Welding consumables - Part 1

Job Knowledge
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
The next series of articles will cover welding electrodes and filler metals, beginning with a brief
look at the requirements for a flux. Whether a flux is in an electrode coating or is in granular
form, as in a submerged arc flux, the requirements are the same.

The flux must be capable of providing a protective shield to prevent atmospheric

contamination of the electrode tip, the filler metal as it is transferred across the arc and the
molten weld pool. Generally, it does this by decomposing in the heat of the arc to form a
protective gaseous shield.

It must be capable of removing any oxide film (failure to do so will result in lack of
fusion defects and oxide entrapment). It does this by reacting chemically with the oxide.

It should improve mechanical properties by providing clean, high quality weld metal and
perhaps by transferring alloying elements across the arc.

It must be capable of providing the desired weld metal composition, again by transferring
alloying elements across the arc.

It should aid arc striking and arc stability.

It should produce a slag that will shape the molten pool and hold the pool in place during
positional welding if required.

Any slag should be readily removable and preferably self-detaching.

It should not produce large amounts of fume and any that it does should not be harmful to
the welder.
These requirements have resulted in a multitude of different consumables, many being
apparently identical, and this can make filler metal selection a difficult and confusing task. This
article attempts to give some insight into the various types of flux coated manual metal arc
(MMA) electrodes before moving on in later articles to look at other types of welding fluxes.
Most MMA electrodes can be conveniently divided into three groups by their coating
composition. These are cellulosic, rutile and basic coatings, each of which gives the electrode a
distinctive set of characteristics.

Cellulosic electrodes contain a large proportion of cellulose, over 30% and generally in the form
of wood flour. This is mixed with rutile (titanium dioxide, TiO2 ), manganese oxide and ferromanganese and is bonded onto the core wire with sodium or potassium silicate. Moisture content
of these electrodes is quite high, typically 4 to 5%. The cellulose burns in the arc to form a gas
shield of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and, in conjunction with the moisture in the coating,
produces a large amount of hydrogen, typically 30 to 45ml hydrogen/100gm weld metal.
The hydrogen raises arc voltage and gives the electrodes their characteristics of deep penetration
and high deposition rates. The high voltage requires a high open circuit voltage of around 70
volts to allow easy arc striking and to maintain arc stability. The forceful arc also results in
appreciable amounts of weld spatter and this limits the maximum current that can be used on the
larger diameter electrodes. A thin, friable and easily removed slag is produced, giving a rather
coarsely rippled weld profile. The slag is also fast freezing so that, unlike most other electrodes,
they can be used in the vertical down position - 'stove piping'.
Electrodes with a sodium silicate binder can be used only on DC electrode positive (reverse
polarity). Those with a potassium silicate binder can be used either DC electrode positive or on
AC. The electrodes require some moisture in the coating to aid the running characteristics and
they must never be baked, as may be done on basic coated electrodes. This has the advantage that
the electrodes are tolerant to site conditions. If they become damp, drying at a temperature of
around 120C will be sufficient.

