l e others
were brittle. For example, one specimen from W e l d GP-88 had a fusion
zone hardness of 2 7 0 VHN and a
bend value of l i t , w h i l e the second
specimen from the w e l d has a hardness of 3 3 8 VHN and a bend value of
Vit.
No
consistent
relationship
among the hardnesses of the three
zones in the welds w a s found. For example, in some welds the fusion
zone had the highest hardness w h i l e
in others it had the lowest hardness.

Table 9Settings for Resistance-Spot Welding

Alloy
Ta-5W-2.5Mo
Ta-10W-2.5Mo
Ta-17W

Heat
time.
cycles

Heat
pulses

Cool
time,
cycles

Peak
current,
amp

1000
1000
1000

2
2
2

10
10
10

30
30
30

19,250
19,250
15,200

Table 10Comparison Between the R o o m Temperature M i n i m u m Bend Radii of the

Present and Previous Work, Based on 3-Point Bend Tests

Other Effects

The most significant of the secondary effects w h i c h w e r e studied was

t h e effect of surface condition on
w e l d ductility. Grinding markedly i m paired the ductility of welded specimens, but had a lesser effect on unwelded specimens. A vacuum anneal
of 1 hr at 2 5 0 0 F restored the ductility of a ground w e l d specimen.
These effects w e r e clarified by metallographic examinations of transverse
sections of the specimens. Grinding
produced a narrow, severely cold
worked region just beneath the surface of the specimens. Figure 18
illustrates this effect. No differences
w e r e observed between the cold
worked layers in the welds and the
layers in the unwelded sheet. The
high temperature anneal resulted in
recrystallization of the cold worked
layer as s h o w n in Fig. 18.
Other factors w h i c h were studied
included preweld edge preparation

Electrode
force,
lb

Base metal
Present
Previous

Alloy
Ta-5W-2.5Mo
Ta-10W-2.5Mo
Ta-17W

< 0.5t
< 0.5t
<0.5t

< 0.5t
< 0.5t
<0.5t

GTA w e l d
Present
Previous
<0.5t
<0.5t
> 38t

8.5t
2 7 to 4 5 t
> 10t

Electron
beam
weld
Present
<0.5t
<0.5t
11 to > 34t

Table 11 Comparison Between the 2 t Transition Temperatures of the

Present Work and the 4 t Transition Temperatures of the Previous Program
Base metal
Present
Previous

Alloy
Ta-5W-2.5Mo
Ta - 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o
Ta -17W

<
<

-320 F < - 3 2 0 F
-320 F < - 3 2 0 F
32 F
14-32 F

and preweld cleaning. No definite difference on the basis of w e l d ductility

was noted among machining, g r i n d ing, or cutting as methods of preweld
edge
preparation. As
previously
WELDING

GTA w e l d
Previous
Present

< -175
< -320

F
F
300 F

135 F
325 F
575-600 F

EB
weld
Present
-320 F
-100 F
375 F

noted, pickling is an essential prew e l d cleaning step.

Improvement of Weld Ductility
Based on the

RESEARCH

available

SUPPLEMENT!

data,

it

315-s

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Table 13Results of R o o m Temperature Tension Tests

of Resistance-Spot Welded Specimens
Load a
failure.
lb

Nugget
diam..
in.

Specimen

Shear
Strength,
psi

Remarks

Alloy 1, T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o
GP-228
GP-229
GP-230

38,100
45,900
37,800

968
1068
966

0.18
0.18
0.18

Shear failure
Shear Failure
Shear failure

4 0 , 6 0 0 avg
Alloy 2, Ta- 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o
GP-232
GP-233
GP-234

600
736
828

0.18
0.18
0.17

23,600
29,000
48,600

Shear failure
Shear failure
Shear failure

3 3 , 7 0 0 avg
Alloy 3, Ta 1 7 W
GP-235
GP-236
GP-237

670
706
664

0.18
0.16
0.17

26,400
35,200
29,200

Shear failure
Shear failure
Shear failure

3 0 , 3 0 0 avg

Two other potential methods of improving w e l d ductility were evaluated: (1) Postweld heat treatment
by means of nonfusion
welding
passes, and (2) The addition of l o w
interstitial content filler metal to
welds in high interstitial sheet.
Neither method was successful.
Phase I I M e c h a n i c a l Properties
The primary objective of Phase II
was to determine the mechanical
properties of base metal, gas tungsten-arc welds and electron beam
welds in the three experimental
alloys. The properties determined include: (1) Room temperature m i n i mum bend radius, (2) 2t bend transition temperature, and (3) Tensile
properties. In addition, a brief study
of
resistance-spot
welding
was
performed. The final portion of
Phase II was a study of the effects of
elevated temperature exposure and
the application of a oxidation resistant coating on the ductility of gas
tungsten-arc welds in T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o
andTa-10W-2.5Mo.

