BSI Standards Publication: Welding - Recommendations For Welding of Metallic Materials
BSI Standards Publication: Welding - Recommendations For Welding of Metallic Materials
BSI Standards Publication: Welding - Recommendations For Welding of Metallic Materials
EN 1011‑3:2018
National foreword
This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 1011‑3:2018. It
supersedes BS EN 1011‑3:2000, which is withdrawn.
The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical
Committee WEE/36, Qualification of welding personnel and
welding procedures.
A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on
request to its secretary.
This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions
of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.
© The British Standards Institution 2018
Published by BSI Standards Limited 2018
ISBN 978 0 580 97696 4
ICS 25.160.10
Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from
legal obligations.
This British Standard was published under the authority of the
Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 December 2018.
English Version
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving
this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical
references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre
or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language
made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
© 2018 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 1011‑3:2018: E
worldwide for CEN national Members
BS EN 1011‑3:2018
EN 1011‑3:2018 (E)
Contents Page
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EN 1011‑3:2018 (E)
European foreword
This document (EN 1011‑3:2018) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 121 “Welding and
allied processes”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by June 2019, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by June 2019.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN 1011‑3:2000.
EN 1011 consists of the following parts, under the general title Welding — Recommendations for welding
of metallic materials:
— Part 1: General guidance for arc welding;
— Part 2: Arc welding of ferritic steels;
— Part 3: Arc welding of stainless steels;
— Part 4: Arc welding of aluminium and aluminium alloys;
— Part 5: Welding of clad steel;
— Part 6: Laser beam welding;
— Part 7: Electron beam welding;
— Part 8: Welding of cast irons.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
the United Kingdom.
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Introduction
This document is being issued with several annexes in order that it may be extended to cover the
different types of steel which will be produced to all the European steel standards for stainless steels.
When this document is referenced for contractual purposes, the ordering authority should state the
need for compliance with the standard and such other annexes as are appropriate.
This document gives general guidance for the satisfactory production and control of welding and
details the possible detrimental phenomena which may occur with advice on methods by which they
may be avoided. It is generally applicable to all stainless steels and is appropriate regardless of the
type of fabrication involved, although the application standard may have additional requirements.
Permissible design stresses in welds, methods of testing and acceptance levels are not included because
they depend on the service conditions of the fabrication. These details should be obtained from the
design specification.
This document contains additional details for fusion welding of stainless steels and should be read in
conjunction with the general recommendations in EN 1011‑1.
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1 Scope
This document gives general recommendations for the fusion welding of stainless steels. Specific
details relevant to austenitic, austenitic-ferritic, ferritic and martensitic stainless steels are given in
Annexes A to D.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN ISO 5817, Welding — Fusion-welded joints in steel, nickel, titanium and their alloys (beam welding
excluded) — Quality levels for imperfections (ISO 5817)
EN ISO 14175, Welding consumables — Gases and gas mixtures for fusion welding and allied
processes (ISO 14175)
CEN ISO/TR 15608, Welding — Guidelines for a metallic materials grouping system (ISO/TR 15608)
EN ISO 15609‑1, Specification and qualification of welding procedures for metallic materials — Welding
procedure specification — Part 1: Arc welding (ISO 15609-1)
4 Parent metal
This dokument applies to stainless steels of the austenitic, ferritic, martensitic and austenitic/ferritic
stainless types, according to groups 8 to 10 of CEN ISO/TR 15608.
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6 Welding consumables
Filler materials should be selected having regard to the parent metals and the particular application
and shall comply with the relevant standards.
Where consumable inserts are used they shall correspond with the relevant filler metal as well as with
the parent material composition.
7 Fabrication
7.1 General
Facilities for fabrication of stainless steels shall be segregated from other works and kept free of all
possible contaminating materials such as lead, zinc, copper, copper alloys or carbon steels, etc.
Forming tools shall be cleaned thoroughly before use to avoid cross contamination. All lubricants used
in the forming operations shall be removed from the workpiece.
Only tools dedicated to stainless steel shall be employed; this particularly applies to grinding wheels,
cutting wheels and wire brushes.
Welding heats up the parent metal which causes formation of oxide films both on the weld metal and on
the surrounding areas of the weld. These oxides as well as slags produced by covered electrodes, flux
cored wires and submerged arc welding, shall be removed if the weld is to be exposed to a corrosive
medium or for other reasons (see Clause 10).