Electrode compositions are only available for welding low carbon non-alloyed steels although nickel additions may be made to improve notch toughness.
Charpy-V values of around 27J at -20C are possible in the unalloyed electrodes. The high hydrogen level means that any steel welded with these
electrodes should be selected to have a very high resistance to hydrogen induced, cold cracking (see Connect articles numbers 45 and 46). They should
not be used without giving due consideration to the steel composition, restraint and the need for preheat. The characteristics of deep penetration, high
deposition rates and the ability to be used vertically down means that the main use for these electrodes is for cross country pipelining although they are
used to a more limited extent for welding storage tanks.
Rutile coatings, as the name suggests, contain a large amount of rutile, titanium dioxide, typically around 50%, in addition to cellulose, limestone
(calcium carbonate), silica (SiO2) mica (potassium aluminium silicate), ferro-manganese and some moisture, around 1 to 2%. Binders are either sodium
or potassium silicate. The cellulose and the limestone decompose in the arc to form a gas shield containing hydrogen (around 20ml/100gm weld metal)
carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The electrodes have medium penetration characteristics, a soft, quiet but stable arc and very little spatter, making
them a 'welder friendly' electrode. Striking and re-striking is easy and the electrodes will run on very low open circuit voltages. The electrodes produce a
dense covering of slag that is easily removed and gives a smooth evenly rippled weld profile.
The presence of cellulose and moisture means that the electrodes produce relatively high levels of hydrogen, perhaps 20 to 25ml/100gm weld metal. This
restricts their use to mild steels less than 25mm thickness and thin section low alloy steels of the C/Mo and 1Cr1/2Mo type. Mechanical properties are
good and Charpy-V notch toughnesses of 40J at -20C are possible. They are probably the most widely used general purpose electrode. Rutile coated
austenitic stainless steel electrodes can be obtained and can be used in all thicknesses as cold cracking is not a problem with these alloys.
Rutile electrodes, like cellulosic electrodes, require some moisture in the coating and they should not be baked. If they become damp, re-drying at around
120C should be sufficient. Those electrodes with a sodium silicate binder can be used on DC electrode negative or AC. Electrodes with the potassium
silicate binder can be used on both polarities and on AC. The potassium silicate binder electrodes generally have better arc striking and stability
characteristics than the sodium silicate binder types and a more readily detachable slag.

The next article will look at the basic, low hydrogen electrodes and some of the other less common types of coatings.

Welding consumables - Part 2

Job Knowledge
Part
Part
Part
Part

1
3
4
5

The previous article, Part 1, dealt with the cellulosic and rutile electrodes. This article will cover the basic, iron powder and acid electrodes.

The description 'basic' originates from the chemical composition of the flux coating which contains up to perhaps 50% of limestone, calcium carbonate
(CaCO3). This decomposes in the arc to form a gas shield of carbon monoxide/dioxide.

In addition to the limestone there may be up to 30% of calcium fluoride (CaF 2) added to lower the melting point of the limestone and to reduce its
oxidising effect. Also deoxidants such as ferro-manganese, ferro-silicon and ferro-titanium are added to provide de-oxidation of the weld pool.

Other alloying elements such as ferro-chromium, ferro-molybdenum or ferro-nickel may be added to provide an alloy steel deposit. Binders may be
sodium silicate, only for use on DC+ve current, or potassium silicate which enables the electrodes to operate on both direct and alternating current.

The gas shield from basic electrodes is not as efficient as that from the rutile or cellulosic types and it is necessary to maintain a constant short arc if
porosity from atmospheric contamination is not to be a problem. The electrodes are particularly sensitive to start porosity because of the length of time
taken to establish an efficient protective shield. An essential part of welder training is familiarisation with the technique of starting the weld ahead of the
required start position and moving back before proceeding in the direction of welding.

The penetration characteristics of basic electrodes are similar to those of rutile electrodes although the surface finish is not as good. The slag cover is
heavier than rutile electrodes but is easily controlled, enabling the electrodes to be used in all positions. High limestone coatings have been developed
that enable a limited range of electrodes to be used in the vertical-down (PG) position. The weld pool blends smoothly into the parent metal and
undercutting should not occur.

The slag is not as easily removed as with rutile or cellulosic electrodes but the low melting point means that slag entrapment is less likely. The chemical
action of the basic slag also provides very clean, high quality weld metal with mechanical properties, particularly notch toughness, better than that
provided by the other electrode types. A further feature of these electrodes is that the welds are more resistant to solidification cracking, tolerating higher
levels of sulphur than a rutile or cellulosic electrode. This makes them valuable if it becomes necessary to weld free cutting steels.

The basic electrode is also known as a low hydrogen rod ('lo-hi'). The coating contains no cellulose and little or no moisture provided the electrodes are
correctly handled. When exposed to the atmosphere, moisture pick-up can berapid. However, baking the electrodes at the manufacturers' recommended
baking temperature, generally around 400C, will drive off any moisture and should provide hydrogen levels of less than 5ml/100g weld metal. After
baking the electrodes need to be carefully stored in a holding oven at a temperature of some 120C to prevent moisture pick-up.