7:77-77^7S77;m77+
::
=
.
\77l::^:
^^::m;;f:':;-m^^7-;7H.

t|i^w

'"

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To-IOW(4t)

that the heat treatments had no

significant effect on the interstitial
contents of the welds. Similarly,
microscopic examination and microhardness measurements showed no
significant change due to the heat
treatment. These observations, in
combination w i t h the effectiveness
of the relatively low temperature
heat treatment at 1 5 0 0 F, indicate
that the beneficial effect in Alloy 2
may be due to a reduction in residual
stresses in the w e l d m e n t s or to redistribution of interstitial impurities.

To-5W-25Mo(2t)

Ta- I0W- 2 *jf^o(2t)

Fig. 19Comparison
of bend ductility
of
gas tungsten-arc welded tantalum
alloys

Fig. 18Effects of grinding on base metal

and welds in Ta-5W-2.5
Mo sheet: (a)
base metal as welded; (b) base metal machine ground; (c) fusion zone
machine
ground and annealed 1 hr at 2500 F. (X100,
reduced 33%,. Etchant: (a) and (b) 20g
NHd FHF 100 cc H20, 50 cc HN03; (c) 30
cc lactic, 10 cc HN03, 5 cc HF)

appeared that postweld heat treatment would be most likely to i m prove w e l d ductility. The effect of
heat treatment is s h o w n by the data
in Table 7. The ductility of welds in
Alloy 2, T a - 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o , was i m proved by both the 2 2 0 0 and 1 5 0 0 F
heat treatment. The ductility of
welds in Alloy 3, Ta-17W, was not
improved
by
a
2000
F
heat
treatment. Vacuum fusion analyses
carried out in this program showed
WELDING

The gas tungsten-arc welding conditions used in Phase II were selected on the basis of the results of
Phase I. Electron beam and resistance-spot welding conditions were
selected on the basis of brief preliminary studies. The gas tungsten-arc
welding conditions are given in
Table 8. These conditions w e r e adjusted as required to compensate for
variations in sheet thickness. The
electron beam w e l d i n g conditions
selected on the basis of the preliminary welds were as follows: beam
voltage, 15 kv; beam current, 85 ma;
travel speed, 5 ipm; average w i d t h of
weld face, 8 / 6 4 in.; average w i d t h of
weld root, 7 / 6 4 in.; depth-to-width
ratio, 0.32.
The T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o and Ta-17W
fusion welds were evaluated in the
as-welded condition, w h i l e the Ta1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o fusion w e l d s were evaluated after a postweld heat treatment of 1 hr at 1 5 0 0 F. The Phase II
fusion welds were inspected visually
and by radiography. A f e w widely
scattered pores were detected, but
the specimens w e r e cut from defectfree areas only.

RESEARCH

S U P P L E M E N T !

317-s

Table 1 4 E f f e c t of Elevated T e m p e r a t u r e E x p o s u r e o n
R o o m T e m p e r a t u r e Bend D u c t i l i t y of
Tantalum Alloys
Exposu re
Temp,
Time,
F
hr

Type

Radius
of die,
t

A n g l e of
bend under Springback
load, deg
deg
Result

Alloy 1, T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o
Base
GTA
GTA
Base
GTA
GTA
Base
GTA
GTA

metal
weld
weld
metal
weld
weld
metal
weld
weld

3000
3000
3000
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500

10
10
10
1
1
1
10
10
10

<
<
<
<
<
<

0.5
2
0.5
0.5
2
0.5
0.5
2
0.5

105
102
103
105
103
105
103
103
104

3
1
4
2
3
5
1
2
1

Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass

6
3
6
5
4
5

Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
Cracked
Cracked
Pass

Alloy 2 Ta-10W-2.5Mo< a >

Base
GTA
GTA
Base
GTA
GTA
Base
GTA
GTA

metal
weld
weld
metal
weld
weld
metal
weld
weld

3000
3000
3000
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500
3500

10
10
10
1
1
1
10
10
10

<

0.5
2
< 0.5
< 0.5
2
< 0.5
< 0.5
2
2

106
105
105
105
101
105
103
87
103

(a) Welds were heat treated 1 hr at 1500 F prior to exposure.

