AWS A5.10/A5.

10M:1999 (R2007)
An American National Standard

Specification for
Bare Aluminum and
Aluminum-Alloy
Welding Electrodes
and Rods

AWS A5.10/A5.10M:1999 (R2007)

An American National Standard

Key Words Bare aluminum, filler metal, aluminum

rods, aluminum electrodes, gas metal
arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding,
cast aluminum alloys, oxyfuel gas
welding, plasma arc welding,
classification, specification

Approved by the
American National Standards Institute
November 23, 1999

Specification for
Bare Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy
Welding Electrodes and Rods
Supersedes ANSI/AWS A5.10-92

Prepared by the
American Welding Society (AWS) A5 Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials
Under the Direction of the
AWS Technical Activities Committee
Approved by the
AWS Board of Directors

Abstract
This specification prescribes requirements for the classification of bare, wrought and cast aluminum-alloy electrodes, and
rods for use with the gas metal arc, gas tungsten arc, oxyfuel gas, and plasma arc welding processes. This specification
makes use of both U.S. Customary Units and the International System of Units (SI). Since these are not equivalent, each
system must be used independently of the other.

550 N.W. LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126

AWS A5.10/A5.10M:1999 (R2007)

Foreword
This foreword is not part of AWS A5.10/A5.10M:1999 (R2007), Specification for Bare Aluminum
and Aluminum-Alloy Welding Electrodes and Rods, but is included for informational purposes only.

This document is the first of the A5.10 specifications which makes use of both U.S. Customary Units and the International System of Units (SI). The measurements are not exact equivalents; therefore, each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way. In selecting rational metric units, the Metric Practice Guide
for the Welding Industry (ANSI/AWS A1.1), and International Standard ISO 864, Solid Wires for Gas Shielded Metal
Arc Welding of Mild SteelDimensions of Wires, Spools, Rims and Coils, are used where suitable. Tables and figures
make use of both U.S. Customary and SI Units, which with the application of the specified tolerances provides for interchangeability of products in both the U.S. Customary and SI Units.
A5.10/A5.10M:1999 represents the seventh revision of the first bare aluminum filler metal specification issued in
1954 as a joint ASTM/AWS specification. After two revisions and publication as a joint specification, ASTM agreed to
accept AWS as the sole society responsible for the development and publication of filler metal specifications.
In recent years, AWS filler metal specifications have been recognized by the American National Standards Institute.
The evolution of this specification is shown below.
ASTM B285-54T
AWS A5.10-54T

Tentative Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Welding Rods and Bare Electrodes

ASTM B285-57T
AWS A5.10-57T

Tentative Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Welding Rods and Bare Electrodes

AWS A5.10-61T
ASTM B285-61T

Tentative Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Welding Rods and Bare Electrodes

AWS A5.10-69
ANSI W5.10-1973

Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Welding Rods and Bare Electrodes

ANSI/AWS A5.10-80

Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Bare Electrodes and Rods

ANSI/AWS A5.10-88

Specification for Bare Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Welding Electrodes and Rods

ANSI/AWS A5.10-92

Specification for Bare Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Welding Electrodes and Rods

Comments and suggestions for the improvement of this standard are welcome. They should be sent to the Secretary,
AWS A5 Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials, American Welding Society, 550 N.W. LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126.

ix

AWS A5.10/A5.10M:1999 (R2007)

Table of Contents
Page No.
Personnel (Reaffirmed) ................................................................................................................................................v
Personnel (Original) ..................................................................................................................................................vii
Foreword .....................................................................................................................................................................ix
List of Tables ..............................................................................................................................................................xii
List of Figures.............................................................................................................................................................xii
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Scope ...................................................................................................................................................................1
Normative References .......................................................................................................................................1
Classification ......................................................................................................................................................1
Acceptance..........................................................................................................................................................4
Certification .......................................................................................................................................................4
Units of Measure and Rounding-Off Procedure.............................................................................................4
Summary of Tests ..............................................................................................................................................4
Retest ..................................................................................................................................................................4
Weld Test Assemblies........................................................................................................................................5
Chemical Analysis .............................................................................................................................................5
Radiographic Test .............................................................................................................................................5
Bead-on-Plate Test.............................................................................................................................................7
Method of Manufacture ....................................................................................................................................7
Standard Sizes....................................................................................................................................................7
Finish and Uniformity.......................................................................................................................................8
Standard Package Forms..................................................................................................................................8
Winding Requirements .....................................................................................................................................9
Filler Metal Identification.................................................................................................................................9
Packaging ...........................................................................................................................................................9
Marking of Packages.......................................................................................................................................11

