Smaw core wire

By - Date 09-29-2005 17:40

Mike
What type steel (stainless, carbon steel, etc.) are you talking about?

By swnorris (****)

Date 09-29-2005 20:46

In most cases, the actual core wire should have the same composition as the metal to be welded. The coating provides one or more of the following: gas to shield the arc and prevent contamination of the weld area, fluxing agents to clean the weld area, a slag blanket to protect the hot welded metal from the atmosphere, a means for mixing two or more metals (alloying) to change the mechanical properties of the weld metal, and it establishes the electrical characteristics of the electrode.

By - Date 09-29-2005 21:08

In stainless steel, the core wire is usually 304, with the alloying agents incorporated in the flux. I.E., a 316 electrode will have the core as being regular 304 and the flux will have the chemistry that makes it a 316. It's all in the flux.

By MBSims

Date 09-30-2005 02:40

If you are asking about the core wire for AWS A5.1 or A5.5 carbon steel or low alloy steel covered electrodes, the core wire is typically a AISI 1005 or 1008 mild steel. The elements present would be as follows:

AISI 1005
C Max 0.06
Fe 99.5 - 100
Mn Max 0.35
P Max 0.04
S Max 0.05

AISI 1008
C Max 0.1
Fe 99.31 - 99.7
Mn 0.3 - 0.5
P Max 0.04
S Max 0.05

You should note that, other than the Mn, there are no deoxidizing elements present that would typically be found in GTAW filler metals, such as Si, Al, Ti or Zr. The same core wire is used for CrMo covered electrodes also.

By madmanmike650 Date 09-30-2005 06:10

thanks alot everybody, that was i needed to know, i just couldnt fine a reference that talked about core wire