Welding

Welding of WELDOX® and HARDOX®

The extreme performance of WELDOX structural steel plate and HARDOX wear plate is
combined with exceptional weldability. Any conventional welding method can be used
for welding these steels to any type of weldable steel.

This brochure is aimed at simplifying, improving and boosting the efficiency of the welding
process. It offers good advice on preheat and interpass temperatures, heat input, welding
consumables, shielding gas and a great deal more. The aim is to enable every user to gain
full benefit of the unique properties of WELDOX and HARDOX.
 Important parameters in welding

Clean the joint to remove foreign matter such as moisture and oil residue before welding. In addition
to good welding hygiene, the following items are important:

• Preheat and interpass temperature • Shielding gas

• Heat input • Weld sequence and gap size in the joint Note: Th
Further
• Welding consumables

Preheat and interpass temperatures

The right preheat and interpass temperature is important in order to avoid hydrogen cracking. Our
recommendations are given in the table on the next page.

Influence of alloying elements on the choice of preheat and interpass temperatures

A unique combination of alloying elements optimizes The alloying elements are specified in the inspection
the mechanical properties of WELDOX and HARDOX. certificate of the plate and are stated in percent by weight
This combination governs the preheat and interpass in these formulas. A higher carbon equivalent usually
temperature of the steel during welding, and can be used requires a higher preheat and interpass temperature.
to calculate the carbon equivalent value. The carbon Typical values of carbon equivalents are given in our
equivalent value is usually expressed as CEV or CET in product data sheets.
accordance with the equations below.

CEV= C+ Mn + (Mo+Cr+V) + (Ni+Cu) (%) CET= C+ (Mn + Mo) + (Cr+Cu) + Ni (%)

6 5 15 10 20 40

Hydrogen cracking Max

Due to their low carbon equivalents, WELDOX and HARDOX are better able to resist hydrogen
cracking than many other high strength steels. The risk of hydrogen cracking will be minimized if
our recommendations are followed.

Two rules for avoiding hydrogen cracking:

• Minimize the hydrogen content in and • Minimize the stresses in the weld joint
around the prepared joint
– Use the right preheat and interpass – Do not use welding consumables of a higher
temperature strength than is necessary
– Use welding consumables with a low – Arrange the weld sequence so that the
hydrogen content residual stresses are minimized
– Keep impurities out of the weld area – Set the gap in the joint to a maximum of 1/8"

The contents of this brochure represent general suggestions. SSAB Oxelösund AB accepts no responsibility for their suitability in * The co
4 individual cases. The user is therefore responsible to make the necessary adaptations to the conditions in each individual case. ** Interp
 Preheat and interpass temperatures for WELDOX and HARDOX
P
Th lowest preheat and interpass temperature during welding is shown in the chart below. Unless otherwise
The
stated, these values are applicable for welding with unalloyed and low alloyed welding consumables.
st
• When plates of different thicknesses, but of the same steel grade are welded together, the thickest plate
determines the required preheat and interpass temperature.
• When different steel types are welded together, the plate requiring the highest preheat temperature
determines the required preheat and interpass temperature.

Note: The table is applicable to single plate thickness when welding with a heat input of 43 kJ/inch.
Further information on single plate thickness can be found in TechSupport #61 at www.ssabox.com.

175°F 225°F

175°F 225°F

225°F
175°F

175°F 275°F

225°F

225°F 275°F

175°F 225°F 350°F 400°F

275°F 300°F

350°F 400°F

275°F 350°F 400°F

300°F 350°F

225°F

Maximum recommended interpass temperature

t1=t2 (dimensions in mm)
The single plate thickness in
the table is t1 or t2, provided
that the same steel type is
used.

t1=t2 (dimensions in mm)

The single plate thickness in
the table is t1 or t2, provided
that the same steel type is
used.

t1<t2 (dimensions in mm)

In this case, the single
plate thickness in the table
is t2, provided that the
same steel type is used.

* The consumable determines the preheating temperature if its carbon equivalent is higher than that of the plate.
** Interpass temperatures of up to approx. 750°F can be used in certain cases for WELDOX 700-960 and for HARDOX HiTuf. In such cases, use WeldCalc. 5
 If the ambient humidity is high or the temperature is The information is based on the assumption that the
below 40°F, the lowest recommended preheat tempe- welded joint is allowed to cool in air.
ratures given on the previous page should be increased
by 80°F. This also applies to firmly clamped weld joints Note that these recommendations also apply to tack
and if the heat input is 25 kJ/inch. welds and root runs. Each of the tack welds should be
at least 2" long. The distance between tack welds can
The lowest recommended preheat and interpass tem- be varied as required.
peratures in the chart on the previous page are not
affected at heat inputs higher than 43 kJ/inch.

