PREPARED BY VINOD BHAGAT (LECTURER IN SHIP BUILDING ENGG.

State the function of the flux coating on shield arc electrode? (nov1999)
(1) These electrodes produce a reducing gas shield around the arc. This prevents atmospheric oxygen or nitrogen from contaminating the weld metal. The oxygen readily combines with the molten metal, removing alloying elements and causing porosity. Nitrogen causes brittleness, low ductility, and in Some cases low strength and poor resistance to corrosion. (2) They reduce impurities such as oxides, sulfur, and phosphorus so that these impurities will not impair the weld deposit. (3) They provide substances to the arc which increase its stability. This eliminates wide fluctuations in the voltage so that the arc can be maintained without excessive spattering. (4) By reducing the attractive force between the molten metal and the end of the electrodes, or by reducing the surface tension of the molten metal, the vaporized and melted coating causes the molten metal at the end of the electrode to break up into fine, small particles. (5) The coatings contain silicates which will form a slag over the molten weld and base metal. Since the slag solidifies at a relatively slow rate, it holds the heat and allows the underlying metal to cool and solidify slowly. This slow solidification of the metal eliminates the entrapment of gases within the weld and permits solid impurities to float to the surface. Slow cooling also has an annealing effect on the weld deposit. (6) The physical characteristics of the weld deposit are modified by incorporating alloying materials in the electrode coating. The fluxing action of the slag will also produce weld metal of better quality and permit welding at higher speeds.

What are the precaution taken for storage of welding electrode?

Utmost care is required in handling and storage of electrodes. Electrode coating should neither get damped nor be damaged or broken. 1. Electrodes with damp coating will produce a violent arc, porosity and cracks in the joint. Electrodes with damaged coating will produce joints of poor mechanical properties. 2. To avoid damage to coating, (a) electrodes during storage should neither bend nor deflect, (b) electrode packets should not be thrown or piled over each other. 3. Electrodes should be stored in dry and well-ventilated store rooms. Storage temperature should be about 12C above that of external air temperature with 0-60% humidity. Cellulose electrodes are not so critical but they should be protected against condensation and stored in a humidity of 0-90%. 4. Before use the electrodes may be dried as per manufacturer's recommendations e.g. BS : E 616 H or IS : M 616478H electrodes may be dried at 150C for 1 hour before use. 5. All electrodes, and especially costlier ones, should be used till they are left hardly 40-50 mm. 6. Electrodes should preferably be retained in original (manufacturer's) packing for identification. Loss of identity of electrodes can waste a lot of time in recognising them correctly.

PREPARED BY VINOD BHAGAT (LECTURER IN SHIP BUILDING ENGG.)

What are deep penetration electrode? Explain main function of iron powder electrode.
DEEP PENETRATION ELECTRODES These electrodes are used to get deep penetration in the joints. Deep penetration occurs because of the very strong stream of gas produced by burning of the cellulosic materials in the flux coating. Butt joint on heavy sections are welded without edge preparations The depth of penetration will be equal to the core wire diameter of the electrode CONTACT ELECTRODES (IRON POWDER) These electrodes contain a large amount of iron powder in their coatings. The iron ignites very easily. These electrodes are also called Touch Type Electrode&. While using this type of electrodes a large amount of weld metal is deposited.

Write a short notes on non consumable electrode?

Non Consumable or Refractory Electrodes - They are made up of high Melting, point materials like carbon (MP 6700F), pure tungsten (MP 6150F) or alloy tungsten. These electrodes do not melt away during welding. They maintain the arc which melts the base metal (as in TIG and carbon arc welding). Strictly speaking, these electrodes cannot be called non consumable. The electrode length goes on decreasing with the passage of time, because of vaporization and oxidation of the electrode material during welding. In welding processes using refractory electrodes, filler metal addition mayor may not be needed, depending upon the plate thickness and the type of joint. First amongst the non-consumable electrodes are copper coated carbon or graphite electrodes. Copper coating increases the electrical conductivity or current conducting capacity of the electrodes. A comparison of carbon and graphite electrodes is given below. Carbon Electrodes 1. Less expensive. 2. Carry less current. 3. Long life. 4. Arc control is comparatively difficult. 5. Material is hard and brittle. 6. Lesser electrical resistance. Graphite Electrodes 1. Comparatively costlier 2. Carry larger currents as compared to carbon electrodes. 3. Short life. 4. Simpler arc control.