When, during weld edge preparation oxidation, hardening and general contamination from thermal
cutting processes occur, these should be eliminated by mechanically machining to a sufficient depth
from the cut face. During shearing cracking and burrs can occur. These may also require to be removed
prior to welding.
Where cut edges do not form fusion faces, care should be taken to ensure that the shearing or thermal
cutting does not adversely affect the performance of the fabrication.
Hard stamping should be avoided, but when it shall be used attention is drawn to the danger of it being
applied in highly stressed or corrosive areas. Locations of these marks should be identicated. Hard
stamping used for marking in radiographic examination should be subject to similar precautions.
Welds which are to be inspected and approved should not be painted or otherwise treated until they
have been accepted.
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9 Distortion
Distortion in a weldment results from non-uniform expansion and contraction of weld metal and adjacent
parent metal during welding. In austenitic stainless steel this phenomenon is much more pronounced
than in unalloyed steel due to a larger expansion coefficient and a lower thermal conductivity.
There are various practical ways of minimizing distortion such as:
— minimizing the weld metal volume;
— balanced (double sided) joint welding;
— reduced heat input;
— reduced numbers of weld layers;
— backstep welding;
— preset of the parts to be welded;
— jigs and mechanical restraints;
— tack welding;
— heat sinks.
Care should be taken that the methods chosen do not have a deleterious effect on the properties of the
welds and the overall structure.
10 Post-weld cleaning
The corrosion resistance of stainless steel weldments is significantly affected by their surface condition.
The degree of post weld cleaning necessary depends upon the weld quality requirements and should be
as required by the design specification.
Post weld cleaning can be carried out by several processes, either separately or in combination,
for example:
— Brushing: Dedicated wire brushes made with stainless steel bristles or other compatible material
should be used. This technique cannot be used, in general, to remove adherent contaminants. Care
should be taken when using mechanical rotary brushing as this may deform the surface giving
microcracks which will reduce corrosion resistance. It may be necessary to follow brushing with a
pickling operation.
— Blasting: This technique is used for removal of adherant contaminants and also to give residual
compressive stresses in the surface. Recommended blasting media include glass and stainless steel
shot. These shall be free from iron or carbon steel contamination.
— Grinding: Dedicated iron free and chloride free grinding discs, belts or wheels should be used.
Excessive grinding with generating heat should be avoided to prevent damage to the surface and
thinning of the parent metal. The technique is used to remove heavy surface contaminants and to
blend the weld smoothly into the parent metal.
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— Pickling: Pickling removes surface oxides or surface layers of the steel by chemical reaction. An
acid medium is used whose composition is dependent on the type of steel, pickling temperature and
time. Careful removal of all pickling products shall be carried out. After pickling a passivation is
necessary to generate the passive layer.
— Electro-polishing: This is used, generally, on nonstabilized stainless steels to give a smooth surface
for optimum corrosion resistance.
For optimum corrosion resistance the most effective cleaning processes are pickling and electro-
polishing, followed by a natural or induced passivation treatment.
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Annex A
(informative)
A.1 General
A.1.1 Chemical composition
The chemical compositions of typical austenitic stainless steels are listed in EN 10088‑1. These steels
generally contain a minimum of 16,5 % chromium, with sufficient nickel and/or manganese, carbon and
nitrogen to produce an austenitic microstructure. They may also contain additions of other elements
such as molybdenum, nitrogen, titanium, niobium, copper, silicon, or sulphur to improve specific
properties such as corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, or for machinability, etc.
A.1.2 Microstructure
The microstructures of austenitic stainless steels are governed by the balance of ferrite and austenite
stabilizing elements, the principal ferrite stabilizing elements are chromium, molybdenum and silicon,
while the principal austenite stabilizing elements are nickel, manganese, carbon and nitrogen. The
structure which will form in the weld metal may be predicted from the balance of ferrite and austenite
stabilizing elements, using e.g. a Schaeffler, DeLong, W.R.C. or ESPY diagram.
Austenitic stainless steels consist of an austenitic matrix which, in certain grades, may contain small
quantities of delta ferrite, the amount of ferrite increasing during welding without the addition of a
filler metal. Other grades are fully austenitic and contain no ferrite, even after welding.
