Welding Consumables

Welding consumables are defined as all those things that are used up in the
production of a weld.
This list could include many things including electrical energy; however we
normally refer to welding consumables as those things used up by a particular
welding process.
15.1 MMA electrodes
MMA electrodes can be categorised according to the type of covering they have
and consequently the characteristics that it confers.
For C-Mn and low alloy steels there are 3 generic types of electrodes:
 Cellulosic.
 Rutile.
 Basic.
These generic names indicate the type of mineral/compound that is dominant in
the covering.
15.1.1 Covered electrode manufacture
Electrode manufacturers produce electrodes by:
 Straightening and cutting core wire to standard lengths (typically 300, 350
and 450mm depending on electrode classification and diameter).
 Making a dry mix of powdered compounds/minerals (precise levels of
additions depend on individual manufacturer’s formulations).
 Making a wet mix by adding the dry powders to a liquid binder.
 Extruding the covering (concentrically) on to the core wire.
 Hardening the covering by drying the electrodes.
*
 Carrying out batch tests - as required for electrode certification.
 Packing the electrodes into suitable containers.
* For low hydrogen electrodes this is a high temperature bake - ≥~450ºC.
 Vacuum packed electrodes are packed in small quantities into packaging
that is immediately vacuum sealed – to ensure no moisture pick-up.
 Electrodes that need to be re-baked are packed into standard packets and
as this may be some time after baking, and the packaging may not be
sealed, they do not reach the end-user in a guaranteed low hydrogen
condition, they therefore require re-baking at a typical temperature of
350ºC for approximately 2 hours,
Note! You should always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
For individual batch certification this will require the manufacture of a test pad
for chemical analysis and may require manufacture of a test weld from which a
tensile test and Charpy V notch test pieces are tested.

15.1.2 Electrode coverings

Core wires used for most C-Mn electrodes, and some low alloy steel electrodes,
are a very low C steel* and it is the formulation of the covering that determines
the composition of the deposited weld metal and the operating characteristics of
the electrode.
(* typically ~ 0.06%C, ~0.5%Mn)
The flux covering on an electrode is formulated to aid the manufacturing
process and to provide a number of functions during welding.
The major welding functions are:
 Facilitate arc ignition/re-ignition and give arc stabilisation.
 Generate gas for shielding the arc and molten metal from contamination by
air.
 Interact with the molten weld metal to give de-oxidation and flux impurities
into the slag to cleanse/refine the molten weld metal.
 Form a slag for protection of the hot weld metal from air contamination.
 Provide elements to give the weld metal the required mechanical properties.
 Enable positional welding by means of slag formers that freeze at
temperatures above the solidification temperature range of the weld metal.
15.1.3 Inspection points for MMA consumables
Checks should also be made to ensure that basic electrodes have been
through the correct pre-use procedure. Having been baked to the correct
temperature (typically 300-350°C) for 1 hour and then held in a holding oven
at 150°C before being issued to the welders in heated quivers. Most electrode
flux coatings will deteriorate rapidly when damp and care should be taken to
inspect storage facilities to ensure that they are adequately dry, and that all
electrodes are stored in conditions of controlled temperature and humidity

15.2 Cellulosic electrodes

Cellulose is the principal substance in this type of electrode and comprising
typically ~ 40% of the flux constituents.
Cellulose is an organic material (naturally occurring) such as cotton and wood,
but it is wood pulp that is the principal source of cellulose used in the
manufacture of electrode coverings.
The main characteristics of cellulosic electrodes are:
 Cellulose breaks down during welding and produces carbon monoxide and
dioxide and hydrogen.
 Hydrogen provides part of the gas shielding function and gives a relatively
high arc voltage.
 The high arc voltage gives the electrode a hard and forceful arc with good
penetration/fusion ability.
 The volume of slag formed is relatively small.
 Cellulosic electrodes cannot be baked during manufacture or before welding
because this would destroy the cellulose; the manufacturing procedure is to
harden the coating by drying (typically at 70-100ºC).
 Because of the high hydrogen levels there is always some risk of H cracking
which requires control measures such as hot-pass welding to facilitate the
rapid escape of hydrogen.
 Because of the risk of H cracking there are limits on the strength/
composition and thickness of steels on which they can be used (electrode
are manufactured in classes E60xx, E70xx, E80xx and E90xx but both lower
strength grades tend to be the most commonly used).
 High toughness at low temperatures cannot be consistently achieved from
this type of electrode (typically only down to about -20ºC).
15.2.1 Applications of cellulosic electrodes
Cellulosic electrodes have characteristics that enable them to be used for
vertical-down welding at fast travel speed but with low risk of lack-of-fusion
because of their forceful arc.
The niche application for this type of electrode is girth seam welding of large
diameter steel pipes for overland pipelines (Transco (BGAS) P2, BS 4515 and
API 1104 applications). No other type of electrode has the ability to allow root
pass welding at high speed and still give good root penetration when the root
gap is less than ideal.
Because of their penetration ability these electrodes have also found application
on oil storage tanks – for vertical and circumferential seam welding of the
upper/thinner courses for which preparations with large root faces or square
edge preparations are used