PREPARED BY VINOD BHAGAT (LECTURER IN SHIP BUILDING ENGG.)

5. Soft material. 6. Higher electrical resistance. Carbon or graphite electrodes ranging from 2 mm to 15 mm are employed for welding purposes. Next amongst non-consumable electrodes are, those of pure tungsten, (1 or 2%) thoriated or (0.3-0.5%) zirconiated tungsten electrodes. Alloying pure tungsten increases emissivity, resistance to contamination, arc stability, and electrode life. In addition, arc initiation is easier, electrode tip remains cooler (as compared to pure tungsten electrode), electrode consumption is less and there is a gain in current carrying capacity. As compared to carbon electrodes, tungsten electrodes are much more expensive and alloy tungsten electrodes are still more costly. Tungsten/alloy tungsten electrodes ranging from 0.5 mm to 6 mm diameter are commonly available for welding purposes. Tungsten and alloy tungsten electrodes should preferably be used on DCSP, and where it becomes essential to use the electrode on DCRP (as in the welding of aluminium) electrode overheating is minimized by keeping currents low. In certain cases, with AC welding, zirconiated electrodes give better results. Contamination of weld metal by tungsten, and consumption of costly tungsten electrode, both are undesirable. The electrode loss and consumption can be minimized by working on straight polarity, using optimum arc current and arc length with an electrode of suitable diameter. Arc should preferably be struck by using a H.F. unit, electrode tip should not touch the molten weld pool, and electrode should remain in the blanket of inert shielding gas till it cools down. Tungsten and alloy tungsten electrodes being expensive need proper care and maintenance for better functioning.

How are the electrode classified? or How are the electrode are classified as per AWS? or Explain the AWS system of classifying and coding of mild steel and low alloy steel electrodes
Welding Electrode Classification by American AWS-ASTM System

PREPARED BY VINOD BHAGAT (LECTURER IN SHIP BUILDING ENGG.)

E XX XX or E 60 1 2 E XXX XX or E 100 15 Letter E signifies that electrode is suitable for metal (electric) arc welding. XX/XXX First two or three digits indicate minimum tensile strength of weld metal in thousands of pounds per sq. inch, e.g. 60,000 and 100,000 lbs/sq. inch. Other values of XX and XXX are 45, 70, 80, 90 and 120. Last but one digit indicates the welding position. It can be represented by numbers like 1, 2 and 3 which indicate that welding can be carried out in any position, flat and horizontal positions, and flat position respectively. Last digit which may be 0, 1, 2, 3, 5 or 6 tells about power (2): supply, type of covering, type of arc, penetration characteristics, etc. (a) Electrode is meant for metal (electric) arc welding, (b) It possesses a minimum tensile strength of 60,000 pounds per Square inch, (c) It can weld satisfactorily in all positions, (d) Electrode covering has a high titania (rutile) content, is bounded with sodium silicate, can be operated on DCSP or AC, produces medium penetration, heavy slag, a convex weld bead appearance and a medium quality weld deposition.

PREPARED BY VINOD BHAGAT (LECTURER IN SHIP BUILDING ENGG.)

Explain in brief the method of manufacture and storage of electrodes

DIPPING METHOD: Flux will be prepared like paste in a container. Then the core wire is being dipped into the flux. The coating obtained by this method on the core wire is not uniform resulting in non-uniform melting, hence this method is not popular. EXTRUSION METHOD: This is being done automatically from a machine called Extrusion pres&. In this method the straightened wire is fed into the extrusion press where the coating is applied on the core wire under pressure. The coating thus obtained on the core wire is uniform and concentric resulting in uniform melting of the electrode. This method is used by all the electrode manufacturers.

Explain IS system of classifying and coding of MS electrodes with suitable examples ?

Welding Electrode Classification by Indian (IS) System LXXXXX 1st 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Example: E307411 Various digits and letters indicate the following: 1st Letter -It can be E or R. E indicates that electrode is solid extruded and R means an electrode extruded with reinforcement. 1st Digit - It indicates the Glass of covering. It can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 9 and has the meaning same as that of the first digit of British system, discussed earlier. 2nd Digit - It indicates the positions in which electrode can weld satisfactorily. Second digit may be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 9. 0 and 1 signify that the electrode can be used for welding in all positions, and in flat, horizontal, overhead and vertical positions respectively. 4 indicates flat and horizontal fillet positions. 2, 3 and 9 have the same meaning as in British standard.