Austenitic stainless steels are usually supplied in the solution annealed condition, which involves
heating to approximately 1 050 °C, or higher, followed by rapid cooling to room temperature. Annealing
results in softening of the steel and minimizes the delta ferrite content, so that even steels which form
delta ferrite during welding will generally contain virtually no ferrite in the annealed condition.
Most of the standard austenitic stainless steels are not fully austenitic but may form a small amount
of delta ferrite after welding without the addition of a filler metal. The standard stainless steels in
this category are still referred to as austenitic stainless steels, even when a small amount of ferrite is
present, e.g. EN 10088‑1 grades 1.4301, 1.4401, 1.4436.
The carbon content of the standard austenitic stainless steels is normally less than 0,06 %.
In order to minimize the formation of chromium carbides during welding, low carbon (<0,03 %) versions
of many standard grades are produced, which also after welding are resistant against corrosion,
e.g. EN 10088‑1 grades 1.4307, 1.4404, 1.4432.
Similar high corrosion resistance of standard grades may be obtained either through the additions of
titanium, or niobium/tantalum, which combine with carbon, preventing the formation of chromium
carbides during welding. These grades are referred to as 'stabilized' austenitic stainless steel,
e.g. EN 10088‑1 grades 1.4541, 1.4550, 1.4571.
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The compositional balance of these steels is adjusted to obtain specific properties such as low magnetic
permeability (non-magnetic), increased corrosion resistance, or high temperature creep/oxidation
resistance, resulting in a fully austenitic structure at all times, e.g. EN 10088‑1 grade 1.4335. Due to their
high toughness at low temperatures, fully austenitic steels may also be used for cryogenic applications.
The risk of solidification cracking during welding is increased in these steels.
Superaustenitic and enhanced corrosion resistant grades belong to the fully austenitic family. These
steels contain increased chromium contents and additions of other elements, including molybdenum
and nitrogen for increased resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion, and copper for enhanced acid
corrosion resistance. An increased nickel content is added, to stabilize a fully austenitic structure. These
steels possess an extremely high corrosion resistance and require particular care during welding, to
maintain the high corrosion resistance of the parent metal, e.g. EN 10088‑1 grades 1.4539, 1.4547.
Other austenitic stainless steels exist in which the chemical composition has been adjusted to improve
specific properties. Depending on the actual chemical composition, each of these grades belong in one
of the above mentioned categories (A.1.3.1 and A.1.3.2) and should be welded with similar precautions.
a) Nitrogen alloyed austenitic steels with high proof strength. These steels contain small additions
of nitrogen (up to 0,45 %), resulting in an increase in proof strength (0,2 %). The nitrogen may be
added to both normal and low carbon grades of stainless steel. Nitrogen is an austenite stabilizing
element and may result in a reduction in delta ferrite content during welding.
b) Heat resistant austenitic steels. Steels for use at high temperatures may contain increased
chromium and/or silicon contents, to provide enhanced oxidation resistance. Additions of
molybdenum, nitrogen, aluminium, carbon, rare earth elements, titanium and/or niobium may also
be made to increase high temperature properties.
c) Austenitic steels with improved machinability. Improved machining grades contain increased
sulphur contents (up to 0,35 %) and/or additions of other elements such as calcium or selenium
and, consequently, generally exhibit reduced weldability and corrosion resistance.
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Where required, filler metals/rods should be selected in accordance with EN ISO 3581, EN ISO 14343,
EN ISO 14174 or EN ISO 17633.
Consumables for standard austenitic stainless steels are generally designed to result in a ferrite content
of between 3 FN and 15 FN in the as-deposited fusion zone, to resist hot cracking.
The diagrams according to Schaeffler, De Long, W.R.C. or ESPY may be used to determine if the
consumable will provide the correct ferrite content, taking dilution effects into account.
Fully austenitic stainless steels are non magnetic. The presence of delta ferrite in the austenite results
in a small degree of magnetism and this characteristic is used to measure the proportion of ferrite in
the weld metal, after welding.
The chemical composition of the welding consumable is usually slightly over-alloyed with respect to
the parent metal, to optimize corrosion resistance by compensating for alloy losses, segregation effects,
inclusions and surface imperfections inherent in the weld metal.
Fully austenitic stainless steels require the use of approximately similar or slightly over-alloyed
consumables and are susceptible to hot cracking. The precautions indicated in A.3.1 should, therefore,
be followed. The consumables may contain increased manganese contents, to minimize the risk of
hot cracking.
Nickel - based consumables are generally used for superaustenitic steels.