15.3 Rutile electrodes

Rutile is a mineral that consists of about 90% titanium dioxide (TiO2) and is
present in C and C-Mn steel rutile electrodes at typically ~50%.
Characteristics of rutile electrodes are:
 They have a very smooth and stable arc and produce a relatively thin slag
covering that is easy to remove.
 They give a smooth weld profile.
 They are regarded as the most user-friendly of the various electrode types.
 They have relatively high combined moisture content and because they
contain typically up to ~10% cellulose they cannot be baked and
consequently they do not give a low H weld deposit.
 Because of the risk of cracking they are not designed for welding of high
strength or thick section steel.
 (Although electrodes are manufactured in classes E60xx, E70xx, E80xx the
E60xx grade is by far the most commonly used).
 They do not give high toughness at low temperatures (typically only down
to about -20ºC).
The above listed characteristics mean that this type of electrode is used for
general-purpose fabrication of unalloyed, low strength steels in relatively thin
sections (typically ≤ ~13mm).
15.3.1 Rutile electrode variants
By adding iron powder to the covering a range of thick-coated electrodes have
been produced in order to enhance productivity.
Such electrodes give weld deposits that weigh between ~135 and 190% of their
core wire weight and so referred to as high recovery electrodes, or more
specifically for example a 170% recovery electrode.
The weld deposit from such electrodes can be relatively large and fluid and this
restricts welding to the flat position and for standing fillets for electrodes with
the highest recovery rates.
In all other respects these electrodes have the characteristics listed for standard
rutile electrodes.
15.4 Basic electrodes
Basic electrodes are so named because the covering is made with a high
proportion of basic minerals/compounds (alkaline compounds), such as calcium
carbonate (CaCO3), magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) and calcium fluoride
(CaF2).
A fully basic electrode covering will be made up with about 60% of these basic
minerals/compounds.

Characteristics of basic electrodes are:

 The basic slag that forms when the covering melts reacts with impurities,
such as sulphur and phosphorus, and also reduces the oxygen content of
the weld metal by de-oxidation.
 The relatively clean weld metal that is deposited gives a very significant
improvement in weld metal toughness (C-Mn electrodes with Ni additions
can give good toughness down to -90°C).
 They can be baked at relatively high temperatures without any of the
compounds present in the covering being destroyed, thereby giving low
moisture content in the covering and low hydrogen levels in weld metal.
 In order to maintain the electrodes in a low hydrogen condition they need to
be protected from moisture pick-up.
 By means of baking before use (typically at ~350°C), transferring to a
holding oven (typically at ~120°C) and issued in small quantities
and/or using heated quivers (‘portable ovens’) at the work station
(typically ~70°.
 By use of vacuum packed electrodes that do not need to be re-baked
before use.
 Basic slag is relatively viscous and thick which means that electrode
manipulation requires more skill and should be used with a short arc to
minimise the risk of porosity.
 The surface profile of weld deposits from basic electrodes tends to be
convex and slag removal requires more effort.
Metal powder electrodes contain an addition of metal powder to the flux
coating to increase the maximum permissible welding current level. Thus, for a
given electrode size, the metal deposition rate and efficiency (percentage of the
metal deposited) are increased compared with an electrode containing no iron
powder in the coating. The slag is normally easily removed. Iron powder
electrodes are mainly used in the flat and H/V positions to take advantage of
the higher deposition rates. Efficiencies as high as 130-140% can be achieved
for rutile and basic electrodes without marked deterioration of the arcing
characteristics but the arc tends to be less forceful which reduces bead
penetration.
15.4.1 Applications of basic electrodes
Basic electrodes have to be used for all applications that require good fracture
toughness at temperatures below ~ -20°C.
To avoid the risk of hydrogen cracking basic electrodes have to be used for
welding hardenable steels (most C-Mn and all low alloy steels) and for most
steels when the joint thickness is greater than about 15mm