T0-I7W (Base)
T a - l O W - 2 . 5 Mo IBcse)
T a - 5 W - 2 5 M o (Bess)
Ta-17 W (Weld)

N T a - I O W - 2 . 5 M o (Weld)
Ta-5 W-2.5 Mo (Weld)

2600

2800

3000

3200

3400

3600

3800
31525

Test Temperature, F
Fig. 20Elevated

temperature

strength

of tantalum

The
resistance-spot
welding
c o n d i t i o n s s e l e c t e d o n t h e b a s i s of
t h e p r e l i m i n a r y w e l d s are g i v e n in
T a b l e 9. T h e r e s u l t s of t h e v a r i o u s
P h a s e II s t u d i e s a r e g i v e n i n t h e f o l lowing discussion.
Gas T u n g s t e n - A r c and E l e c t r o n
Beam W e l d s
T h e b e n d a n d t e n s i l e p r o p e r t i e s of
fusion welds made w i t h the gas tungsten-arc and electron beam
processes w e r e s t u d i e d in d e t a i l .
318-s I J U N E

1 9 7 2

alloy

welds

Bend
Properties.
Based on
the
r e s u l t s of 3 - p o i n t b e n d t e s t s t h e
room temperature
minimum
bend
radii w e r e s u m m a r i z e d w i t h c o m p a r able data f r o m the previous w o r k 2
and are presented
in Table
10.
W e l d s in t h e T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o a n d T a 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o ( a f t e r 1 h r a t 1 5 0 0 F)
alloys had excellent b e n d ductility at
r o o m t e m p e r a t u r e . N o d i f f e r e n c e in
the room temperature ductility
of
G T A a n d EB w e l d s i n t h e s e t w o
alloys w a s found. Considerable i m -

p r o v e m e n t over t h e previous results

w a s obtained. Fusion w e l d s i n . t h e
T a - 1 7 W alloy are b r i t t l e at r o o m t e m perature. However, there w a s an i n dication that electron beam welds
m a y be less so. A s p r e v i o u s l y d i s c u s s e d , t h e t u n g s t e n c o n t e n t of t h i s
a l l o y is h i g h e r t h a n t h e m a x i m u m
p e r m i s s i b l e level for d u c t i l e w e l d s .
B a s e d o n t h e r e s u l t s of t h e b e n d
tests made to determine transition
temperatures, the 2t transition t e m peratures are c o m p a r e d w i t h the 4t
transition temperatures from the previous p r o g r a m 2 in Table 1 1 . A postw e l d h e a t t r e a t m e n t of 1 h r
at
1500 F lowered the transition t e m perature for gas t u n g s t e n - a r c w e l d s
i n T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o t o < - 3 2 0 F.
Considerable
improvement
over
the previous results w a s obtained.
The excellent low temperature ductility of T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o a n d T a - 1 0 W 2 . 5 M o s h e e t w a s r e t a i n e d by s t r e s s
relieved
gas
tungsten-arc
welds.
However, electron beam welds
in
these t w o alloys had slightly higher
transition temperatures. This
may
have resulted f r o m t h e rougher surf a c e c o n t o u r of t h e e l e c t r o n b e a m
welds. The transition
temperature
for w e l d s in t h e T a - 1 7 W alloy, a l t h o u g h still w e l l above room t e m perature, w a s about 3 0 0 F lower
t h a n t h e p r e v i o u s r e s u l t . In F i g . 1 9 ,
t h e results o b t a i n e d in t h i s p r o g r a m
are c o m p a r e d w i t h
some
results
f o u n d in t h e literature for T a - 1 0 W .
The
Ta-5W-2.5Mo
and
Ta-10W2 . 5 M o alloys have as l o w a w e l d
b e n d t r a n s i t i o n t e m p e r a t u r e as d o e s
Ta-10W.
Tensile
Properties.
T e n s i l e t e s t s of
gas tungsten-arc and electron b e a m
w e l d s w e r e r u n at 7 5 , 2 7 0 0 , 3 0 0 0 ,
a n d 3 5 0 0 F. T h e r e s u l t s a r e g i v e n i n
Table
12. The tensile joint
efficiencies ranged f r o m 27 to 8 6 percent at r o o m t e m p e r a t u r e and f r o m
6 8 t o 8 8 p e r c e n t a t 3 5 0 0 F. T h e
highest joint efficiencies w e r e obtained w i t h the stress relieved Ta1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o alloy w e l d s and the lowest w i t h t h e brittle T a - 1 7 W , w e l d s .
The data indicate that the postweld
h e a t t r e a t m e n t of 1 hr a t 1 5 0 0 F
made the
welded
Ta-10W-2.5Mo
alloy less susceptible to p r e m a t u r e
tensile failure. No significant differences between the tensile strengths
of G T A a n d e l e c t r o n b e a m w e l d s
w e r e observed. However, the electron beam welds had slightly lower
elongation
values.
This
may
be
simply a geometrical effect resulting
f r o m t h e n a r r o w e r w i d t h of t h e e l e c tron beam welds. As w a s expected,
t h e j o i n t e f f i c i e n c i e s of w e l d s
in
wrought material w e r e lower than
t h o s e of w e l d s i n r e c r y s t a l l i z e d m a t e rial. H o w e v e r , t h e r o o m t e m p e r a t u r e
tensile
strengths
of
welds
in

