This work deals with the study of the texture and microstructure evolution during welding and subsequent annealing treatment of 2205 duplex stainless steel. Microstructural examination showed the presence of higher ferrite amount in the heat affected zone (HAZ), while higher amount of austenite was recorded in the centre region of the weld metal. Annealing treatment at temperature range of 800-1000°C resulted in a precipitation of σ phase and M23C6 chromium carbides at the γ/δ interfaces that were found as preferential precipitation sites. Above 1050 °C, the volume fraction of δ ferrite increases with annealing temperature. Optimal mechanical properties and accepted γ/δ ratio throughout the weld regions corresponds to annealing at 1050 °C. Aging at 850 °C after solution treatment showed that increasing the solution treatment temperature from 1050 to 1250°C delays the σ phase formation and favours the precipitation of intragranular secondary austenite γ2. The simulation of the σ phase precipitation kinetic in the base metal, HAZ and weld metal indicates a good agreement between the experimental fitted data and the modified J.M.A model. The results indicate also a marked sensitivity of the σ phase precipitation kinetic to the solution treatment temperature. Texture analysis using EBSD technique led to determine the exact orientation relationship between austenite and ferrite in the weld metal as a 44.2 rotation around axis. While no major change was observed in the HAZ and base metal texture, some scatter of the orientation relationship determined in the base metal was registered after annealing at 1250°C because of the grain morphological change.