15.5 Classification of electrodes

National standards for electrodes that are used for welding are:
 BS EN ISO 2560 - Covered electrodes for manual metal arc welding of nonalloy and fine grain steels.
 AWS A5.1 - Specification for carbon steel electrodes for shielded metal arc
welding.
 AWS A5.5 - Specification for low-alloy steel electrodes for shielded metal arc
welding.
Electrode classification is based on tests specified by the standard on weld
deposits made with each type of covered electrode. The standards require
chemical analysis and mechanical tests and electrode manufacturers tend to
dual certify electrodes, wherever possible, to both the European and American
standards
15.5.1 BS EN ISO 2560
BS EN ISO 2560 - Covered electrodes for manual metal arc welding of non-alloy
and fine grain steels (see Figure 15.1).
This is the designation that manufacturers print on to each electrode so that it
can be easily identified. The classification is split into two sections:
Compulsory section - this includes the symbols for:
 Type of product.
 Strength.
 Impact properties.
 Chemical composition.
 Type of electrode covering.
Optional section - this includes the symbols for:
 Weld metal recovery.
 The type of current.
 The welding positions.
 The hydrogen content.
The designation, compulsory (strength, toughness and coating including any
light alloying elements) must be identified on the electrode, however the
optional (position, hydrogen levels etc are not mandatory and may not be
shown on all electrodes

15.5.2 AWS A5.1/5.1M: 2003

AWS A5.1/5.1M: 2003 - Specification for carbon steel electrodes for shielded
metal arc welding (see Figure 15.2).
This specification establishes the requirements for classification of covered
electrodes with carbon steel cores for MMA welding. Requirements include
mechanical properties of weld metal; weld metal soundness; and usability of
electrodes.
Requirements for chemical composition of the weld metal, moisture content of
low hydrogen electrodes, standard sizes and lengths, marking, manufacturing
and packaging are also included

A guide to the use of the standard is given in an appendix. Optional

supplementary requirements include improved toughness and ductility, lower
moisture contents and diffusible hydrogen limits.
The AWS classification system has mandatory and optional designators and
requires that both the mandatory classification designators and any optional
designators be printed on each electrode. The last two digits of the mandatory
part of the classification are used to designate the type of electrode
coating/covering and examples of some of the more widely used electrodes are
shown below
15.6 TIG filler wires
Filler wires manufactured for TIG welding have compositions very similar to
those of base materials. However, they may contain very small additions of
elements that will combine with oxygen and nitrogen as a means of scavenging
any contaminants from the surface of the base material or from the
atmosphere.
For manual TIG, the wires are manufactured to the BS EN ISO 14341 and are
provided in 1m lengths (typically 1.2, 1.6, and 2.4mm diameter) and for
identification have flattened ends on which is stamped the wire designation (in
accordance with a particular standard) and, for some grades, a batch number.
TIG consumable identification is stamped at the end of the wire.
For making precision root runs for pipe butt welds (particularly for automated
TIG welding) consumable inserts can be used that are made from material the
same as the base material, or are compatible with it.
For small diameter pipe, the insert may be a ring but for larger diameter pipe
an insert of the appropriate diameter is made from shaped strip/wire, examples
of which are shown below.
15.6.1 TIG shielding gases
Pure argon is the shielding gas that is used for most applications and is the
preferred gas for TIG welding of steel and gas flow rates are typically ~8-12
litres/min for shielding.
The shielding gas not only protects the arc and weld pool but also is the
medium required to establish a stable arc by being easy to ionise. A stable arc
cannot be established in air and hence the welder would not be able to weld if
the shielding gas were not switched on.
Argon with a helium addition – typically ~30% may be used when a hotter arc
is needed such as when welding metals with high thermal conductivity, such as
copper/copper alloys or thicker section aluminium/aluminium alloys
There are some circumstances when special shielding gases are beneficial, for
example:
Ar + 3-5%H for austenitic stainless steels and Cu-Ni alloys.
Ar + ~3%N for duplex stainless steels.
15.6.2 TIG back-purging
For most materials, the underside of a weld root bead needs to be protected by
an inert gas (a back-purge) – typically ~6-8 litres/min during welding.
For C steels and low alloy steels with total alloying additions ≤2.5% it may not
always be necessary to use a back-purge but for higher alloyed steels and most
other materials there may be excessive oxidation – and risk of lack of fusion if it
is not used.
15.7 MIG/MAG filler wires
Solid filler wires manufactured for MIG/MAG generally have chemical
compositions that have been formulated for particular base materials and the
wires have compositions similar to these base materials. Solid wires for welding
steels with active shielding gases are deoxidised with manganese and silicon to
avoid porosity. There may also be titanium and aluminium additions.
Mild steel filler wires are available with different levels of deoxidants, known as
double or triple de-oxidised wires. More highly deoxidised wires are more
expensive but are more tolerant of the plate surface condition, eg mill scale,
surface rust, oil, paint and dust. There may, therefore, be a reduction in the
amount of cleaning of the steel before welding.
These deoxidiser additions yield a small amount of glassy slag on the surface of
the weld deposit, commonly referred to as silica deposits. These small pockets
of slag are easily removed with light brushing; but when galvanising or painting
after welding, it is necessary to use shot blasting.
During welding, it is common practice to weld over these small islands since
they do not represent a thick slag, and they usually spall off during the
contraction of the weld bead. However, when multipass welding, the slag level
may build up to an unacceptable level causing weld defects and unreliable arc
starting.
Steel wires usually have a flash coating of copper to improve current pick-up
and to extend the shelf life of the wire. However, the copper coating can
sometimes flake off and be drawn into the liner and wire feed mechanism,
particularly if there is misalignment in the wire feed system. This may cause
clogging and erratic wire feed.
Uncoated wires are available as an alternative, although electrical contact may
not be as good as with copper-coated wires, and contact tip operating
temperatures may be higher

