Austenitic microstructure

A high-temperature phase of iron-carbon alloys with a face-centered cubic lattice structure that is non-magnetic and exhibits high toughness. It serves as the starting base for numerous thermal hardening processes.

Austenite is the face-centered cubic structure that forms at high temperature. When welding, you mainly get it with austenitic steels that don't transform. The structure is tough and ductile, but you need to be careful not to put in too much heat, otherwise the grain coarsens and toughness suffers. In practice, this means welding cleanly and controlled, not letting it get unnecessarily hot, and keeping an eye on the interpass temperature. If you manage that, you'll have a crack-resistant and sound weld.

MetallurgieSchweißtechnik