Aims:

The proposed project aims to systematically research/investigate on welding of duplex steels for a range of welding methods with modern technologies of data sharing, experiments, predictive modelling as well as develop new materials and processing methods/regimes.

General Objectives (GOs):

GO1 - Draw together the very best academic research teams from the EU and Asian countries with diverse multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary skills and expertise in the fields of materials, manufacturing, chemistry, materials science, structures, civil engineering, materials modelling big data and data sharing.

GO2 - Build joint collaborative projects for developing cost-effective welding procedure of duplex stainless steel and materials by using novel duplex steels and innovative manufacture processing systems.

GO3 - Create a platform for research training and the transfer of knowledge activities, both within the network domain and towards the public domain, crossing inter-sector boundaries to ensure that there is a sufficient number of people trained in this essential field to meet the challenges ahead, and to ensure the EU’s leading position in the world. 

GO4 - Disseminate knowledge to the larger international community to maximize the impact of this network and ensure the academic and industrial relevance of its research activities. 

GO5 - Provide researchers, young researchers in particular, intensive training-through-research programmes as well as the training in complementary skills in order to become trainers of the future in a multi-disciplinary field of academic, industrial and societal importance; and as such improving the young researcher’s career perspectives.

GO6 - Establish collaborative mechanisms for long-term partnerships between EU and Asian researchers and institutes, on the research into duplex stainless steels to address the issues of further weight saving with balancing mechanical and corrosion resistance.  

The scientific objectives (SO): 

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SO1: To investigate the structure and properties of duplex steels in different welding, integrated high-quality large scale data of composition, microstructure, phase ratio (ferrite/austenite) of the fusion zones and heat-affected zones, with detailed welding conditions. The work will establish a comprehensive data system of structure and properties of different welding processes of DSS. The work will incorporate the data from joint works as well as developing a new approach to extract new in-depth data relevant to the welding and service of DSS for both research and industry applications. 

SO2: To establish surface treatment and corrosion data of DSS welds and investigate the effect of composition and structure of the HAZ on the corrosion resistance in standard tests and special application-specific conditions. The new data which is complementary to conventional industrial available data and provide key data for establishing the critical corrosion limiting structural parameter (e.g. ratio between the ferrite/austenite, the critical size of the secondary particle) supported by testing on special samples from controlled thermal histories. (WP3/Table B1)

SO3: To develop practical computer-aided engineering (CAE) templates and advanced data of welding of duplex steels with detailed materials mechanical-thermal-physical data through advanced testing and inverse modelling for optimising the cooling process of the HAZ. 

SO4: To establish the effect of element solutions on the fundamental physical and interface parameters of primary (Ferrite and Austenite) and the precipitation phases (e.g. CrN) in the welding process through quantum mechanics modelling (First principle calculation) and the effect of the secondary phase on the ferrite-austenite nucleation and corrosion. 

SO5: Jointly develop a method to optimise the welding process of DSS systems of dissimilar/hybrid DSS systems for weight reduction supported by the data and modelling system developed. New approach including the use of novel material systems such as High Entropy Alloys is to be explored. 

SO6: Based on the data/outcomes from SOs1-5, develop a Digital Welding Knowledge system for DSS/dissimilar materials and integration with digital manufacturing, Establish industry research and innovation-focused data system and performance-based design guidelines,  recommendations and specifications for the welding and tests of duplex steels with various specific applications.