Consumable welding electrode, a method for electric welding slag - - - - weld material and electrode slag

摘要

A consumable welding electrode, a method of electroslag welding using such an electrode, and an electroslag weld deposit produced by the use of the welding electrode and welding method of the invention. The welding electrode, while not restricted thereto, has particular utility for use in the electroslag welding of high tensile strength members formed of low alloy steels of the family of steels which includes American Society of Testing Materials designation ASTM A516-76. The welding electrode has a chemical composition in which the carbon content and contaminants have been reduced to the very minimum possible, resulting in greater impact strength of the electroslag weld deposit. The welding electrode includes constituents of manganese, silicon, nickel and iron. The nickel and manganese content of the electrode are so proportioned as to compensate for loss of tensile strength in the electroslag weld deposit which would otherwise be caused by the minimal carbon content of the welding electrode, this proportioning of the nickel and manganese content of the welding electrode also maximizing impact strength and ductility of the weld deposit. When the electrode of the invention is used for the electroslag welding of low alloy, high tensile strength steel members, such as steels of the ASTM A516-76 family, the resulting electroslag weld deposit has a characteristic microstructure resulting in good tensile strength, high impact strength, and good ductility characteristics over a wide range of dilution of the weld deposit by the base metal, all without the necessity of an expensive and energy-consuming post-weld "normalizing" heat treatment as has been required in the prior art.