Some typical Standards for specification of steel wire consumables are:

BS EN ISO 14341
Welding consumables - Wire electrodes and deposits for gas shielded metal arc
welding of non-alloy and fine grain steels - Classification.
BS EN ISO 16834
Welding consumables - Wire electrodes, wires, rods and deposits for gas
shielded metal arc welding of high strength steels - Classification.
Wire sizes are typically in the range 0.6-2.4mm diameter but the most
commonly used sizes are 0.8, 1, 1.2 and 1.6mm and provided on layer wound
spools for consistent feeding.
Spools should be labelled to show the classification of the wire and its’
diameter.
Flux-cored and metal-cored wires are also used extensively although the
process is then referred to as FCAW (flux-cored arc welding) and MCAW
(metal cored arc welding)
15.7.1 MIG/MAG gas shielding
For non-ferrous metals and their alloys (such as Al, Ni and Cu) an inert
shielding gas must be used. This is usually either pure argon or an argon rich
gas with a helium addition.
The use of a fully inert gas is the reason why the process is also called MIG
welding (metal inert gas) and for precise use of terminology this name should
only be used when referring to the welding of non-ferrous metals.
The addition of some helium to argon gives a more uniform heat concentration
within the arc plasma and this affects the shape of the weld bead profile.
Argon-helium mixtures effectively give a hotter arc and so they are beneficial
for welding thicker base materials those with higher thermal conductivity eg
copper or aluminium.
For welding of steels – all grades, including stainless steels – there needs to be
a controlled addition of oxygen or carbon dioxide in order to generate a stable
arc and give good droplet wetting. Because these additions react with the
molten metal they are referred to as active gases and hence the name MAG
welding (metal active gas) is the technical term that is use when referring to
the welding of steels

The percentage of carbon dioxide (CO2) or oxygen depends on the type of steel
being welded and the mode of metal transfer being used – as indicated below:
 100%CO2
For low carbon steel to give deeper penetration (Figure 15.3) and faster
welding this gas promotes globular droplet transfer and gives high levels of
spatter and welding fume.
 Argon + 15 to 25%CO2
Widely used for carbon and some low alloy steels (and FCAW of stainless
steels).
 Argon + 1 to 5%O2
Widely used for stainless steels and some low alloy steels.
Figure 15.3 Effects of shielding gas composition on weld penetration and
profile.
Figure 15.4 Active shielding gas mixtures for MAG welding of carbon, carbonmanganese and low alloy
steels.
Blue is a cooler gas mixture; red is a hotter mixture

