{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,27]],"date-time":"2026-04-27T10:13:37Z","timestamp":1777284817661,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,4]],"date-time":"2023-02-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1675468800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education","award":["16.16.110.663"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["16.16.110.663"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Materials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This article presents the results of research on the development of the technology of laser beam butt welding of 17-4 PH stainless steel sheets and the technology of post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). The developed technology allows for favorable conditions to be obtained and for the appropriate microstructure and hardness to exist in the weld area. Moreover, it enables the fulfillment of a number of specific requirements beyond the possibilities of manual welding and other methods. The tests performed include the analysis of the microstructure with the use of light microscopy (LM) for the materials after welding and PWHT. The applied PWHT showed changes in the microstructure and mechanical properties. In all weld areas the martensitic microstructure was observed. The homogeneity of the microstructure in the area of the welded joint after PWTH was revealed. In the as-welded condition and after the PWHT with aging at 481 \u00b0C, the hardness was 440 HV5, but after aging at 621 \u00b0C, it decreased to 330\u2013340 HV5.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ma16041334","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,6]],"date-time":"2023-02-06T01:35:13Z","timestamp":1675647313000},"page":"1334","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Effect of Post-Weld Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Hardness of Laser Beam Welded 17-4 PH Stainless Steel"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9877-2110","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lechos\u0142aw","family":"Tuz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Materials Engineering and Industrial Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, 30-059 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"\u0141ukasz","family":"Soko\u0142owski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Materials Engineering and Industrial Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, 30-059 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8108-1612","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sebastian","family":"Stano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u0141ukasiewicz Research Network\u2014Institute of Welding, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"965","DOI":"10.2478\/amm-2014-0162","article-title":"Microstructure of Welded Joints of X5CrNiCuNb16-4 (17-4 PH) Martensitic Stainlees Steel After Heat Treatment","volume":"59","author":"Ziewiec","year":"2014","journal-title":"Arch. Metall. Mater."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1715","DOI":"10.1007\/s11661-002-0180-8","article-title":"Tensile and Fatigue Properties of 17-4 PH Stainless Steel at High Temperatures","volume":"33","author":"Wu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Metall. Mater. Trans. A"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"711","DOI":"10.1016\/S1350-6307(03)00041-4","article-title":"Failure of a 17-4 PH stainless steel sailboat propeller shaft","volume":"10","author":"Arisoy","year":"2003","journal-title":"Eng. Fail. Anal."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1055","DOI":"10.2478\/v10172-012-0117-1","article-title":"Welded joint cracking in martensitic stainless steel precipitation- strengthened with copper","volume":"57","author":"Ziewiec","year":"2012","journal-title":"Arch. Metall. Mater."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"Lin, C.-K., and Hsu, K.-C. High-Temperature Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior of 17-4 PH Stainless Steels at Various Load Ratios, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"578","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmatprotec.2004.07.117","article-title":"Weldability of 17-4 PH stainless steel in centrifugal compressor impeller applications","volume":"157\u2013158","author":"Nowacki","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Mater. Process. Technol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"353","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmatprotec.2007.11.251","article-title":"Influence of hardness on the wear resistance of 17-4 PH stainless steel evaluated by the pin-on-disc testing","volume":"205","author":"Bressana","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Mater. Process. Technol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2531","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nucengdes.2006.03.017","article-title":"The microstructure evolution of type 17-4PH stainless steel during long-term aging at 350 \u00b0C","volume":"236","author":"Wang","year":"2006","journal-title":"Nucl. Eng. Des."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"295","DOI":"10.1179\/136217199101537905","article-title":"Optimised post-weld heat treatment procedures and heat input for welding 17\u20134PH stainless steel","volume":"4","author":"Bhaduri","year":"1999","journal-title":"Sci. Technol. Weld. Join."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matchemphys.2009.02.049","article-title":"Aging kinetics of 17-4 PH stainless steel","volume":"116","author":"Mirzadeh","year":"2009","journal-title":"Mater. Chem. Phys."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5502","DOI":"10.1179\/174329306X148147","article-title":"Weldability of 17-4PH stainless steel in overaged heat treated condition","volume":"11","author":"Das","year":"2006","journal-title":"Sci. Technol. Weld. Join."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1016\/0025-5416(88)90420-X","article-title":"Effects of Aging on the Microstructure of 17-4 PH Stainless Steel","volume":"104","author":"Viswanathan","year":"1988","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1007\/s11661-999-0323-2","article-title":"Microstructural Evolution in a 17-4 PH Stainless Steel after Aging at 400\u00b0C","volume":"30","author":"Murayama","year":"1999","journal-title":"Metall. Mater. Trans. A"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"177","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phpro.2013.11.029","article-title":"Post-weld heat treatment influence on galvanic corrosion of GTAW of 17-4PH stainless steel in 3.5%NaCl, international federation for heat treatment and surface engineering (20th congress)","volume":"50","author":"Deng","year":"2013","journal-title":"Phys. Procedia"},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"Lippold, J.C., and Kotecki, D.J. (2005). Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steel, Wiley."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1016\/j.optlastec.2016.02.012","article-title":"Laser-based welding of 17-4 PH martensitic stainless steel in a tubular butt joint configuration with a built-in backing bar","volume":"82","author":"Ma","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Opt. Laser Technol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msea.2012.05.095","article-title":"Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser forming repaired 17-4PH stainless steel","volume":"553","author":"Lin","year":"2012","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. A"},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"111314","article-title":"Comparison of penetration depth in bead-on-plate welds of thick-walled steel sheets with Laser Beam Welding in Vacuum and Electron Beam Welding","volume":"203","author":"Krichel","year":"2022","journal-title":"Vacuum"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"627","DOI":"10.1016\/j.procir.2020.09.095","article-title":"Notch impact toughness of laser beam welded thick sheets of cryogenic nickel alloyed steel X8Ni9","volume":"94","author":"Gook","year":"2020","journal-title":"Procedia CIRP"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"496","DOI":"10.1179\/174328108X358505","article-title":"Joining of thick section steels using hybrid laser welding","volume":"35","author":"Webster","year":"2008","journal-title":"Ironmak. Steelmak."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1007\/s40516-015-0007-2","article-title":"Hybrid Laser-arc Welding of 17-4 PH Martensitic Stainless Steel","volume":"2","author":"Liu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Lasers Manuf. Mater. Process."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105651","DOI":"10.1016\/j.optlastec.2019.105651","article-title":"Pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding of 17-4 PH stainless steel: Microstructure, mechanical properties, and weldability investigation","volume":"119","author":"Balajaddeh","year":"2019","journal-title":"Opt. Laser Technol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"405","DOI":"10.1016\/j.procir.2022.08.176","article-title":"Investigations on the effect of post treatment utilizing ultrasonic standing waves on the hardness of laser beam welds in stainless steel","volume":"111","author":"Grajczak","year":"2022","journal-title":"Procedia CIRP"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108481","DOI":"10.1016\/j.optlastec.2022.108481","article-title":"Effect of beam oscillation on the mechanical properties of fiber-laser-welded thin-plate X2CrTiNb18 ferritic stainless-steel joints","volume":"156","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Opt. Laser Technol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"535","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmapro.2021.05.006","article-title":"Numerical modelling and experimental validation of the effect of laser beam defocusing on process optimization during fiber laser welding of automotive press-hardened steels","volume":"67","author":"Shahabad","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Manuf. Process."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143966","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msea.2022.143966","article-title":"Effect of heat input and post weld heat treatment on the texture, microstructure and mechanical properties of laser beam welded AISI 317L austenitic stainless steel","volume":"855","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. A"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"168572","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijleo.2022.168572","article-title":"Influence of laser surface hardening on low cycle fatigue performance of homogeneous-structure super austenitic stainless sheets by laser beam welding","volume":"252","author":"Selvabharathi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Optik"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"148","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmapro.2021.10.020","article-title":"Effect of laser beam welding on microstructure, tensile strength and fatigue behaviour of duplex stainless steel 2205","volume":"72","author":"Odermatt","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Manuf. Process."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1615","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmapro.2021.06.070","article-title":"Cold forming of Al-5251 and Al-6082 tailored welded blanks manufactured by laser and electron beam welding","volume":"68","author":"Lalvani","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Manuf. Process."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmapro.2020.01.018","article-title":"A study on laser beam oscillating welding characteristics for the 5083 aluminum alloy: Morphology, microstructure and mechanical properties","volume":"53","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Manuf. Process."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1016\/S0921-5093(01)00941-8","article-title":"Embrittlement of laser surface-annealed 17-4 PH stainless steel","volume":"311","author":"Tsay","year":"2001","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"134","DOI":"10.1016\/S0254-0584(01)00460-6","article-title":"Aging reactions in a 17-4 PH stainless steel","volume":"74","author":"Hsiao","year":"2002","journal-title":"Mater. Chem. Phys."}],"container-title":["Materials"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1996-1944\/16\/4\/1334\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T18:24:17Z","timestamp":1760120657000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1996-1944\/16\/4\/1334"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,4]]},"references-count":32,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,2]]}},"alternative-id":["ma16041334"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ma16041334","relation":{},"ISSN":["1996-1944"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1996-1944","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,4]]}}}