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CWS Metallurgy & Material Properties Flashcards

6 cards from real CWS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 CWS Metallurgy & Material Properties flashcards as text

  1. Which alloying element in steel has the greatest effect on hardenability and is the primary contributor to the carbon equivalent (CE) formula?

    Answer: Carbon

    Carbon has the greatest individual effect on hardenability and is the primary element in the carbon equivalent formula used to assess weldability.

  2. What microstructural transformation occurs in steel when it is heated above the upper critical temperature (Ac3) and then rapidly quenched?

    Answer: Martensite formation

    Rapid quenching from above Ac3 traps carbon in the iron lattice, forming hard, brittle martensite — a body-centered tetragonal structure.

  3. A CWS supervisor is welding ASTM A514 (T-1) high-strength steel. What is the primary welding concern with this material?

    Answer: Hydrogen-induced cold cracking

    A514 high-strength, low-alloy quenched and tempered steel has high hardenability and is highly susceptible to hydrogen-induced cold cracking (HICC) in the HAZ.

  4. What does the term 'sensitization' refer to in austenitic stainless steel?

    Answer: Chromium carbide precipitation at grain boundaries causing intergranular corrosion

    Sensitization occurs when austenitic stainless steel is heated between 800–1500°F, causing chromium carbides to form at grain boundaries and depleting chromium from adjacent zones.

  5. Which heat treatment process is used to refine grain size and relieve internal stresses in carbon steel after welding?

    Answer: Normalizing

    Normalizing heats steel above Ac3, holds it, then air-cools to refine grain structure and relieve stresses induced by welding or forming.

  6. What is the heat-affected zone (HAZ) in a weld?

    Answer: The base metal region that did not melt but had its microstructure altered by welding heat

    The HAZ is the region of base metal adjacent to the weld that did not melt but experienced temperatures high enough to alter its grain structure and mechanical properties.