Many manufacturers now provide electrodes in hermetically sealed vacuum packs with hydrogen levels guaranteed to be less than 5ml/100g weld metal.
These are particularly useful in site applications where there is a need to maintain very low hydrogen levels and baking and storage facilities are not
available. The electrodes are taken directly from the pack and can be used for up to 12 hours from opening before sufficient moisture has been absorbed
to require baking.

Basic, low hydrogen electrodes are therefore widely used in a variety of applications where clean weld metal and good mechanical properties are required.
They can be obtained with alloyed core wires and/or ferro-alloy additions to the coating to give very wide selection of weld metal compositions, ranging
from conventional carbon steels, creep resistant and cryogenic steels and duplex and stainless steels. Where high quality, radiographically or ultrasonically
clean weld metal is a requirement, such as on offshore structures and pressure vessels, basic electrodes will be used.

Developments over the last 20 or so years have enabled carbon-manganese steel consumables to give good Charpy-V and CTOD values at temperatures
down to -50oC. The low hydrogen capabilities also mean that basic electrodes would be used for the welding of thick section carbon steels and high
strength, high carbon and low alloy steels where cold cracking is a risk (see Job knowledge articles Nos. 45 and 46).

In addition to the 'standard' cellulosic, rutile and basic electrodes discussed above, electrodes may be classified as 'high recovery'.

By adding substantial amounts of iron powder, up to 50% of the weight of the flux coating, to either basic and rutile electrode coatings it is possible to
deposit a greater weight of weld metal than is contained in the core wire. These electrodes are described as having an efficiency above 100% eg 120%,
140% etc and this 3 digit figure is often included in the electrode classification.

The electrodes have thicker coatings than the 'standard' electrodes which can make them difficult to use in restricted access conditions. They are,
however, welder friendly with good running characteristics and a smooth stable arc. The iron powder not only melts in the heat of the arc to increase
deposition rate but also enables the electrode to carry a higher welding current than a 'standard' electrode.

The iron powder is electrically conducting, so allowing some of the welding current to pass through the coating. High welding currents can therefore be
used without the risk of the core wire overheating, thus increasing both the burn-off and the deposition rates. The high recovery electrodes are ideally
suited for fillet welding, giving a smooth, finely rippled surface with a smooth blend at the weld toes. They are generally more tolerant to variations in fitup and their stability on low open circuit voltages means that they are very good at bridging wide gaps. However, the large weld pool means that they are
not suited to positional welding and are generally confined to welding in the flat (PA) and horizontal-vertical (PC) positions.

The last type of electrode covering is described as 'acid'. These electrodes have large amounts of iron oxides in the flux coating which would result in a
high oxygen content in the weld metal and poor mechanical properties. It is therefore necessary to incorporate large amounts of de-oxidants such as
ferro-manganese and ferro-silicon in the flux. Although they produce smooth flat weld beads of good appearance and can be used on rusty and scaled
steel items the mechanical properties tend to be inferior to the rutile and basic coated electrodes. They are also more sensitive to solidification cracking

Welding consumables - Part 3

Job Knowledge
Part 1
Part 2
Part 4
Part 5

The last two articles covered the various types of manual metal arc consumables that are
available.
In order to be able to specify the type of flux coating, welding characteristics and chemical
composition of an electrode for a particular application, there needs to be some standardised
method of unique identification that is universally recognised.
This requirement has led to the writing of a series of consumable specifications that enable an
electrode to be easily and uniquely identified by assigning a consumable a 'classification'. The
two MMA electrode classification schemes that will be dealt with in this month's article are the
EN (Euronorm) and the AWS (American Welding Society) specifications. There is insufficient
space to cover in detail the whole range of compositions for MMA electrodes so the emphasis
here will be on the carbon steel filler metals.
The European specification for non-alloy and fine grained steel MMA electrodes is EN 499. This
divides the classification or designation number into two parts. Part 1 is a compulsory section
that requires symbols for the process, strength and elongation, impact strength, the chemical
composition and the type of flux coating. The second part is optional and includes that includes