3rd Digit - It has the same meaning as that of the third digit of British standard, except that the open circuit voltage is 90 in place of 95 volts, and 50 instead of 45. 4th and - They indicate range of tensile strength and value of minimum 5th Digit yield stress., e.g. 41 (fourth and fifth digits) and 51 mean that tensile strength ranges from 410-510 and 510-610 N/mm2 and minimum yield stress is 330 and 360 N/mm2 respectively. 6th Digit - It tells percentage elongation and impact value. Last - P indicates a deep penetration electrode, H hydrogen control

PREPARED BY VINOD BHAGAT (LECTURER IN SHIP BUILDING ENGG.)

Letter led electrode, and J, K, L indicate electrodes with iron powder coating and metal recovery 110130%,130-150% and above 150%, respectively. Example: E 307411 means (a) It is a solid extruded electrode. (b) Its covering contains appreciable amount of titanium a fluid slag. (c) It is all position electrode, (d) It can be operated on DCRP, DCSP or AC with a power source having, open circuit voltage 50 volts, (e) Weld metal tensile strength ranges between 410 and 510 N/mm2 and minimum yield stress is 330 N/mm2. (10 N/mm2 = 1.02 kgf/mm2). (f) Minimum percentage elongation of weld metal (in tension) is 20% of 5.65 S0 and impact value of weld metal at 27C is 4.8 kgf m (or 47 J). Where S0 is the cross section area of the specimen being tested.

Write a short note on storage of electrode?

Electrodes are expensive; therefore, the loss or de-terioration through improper handling or storage can become very costly. Always store them in a dry place at room temperature with 50-percent maximum relative humidity. Moisture causes the coating on electrodes to disintegrate and fall off. Low-hydrogen rods are especially sensitive to moisture. After removing these rods from their original packaging, you should store them in a storage space maintained at a temperature between 250F to 400F. Portable or stationary drying ovens are used to store and preserve electrodes at specified tem-peratures. Care should be taken when handling electrodes because bumping or dropping them can cause the coatings to fall off, rendering the rod useless.

Distinguish between low hydrogen and ructile coated electrodes? or Give three differences between ructile coated and cellulosic coated MMAW electrodes? or What is low hydrogen electrode? Explain its advantages over other types of electrodes

PREPARED BY VINOD BHAGAT (LECTURER IN SHIP BUILDING ENGG.)

Rutile Electrodes In this type, about 35% in weight of the coating is titanium dioxide (TiO2) facilitates arc ignition, makes it possible to work with a soft arc and reduces spatter. This electrode type is used for general purposes where good welding properties are required. This is the universal electrode which may perform welding in every position, using AC or DC current. The main properties of rutile type electrodes are as follows: - Suitable mechanical properties of weld metal, - Weld beam profile with good appearance due to slag properties, - Ability to perform welding in all position, - Easy slag removal Rutile electrodes can have different coating thicknesses. The molten weld metal is carried into the work piece through the arc in the form of drops that become thinner as the coating becomes thick; the coating thickness positively affects the mechanical properties of the weld. This type of coating forms a fast-freezing slag that completely covers the weld beam; it is rather thick and brownish black. The properties of the slag depend on the amount and type of the substances that make up the coating. Basic (Low Hydrogen - Lime Coated) Electrodes The coating of this type of electrode consist of calcium fluoride plus calcium and other alkaline carbonates. The coating is mostly thick. These substances make to slag more viscose and fast freezing, thus unabling overhead and overhead and vertical position applications. Basic electrodes are baked at 400-500 C during production. As the coating is hygroscopic these electrodes should be stored in dry place. Before usage, basic electrodes should be redried for 30 minutes at a minimum of 250 C. This type of electrodes is preferred when welding medium and thick steel plates that require high strength, high welding quality and high crack resistance. Basic electrode are mainly used in the heavy machinery and equipment industries, such as ship building, boiler and pressure vessels, and steel constructions subjected to dynamic loads. Main applications for basic electrodes: - Welding of unalloyed or low alloyed steels with unknown composition, - Welding of steels with a high content of carbon, sulphur, phosphorus and nitrogen, - Welding of steels having different carbon contents, - Welding of thick-sections, - Welding of machinery, equipment and structures that work under temperatures below 0 C,

PREPARED BY VINOD BHAGAT (LECTURER IN SHIP BUILDING ENGG.)

