Investigation of the Effect of Electrode Type on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties in the Welding Process of Miilux 500 Protection Armour Steels with Shielded Metal Arc Welding Method

Abstract

This study highlights the critical importance of electrode selection in ensuring the mechanical integrity and metallurgical reliability of welded armour steel, contributing valuable insights for future applications in the defence industry. In this study, plates produced from Miilux Protection 500 armour steel were joined by the electric arc welding method with Citochromax and Tenacito 80 shielded electrodes produced by Magmaweld. To characterise the mechanical and metallurgical performances of the joints, tensile, hardness and bending tests were performed on the samples taken from the joints and optical microscope and SEM examinations were performed. When all the results were evaluated in the shielded electrode electric arc welding applications of Protection 500 armour sheets of steel, the most suitable metallurgical and mechanical performance electrode was Tenacito 80.