Weld Microstructure Estimator
An educational tool to visualize the likely final microstructure of a steel weld's Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ) based on material chemistry and cooling rate.
Select Welding Conditions
Select your material chemistry and cooling rate to see the predicted microstructure.
The Building Blocks of Steel
The properties of steel—its strength, toughness, and ductility—are determined by its internal crystal structure, or "microstructure." By heating and cooling steel, we can change this structure. Welding is a very rapid form of heat treatment, and understanding the resulting microstructure is the core of welding metallurgy.
Common Microstructures in Welds:
- Ferrite: A soft, ductile form of iron.
- Pearlite: A layered structure of ferrite and iron carbide, harder and stronger than ferrite.
- Bainite: A strong, tough structure formed at intermediate cooling rates.
- Martensite: A very hard, brittle structure formed by very rapid cooling (quenching).