HANDLING AND STORING STICK ELECTRODES
HANDLING AND STORING WELDING WIRES
Guide to choosing the right rods, wire, tungsten, stick electrodes, and compressed gases.
Information on Welding Electrodes
The Beginner’s Guide to Different Types of Welding Rods & Electrodes
Different Types of Welding Rods and Uses Explained: Overview
AWS Classifications
ER AZ61A: filler metal can be used to join most magnesium wrought alloys. This filler has the best weldability and weld strength for magnesium alloys AZ31B, HK31A, and HM21A.
ER AZ92A: filler metal can be used on cast alloys Mg-Al-Zn and AM 100A. This filler metal has somewhat higher resistance to cracking.
Hardfacing or wear-resistant electrodes are the most popular special-purpose electrodes; however, there are also cutting and brazing electrodes.
Specialty electrodes are identified by manufacturers’ trade names. they are classified according to their resistance to impact, abrasion, or corrosion.
EFeMn-A: electrodes are designed to be used with AC or DCEP polarity. This electrode is an impact-resistant welding electrode. It can be used on hammers, shovels, and spindles and in other similar applications.
ECoCr-C: electrodes are designed to be used with AC or DCEP polarity. This electrode is a corrosion- and abrasion-resistant welding electrode. It also maintains its resistance at elevated temperatures. ECoCr-C is commonly used for engine cams, seats and valves, chainsaw bars, bearings, and dies.
Special-Purpose Filler Metals
ENi: The nickel arc welding electrodes are designed to be used with AC or DCEP polarity. These arc welding electrodes are used for cast iron repair. The carbon in cast iron will not migrate into the nickel weld metal, thus preventing cracking and embrittlement.
ECuAl: The aluminum bronze welding electrodes are designed to be used with DCEP polarity. This welding electrode has copper as its major alloy. The aluminum content is at a much lower percentage. Iron is usually added but at a percentage that is very low. These electrodes are sometimes referred to as arc brazing electrodes
Filler Metals
Filler metals are alloys or unalloyed metals which, when heated, liquefy and melt to flow into the space between two close fitting parts, creating a brazed or soldered joint
Standard filler metals include tin, lead, silver, lead-free, cadmium-free, sil-phos, copper, aluminum, nickel, and jewelers gold. Filler metals are found in solid form (such as rings and wire, slugs, washers, powder), as well as paste. Fusion filler metals are atomized into powder form and mixed with flux into a paste composition.
There are several key factors to consider when selecting a filler metal:
The AWS classification system uses a series of letters and numbers in a code that gives the important information about the filler metal. The prefix letter is used to indicate the filler’s form, a type of process the filler is to be used with, or both.
The prefix letters and their meanings are as follows:
E: Indicates an arc welding electrode (E).
R: Indicates a rod (R) that is heated by some source other than electric current flowing directly through it.
ER: Indicates a filler metal that is supplied for use in either an electrode or rod (ER) form. The same alloys are used to produce the electrodes and the rods.
EC: Indicates a composite electrode (EC).
B: Indicates a brazing (B) filler metal. This filler metal is usually supplied as a rod, but it can come in a number of other forms. Some of the forms it comes in are powder, sheets, washers, and rings.
RB: Indicates a filler metal that is used as a current carrying electrode, as a rod, or both (electrode and/ or rod [RB]). The form the filler is supplied in for each of the applications may be different.
RG: Indicates a welding rod used primarily with gas welding (oxyfuel welding). This filler can be used with all of the oxyfuels, and some of the fillers are used with the GTAW process.
IN: Indicates a consumable insert (IN). These are most often used for welding on pipe. They are pre-placed in the root of the groove to supply both filler metal and support for the root pass.
The next two classifications are not filler metal. They are classified under the same system because they are welding consumables.
EW—Indicates a nonconsumable tungsten electrode (EW).