Attaining and measuring the preheat and interpass temperature

The required preheat and interpass temperature can be provide uniform heating of the area. The temperature
achieved in several ways. Electric preheater elements should be monitored by using, for example, a contact
around the prepared joint are often best, since they thermometer.

Measure the preheat

temperature here

3"

Intended
weld joint

Measure the temperature of the thickest plate in the joint.

Iff the
h plate
l is 1" thick,
h k measure the h temperature 2 minutes
after heating. If the plate is 1/2" thick, measure the tem-
perature after 1 minute, etc. The interpass temperature
can be measured in the weld metal or in the immediately
adjacent parent metal.

Using preheater elements

6
 Heat input

Welding with the recommended heat input results in good mechanical properties in the heat affected
zone (HAZ).

The heat supplied by the welding process affects the Different methods of welding have varying thermal
mechanical properties of the welded joint. This is efficiency (k). See the table below for approximate
described by the heat input (Q) that can be calculated values of this property.
using the formula below.

k x U x I x 60 Thermal efficiency k
Q =
v x 1000
Q = Heat input [kJ/inch] SMAW 0.8
U = Voltage [V] All types of GMAW and FCAW 0.8
I = Current [A] SAW 1.0
v = Welding speed [inch/min] GTAW 0.6
k = Thermal efficiency

Effects of heat input on a weld joint

• Better toughness
• Increased strength
• Reduced deformation Reduced heat input Increased heat input • Higher productivity for
conventional welding
• Lower residual stresses
methods
• Narrower HAZ

7
 Our recommendations for WELDOX structural steels are based on typical values for toughness in the HAZ being at
least 20 Ft Lbs at -40°F. The demands on toughness in the weld joints in HARDOX wear plate are often lower. The
recommendations for HARDOX should therefore be regarded as approximate values.

100

87.5

75

62.5

50

37.5

25

12.5

0.0

8
Welding at higher elevated temperatures

Higher elevated temperatures that may occur, for instance in multipass weld joints, affect the recommended heat input.
The figure below shows the recommended heat inputs for joint temperatures of 275°F and 350°F.

The WeldCalc computer program can be used for preheat and interpass temperatures above 350°F. WeldCalc has
been developed at SSAB Oxelösund by our world leading experts on the welding of heavy plate. The program can be
ordered free of charge at www.ssabox.com.

9
 Welding consumables

Unalloyed, low alloyed and stainless steel consumables can be used for the welding of WELDOX and
HARDOX.

Strengths of unalloyed and low alloyed welding consumables

The strength of the welding consumables should be used for the remainder of the passes. This technique
selected in accordance with the figure on the next can increase both the toughness and the resistance
page. Using low-strength consumables can offer several to hydrogen cracking. The carbon equivalent value
benefits, such as higher toughness of the weld metal, of consumables with a yield strength >100 ksi (700
higher resistance to hydrogen cracking and lower MPa) may be higher than that of the plates. When
residual stresses in the weld joint. In multipass joints there are different recommended preheat temperatu-
in WELDOX 700 – 1300, it is particularly beneficial res for the joint materials and the consumables, then
to weld with consumables of different strengths. Tack the highest value should be used. HARDOX should
welds and the first passes are welded with low strength be welded with low strength consumables as shown
consumables and then high strength consumables are in the figure on the following page.

welding consumables with higher strength

welding consumables with lower strength

Hydrogen content of unalloyed and low alloyed welding consumables

The hydrogen content should be lower than or equal to Examples of consumables are given at www.ssabox.com
5 ml of hydrogen per 100 g of weld metal when welding in the publication TechSupport #60. If consumables are
with unalloyed or low alloyed welding consumables. stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s recom-
Solid wires used in GMAW and GTAW welding can pro- mendations, the hydrogen content will be maintained
duce these low hydrogen contents in the weld metal. The at the intended level. This applies, above all, to coated
hydrogen content for other types of welding consumables consumables and fluxes.
can best be obtained from the respective manufacturer.