Gas mixtures - helium in place of argon gives a hotter arc, more fluid weld pool
and better weld profile. These quaternary mixtures permit higher welding
speeds, but may not be suitable for thin sections.
Stainless steels
Austenitic stainless steels are typically welded with argon-CO2/O2 mixtures for
spray transfer, or argon-helium-CO2 mixtures for all modes of transfer. The
oxidising potential of the mixtures are kept to a minimum (2-2.5% maximum
CO2 content) in order to stabilise the arc, but with the minimum effect on
corrosion performance. Because austenitic steels have a high thermal
conductivity, the addition of helium helps to avoid lack of fusion defects and
overcome the high heat dissipation into the material. Helium additions are up to
85%, compared with ~25% for mixtures used for carbon and low alloy steels.
CO2 -containing mixtures are sometimes avoided to eliminate potential carbon
pick-up.
Figure 15.5 Active shielding gas mixtures for MAG welding of stainless steels.
Blue is a cooler gas mixture; red is a hotter mixture.
For martensitic and duplex stainless steels, specialist advice should be sought.
Some Ar-He mixtures containing up to 2.5%N2 are available for welding duplex
stainless steels.
Light alloys, eg aluminium and magnesium, and copper and nickel and their
alloys
Inert gases are used for light alloys and alloys that are sensitive to oxidation.
Welding grade inert gases should be purchased rather than commercial purity
to ensure good weld quality.
Argon
Argon can be used for aluminium because there is sufficient surface oxide
available to stabilise the arc. For materials that are sensitive to oxygen, such as
titanium and nickel alloys, arc stability may be difficult to achieve with inert
gases in some applications.
The density of argon is approximately 1.4 times that of air. Therefore, in the
downhand position, the relatively heavy argon is very effective at displacing air.
A disadvantage is that when working in confined spaces, there is a risk of argon
building up to dangerous levels and asphyxiating the welder

Argon-helium mixtures
Argon is most commonly used for MIG welding of light alloys, but some
advantage can be gained by the use of helium and argon/helium mixtures.
Helium possesses a higher thermal conductivity than argon. The hotter weld
pool produces improved penetration and/or an increase in welding speed. High
helium contents give a deep broad penetration profile, but produce high spatter
levels. With less than 80% argon, a true spray transfer is not possible. With
globular-type transfer, the welder should use a 'buried' arc to minimise spatter.
Arc stability can be problematic in helium and argon-helium mixtures, since
helium raises the arc voltage, and therefore there is a larger change in arc
voltage with respect to arc length. Helium mixtures require higher flow rates
than argon shielding in order to provide the same gas protection.
There is a reduced risk of lack of fusion defects when using argon-helium
mixtures, particularly on thick section aluminium. Ar-He gas mixtures will offset
the high heat dissipation in material over about 3mm thickness.
Figure 15.6 Inert shielding gas mixtures for MIG welding of aluminium,
magnesium, titanium, nickel and copper alloys.
Blue is a cooler gas mixture; red is a hotter mixture.
A summary table of shielding gases and mixtures used for different base
materials is given in Table 15.2
15.8 SAW filler wires
Filler wires for SAW are made to AWS and EN standards and the most
commonly used sizes are 2.4, 3.2, 4 and 5mm diameter and are available for
welding a wide range of steels and some non-ferrous applications, they have
compositions similar to the base material but for certification standards require
flux/wire weld metal deposits to be made for analysis and testing as required
15.8.1 SAW flux types
Fluxes can be categorised into two types, namely fused and agglomerated
(agglomerated fluxes are sometimes called bonded fluxes – particularly in the
USA).
Fused flux
These types are manufactured by mixing certain suitable minerals/
compounds, fusing them together, crushing the solid mass and then sieving the
crushed mass to recover granules within a particular size range.
Fused fluxes have the following characteristics/properties:
 Contain a high proportion of silica (up to ~60%) and so the flux granules
have similar in appearance to crushed glass – irregular shaped and hard -
and have a smooth, and slightly shiny, surface.
 During re-circulation they have good resistance to breaking down into fine
particles – referred to as fines.
 Have very low moisture content as manufactured and does not absorb
moisture during exposure and so they should always give low hydrogen
weld metal.
 Give welds beads with good surface finish and profile and de-slag easily.
The main disadvantage of fused fluxes is that the compounds that give deoxidation cannot be added so
that welds have high oxygen content and so steel
weld metal does not have good toughness at sub-zero temperatures