Fig 21 Typical resistance-spot weld microstructure in experimental Alloy 3, Ta-17 W: (a) Complete nugget (X100, reduced 20%; etchant: 30 cc
lactic, 30 cc HN03, Wcc HF plus 20% lVH4 FHF);
fb) Weld interface (X250, reduced 45%,; etchant
same as above)

w r o u g h t material w e r e higher t h a n
those of welds in recrystallized material. No differences in w e l d ductility
w e r e observed. The tensile strength
of the welds dropped more sharply
above 3 0 0 0 F t h a n did the corresponding base metal as s h o w n in
Fig. 20.
Resistance Spot Welds
The results of the tension tests of
the resistance-spot welded specimens are given in Table 13. The
recommended w e l d diameter
for
most materials is 3t + 0.06 in. or
0.126 in. for 0 . 0 4 0 - i n . thick material.
As s h o w n by the data in Table 13,
the welds w e r e about the recommended size. A l l of the specimens
failed in shear through the center of
the w e l d . Metallographic examination of typical welds s h o w e d t h a t the
welds w e r e solid-state w e l d s made
just below the melting temperature
of the base metal. A typical w e l d is
s h o w n in Fig. 21(a). The microstructure at the w e l d interface, as s h o w n
by Fig. 21(b), shows that some grain
boundary melting occurred in the
weld. Very little grain g r o w t h , however, took place during the pulsation
welding cycle. This technique appears to be a good methood of resistance-spot w e l d i n g tantalum alloys
w i t h conventional equipment.
Elevated-Temperature Exposure
The

effects

of

elevated-temper-

ature exposures are s h o w n in Table

14. Only the T a - 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o alloy
w a s affected by the exposures to
elevated temperatures. Ten hrs at
3 5 0 0 F impaired the room temperature ductility of both the base-metal
specimen and one GTA w e l d . M e t a l lographic examination s h o w e d that
considerable
grain
growth
had
occurred in the specimens and that
the cellular fusion zone substructure
was no longer present. Grain g r o w t h
resulting in a f e w very large grains
greatly reduces the grain boundary
surface area per unit volume in the
specimen. Thus, the grain boundary
impurity concentration is increased.
In an alloy, such as T a - 1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o ,
w h i c h is moderately susceptible to
embrittlement by impurities, the expected effect w o u l d be a reduction in
ductility. However, in an alloy such
as T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o , w h i c h is less susceptible to embrittlement by impurities, the same grain g r o w t h might
not impair ductility; this w a s the
case.
Oxidation Resistant Coating
The effects of the application of an
oxidation resistant coating to base
metal and gas tungsten-arc welds
are s h o w n in Tables 15 and 16. The
ductilities of the base-metal samples
was not affected. The bend ductility
of the welds in both alloys w a s i m paired, but the welds in Alloy 2, Ta1 0 W - 2 . 5 M o , w e r e affected to a great
W E L D I N G

