Compositional Aspects of Cellulosic Electrodes Used for Welding Pipelines

The mechanical properties and compositional limits of line pipe for all major pipeline projects are subject to stringent project specific specifications and have substantial user input. The standards for welding electrodes do not have the same level of user involvement and permit significant latitude in terms of alloy design despite the fact that it is known the original electrode design can be markedly altered by elemental transfer as a result of changes in welding parameters and also the condition of the electrodes prior to welding. Several commercially available E8010 consumables have been evaluated under simulated field welding conditions. In addition, the influence of welding arc length and electrode conditioning were investigated. Significant variations in microstructure, hardness and Charpy impact toughness were noted and appear to be primarily related to the final chemical composition of the deposited weld metal. The weld metal carbon equivalent values ranged from 0.20 to 0.42 and all consumables contained additions of Ti and B in the flux coating which resulted in significant levels of B in the final deposited weld metal. It is recommended that the appropriate standards relating to the production and performance of cellulosic consumables be addressed to ensure complete disclosure of consumable formulations to the end user.