symbols for the type of current and metal recovery, the welding position(s) that the electrode can
be used in and for the maximum hydrogen content of the deposited weld metal (NOT the
electrode).
The designation of a covered electrode begins with the letter 'E'. This tells us that this is a
covered electrode intended for MMA welding. The next two numbers give the minimum yield
strength that may be expected as shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Strength and elongation symbols
Min Yield Strength
Tensile Strength
Minimum
N/mm
N/mm
Elongation %
35
355
440 - 570
22
38
380
470 - 600
20
42
420
500 - 640
20
46
460
530 - 680
20
50
500
560 - 720
18
The next symbol indicates the temperature at which an average impact value of 47J can be
achieved, as shown inTable 2.
Symbol

Table 2 Impact value symbol

Temperature
Symbo
for
l
average of 47J
C
Z
No requirement
A
+20
0
0
2
-20
3
-30
4
-40
5
-50
6
-60
The third mandatory symbol is for the composition. Although the specification title (non-alloy
and fine grained steels) suggests that the electrodes have no alloying elements present, up to 3%
Ni and NiMo electrodes are included, seeTable 3. (This symbol is only applied where the
electrode contains 0.3Mo or 0.6Ni).
Table 3 Chemical composition symbols
Symbol

Chemical composition % max or range

Mn
Mo
Ni

No symbol
2.0
Mo
1.4
0.3 - 0.6
MnMo
>1.4 - 2.0
0.3 - 0.6
1Ni
1.4
0.6 - 1.2
2Ni
1.4
1.8 - 2.6
3Ni
1.4
>2.6 - 3.8
Mn1Ni
>1.4 - 2.0
0.6 - 1.2
1NiMo
1.4
0.3 - 0.6
0.6 - 1.2
Z
Any other agreed composition
The fourth symbol indicates the type of flux coating - basic, rutile etc as shown in Table 4.
Table 4 Symbol for flux coating
Symbol

Coating

A
acid
C
cellulosic
R
rutile
RR
thick rutile
RC
rutile-cellulosic
RA
rutile-acid
RB
rutile-basic
B
basic
The next three symbols are not compulsory and give additional information on the percentage
weld metal recovery and the type of welding current on which the electrode can be operated
(Table 5); the welding position (Table 6) and the maximum hydrogen content of the deposited
weld metal if the electrodes are dried or baked as recommended by the manufacturer (Table 7).
Table 5 Symbol for weld metal recovery and current type
Symbol
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Weld metal recovery %

<= 105
<= 105
>105<=125
>105<=125
>125<=160
>125<=160
>160
>160

Table 6 Symbols for welding position

Current type
AC or DC+
DC+ or DCAC or DC+
DC+ or DCAC or DC+
DC+ or DCAC or DC+
DC+ or DC-

Symbol

Welding position

1
All positions
2
All positions except V-down
3
Flat butt and fillet welds, HV fillet weld
4
Flat
5
V-down, flat butt, flat and HV fillet welds
Table 7 Symbol for hydrogen content in weld metal
Max Hydrogen
ml/100gms weld metal

Symbol

H5
5
H10
10
H15
15
A full designation may therefore read E42 2 B32H5. This describes a basic carbon manganese
steel electrode; weld metal yield strength of 420N/mm2, better than 47J at -20C, a weld metal
recovery of over 105%, capable of being used on AC or DC+ current in all positions except
vertical down and providing less than 5mls hydrogen in the weld metal.