degree. The tensile ductility of the

welds in Alloy 1, T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o , w a s
not affected by the application of the
coating, w h i l e the tensile ductility of
welds in A l l o y 2 w a s impaired. No
differences in coating
adherence
were noted for the base metal, heataffected zone, or fusion zone. Fine,
second-phase particles, not normally
observed in uncoated specimens,
were detected in most of the coated
specimens
which
were
metallographically examined. The presence of these particles is evidence of
contamination during the coating
cycle. This contamination is the most
likely cause of the observed reduction in ductility for coated specimens.
Conclusions
On the basis of the results described in this paper, the following
major conclusions relative to the
weldability of simple, solid-solution
strengthened tantalum alloys are
drawn.
(1) Ductile fusion welds can be
made in many tantalum alloys including T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o
and
Ta-10W2.5Mo provided:
(a) The base metal is of good quality, including low interstitial
content (less than about 100
ppm total O2, N 2 , and H 2 ) and
fine-to-medium grain size.
(b) Proper machine welding procedures are used, including

RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT!

319-s

Table 1 6 Effect of Oxidation-Resistant Coating'"'

on the Room Temperature Tensile Properties of Tantalum Alloys

0.2% offset
, yield strength, ksi

Avg
Specimen

Type

Noncoated

Avg

Ultimate tensile
_ strength, ksi _

Avg

Average joint
_ efficiency, %

Elongation in 1 in.,%
Avg
Avg
Noncoated Coated Noncoated 1
2 Avg No ncoated

nr

nr

Alloy 1, Ta-5W-2.5Mo
GP-563-3, 4 Base metal
GP-1 49-1, 2 GTA weld

83,8
74.2

83.8
73.9

83.8
74.0

77.5
63.6

105
85.8

100

96.2
38

95.6
84.9

939
839

94.8
84.4

88,7
72.9

89

82

108
93.2

77

86

21
0

26
9

30
8

20 20
1
1

25
8

Alloy 2, Ta-10W-2.5Mo'
GP-564-2, 565-5
GP-1 27-2. 129-1

Base metal
GTA weld

95.5

104
78.4

111
87.3

108
82.9

(a) Coated with Sylcor R505F Sn-AI-Mo coaling.

(b) Heat treated 1 hr at 1500 F prior to coating.

Table 1 5 E f f e c t of O x i d a t i o n - R e s i s t a n t C o a t i n g
T e m p e r a t u r e B e n d D u c t i l i t y of T a n t a l u m A l l o y s

Specimen

Radius
of die,
t

Type

{dl

on R o o m

Angle of
bend under Springback,
load, deg
deg

Result

A l l o y 1, T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o
GP-572-2
GP-573-1
GP-135-1
GP-163-1

Base
Base
GTA
GTA

metal
metal
weld
weld

<
<

2
0.5
2
0.5

99
104
101
105

Alloy 2, T a - 1 0 W - 2 , 5 M o
GP-568-6
GP-568-10
GP-144-3
GP-161-1

Base
Base
GTA
GTA

metal
metal
weld
weld

<

2
0.5
2
2

3
6
5
7

Pass
Pass
Pass
Cracked

8
4

Pass
Pass
Cracked
Cracked

(bl

102
100
64
20

(a) Coated with Sylcor R505F Sn-AI-Mo coating

(b) Heat treated 1 hr at 1 BOO F prior to coating

moderate energy inputs and

welding
atmospheres
of
standard purity.
(c) Correct postweld procedures
are used, including a moderate
temperature
postweld
heat treatment (about 1 5 0 0 F
for 1 hr) and no surface grinding of welds.
(2) The alloy content of Ta-17W is
too high to permit room temperature
ductile fusion welds to be made.
(3) The tensile joint efficiencies
that can be obtained in gas tungstenarc and electron beam welded tantalum alloys are from 27 to 86 percent at
75 F and from 68 to 88 at 3 5 0 0 F. A t
room temperature, the joint efficiency
varied from 82 percent for Ta-5W2.5Mo to 86 percent for Ta-10W2.5Mo to 27 percent for Ta-17W.
(4) A postweld heat treatment of
1 hr at 1 5 0 0 F markedly improves the
ductility of GTA and EB welds in both
the T a - 5 W - 2 . 5 M o
and
Ta-10W2.5Mo.
(5) The factors w h i c h most significantly affect the as-welded ductility of
GTA and EB welds in tantalum alloys
are base-metal alloy and interstitial
impurity content. The effect of alloy
320-s I J U N E