Agglomerated flux
This is manufactured by mixing fine powdered minerals/compounds, adding a
wet binder and further mixing to form flux granules of the required size. These
are dried/baked to remove moisture, sieved and packaged in sealed containers
to ensure they are in low hydrogen condition when supplied to the user.
Some of the minerals/compounds used in these fluxes cannot be subjected to
the high temperatures required to make fused fluxes because they would break
down and lose the properties that are needed during welding.
Agglomerated fluxes have the following characteristics:
 Granules tend to be more spherical and have a dull/matt finish.
 Granules are consist of fine powders, weakly held together, and so are quite
soft and easily be broken down into fine powders during handling/
re-circulation.
 Some of the compounds and the binder itself, will tend to absorb moisture
from the atmosphere if left exposed and a controlled handling procedure* is
essential.
 The slag is less fluid than those generated by fused fluxes and the weld
bead profile tends to be more convex and more effort is required to remove
the slag.
*Agglomerated fluxes are similar to fluxes used for basic covered electrodes
and susceptible to moisture pick-up when they are cold and left exposed.
A typical controlled handling practice is to transfer flux from the manufacturer’s
drum/bag to a heated silo (~120-150°C). This acts like the holding oven for
basic electrodes.
Warm flux is transferred to the flux hopper on the machine (usually unheated)
and at the end of a shift or when there is to be an interruption in welding, the
hopper flux should be transferred to the silo.
The particular advantage of agglomerated fluxes is there ability to give weld
metals with low oxygen content and this enables steel weld metal to be
produced with good sub-zero toughness
15.8.2 SAW flux basicity index
Fluxes are often referred to as having a certain basicity or basicity index (BI).
The BI indicates the flux formulation according to the ratio of basic compounds
to acid compounds and is used to give an indication of flux/weld reaction and
can be interpreted as follows:
 A flux with a BI = 1 has an equal ratio of basic and acid compounds and
thus is neither basic nor acid but said to be neutral.*
 A flux with BI >1 has basic characteristics; fully basic fluxes have BI of ~3-
~3.5.
 A flux with BI <1 has acid characteristics.
 Fused and agglomerated fluxes are mixed to produce fluxes referred to as
semi-basic.
* In the USA it is customary to use the terms neutral to indicate that the flux
has no significant influence on the composition by transfer of elements from
flux to weld pool and active to indicate that the flux does transfer some
elements.
Fused fluxes have acid characteristics and agglomerated fluxes have basic
characteristics.
Although there are EN and AWS standards for flux classification, it is common
UK practice to order fluxes by manufacturer name and use this name on WPSs

Welding consumables
Welding consumables are any products that are
used up in the production of a weld.
Welding consumables may be
 Covered electrodes, filler wires and electrode
wires.
 Shielding or oxy-fuel gases.
 Separately supplied fluxes.
 Fusible inserts.
Welding Consumable Standards
MMA (SMAW)
 BS EN ISO 2560: Steel electrodes.
 AWS A5.1: Non-alloyed steel electrodes.
 AWS A5.4: Chromium electrodes.
 AWS A5.5: Alloyed steel electrodes.
MIG/MAG (GMAW) TIG (GTAW)
 BS EN ISO 14343: Filler wires.
 BS EN ISO 14341: Wire electrodes.
 AWS A5.9: Filler wires.
 BS EN ISO 14175: Shielding gases.
SAW
 BS 4165: Wire and fluxes.
 BS EN ISO 14171: Wire electrodes.
 BS EN ISO 14174: Fluxes.
 AWS A5.17: Wires and fluxes

Welding Consumable Gases

Welding gases
 GMAW, FCAW, TIG, Oxy-fuel.
 Supplied in cylinders or
storage tanks for large
quantities.
 Colour coded cylinders to
minimise wrong use.
 Subject to regulations
concerned handling,
quantities and positioning of
storage areas
 Moisture content is
limited to avoid cold
cracking.
 Dew point (the
temperature at which
the vapour begins to
condense) must be
checked

Each consumable is critical in respect to

 Size.
 Classification/supplier.
 Condition.
 Treatments eg baking/drying.
 Handling and storage is critical for consumable
control.
 Handling and storage of gases is critical for
Safety

Quality Assurance Welding consumables

 Filler material must be stored in an area with
controlled temperature and humidity.
 Poor handling and incorrect stacking may damage
coatings, rendering the electrodes unusable.
 There should be an issue and return policy for
welding consumables (system procedure).
 Control systems for electrode treatment must be
checked and calibrated; those operations must be
recorded.
 Filler material suppliers must be approved before
purchasing any material

MMA Covered Electrodes

The three main electrode covering types used in
MMA welding
 Cellulosic - deep penetration/fusion.
 Rutile - general purpose.
 Basic - low hydrogen

Plastic foil sealed cardboard box

 Rutile electrodes.
 General purpose basic electrodes.
Tin can
 Cellulosic electrodes.
Vacuum sealed pack
 Extra low hydrogen
Electrodes

Cellulosic electrodes
 Covering contains cellulose (organic material).
 Produce a gas shield high in hydrogen raising the
arc voltage.
 Deep penetration/fusion characteristics enables
welding at high speed without risk of lack of
fusion.
 Generates high level of fumes and H2 cold
cracking.
 Forms a thin slag layer with coarse weld profile.
 Not require baking or drying (excessive heat will
damage electrode covering).
 Mainly used for stove pipe welding.
 Hydrogen content is 80-90ml/100g of weld metal

