Electrodes for stainless steel welding. Characteristics, marking, GOST, price

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

It should be said right away that the technology of welding with a metal such as stainless steel is a laborious process that requires certain knowledge. Depending on the technology chosen, various electrodes will be used for welding stainless steel.

MMA arc welding

Today, this type is the most common method used at home. When applying this type of work, two different types of electrodes are used for welding stainless steel.

The first type of electrode that is used for this type of welding is the basic coated one. The use of this type of consumable is possible only if the work is carried out with direct current and with reverse polarity. The main coating for these elements is calcium or magnesium carbonate.

The second type of electrodes for welding stainless steel has a rutile coating. Most often they are made of a material such as nitrogen dioxide. The use of this type of elements is possiblewhen working with both alternating current and direct current with reverse polarity.

Argon arc

This welding technology is most often used if there is a need to join together several stainless steel parts with a small thickness. Working with this type of tool involves the use of tungsten electrodes for welding stainless steel. It is also worth noting that the products received after completion of the work must meet the highest requirements for product quality. This type has found the widest distribution among the welding of gas, water and exhaust pipes made of stainless steel. It is also important to note that the technology for using this type of welding implies the presence of protective welding gases. To date, argon has been chosen as such a gas.

There is a little trick that will reduce the consumption of the electrode during operation. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to continue to supply argon for the next 12-15 seconds after the completion of the welding process. This is quite relevant, since the price of stainless steel electrodes starts at about 600 rubles per set. Separate elements can be bought at a price of 70-80 rubles and more.

Semi-automatic

This type of stainless steel welding is most often used when it is necessary to connect metal parts with a large thickness. The connection of these parts with wire is the most optimal, as it allows you to raiseprocess productivity by speeding up the work. If you are wondering how to cook stainless steel with an electrode using this technology, then you can get acquainted with argon-arc technology. These two types are practically the same, with one exception - in the semi-automatic mode, the wire is fed not manually, but mechanized.

Choice of electrodes

The disadvantage of stainless steel is that it welds much worse than other metals. For this reason, the choice of welding electrode for stainless steel is quite acute.

An element that is suitable for this type of work must meet the following requirements: high creep resistance, low thermal expansion, high elasticity number, durability and high thermal conductivity. Electrodes that meet all these requirements are made of tungsten, and their cross section is in the range from 3 to 5 mm. On the territory of the Russian Federation, the most common manufacturer of these consumables is ESAB. However, it is worth noting that if the main issue when buying is the price of a stainless steel electrode, then it is better to purchase elements of domestic production. The quality does not differ too much, but the cost will be much lower.

GOST electrodes

GOST 10052-75 is a state document that applies to all electrodes with a metal coating, andalso used for manual arc welding of corrosion resistant, heat resistant and heat resistant high alloy steels. Also, this document regulates all brands of elements that can be used.

GOST electrodes also establishes clear requirements for the chemical composition of the deposited metal and the hardness of the deposited metal at normal temperature.

Elements for stainless steel

In order to choose the right electrode for welding, it is very important to know a few of the following parameters:

• The first and most important indicator to know is the steel grade. It must be understood that in the EU, USA and CIS countries, the markings of high-alloy steel are different, and this must be taken into account.
• Also, the grade of the consumable should be selected according to the thickness of the stainless steel to be welded.
• The last important choice factor is the determination of the position in which the work will be carried out. This is important as most elements are only designed to work at a certain angle.

Marking electrodes on stainless steel

OK 63.30. This element allows the welding process to be carried out in any position. At the same time, it is characterized by average indicators, and the diameter of the consumable element is 3.2 mm.

1. OK 63.41. This brand of consumables allows you to work only in the lower position. The element itself can be of different diameters, but the most common diameter is 3 mm and above.
2. OK 61.30. This electrode is characterized by the fact that its carbon content is very low. The seam, which is obtained after welding in this way, is resistant to intergranular corrosion. The most common diameter of this brand is 2 mm.

It should be said that all the brands listed are produced by "ESAB".

Price

Of course, the first thing that determines the price of stainless steel electrodes is the manufacturer that produces the consumable item. You can save on the purchase of this material if you purchase electrodes from a domestic manufacturer. Also, to save money, you can purchase the product directly from the manufacturer or from its online store. The most affordable are those grades of elements that are intended for welding steel with a low carbon content. From foreign brands, they include such as: WT, ESAB, E3, WL. However, these electrodes also have Russian analogues of brands: EVCh, EVL, EVI, EVT.

These electrodes are characterized by not melting even when exposed to high temperatures, have a fairly high wear resistance parameter, and also have a low expansion value during exposure to temperatures.