1972

content can be summarized as follows:

(a) Ductile welds total metallic
alloy content less than 10
atomic percent.
(b) Brittle welds total metallic
alloy content greater than T3
atomic percent.
(c) Alloy contents between 10
and 13 atomic percent can
result in either ductile or
brittle welds. (The alloy content must be corrected for
the enhanced effect of elements such as rhenium).
The interstitial content of tantalum
alloy sheet should be less than about
100 ppm by weight total of oxygen,
nitrogen, and hydrogen w i t h a carbon content of about 5 0 ppm or less
if GTA or EB welds are to be ductile at
room temperature.
(6) The ductility of tantalum-alloy
welds is only moderately affected by
oxygen, nitrogen, or hydrogen in the
welding atmosphere. The effect i n creases w i t h increasing alloy content. No problems should be encoun
tered w i t h standard-purity ( > 9 9 . 9 9
percent) inert welding gases in vac-

uum-purged welding chambers. Nitrogen in the welding atmosphere is

the most deleterious, oxygen second,
and hydrogen the least.
(7) The application of a S n - A I - M o
oxidation resistant coating impairs
the ductility of tantalum alloy welds.
The severity of this effect decreases
w i t h decreasing alloy content.
(8) Moderate elevated temperature
exposures to vacuum (10 hr at 3 0 0 0 F
or 1 hr at 3 5 0 0 F) do not affect the ductilities of tantalum alloy base metals
or welds. More severe exposures (10
hr at 3 5 0 0 F) impair the ductility of
both base metal and gas tungsten-arc
welds in alloys such as T a - 1 0 W 2.5Mo.
(9) Other conclusions include: (1)
Tantalum alloy welds should not be
surface ground unless grinding is followed by an annealing treatment
at about 2 5 0 0 F, and (2) Electron
beam welding may produce more ductile fusion welds in high-alloy tantalum alloys than does gas tungstenarc w e l d i n g , but has little beneficial
effect in moderately alloyed materials.
Acknowledgment
The research described in this paper was conducted
at the Columbus Laboratories, Battelle Memorial InstLtute, under the sponsorship of the Air Force Materials
Laboratory, Research and Technology Division, Air Force
Systems Command, The Project Monitor was R. F. Bowman, Metals and Ceramics Division.

References
1. Kammer, P A,, Monroe, R. E., and Martin, D. C,
"Some Preliminary Weldability Evaluations of Tantalum
Alloys," Refractory Metals and Alloys lit: Applied Aspects.
Gordon and Breach, 1966 pp 365-377.
2 Hallowell. J. B Maykuth, D. J., and Ogden, H. R
"Final Report on Tantalum Alloy Processing Development," ML-TDR-64-63 Battelle Memorial Institute to Air
Force Systems Command, March 1964, Contract No. AF
33 (6571-8911.
3 Kammer, P. A , Monroe, R. E , and Martin, D. C,
"Weldability of Tantalum Alloys," AFML-TR-65-329, Bat-,
telle Memorial Institute to Air Force Materials Laboratory.
October, 1965, Contract AF 33(615)-1730.
4. Schmidt, F, F., Imgram, A G., Klopp, W. D
Bartlett, E S., and Ogden, H. R., "Investigation of Tantalum and Its Alloys," ASD-TDR-62-594, Part I, Battelle
Memorial Institute to Aeronautical Systems Division,
July, 1962, Contract AF 33(6161-7688.
5. Schmidt, F F., Bartlett, E. S., and Ogden, H R.,
"Investigations of Tantalum and Its Alloys," ASD-TDR62-594, Part ll, Battelle Memorial Institute to Aeronautical Systems Division, May I 963, Contract No. AF 33(657)7927.
j*