General

Preheat is the application of heat to a joint immediately prior to welding and

is usually applied by either a gas torch or induction system, although other
methods can be used.
Preheat is used when welding steels for a number of reasons and it helps to
understand why it is often specified in the first place, one of the main
reasons is to assist in removing hydrogen from the weld.
Preheat temperatures for steel structures and pipe work are calculated by
taking into account the carbon equivalent (CEV) and thickness of the
material and the arc energy or heat input (kJ/mm) of the welding process.
Standards such as BS EN 1011: Recommendations for welding of metallic
materials for guidance on selection of preheat temperature ranges based on
CEV, material thickness, arc energy/heat input, and the lowest level of
diffusible hydrogen required.
The Visual/Welding Inspector would normally find the preheat temperature
for a particular application from the relevant WPS.
In general, thicker materials require higher preheat temperatures, but for a
given CEV and arc energy/heat input, they are likely to remain similar for
wall thickness up to approximately 20mm.

Definitions
Preheat temperature

The temperature of the work piece in the weld zone immediately before
any welding operation (including tack welding!).
Normally expressed as a minimum, but can also be specified as a range.

Interpass temperature

Is the temperature of the weld during welding and between passes in a

multirun weld and adjacent parent metal immediately prior to the
application of the next run.
Normally expressed as a maximum, but should not drop below the
minimum preheat temperature.

Preheat maintenance temperature

The minimum temperature in the weld zone which should be maintained

if welding is interrupted.
Should be monitored during interruption.

Rev 1 January 2009

Application and Control of Preheat
Copyright TWI Ltd 2009

Application of Preheat
Local

Global

Less energy required

Possible stresses due to
non-uniform heating

Gas/electric
oven

Preheat

Resistive heating
elements
Flame applied
preheat

Rev 1 January 2009

Application and Control of Preheat
Copyright TWI Ltd 2009

More energy required

Uniform heating no
additional stresses

HF heating
elements

Gas/electric ovens
Generally used for PWHT but can be used for large sections of material to
give a controlled and uniform preheat.
Resistive heating elements
Heating using electric current flowing through resistance coils.
High frequency heating elements
The heating effect is produced electrostatically, providing uniform heating
through a mass of material. Heat is generated by the agitation of the
molecules in the material when subjected to a high frequency field.
Flame applied preheat
Probably the most common method of applying preheat using either torches
or burners. Oxygen is an essential part of the preheating flame, as it
supports combustion, but the fuel gases can be acetylene, propane or
methane (natural gas).
With flame applied preheating sufficient time must be allowed for the
temperature to equalise throughout the thickness of the components to be
welded, otherwise only the surface temperature will be measured. The time
lapse will vary depending on the specification requirements.

Rev 1 January 2009

Application and Control of Preheat
Copyright TWI Ltd 2009

Control of Preheat and Interpass Temperature

When?
Immediately before passage of the arc
Where?
Work piece thickness (t)

t 50mm
A = 4 x t but maxium
50mm.
The temperature shall
be measured on the
surface of the work
piece facing the
welder.

t > 50mm

A = minimum 75mm
Where practicable, the
temperature is measured on the
face opposite to that being
heated.
Allow 2 min per 25mm of parent
metal thickness for temperature
equalisation

Interpass temperature is measured on the weld metal or the immediately

adjacent parent metal.

Rev 1 January 2009

Application and Control of Preheat
Copyright TWI Ltd 2009

Why?
Applying preheat has the following advantages:

It slows down the cooling rate of the weld and HAZ; reducing the risk of
hardened microstructures forming; allowing absorbed hydrogen more
opportunity of diffusing out, thus reducing the potential for cracking.
Removes moisture from the region of the weld preparation.
Improves overall fusion characteristics during welding.
Ensures more uniform expansion and contraction; lowering stresses
between weld and parent material.

Two dimensional heat flow

Three dimensional heat flow

Temperature indicating/measuring equipment.

Rev 1 January 2009
Application and Control of Preheat
Copyright TWI Ltd 2009

Temperature sensitive materials

Made of a special wax that melts at a specific temperature (Tempilstik )

or irreversible colour change (Thermochrome ).
Cheap, easy to use.
Doesnt measure the actual temperature.

Examples of temperature indicating crayons and paste.

Contact thermometer

Can use either a bimetallic strip or a thermistor (ie a temperaturesensitive resistor whose resistance varies inversely with temperature).
Accurate, gives the actual temperature.
Need calibration.
Used for moderate temperatures (up to 350C).

Examples of a contact thermometer.

Thermocouple

Based on measuring the thermoelectric potential difference between a

hot junction (placed on the weld) and a cold junction (reference junction).
Measures wide range of temperatures.
Accurate, gives the actual temperature.
Can be used also for continuous monitoring.

Rev 1 January 2009

Application and Control of Preheat
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Need calibration.

Examples of thermocouples

Optical or electrical devices for contactless measurement

Can be infra red or optical pyrometers.

Measure the radiant energy emitted by the hot body.
It can be used for remote measurements.
Very complex and expensive equipment.
Normally used for measuring high temperatures.

Example of contactless temperature measuring equipment.

Rev 1 January 2009

Application and Control of Preheat
Copyright TWI Ltd 2009

Summary
The Visual/Welding Inspector should refer to the WPS for both preheat and
interpass temperature requirements. If in any doubt as to where the
temperature measurements should be taken, the Senior Welding Inspector
or Welding Engineer should be consulted for guidance.
Both preheat and interpass temperatures are applied to slow down the
cooling rate during welding, avoiding the formation of brittle microstructures
(ie martensite) and thus preventing cold cracking.
Preheat temperatures can be calculated using different methods as
described in various standards (eg BS EN 1011-2, AWS D1.1, etc) and are
validated during the qualification of the welding procedure.
According to BS EN ISO 15614 and ASME IX both preheat and interpass
temperatures are considered to be essential variables, hence any change
outside the range of qualification requires a new procedure qualification.

Rev 1 January 2009

Application and Control of Preheat
Copyright TWI Ltd 2009