Austenitic stainless steels have been widely used because of their excellent high temperature and corrosion resistance properties and good cryogenic properties. The coefficient of thermal expansion for austenitic stainless steel is 50% greater than that of carbon steel and this must be considered to minimize distortion. The low thermal and electrical conductivity of austenitic stainless steel is helpful. Less welding heat is required to make a weld because the heat is not conducted away from a joint as rapidly as in carbon steel.

AISI 304 is most widely used in chemical, petrochemical, nuclear, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical and textile industries and production of artificial fibers and electrical equipments. AISI 304 can be welded by several welding processes including the arc welding, resistance welding, electron and laser beam welding, friction welding and brazing. The present work is AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel was welded with shielded metal arc welding process using the electrodes E347, E308L, E316L with V groove edge preparation and to evaluate the microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded joints and to analyzes mode of fracture the tensile and impact test specimens after testing by obtain the fracto-metallograph using scanning electron microscope.

It has been established that the austenitic stainless steel grade AISI 304 welded with low carbon grade electrodes have comparatively higher ultimate tensile strength, impact energy and delta ferrite content.