Shielding gases for TIG welding are usually argon, argon-hydrogen, argon-helium or combinations of
these gases, in accordance with EN ISO 14175.
The addition of either hydrogen or helium to argon (in accordance with EN ISO 14175), will often
allow faster welding speeds, while the reducing nature of hydrogen bearing gases can also result in
cleaner welds.
Shielding gases for MIG/MAG welding of austenitic stainless steels should be selected in accordance
with EN ISO 14175, as a wide choice is now available.
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Good corrosion resistance depends on a uniform distribution of the elements chromium and
molybdenum in the parent and weld metal. Any sensitization by carbides and nitrides, or precipitation
of intermetallic phases, such as sigma, which could locally result in chromium and/or molybdenum-
depletion, should be avoided. The risk of sensitization is minimized by using low carbon grades
(≤0,030 %) or by using stabilized (titanium, niobium/tantalum) steels and consumables.
Contamination of the weld and heat affected zone (HAZ) should be avoided, to eliminate the risk of
carbon and nitrogen pickup. Shielding gases containing more than 2,5 % CO2 should, therefore, by
avoided, unless specifically recommended by the consumable manufacturer/supplier.
To reduce the risk of intermetallic precipitation during welding, the heat input and interpass
temperature should be kept low.
Stress corrosion cracking can occur in austenitic stainless steels when they are exposed to
combinations of adverse conditions, including certain aggressive media (such as halide solutions),
elevated temperatures and applied tensile stress. The residual stresses from welding or grinding can
often be sufficient to cause this form of attack, if the environmental criteria are also unfavourable. It
is advisable, therefore, to ensure that residual stresses are minimized in fabrications which may be
susceptible to this form of attack.
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Resistance to stress corrosion may be increased significantly by using ferritic or duplex grades and
superaustenitic steels with high nickel contents (standard ferritic stainless steel grades will, however,
exhibit reduced resistance to general corrosion).
A.3.4 Distortion
Due to their increased thermal expansion and reduced thermal conductivity, compared to carbon
steels, austenitic stainless steels are significantly more susceptible to distortion than carbon steels, or
other stainless steels. Recommendations for minimizing distortion are given in Clause 9.
A.4.2 Cleaning
To restore the corrosion resistance of the weldment, it is necessary to remove any surface contamination
produced by the welding process.
Recommendations for the post-weld cleaning are given in Clause 10.
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Annex B
(informative)
B.1 General
B.1.1 Chemical composition
The ferritic stainless steels according to EN 10088‑1 generally contain between 10,5 % and 30 %
chromium and up to 0,08 % carbon. Some types also contain one or more of the following elements: up
to 4,5 % molybdenum, 1,6 % nickel, 2,1 % aluminium and titanium, niobium/tantalum or zirconium for
stabilization. In certain grades the levels of carbon and nitrogen are kept very low (ELI-ferritics).
B.1.2 Microstructure
Depending on the ratio of ferrite and austenite forming elements, the microstructure of these steels
consists of ferrite (fully ferritic) or of ferrite with amounts of martensite (semi-ferritic). Detailed
information will be given by the supplier or the manufacturer of the steel.
The fully ferritic structure is susceptible to grain growth at temperatures above about 950 °C. This
results in decreased toughness. Refining by heat treatment is not possible.
The grain growth is less pronounced in stabilized ferritic stainless steels and least pronounced in semi-
ferritic stainless steels. The extent of the grain growth depends on the highest temperature, on the time
at temperature and on the number of welding runs. Therefore welded parts of fully ferritic stainless
steels provide adequate service only for a thin wall thickness (approximately max. 2,5 mm).
Welds in thick section semi-ferritic stainless steels show improved toughness over the fully ferritic
grades. Even when cooled rapidly from welding temperature chromium carbides precipitate in the
parent metal and the matching weld metal. These precipitates reduce the ductility and the resistance to
intergranular corrosion by local chromium depletion. This depletion can be avoided, if the parent metal
and the matching weld metal have a very low carbon content or preferably if stabilized by titanium,
niobium/tantalum or zirconium.
Intermetallic precipitates, e.g. sigma phase, can form in steels with (chromium + molybdenum)
greater than approximately 22 % in the temperature range of about 550 °C to 850 °C, leading to room-
temperature embrittlement and in some cases reduced corrosion resistance. By heating in the range of
900 °C to 1 000 °C and subsequent rapid cooling to room temperature the sigma phase can be brought
into solution.