The AWS specification equivalent to EN 499 is AWS A5.1 - Carbon Steel Electrodes for Shielded Metal Arc Welding. The classification comprises five
characters but in the 2004 edition of the specification there are two separate schemes. A5.1, based on the US units of tensile strength in pounds per
square inch, Charpy -V values in foot-pounds and A5.1M, based on the SI system, with strength in MPa, Charpy-V values in Joules.
It is thus possible to have virtually identical electrodes with different classifications, one using US units, the other SI units. There is insufficient space
within this brief article to describe fully all of the 18 types covered by the specification except perhaps for the most commonly used electrodes. For full
details of the AWS scheme it is necessary to consult the specification.
To illustrate briefly how the electrodes are classified, the following gives a summary of the key features.
The first character 'E' is common to both classifications and indicates that the electrode is a flux coated manual metal arc electrode. The next two digits
indicate the tensile strength. In the A5.1 designation this is either '60',indicating a UTS of 60ksi and a yield strength of 48ksi, or '70', indicating a UTS of
70ksi and a yield strength of 58ksi. In the A5.1M designation these are 43 or 49, indicating a UTS of 430MPa, yield strength of 330MPa or 490MPa
UTS,400MPa yield respectively.
The last two digits give information on flux coating type, welding position, current type and polarity and Charpy-V impact strength, if required. Those
electrodes suffixed XX10 or XX11 have cellulosic coatings; those suffixed XX12,XX13, XX14, XX19 or XX24 have rutile coatings and those suffixed XX15,
XX16, XX18, XX28 and XX48 are basic low hydrogen. XX18, XX28 and XX48 all have iron powder additions and are therefore high recovery electrodes.
Listed below are those EN and AWS specifications that prescribe the requirements for ferrous electrodes.
BS EN 499

Non-alloyed and fine grained steel electrodes

BS EN 757

High strength steels

BS EN 1599

Creep resisting steels

BS EN 1600

Stainless and heat resisting steels

AWS A5.1/A5.1M

Carbon Steel Electrodes for SMAW

AWS A5.4

Stainless Steel Electrodes for SMAW

AWS A5.5

Low Alloy Steel Electrodes for SMAW

nd are therefore little used.

Welding consumables Part 4 - gas shielded

consumables
Job Knowledge
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 5
This article looks at the wire consumables used in the gas shielded MIG/MAG, metal cored
(MC) and flux cored (FC) arc welding processes.

The MIG/MAG processes were first developed using a solid wire but some 25 years ago tubular
wires began to be supplied and since then the use of these wires has grown rapidly and they now
form a significant proportion of the welding wire market - cored wires are now used not only in
the MIG/MAG process but also in TIG, plasma-TIG and submerged arc welding.
Solid wire for welding of alloy steels is an expensive commodity. The composition of a ferritic
steel welding wire is not the same as that of the steel that it will be used to weld. The ingot from
which the wire is drawn must contain all the de-oxidation and alloying elements that can be
contained in the flux on an MMA electrode.
Steel is produced most economically in large tonnages whereas a consumable supplier requires
only relatively small amounts and these requirements have a significant effect on the cost. In
addition, it can be difficult to draw down the wire to the small diameters required for welding.
Cored wires for welding carbon and alloy steels, however, can be made from mild steel with the
alloying elements added to the flux filling. This enables small amounts of wire to be
economically produced matching the composition of steels where the usage is limited, eg high
chromium creep resistant steels or hard facing. Non-ferrous and austenitic steel wires,
aluminium, nickel based, stainless steel etc however, generally match closely the parent metal
composition and obtaining ingots for drawing into wire is less of a problem.