Rutile electrodes
 Covering contains TiO2 slag former and arc
stabiliser.
 Easy to strike arc, less spatter, excellent for
positional welding.
 Stable, easy-to-use arc can operate in both DC
and AC.
 Slag easy to detach, smooth profile.
 Reasonably good strength weld metal.
 Used mainly on general purpose work.
 Low pressure pipework, support brackets.
 Electrodes can be dried to lower H2 content but
cannot be baked as it will destroy the coating.
 Hydrogen content is 25-30ml/100g of weld metal.

High recovery rutile electrodes

Characteristics:
 Coating is bulked out with iron powder.
 Iron powder gives the electrode high recovery.
 Extra weld metal from the iron powder can
mean that weld deposit from a single
electrode can be as high as 180% of the core
wire weight.
 Give good productivity.
 Large weld beads with smooth profile can look
very similar to SAW welds

Basic covering
 Produce convex weld profile and difficult to
detach slag.
 Very suitable for for high pressure work, thick
section steel and for high strength steels.
 Prior to use electrodes should be baked,
typically 350°C for 2 hour plus to reduce
moisture to very low levels and achieve low
hydrogen potential status
 Contain calcium fluoride and calcium
carbonate compounds.
 Cannot be rebaked indefinitely!
 Low hydrogen potential gives weld metal very
good toughness and YS.
 Have the lowest level of hydrogen (less than
5ml/100g of weld metal)

Tig Welding Consumables

Welding consumables for TIG
 Filler wires, shielding gases, tungsten
electrodes (non-consumable).
 Filler wires of different materials composition
and variable diameters available in standard
lengths, with applicable code stamped for
identification.
 Steel filler wires of very high quality, with
copper coating to resist corrosion.
 Shielding gases mainly argon and helium,
usually of highest purity (99.9%)

Tig Welding rods

 Supplied in cardboard/plastic tubes
 Must be kept clean and free from oil and dust.
 Might require degreasing.

Fusible Inserts
Pre-placed filler material
After welding
Other terms used include
 EB inserts (electric boat
company).
 Consumable socket rings
(CSR).

Shielding Gases for TIG Welding

Argon
 Low cost and greater availability.
 Heavier than air - lower flow rates than
Helium.
 Low thermal conductivity - wide top bead
profile.
 Low ionisation potential - easier arc starting,
better arc stability with AC, cleaning effect.
 For the same arc current produce less heat
than helium - reduced penetration, wider HAZ.
 To obtain the same arc power, argon requires
a higher current - increased undercut.
Helium
 Costly and lower availability than Argon.
 Lighter than air - requires a higher flow rate
compared with argon (2-3 times).
 Higher ionisation potential - poor arc stability
with AC, less forgiving for manual welding.
 For the same arc current produce more heat
than argon - increased penetration, welding of
metals with high melting point or thermal
conductivity.
 To obtain the same arc power, helium requires
a lower current - no undercut.

Hydrogen
 Not an inert gas - not used as a primary
shielding gas.
 Increase the heat input - faster travel speed
and increased penetration.
 Better wetting action - improved bead profile.
 Produce a cleaner weld bead surface.
 Added to argon (up to 5%) - only for
austenitic stainless steels and nickel alloys.
 Flammable and explosive.

Nitrogen
 Not an inert gas.
 High availability – cheap.
 Added to argon (up to 5%) - only for back
purge for duplex stainless, austenitic stainless
steels and copper alloys.
 Not used for mild steels (age embrittlement).
 Strictly prohibited in case of Ni and Ni alloys
(porosity.

MIG/MAG Consumables
Welding consumables for MIG/MAG
 Spools of continuous electrode wires and
shielding gases.
 Variable spool size (1-15Kg) and wire
diameter (0.6-1.6mm) supplied in random or
orderly layers.
 Basic selection of different materials and their
alloys as electrode wires.
 Some steel electrode wires copper coating
purpose is corrosion resistance and electrical
pick-up.
 Gases can be pure CO2, CO2+argon mixes and
argon+2%O2 mixes (stainless steels)

Welding wires
 Supplied on wire/plastic spools or coils.
 Random or line winding
Welding wires
 Carbon and low alloy wires may be copper coated.
 Stainless steel wires are not coated

 Wires must be kept clean and free from oil and dust.
 Flux cored wires does not require baking or drying.
How to check the quality of welding wires
Helix size - limited to 25mm to avoid problems with arc wandering!
Cast diameter improves the contact force and defines the contact point; usually 400-1200mm.