Annex A (Informative)Guide to AWS Specification for Bare Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy

Annex A (Informative)Welding Electrodes and Rods ...........................................................................................15
Annex B (Informative)Guidelines for the Preparation of Technical Inquiries.......................................................27
AWS Filler Metal Specifications by Materials and Welding Process........................................................................29
AWS Filler Metal Specifications and Related Documents ........................................................................................31

xi

AWS A5.10/A5.10M:1999 (R2007)

List of Tables
Table
1
2
3
4
5
6
A1
A2
A3

Page No.
Chemical Composition Requirements for Aluminum Electrodes and Rods..................................................2
Required Tests................................................................................................................................................4
Base Metal for Test Assemblies.....................................................................................................................7
Standard Sizes ..............................................................................................................................................11
Typical Sizes of Flattened Rods...................................................................................................................11
Standard Packages, Dimensions, and Weights ............................................................................................12
Designation Reference Guide ......................................................................................................................16
Guide to the Choice of Filler Metal for General Purpose Welding .............................................................20
Discontinued Bare Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Welding Electrodes and Rods .................................22

List of Figures
Figure
1
2A
2B
3
4
5

Page No.
Groove Weld Test Assembly for Radiographic Test .....................................................................................6
Radiographic Acceptance Standards for Test AssembliesOverhead Welding Position ............................8
Radiographic Acceptance Standards for Test AssembliesOverhead Welding Position ............................9
Radiographic Acceptance Standard for Test AssembliesFlat Position Welding .....................................10
Dimensions of 4, 8, and 12 in. [100, 200, and 300 mm] Diameter Spools ..................................................13
Dimensions of Standard 13-1/2 in. [340 mm] Diameter Spool ...................................................................14

xii

AWS A5.10/A5.10M:1999 (R2007)

Specification for Bare Aluminum and

Aluminum-Alloy Welding Electrodes and Rods
1. Scope

2.3 The following ISO standard3 is referenced in the

mandatory sections of this document:

This specification prescribes requirements for the

classification of bare aluminum and aluminum-alloy
welding electrodes and rods for use with the gas metal
arc, gas tungsten arc, oxyfuel gas, and plasma arc welding processes.

ISO 864, Arc WeldingSolid and Tubular Cored

Wires which Deposit Carbon and Carbon Manganese
SteelDimension of Wires, Spools, Rims, and Coils.

3. Classification
2. Normative References

3.1 The electrodes and rods covered by A5.10/A5.10M

specification are classified using a system that is independent of U.S. Customary Units and the International
System of Units (SI). Classification is according to the
chemical composition of the filler metal as specified in
Table 1 and their respective usability either as an electrode or rod as specified in Section 9, Weld Test Assemblies, and Table 2.

2.1 The following ANSI/AWS1 standard is referenced in

the mandatory sections of this document:
ANSI/AWS A5.01, Filler Metal Procurement
Guidelines.
2.2 The following ASTM2 standards are referenced in
the mandatory sections of this document:
ASTM E 29, Standard Practice for Using Significant
Digits in Test Data to Determine Conformance with
Specifications.
ASTM E 34, Standard Methods for Chemical Analysis of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys.
ASTM B 108, Standard Specification for Aluminum
Alloy Permanent Mold Castings.
ASTM E 142, Standard Method for Controlling
Quality of Radiographic Testing.

3.2 Any filler metal tested and classified as an electrode

shall also be classified as a welding rod. Filler metal
tested and classified only as a welding rod shall not be
classified as an electrode.
3.3 The electrodes and rods classified under this specification are intended for gas metal arc, gas tungsten arc,
oxyfuel gas, and plasma arc welding, but that is not to
prohibit their use with any other process for which they
are found suitable.

