Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Welded Joints of 1.4462 Duplex Steel Made by the K-TIG Method.

K-TIG (Keyhole Tungsten Inert Gas) method is a new, emerging welding technology that offers a significant acceleration of the joining process, even for very thick plates. However, its potential for welding of certain materials is still unknown. Particularly challenging are duplex steels as this technology does not allow the use of a filler material, which is crucial for these steels and for weld joint microstructure adjustment.