10
11
 Stainless steel welding consumables

Consumables of austenitic stainless steels can be used for hot cracking better than AWS 309. It should be noted
the welding of all our products. They allow welding at that manufacturers seldom specify the hydrogen content
room temperature (70°F) without preheating, excluding of stainless steel consumables, since hydrogen does not
HARDOX 600, as shown in the chart. We recommend affect the performance as much as it does in unalloyed
giving first preference to consumables in accordance and low alloyed consumables. Suggestions for various
with AWS 307 and second preference to those in accor- stainless steel consumables are given at www.ssabox.com
dance with AWS 309. The AWS 307 type can withstand in the publication TechSupport #60.

Hard facing

Hard facing with special consumables increases the wear for WELDOX and HARDOX steels. Stainless steel
resistance of welded joints. Both the instructions for the consumables in accordance with AWS 307 and AWS 309
consumables used and the ordinary recommendations should preferably be used for the buffer layer.
for WELDOX and HARDOX should be followed.

It is beneficial to weld a buffer layer with extra high

toughness between the ordinary welded joint or plate
and the hard facing. The choice of consumables for the
buffer layer should follow the welding recommendations

12
 Shielding gas

The choice and mixture of shielding gases is dependent on the welding situation and AR and CO2 are
the most commonly used.

Effects of various shielding gas mixtures

• Facilitates striking of the arc • Stable arc

• Reduced spatter • Low porosity
Ar (inert gas) Ar/CO2 (active gas) CO2
• Low amount of oxides • More weld spatter/clogging
of the welding nozzle
• High penetration of the
weld metal

Examples of shielding gas mixtures are given below.

Welding method Arc type Shielding gas (weight %)

GMAW, solid wire Short arc Ar + 15-25 % CO2
GMAW, metal cored wire
GMAW, solid wire Spray arc Ar + 8-25 % CO2
GMAW, metal cored wire
FCAW Short arc Ar + 15-25 % CO2, or pure CO2
FCAW Spray arc Ar + 8-25 % CO2
All types of GMAW and FCAW All arc types Ar + 15-25 CO2
GTAW Pure Ar

In all welding methods based on shielding gas, the flow of shielding gas is dependent on the welding situation.
A general guideline is that the shielding gas flow in l/min should be set to the same value as the inside diameter
of the nozzle measured in mm.

Weld sequences and gap size

To avoid hydrogen cracks in the welded joint:

• The starting and stopping sequences should not be
located in a corner. If possible, the starting and
stopping procedures should be at least 2 – 4 inches
from a corner.
• The gap in the weld joint should be a maximum
of 1/8".

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 Welding on the WELDOX and HARDOX primer

Welding can be carried out directly on the excellent

WELDOX and HARDOX primer, due to its low zinc
content.

The primer can easily be brushed or ground away in

the area around the joint. Removing the primer prior
to welding can be beneficial, as it can minimize the
porosity in the weld and can facilitate welding in
positions other than the horizontal.

If the primer is left on the weld preparation, the poro-

sity of the weld metal will be slightly increased. The
GMAW welding process with flux cored wire and the
SMAW welding process offer the lowest porosity.

As in all welding operations good ventilation must be

maintained, then the primer will not have a harmful
effect on the welder and his surroundings.

For further information, download TechSupport #25

from www.ssabox.com.

For best possible results, the primer can be removed.

Post weld heat treatment

HARDOX HiTuf and WELDOX 700-960 can be stress relieved by post weld heat treatment, although this is seldom
necessary. Other WELDOX and HARDOX steels should not use this method for stress relieving, since this may impair
the mechanical properties.

For further information, see the Welding Handbook from SSAB Oxelösund. This can be ordered at www.ssabox.com.

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 11-Welding-US-V1-2007, Charlotte Bäckström, Österbergs & Sörmlandstryck, Nyköping Art nr 5284131
SSAB Oxelösund – a subsidiary of SSAB Swedish Steel Group
– is the world’s leading manufacturer of quenched and tempered
heavy plate, marketed under the well known brand names
of HARDOX® Wear Plate, WELDOX® Structural Steel Plate,
ARMOX® Protection Plate and TOOLOX® Prehardened Tool &
Machine Steel. The steels are characterized by the combination
of high strength and toughness, derived from the clean steel
composition and a unique production process.

SSAB Oxelösund focuses exclusively on developing quenched

and tempered steels. With a strong local presence in more than
45 countries we provide our customers with high quality steel
as well as commercial and technical support.

For more information, contact us or visit www.ssabox.com.

SSAB Oxelösund
SE-613 80 Oxelösund
Sweden

Phone: +46 155-25 40 00

Fax: +46 155-25 40 73
E-mail: [email protected]

www.ssabox.com
www.hardox.com
www.weldox.com