MIG/MAG welding solid wires are provided in diameters ranging from 0.6 to 2.4mm, the most
commonly used diameters being 1.2 and 1.6mm.
As mentioned above, the solid wires are generally formulated to match the composition of the
alloy to be welded. Silicon, 0.5 to 0.9%, and perhaps aluminium, up to 0.15%, are added to
ferritic steel wires to provide de-oxidation; carbon content is generally below 0.1%.
Alloying elements such as manganese, chromium, nickel and molybdenum are added to the ingot
to provide improved mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. In addition the carbon and
low alloy steel wires are often copper coated, both to reduce corrosion during storage and to
improve welding current pick-up in the contact tip.
The stainless steel and non-ferrous wires are not copper coated. Poor control during the drawing
operation may form laps on the wire surface that trap contaminants and give rise to porosity, as
can a poor quality copper coat on ferritic steel wires.
Porosity from drawing defects can be a particular problem with aluminium alloy wires and where
high quality weld metal is required, then shaving the wire to remove defects on the wire surface
is recommended.
The cored wires are small diameter tubes in which are packed fluxes and alloying elements.
There are two fundamental types, one containing mostly fluxes, the other containing metal
powders. There is a sub-class of the flux cored wires, the self-shielded wires, that contain gasgenerating compounds that decompose in the arc to provide enough shielding gas so that
additional gas shielding is not required.
In cross-section, the wires may be seamless tubes packed with the flux and extruded before being
drawn into a wire. Alternatively, they may be or made by rolling a flat strip into a 'U', filling this
with the flux or metal power and then folding this into a tube. The edges of the tube may be
butted together or overlapped.
The seamless and closed butt wires tend to have thicker walls and therefore less fill than the
overlapped wires, perhaps as little as 20% of cross sectional area compared with 50% for the
overlapped wires. This enables the overlapped wires to contain more alloying elements and they
are therefore often used for stainless steel and hard facing welding.
Cored wires have a number of advantages over the solid wires. The reduced current carrying
cross-sectional area of the wire results in greater current density and an increase in burn-off rate
with increased deposition.
The flux also produces a slag that will control weld bead shape enabling higher welding currents
to be used in positional welding than can be used with MAG. A 7mm throat fillet is possible in
the horizontal-vertical position, for example. The slag will also react with the weldpool and
provide better properties than can be achieved with MAG. Good Charpy impact properties down
to -50C are achievable in carbon steels with the correct wire.
Disadvantages with the cored wires are:


The wire is mechanically weak and over-pressure on the wire drive rolls may crush the wire preventing it from feeding through the contact tip.

The flux cored wires produce a slag that must be removed.

While solid wires often produce islands of a glassy slag that tend to lie in the finish craters this does not necessarily prevent a multi-pass weld being made
without de-slagging.
This is not possible with flux cored wires, restricting their use in applications such as robotic welding to single pass welds. Metal cored wires are less of a
problem in this context and are often used in fully automated, multi-pass applications.
As with MMA electrodes, the flux in the core may be either rutile or basic, the rutile flux providing a smooth arc, easy slag removal and 'welder appeal',
the basic fluxes providing better mechanical properties and cleaner radiographic quality welds.
Hydrogen control is less of a problem than with MMA electrodes. Both rutile, basic and metal cored wires all have very low hydrogen potential levels,
allowing lower preheat than might otherwise be the case and enabling rutile wires to be used in applications such as the welding of high strength or thick
section steels. Hydrogen pick-up on the shop floor is also less of a problem as the flux/metal powder is contained within a sealed tube, preventing
moisture ingress. Seamless wires tend to be better in this respect than seamed wires.
There are a number of specifications detailing the requirements for solid and cored wires for MIG/MAG, FCA and MCA welding and these will be covered in
the next article.

Welding consumables Part 5 - MIG/MAG and

cored carbon steel wires
Job Knowledge

Part
Part
Part
Part

1
2
3
4

To ensure that there is a consistency in composition and properties between wires from a variety of manufacturers, specifications have been produced
that enable a wire to be easily and uniquely identified by assigning the consumable a 'classification', a unique identification that is universally recognised.

The two schemes that are dealt with in this article are the EN/ISO method and the AWS scheme. There are such a large number of specifications covering
the whole range of ferrous and non-ferrous filler metals, both solid wire and cored, that it will not be possible to describe all of these here. This article
therefore reviews just the carbon steel specifications.
The identification of the solid wires is relatively simple, as the chemical composition is the major variable although both the EN/ISO and the AWS
specifications detail the strength that may be expected from an all-weld deposit carried out using parameters given in the specification. It should be
remembered, however, that most welds will contain some parent metal and that the welding parameters to be used in production may be different from
those used in the test. The result is that the mechanical properties of a weld can be significantly different from those quoted by the wire supplier, hence
the need to always perform a procedure qualification test when strength is important. In addition, the mechanical properties specified in the full
designation include the yield strength. (In the EN/ISO specifications, the classification may indicate either yield or ultimate tensile strength).
When selecting a wire remember that the yield and ultimate tensile strengths are very close together in weld metal but can be widely separated in parent
metal. A filler metal that is selected because its yield strength matches that of the parent metal may not, therefore, match the parent metal on ultimate
tensile strength. This may cause the cross joint tensile specimens to fail during procedure qualification testing or perhaps in service.
The EN/ISO specification for non-alloyed steel solid wires is BS EN ISO 14341. This specification classifies wire electrodes in the as-welded condition and
in the post weld heat-treated condition, based on classification system, strength, Charpy-V impact strength, shielding gas and composition. The
classification utilises two systems based either on the yield strength (System A) or the tensile strength (System B):

System A - based on the yield strength and average impact energy of 47J of all-weld metal.