475 °C-embrittlement may occur in steels with chromium greater than 15 % in the temperature range
of about 400 °C to 450 °C, giving a loss of ductility. The embrittlement can be removed by heating to
approximately 540 °C and subsequent rapid cooling to room temperature.
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Other welding processes, e.g. electron beam welding (51), laser welding (52), high-frequency resistance
welding (29), may be used by agreement.
Ferritic stainless steels are susceptible to excessive grain growth. Therefore welding heat input should
be kept low, e.g. small weld pool, faster travel speeds.
Preheating to 200 °C to 300 °C may be used for semi-ferritic grades with a thickness over 3 mm.
Interpass temperature should be in the same range.
The pick-up of carbon and nitrogen during welding should be kept as low as possible, e.g. clean weld
area, short arc length.
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B.3.4 Distortion
Ferritic stainless steels have a higher thermal conductivity and a lower thermal expansion coefficient
than the austenitic stainless steels, hence distortion problems are not as pronounced.
B.4.2 Finishing
To restore the corrosion resistance of the weldment, it is necessary to remove any surface
contaminations produced by the welding process.
Recommendations for post-weld cleaning are given in Clause 10.
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Annex C
(informative)
C.1 General
C.1.1 General
Austenitic-ferritic stainless steels, generally termed duplex stainless steels, are employed for
their strength and corrosion resistance. They are commonly used in the temperature range of
−50 °C to +250 °C.
C.1.3 Microstructure
Duplex stainless steels consist of a ferritic matrix with approximately 45 % to 60 % austenite. This
structure is achieved by solution annealing at around 1 020 °C to 1 100 °C, depending on grade, followed
by rapid cooling.
The low alloyed duplex stainless steels, e.g. EN 10088‑1 grade 1.4362, are characterized by a very low
molybdenum content. Their main application area is to replace common austenitic stainless steels
where these may suffer from stress corrosion cracking.
The most commonly used duplex stainless steels, e.g. EN 10088‑1 grade 1.4462, are the molybdenum
and nickel containing medium alloyed grades. These are general purpose steels used mainly for
chemical, petrochemical and offshore applications.
The high alloyed duplex stainless steels, e.g. EN 10088‑1 grade 1.4410, contain higher chromium,
molybdenum and nitrogen contents, compared to the medium alloyed duplex stainless steels, and are
therefore used in severe corrosive environments.
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All of the common arc welding processes listed in EN 1011‑1 are suitable for welding duplex stainless
steels. Welding processes which are normally carried out without the addition of filler metal or which
give extremely rapid cooling, e.g. plasma arc, laser beam, electron beam and resistance welding, can
only be used if special precautions are taken.
Welding without filler metal is not recommended unless the joint is solution annealed after welding
followed by rapid cooling to room temperature. Welding without filler metal and without post-weld
heat treatment, can provide satisfactory properties if nitrogen-containing shielding gas is used to
improve austenite reformation.
Joint preparations should be according to EN ISO 9692‑1 but for V-joints and double-V-joints it is
sometimes recommended to use a wider angle than for austenitic stainless steels in order to get good
penetration. When welding the root pass with TIG or MIG/MAG it is recommended to use a wider gap
than for austenitic steels, for the same reason.
Due to the high strength of duplex stainless steels, the distance between tack welds should be small.
Preheat is not necessary but can be used to maximum of 100 °C to remove moisture from the surface.
The heat input for duplex stainless steels shall be within certain limits. Too low a heat input leads to a
high cooling rate which may result in high ferrite levels. Too high a heat input can result in precipitation
of intermetallic phases. The low- and medium-alloyed types are normally welded with a heat input of
0,5 kJ/mm to 2,5 kJ/mm and an interpass temperature less than 250 °C. For the high-alloyed types the
heat input range is normally limited to 0,2 kJ/mm to 1,5 kJ/mm and a maximum interpass temperature
in the range of 100 °C to 150 °C. These figures give general recommendations, only, it is also necessary
to take into account the effect of the welding process and work piece thickness.
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C.3.2 Cracking
Duplex stainless steels have a low sensitivity to hot cracking, due to their ferritic solidification mode.
Hydrogen in duplex weld metals can be responsible for delayed crack formation where the weld metal
has a very high ferrite level (>110 FN = approximately 75 % ferrite) and a high hydrogen level combined
with a high degree of restraint.