- Welding of structures where high strength is required against dynamic stresses, - Welding of rigid constructions. In this type of electrode, the transfer of the filler metal form the arc to weld pool is in the form of medium sized drops; the slag colour changes from brown to black and is less easily cleaned than the slag of other electrodes. When welding, basic electrodes are generally connected to the positive pole with DC. Some types of basic electrodes can also be used with AC. During the welding operation, rutile and acid coated electrodes, should be held at a 45 angle with respect to the surface of the work piece. For basic electrodes this angle should be 85-90. Cellulosic Electrodes The coating of these electrodes contains organic materials that turn into gases in the arc. About 30% of the coating weight is cellulose. In some countries, paper pulp and wood powder are added to the coating in certain ratios to reduce the amount of pure cellulose. These organic compounds in the coating decompose in the arc to from carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, which increase the arc tension and thus, the welding arc becomes stronger and harder. Compared with other types of electrodes, with the same current values, a 70% deeper penetration is obtained with cellulosic electrodes. This type of electrode is generally produced with thin or medium coating thick nesses. When the coating is thin, a light amount of slag is formed on the welding beam and the spatter loss is high. On the other hand, the gap filling and vertical down welding capability as well as penetration of the weld obtained by this electrode is good. Since this electrode can be used in every position (particularly in vertical down), it has a wide range of applications in the ship building industry and in the welding of pipelines with a wall thickness of less than 12.5 mm. The cellulose that burns during welding forms a very good protective gaseous atmosphere. The main features of cellulosic electrodes are as follows: - Deep penetrating welding in every position, - Vertical down welding capability, - Weld metal with good mechanical properties. The titanium compounds in the coating provide arc stability as well as help clean the slag easily. Adding a certain amount of ferromanganese to the coating makes it possible to compensate for the manganese that is lost through oxidation during welding and to deoxidize the weld pool. Since these electrodes are generally manufactured using a sodium silicate binder, they can best be used with DC(+).

PREPARED BY VINOD BHAGAT (LECTURER IN SHIP BUILDING ENGG.)

Write a short notes on selection of electrodes?

Selection of a right kind of electrode for a particular application is very important to achieve desired properties in the welded joints. The choice of an electrode depends on the following factors (a) Chemical composition of the base metal. In order to keep weld metal homogeneity the electrode should have chemical composition more or less g 3 similar to that of the plate to be welded. (b) Thickness of work piece the values of electrode diameters for welding steel plates of different thicknesses. Preferably, electrode diameter should be less than the plate thickness. (c) Nature of electrode coating (cellulose, rutile, low hydrogen etc.), arc behaviour and metal losses due to volatilisation and spatter. (d) Positions (flat, horizontal, vertical, overhead), in which welding is to be carried out.(e) Type of joint (lap, butt, fillet, etc.) and number of runs. (f) Type of power source (AC or DC) available. (g) Type of polarity (DCSP, DCRP). (h) Weld bead geometry and the shape of the weld bead surface (flat, convex etc.). (i) Amount of weld metal to be deposited and deposition efficiency of the electrode. (j) Surface finish and quality of weld metal. (k) Mechanical and other properties required in the welded joint. (l) Cost of the electrode
Function of various ingredient in flux coating?

The coatings of electrodes for welding mild and low alloy steels may have from 6 to 12 ingredients, which include 1. Cellulose to provide a gaseous shield with a reducing agent in which the gas shield surrounding the arc is produced by the disintegration of cellulose. 2. Metal carbonates to adjust the basicity of the slag and to provide a reducing atmosphere. 3. Titanium dioxide to help form a highly fluid, but quick-freezing slag and to provide ionization for the arc. 4. Ferromanganese and ferrosilicon to help deoxidize the molten weld metal and to supplement the manganese content and silicon content of the deposited weld metal; 5. Clays and gums to provide elasticity for extruding the plastic coating material and to help provide strength to the coating. 6. Calcium fluoride to provide shielding gas to protect the arc, adjust the basicity of the slag, and provide fluidity and solubility of the metal oxides; 7. Mineral silicates to provide slag and give strength to the electrode covering; 8. Alloying metals including nickel, molybdenum, and chromium to provide alloy content to the deposited weld metal. 9. Iron or manganese oxide to adjust the fluidity and properties of the slag and to help stabilize the arc. 10. Iron powder to increase the productivity by providing extra metal to be deposited in the weld.

PREPARED BY VINOD BHAGAT (LECTURER IN SHIP BUILDING ENGG.)