ASTM B 209, Standard Specification for Aluminum

and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate.

3.4 Filler metal containing more than 0.0008 percent by

weight of beryllium shall not be classified as electrode
and should not be used as an electrode (see A12.3).

1 ANSI/AWS standards are published by the American

Welding Society, 550 N.W. LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126.
2 ASTM standards are published by the American Society for
Testing and Materials, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959.

3 ISO

standards are published by the International Organization

for Standardization, 1, rue de Varemb, Case postale 56, CH1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland.

Weight Percent a,b

Other Elements

AWS
Classification

UNS
Numberc

Si

Fe

Cu

Mn

Mg

Cr

Ni

Zn

Ti

Each

Total

Al

ER1100
ER1100

A91100
A91100

d
d

d
d

0.050.20
0.050.20

0.05
0.05

0.10
0.10

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

99.00 minf
99.00 minf

ER1188g
ER1188g

A91188
A91188

0.06
0.06

0.060
0.060

0.005
0.005

0.01
0.01

0.01
0.01

0.03
0.03

0.01
0.01

0.01e
0.01e

99.88 minf
99.88 minf

ER2319h
ER2319h

A92319
A92319

0.20
0.20

0.300
0.300

5.86.8
5.86.8

0.200.40
0.200.40

0.02
0.02

0.10
0.10

0.100.20
0.100.20

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

ER4009
ER4009

A94009
A94009

4.55.5
4.55.5

0.200
0.200

1.01.5
1.01.5

0.10
0.10

0.450.60
0.450.60

0.10
0.10

0.20
0.20

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

ER4010
ER4010

A94010
A94010

6.57.5
6.57.5

0.200
0.200

0.20
0.20

0.10
0.10

0.300.45
0.300.45

0.10
0.10

0.20
0.20

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

ER4011k

A94011

6.57.5

0.20

0.20

0.10

0.450.70

0.10

0.040.20

0.05

0.15

Remainder

ER4043
ER4043

A94043
A94043

4.56.0
4.56.0

0.80
0.80

0.30
0.30

0.05
0.05

0.05
0.05

0.10
0.10

0.20
0.20

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

ER4047
ER4047

A94047
A94047

11.013.0
11.013.0

0.80
0.80

0.30
0.30

0.15
0.15

0.10
0.10

0.20
0.20

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

ER4145
ER4145

A94145
A94145

9.310.7
9.310.7

0.80
0.80

3.34.7
3.34.7

0.15
0.15

0.15
0.15

0.15
0.15

0.20
0.20

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

ER4643
ER4643

A94643
A94643

3.64.6
3.64.6

0.80
0.80

0.10
0.10

0.05
0.05

0.100.30
0.100.30

0.10
0.10

0.15
0.15

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

ER5183
ER5183

A95183
A95183

0.40
0.40

0.40
0.40

0.10
0.10

0.501.00
0.501.00

4.35.2
4.35.2

0.050.25
0.050.25

0.25
0.25

0.15
0.15

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

ER5356
ER5356

A95356
A95356

0.25
0.25

0.40
0.40

0.10
0.10

0.050.20
0.050.20

4.55.5
4.55.5

0.050.20
0.050.20

0.10
0.10

0.060.20
0.060.20

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

ER5554
ER5554

A95554
A95554

0.25
0.25

0.40
0.40

0.10
0.10

0.501.00
0.501.00

2.43.0
2.43.0

0.050.20
0.050.20

0.25
0.25

0.050.20
0.050.20

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

ER5556
ER5556

A95556
A95556

0.25
0.25

0.40
0.40

0.10
0.10

0.501.00
0.501.00

4.75.5
4.75.5

0.050.20
0.050.20

0.25
0.25

0.050.20
0.050.20

0.05e
0.05e

0.15
0.15

Remainder
Remainder

(continued)

AWS A5.10/A5.10M:1999 (R2007)

Table 1
Chemical Composition Requirements for Aluminum Electrodes and Rods