02/26/2004 -
Welding Metallurgy, Second Edition (2002)
by Sindo Kou
ISBN 0-471-43491-4. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey. 2002. Hardcover. 480 pages. $132.
| REVIEWED BY: | Andrew Spowage, Singapore National Institute of Manufacturing Technology
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The second edition of Welding Metallurgy is an updated version incorporating numerous revisions. It includes the significant advancements made since the first publication in 1987, with several new subject additions to the text and much improved micrograph and figure quality. The author is currently a professor and chair of the materials science and engineering department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and well respected in the welding community.
The book is logically structured into four parts. The first part details the thermo, chemical, fluid, and mechanical elements of fusion welding for all the key fusion welding technologies. The second section is concerned with the fusion zone, the third with partially melted zone, and the final with the heat-affected zone. Readers new to the subject will find this structured approach particularly useful in developing an understanding of the important thermal, mechanical, and microstructural relationships in each zone.
The book details the principal fusion welding techniques, explaining their functionality, applications, and major advantages. Each of the major fusion welding techniques is explained in a simple and concise way. The inclusion of phase diagrams coupled with some excellent micrographs and microstructural explanations strengthens this edition. However, no metallurgist will find the figures associating the phase diagrams with the welding zones, composition profiles, etc. particularly useful in understanding the intricacies of microstructural evolution. Issues of segregation, grain modification, precipitation hardening, and phase transformation are well presented and emphasize the importance of a sound metallurgical base for understanding welding phenomena. Extensive failure examples are integrated throughout the text, and the underlying processing and metallurgical factors are discussed. The effects of gas inclusion and weld defects are also addressed and related to the welding method.
The text contains a comprehensive reference section conveniently located at the end of each chapter. In addition, selected sources of further reading are given and provide a good starting point for more focused information. Students will also find the example problems interesting and useful. However, no model answers are given, which some readers may find frustrating.
Future editions of this text would benefit from further discussion of joining dissimilar metals by, for example, laser welding which is finding increasing applications; the use of welding technology for materials build-up, which is particularly important in the aerospace industry; and spot welding for the automobile industry.
Overall, the book is well presented, comprehensive, and accurate. It would be a welcome addition to the bookshelves of metallurgists, academics, postgraduate (and keen undergraduate) students, as well as non-specialized engineers interested in delving deeper into the subject. Sindo Kou has greatly contributed to the transition of modern welding into the refined science it is today.
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