MIG/MAG Shielding Gases

Argon (Ar)
 Higher density than air; low thermal conductivity - the
arc has a high energy inner cone; good wetting at the
toes; low ionisation potential.
Helium (He)
 Lower density than air; high thermal conductivity -
uniformly distributed arc energy; parabolic profile; high
ionisation potential.
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
 Cheap; deep penetration profile; cannot support spray
transfer; poor wetting; high spatter.

MIG/MAG Shielding Gases

Gases for dip transfer
 CO2: Carbon steels only; deep penetration;
fast welding speed; high spatter levels.
 Ar + up to 25% CO2: Carbon and low alloy
steels; minimum spatter; good wetting and
bead contour.
 90% He + 7,5% Ar + 2,5% CO2: Stainless
steels; minimises undercut; small HAZ.
 Ar: Al, Mg, Cu, Ni and their alloys on thin
sections.
 Ar + He mixtures: Al, Mg, Cu, Ni and their
alloys on thicker sections (over 3mm).

Gases for spray transfer

 Ar + (5-18)% CO2: Carbon steels; minimum
spatter; good wetting and bead contour.
 Ar + 2% O2: Low alloy steels; minimise
undercut; provides good toughness.
 Ar + 2% O2 or CO2: Stainless steels;
improved arc stability; provides good fusion.
 Ar: Al, Mg, Cu, Ni, Ti and their alloys.
 Ar + He mixtures: Al, Cu, Ni and their alloys;
hotter arc than pure Ar to offset heat
dissipation.
 Ar + (25-30)% N2: Cu alloys; greater heat
input.

Flux Core Wire Consumables

Functions of metallic
sheath
 Provide form stability
to the wire.
 Serves as current
transfer during
welding.
Function of the
filling powder
 Stabilise the arc.
 Add alloy elements.
 Produce gaseous
shield.
 Produce slag.
 Add iron powder.

Types of Cored Wire

 Not sensitive to moisture pick-up.
 Can be copper coated - better current
transfer.
 Thick sheath - good form stability - 2 roll drive
feeding possible.
 Difficult to manufacture.
Good resistance to moisture pick-up.
 Can be copper coated.
 Thick sheath.
 Difficult to seal the sheath.
Sensitive to moisture pick-up.
 Cannot be copper coated.
 Thin sheath.
 Easy to manufacture.

SAW Consumables

SAW Filler Material

Welding wires
 Supplied on coils, reels or drums.
 Random or line winding.

Welding wires can be used to weld

 Carbon steels.
 Low alloy steels.
 Creep resisting steels.
 Stainless steels.
 Nickel-base alloys.
 Special alloys for surfacing applications.
Welding wires can be
 Solid wires.
 Metal-cored wires.

Welding wires
 Carbon and low alloy wires are copper coated.
 Stainless steel wires are not coated

Copper coating functions

 To assure a good electric contact between wire
and contact tip.
 To assure a smooth feed of the wire through
the guide tube, feed rolls and contact tip
(decrease contact tube wear).
 To provide protection against corrosion

Welding fluxes
 Are granular mineral compounds mixed
according to various formulations.
 Shield the molten weld pool from the
atmosphere.
 Clean the molten weld pool.
 Can modify the chemical composition of the weld
metal.
 Prevents rapid escape of heat from welding zone.
 Influence the shape of the weld bead (wetting
action).
 Can be fused, agglomerated or mixed.
 Must be kept warm and dry to avoid porosity

Welding flux
 Supplied in bags/pails (approximately 25kg) or
bulk bags (approximately 1200kg).
 Might be fused, agglomerated or mixed

SA welding flux:
 Must be kept warm and dry.
 Handling and stacking requires care.
Fused fluxes:
 Are normally not hygroscopic but particles can hold
surface moisture.
 Only drying.
Agglomerated fluxes:
 Contain chemically bonded water.
 Similar treatment as basic electrodes.
 For high quality, agglomerated fluxes can be
recycled with new flux added.
 If flux is too fine it will pack and not feed properly.
 Cannot be recycled indefinitely.

Ceramic backing
 Used to support the
weld pool on root
runs.
 Usually fitted on an
aluminium self
adhesive tape
 Allow increased welding current without danger
of burn-through - increased productivity,
consistent quality.
 Different profiles to suit different applications.
 No backing/drying required.