F: Indicates a flux (F) used for SAW. The composition of the weld metal is influenced by the flux. There are alloys and agents in the flux used for SAW that are dissolved into the weld metal. For this reason, the filler metal and flux are specified together, with the filler metal identification first and the flux second.
AWS Specifications
1—in an E601X means all positions flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead.
2—in an E602X means horizontal fillets and flat.
3—is an old term no longer used; it meant flat only.
4—in an E704X means flat, horizontal, overhead, and vertical down.
The last two numbers together indicate the major type of covering and the type of welding current
Solid wire:
The AWS specification for carbon steel filler metals for gas shielded welding wire is A5.18. The wire does not carry the welding current, therefore the letters ER are used as a prefix. The S located to the right of the tensile strength indicates that this is a solid wire. The last number—2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7— or the letter G is used to indicate the filler metal composition and the weld’s mechanical properties.
ER70S-2 This is a deoxidized mild steel filler wire. The deoxidizers allow this wire to be used on metal that has light coverings of rust or oxides.
ER70S-3 This is a popular filler wire. It can be used in single or multiple pass welds in all positions. ER70S-3 does not have the deoxidizers required to weld over rust, over oxides, or on rimmed steels.
ER70S-6 This is a good general-purpose filler wire. It has the highest levels of manganese and silicon. The wire can be used to make smooth welds on sheet metal or thicker sections. Welds over rust, oxides, and other surface impurities will lower the mechanical properties.
Tubular Wire:
E70T-1 and E71T-1 E70T-1 and E71T-1 have a high-level deoxidizer in the flux core. It has high levels of silicon and manganese, which allow it to weld over some surface contaminations such as oxides or rust. This filler metal can be used for single or multiple pass welds.
E70T-2 and E71T-2 E70T-2 and E71T-2 are highly deoxidized flux cored filler metal that can be used for single pass welds only. The high levels of deoxidizers allow this electrode to be used over mill scale and light layers of rust and still produce sound welds.
E70T-2 can be used on ASME A36, A106, A242, A252, A285, A441, and A572 or similar metals. Applications include repair and maintenance work and general fabrication.
E70T-4 and E71T-4 E70T-4 and E71T-4 are self-shielding, flux cored filler metal. The fluxing agents produce aslag, which allows a larger-than-usual molten weld pool. The large weld pool permits high deposition rates. Weld deposits are ductile and have a high resistance to cracking. E70T-4 can be used to weld joints that have larger-thanusual root openings. Applications include large weldments and earth-moving equipment.
E71T-7 E71T-7 is a self-shielding, all-position, flux cored filler metal. The fluxing system allows the control of the molten weld pool required for out-of-position welds. The high level of deoxidizers reduces the tendency for cracking in the weld. It can be used for single or multiple pass welds
E308-15, E308-16, E308L-15, ER308, and ER308L All are filler metals for 308 stainless steels. These 308 stainless steels are used for food or chemical equipment, tanks, pumps, hoods, and evaporators.
E309-15, E309-16, E309Cb-15, E309Cb-16, ER309, and ER309L All are filler metals for 309 stainless steels. These 309 stainless steels are used for high-temperatures service, such as furnace parts and mufflers.
E310Mo-15, E310Mo-16, and ER310 All are filler metals for 310 stainless steels. These 310 stainless steels are used for hightemperature service where low creep is desired, such as for jet engine parts, valves, and furnace parts. All E310 filler metals can be used to weld 309 stainless steel or to join mild steel to stainless steel or to weld most hard-to-weld carbon and alloy steels.
E316-15, E316-16, E3116L-15, E316L-16, ER316, ER316L, and ER316L-Si All are filler metals for 316 stainless steels. These 316 stainless steels are used for hightemperature service where high strength with low creep is desired. Molybdenum is added to improve these properties and to resist corrosive pitting. E316 filler metals are used for welding tubing, chemical pumps, filters, tanks, and furnace parts.