System B - based on the tensile strength and the average impact energy of 27J of all-weld metal.
In most cases, a given commercial product can be classified to both systems. Then either or both classification designations can be used for the product.
The symbolisation for mechanical properties is summarised in Table 1A for classification system A and Table 1B for classification system B. For
classification system B, the 'X' can be either 'A' or 'P', where 'A' indicates testing in the as-welded condition and 'P' indicates testing in the post weld heattreated condition. The symbol for chemical composition is summarised in Table 3A and 3B of BS EN ISO 14341 based on each classification system. For
classification system A, the standard lists eleven compositions, too many to describe completely here. Six of the wires are carbon steel with varying
amounts of deoxidants, two wires contain approximately 1% or 2.5% nickel and an additional two wires contain around 0.5% molybdenum. The
designation of these wires is for example G3Si1, 'G' identifying it as a solid wire, '3' as containing some 1.5% manganese and Si1 as containing around
0.8% silicon; G3Ni1 is a wire with approximately 1.5% manganese and 1% nickel.
Table 1A Symbols for mechanical properties based on classification system A

Min Yield Strength

N/mm2

Symbol

UTS
N/mm

Min Elongation
%

Symbol

Charpy-V Test 47 J at Temp C

35

355

440 to 570

22

No requirements

38

380

470 to 600

20

+20

42

420

500 to 640

20

46

460

530 to 680

20

-20

50

500

560 to 720

18

-30

-40

-50

-60

-70

-80

-90

10

-100

Table 1B Symbols for mechanical properties based on classification system B

Min Yield Strength

N/mm2

Symbol

UTS
N/mm

Min Elongation
%

Symbol

Charpy-V Test 27 J at Temp C

43X

330

430 to 600

20

No requirements

49X

390

490 to 670

18

+20

55x

460

550 to 740

17

57x

490

570 to 770

17

-20

-30

-40

-50

-60

-70

-80

-90

10
-100
A full designation could therefore be ISO 14341-A-G 46 5 M G3Si1 where the '-A' designates the classification system A, the '-G' designates solid wire
electrode/or deposits, and the 'M' designates a mixed gas. An example of a System B designation could be ISO 14341-B-G 49A 6 M G3, where 'A'
indicates testing in the as-welded condition.
The AWS specification AWS A5.18 covers both solid, composite stranded and cored wires comprising six carbon steel filler metals for MAG, TIG and
plasma welding in both US and metric units.

