Flash Butt Rail Weld Vertical Fractures

A number of electric flash butt rail welds fractured vertically through the cross section of the rail. The fractures initiated in the web near the bending neutral plane in a region where high-carbon-content liquid was identified to have been produced during the welding process, resulting in a brittl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of failure analysis and prevention 2015-02, Vol.15 (1), p.33-38
Main Authors: Stone, Daniel H., Iwand, Hans C., Kristan, Joseph, Lehnhoff, Gregory R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Butt welds
Case History > -Peer-Reviewed
Cementite
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Chemistry and Materials Science
Classical Mechanics
Corrosion and Coatings
Crack initiation
Fracture mechanics
Materials Science
Networks
Planes
Quality Control
Rails
Reliability
Safety and Risk
Solid Mechanics
Tribology
Welded joints
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Description
Summary:A number of electric flash butt rail welds fractured vertically through the cross section of the rail. The fractures initiated in the web near the bending neutral plane in a region where high-carbon-content liquid was identified to have been produced during the welding process, resulting in a brittle cementite (ledeburite) network structure that reduced the load carrying capacity of the weld. Fracture initiation near the neutral plane was encouraged due to longitudinal stresses in the continuously welded rail from thermal contraction at colder temperatures. Additionally, residual stresses induced by flash butt welding could have contributed to fracture initiation.
ISSN:1547-7029
1728-5674
1864-1245
DOI:10.1007/s11668-014-9916-1