Effect of welding parameters and electrode condition on alloying enrichment of weld metal deposited with coated cellulosic electrodes

Manual welding with cellulosic electrodes is widely used. However, unexpectedly high weld metal alloy contents have been associated with weld metal hydrogen-assisted cracking. Lot-to-lot consumable variation may not always be the primary factor responsible for unexpected cases of highly alloyed weld metals. Therefore, the effect of welding parameters (arc length, welding current, and weld length) and conditions of the cellulosic electrode (as-received and dried) on alloying enrichment of deposited weld metals were evaluated. Arc length, weld length, and dried condition of the electrode have a primary effect on the chemical composition of deposited weld metals. Welding current has a secondary effect. Decreasing the arc length resulted in an increase of carbon level in the weld metal. A large increase in manganese and silicon in the weld metal resulted with increasing distance from the weld start point or the use of cellulosic electrodes in the dried condition. Alloying enrichment of the weld metals, as indicated by the carbon level and carbon equivalent, results in an increase in susceptibility of the weld metal to cracking.