The classification commences with the letters 'E' or 'ER'. 'E' designates an electrode. 'ER' indicates that the filler metal may be used either as an electrode
or a rod. The next two digits designates the tensile strength in either 1000s of psi.(ksi) or N/mm 2 eg ER70 (70ksi UTS) or ER48 (480N/mm2 UTS).
However, note that there is only one strength level in the specification.
The next two characters identify the composition, essentially small variations in carbon, manganese and silicon contents, the wire type (solid wire (S) or
metal cored or composite wire (C)) and the Charpy-V impact values.
With one exception, the solid wires are tested using 100% CO2, the cored wires with argon/CO2 or as agreed between customer and supplier, in which
case there is a final letter 'C' designating CO2 or 'M', a mixed gas.
The permutations in these identifiers are too many and too complicated to be able to describe them all in sufficient detail but as an illustration, a typical
designation would be ER70S-3, a 70ksi filler metal, CO2 gas shielded and with minimum Charpy-V energy of 27J at -20C. E70C-3M identifies the wire as
a solid wire 70ksi UTS metal cored filler metal, 27J at -20C and tested with an argon/CO2 shielding gas.
The EN/ISO specification for non-alloy steel flux and metal cored wires is BS EN ISO 17632. This covers gas shielded as well as self-shielded wires. The
standard identifies electrode based on two systems in a similar way as BS EN ISO 14341, indicating the tensile properties and the impact properties of
the all-weld metal obtained with a given electrode. Although the specification claims that the wires are all non-alloy, they can contain molybdenum up to
0.6% and/or nickel up to 3.85%. The classification commences with the letter 'T', identifying the consumable as a cored wire.
The classification uses the same symbols for mechanical properties as shown in Table 1A&B and a somewhat similar method to describe the composition
as BS EN ISO 14341. Thus MnMo contains approximately 1.7% manganese and 0.5% molybdenum; 1.5Ni contains 1% manganese and 1.5% nickel. In
addition to the symbols for properties and composition, there are symbols for electrode core composition. Table 2 summarises the symbols for electrode
core type and welding position in accordance with classification system A. Classification system B uses Usability Indicators as oppose to a one-letter
symbol for electrode core type, which can be found in Table 5B of BS EN ISO 17632.
Table 2 Symbols for electrode core type and position based on classification system A
Flux Core
Symbol

Flux Core Type

Welding Position
Shielding Gas

Symbol

Welding position

Rutile, slow freezing slag

Required

All

Rutile, fast freezing slag

Required

All except V-down

Basic

Required

Flat butt, flat and HV fillet

Metal powder

Required

Flat butt and fillet

Rutile or basic/fluoride

Not required

V-down and (3)

Basic/fluoride, slow freezing slag

Not required

Basic/fluoride, fast freezing slag

Not required

Z
Other types
In addition, there are symbols for gas type. These are 'M' for mixed gases, 'C' for 100% CO 2 and 'N' for self-shielded wires and 'H' for hydrogen controlled
wires. A full designation may therefore be ISO 17632-A -T46 3 1Ni B M 1 H5 in accordance with classification system A. For classification system B, an
example may be ISO 17632-B -T55 4 T5-1MA-N2-UH5, where 'T5' is the usability designator, 'A' indicates test in the as-welded condition, 'N2' is the
chemical composition symbol, and 'U' is an optional designator.
The American Welding Society classification scheme for carbon steel flux cored wires is detailed in the specification AWS A5.36. This also contains
information from A5.18, but does not officially supercede it. The full designation is ten characters in length beginning 'E' for an electrode then designators
for strength, welding position, cored wire, usability, shielding gas, toughness, heat input limits and diffusible hydrogen, the last four designators being
optional.
There are two strength levels - E7 (70ksi UTS) and E6 (60ksi UTS) followed by a designator for welding position,'0' for flat and horizontal and '1' for all
positions, including vertical-up and vertical-down.
The next symbol 'T' identifies the wire as being flux cored and this is followed by either a number between 1 and 14 or the letter 'G' that identifies the
usability. This number refers to the recommended polarity, requirements for external shielding, and whether the wire can be used to deposit single or
multi-pass welds. 'G' means that the operating characteristics are not specified. The sixth letter identifies the shielding gas used for the classification, 'C'
being 100% CO2, 'M' for argon/CO2, no letter indicating a self-shielded wire.
The non-compulsory part of the designation may include the letter 'J', confirming that the all-weld metal test can give Charpy-V values of 27J at -40C;
the next designator may be either 'D' or 'Q'. These indicate that the weld metal will achieve supplementary mechanical properties at various heat inputs
and cooling rates. The final two designators identify the hydrogen potential of the wire.
A full AWS A5.36 designation could therefore be E71T-2M-JQH5. This identifies the wire as a cored, all positional wire to be used with argon/CO 2 shielding
gas on electrode positive polarity. The weld metal should achieve 70ksi tensile strength, 27J at -40C, 58 to 80ksi yield strength at high heat input, a
maximum 90ksi at low heat input, and a diffusible hydrogen content of less than 5ml of H2/100g of deposited weld metal.