C.3.5 Distortion
Distortion during welding of duplex stainless steels is lower than that of austenitic stainless steels.
However, the duplex grades are more difficult to straighten after welding due to their high proof
strength (0,2 %).
C.3.6 Porosity
Duplex stainless steels with high nitrogen contents (>0,20 %) are more prone to the formation of
porosity during welding than standard austenitic stainless steels.
The possibility of porosity is increased when welding in the overhead position. In order to decrease this
problem, thin runs should be deposited and excessive arc lengths avoided.
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In order to increase pitting resistance, nitrogen can be added to the shielding gas. Application should
be restricted to appropriate regions of the joint (root and capping layer) to avoid excessive weld metal
nitrogen build up and porosity. Excessive shielding gas flow rates will also increase the risk of porosity.
C.4.2 Cleaning
The same technique can be used for duplex stainless steels as detailed in Clause 10.
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Annex D
(informative)
D.1 General
D.1.1 Chemical composition
The martensitic stainless steels, according to EN 10088‑1, generally contain between 13 % and 17 %
chromium with up to 4 % nickel and up to 1,0 % carbon. They can be divided into three different types
according to their chemical composition.
The martensitic stainless grades are fully martensitic at room temperature and are therefore very hard
and brittle. Tempering is required to give some ductility and toughness, with a consequential reduction
of tensile strength.
Grades with less than 0,1 % carbon have a structure consisting of 5 % to 25 % austenite in the
martensitic matrix. As a result, lower strength and hardness and improved ductility are achieved.
The martensitic grades can be strengthened by nearly 50 % by the addition of copper, titanium,
niobium, aluminium and molybdenum to give precipitation hardening, it is usual in these steels to
reduce the carbon content below 0,1 %. The steels therefore consist of a tempered martensitic matrix
with precipitates usually achieved by a double heat treatment after quenching. Various strengths can
be achieved by altering the ageing conditions.
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High carbon contents make the steel air hardening. For carbon content up to 0,2 % welding may
be followed by slow cooling. Above 0,2 % carbon a post weld anneal is required. If the weld is to be
hardened and tempered immediately after welding, then post weld annealing can be omitted
b) Martensitic-austenitic stainless steels:
Preheat is not required for thin sections ≤ 8 mm, for thicker sections preheat in the range 100 °C to
200 °C may be required. Matching filler metals are often used.
c) Precipitation hardening martensitic stainless steels:
The precipitation hardening martensitic stainless grades are normally welded using matching
consumables. Austenitic consumables may be used, but full strength cannot be achieved. When
using austenitic consumables preheat is not required, due to the generally low carbon contents
(less than 0,1 %), and the fact that full strength is not achieved by the transformation to martensitic
during cooling.
D.3.4 Distortion
The martensitic stainless steels have generally higher thermal conductivity and a lower expansion
coefficient than the austenitics, hence distortion problems are not as pronounced.
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D.4.2 Cleaning
Pickling of precipitation hardened or high carbon content steels is not recommended due to the
difficulty of achieving a good surface finish.
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Bibliography
[1] EN 1011‑1, Welding — Recommendations for welding of metallic materials — Part 1: General
guidance for arc welding
[2] EN 10088‑1, Stainless steels — Part 1: List of stainless steels
[3] EN ISO 3581, Welding consumables — Covered electrodes for manual metal arc welding of stainless
and heat-resisting steels — Classification (ISO 3581)
[4] EN ISO 8249, Welding — Determination of Ferrite Number (FN) in austenitic and duplex ferritic-
austenitic Cr-Ni stainless steel weld metals (ISO 8249)
[5] EN ISO 9692‑1, Welding and allied processes — Types of joint preparation — Part 1: Manual metal
arc welding, gas-shielded metal arc welding, gas welding, TIG welding and beam welding of steels
(ISO 9692-1)
[6] EN ISO 14174, Welding consumables — Fluxes for submerged arc welding and electroslag welding —
Classification (ISO 14174)
[7] EN ISO 14343, Welding consumables — Wire electrodes, strip electrodes, wires and rods for arc
welding of stainless and heat resisting steels — Classification (ISO 14343)
[8] EN ISO 17633, Welding consumables — Tubular cored electrodes and rods for gas shielded and non-
gas shielded metal arc welding of stainless and heat-resisting steels — Classification (ISO 17633)
25
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