Selecting welding wire for gas welding of various alloys

Home / Consumables

Back

Reading time: 3 min

1

2394

The welding wire used in acetylene gas welding is made by many manufacturers.

The products are presented in the form of filler rods and drawn wire, with or without a sheath of non-ferrous alloys, and metal granules.

Welding material is available in the following types:

• activated - reduces spattering, improves seam quality;
• powder - allows you to obtain a seam with a composition similar to the elements being welded;
• solid section - used in the form of filler rods.

The materials allow you to work with any type of metal.

However, the diameter of the wire must not only correspond to the thickness of the product being welded, but also be similar to its chemical composition.

The material examines some types of welding material used in the process of welding and surfacing of products made of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

• Wire for steel
• Welding of aluminum and copper alloys
• Welding cast iron
• Nuances of use

Wire for welding steels

Most often, filler wire is purchased in stores for gas welding of steels. Note that this wire is manufactured according to the same standards as for arc welding. Therefore, there is no difference between wire for gas and for RDS welding. For ordinary welding of most types of steel, wire made from low-carbon and alloy steel is used. For welding critical and especially critical structures, it is recommended to use low-alloy wire.

If you need to achieve the best quality of welds or surfacing seams, then use manganese and silicon-manganese wires. These include brands Sv-08GS, Sv-08GA, Sv-08G2S, Sv-10G2. When using these brands, the seams are strong and reliable. They are resistant to mechanical damage.

When working with low-alloy steel, purchase the same low-alloy wire, but with chromium content. The resulting seams have a high tensile strength. But when welding high-alloy steel, wire should be selected with a similar chemical composition.

Rating of quality welding wire brands for 2022

Our list is compiled based on real reviews, it takes into account the opinions of customers who are familiar with the characteristics of the products.

Solid section

Elitech 0606.010000

5th place goes to the copper-plated model “Elitech 0606.010000”, used by semi-automatic welding machines (“MIG-MAG”) with shielding gas. The cord is made of strong, high-quality steel, providing excellent performance. Wire diameter - 0.8 mm, weight 1 kg.

The protective copper layer protects the product from oxidation, improves the conductivity of electric current, and reduces the consumption of tips. "Elitech 0606.010000" is wound on a plastic bobbin, improving the welder's productivity.

Elitech 0606.010000

Technical indicators:

Advantages:

• does not boil;
• fits well;
• ergonomic packaging.

Flaws:

• not detected.

ELKRAFT ER5356

4th place - for the aluminum cord "ELKRAFT ER5356", its diameter is 0.8 mm, weight - 2 kg, the product is placed on a reel (20 cm). The wire is used for semi-automatic welding of aluminum-magnesium alloys, metal structures containing > 3% "Mg": AlMg3, AlMg4, AlMg5, AlMg6, similar mixtures. Welding is used using direct current (DC plus), the shielding gas is argon.

ELKRAFT ER5356

Technical indicators:

Advantages:

• straight seam;
• price quality.

Flaws:

• not detected.

MONOLITH 20312

Bronze - for copper-plated cord "MONOLITH 20312", with a diameter of 1.2 mm, weighing 5 kg. The model is used for MIG-MAG welding.

MONOLITH 20312

Technical indicators:

Advantages:

• during operation, the plasma vacuum-arc nozzle provides excellent cleaning of the welded surface;
• in-line winding significantly increases the service life of expensive semi-automatic MIG equipment;
• “MONOLITH 20312” has a stable arc burning, which lasts in most operating modes of the product.

Flaws:

• not detected.

Esab SV-08g2s

2nd place is occupied by “Esab SV-08g2s”, used for working with low-carbon and low-alloy steel with a flow rate exceeding 400 MPa; carbon dioxide and its mixtures are used as protection.

The manufacturing technology of “Esab SV-08g2s” ensures uniform supply of the cord and slight splashing during operation. The product has a strict limit on the content of impurities in the chemical composition, guaranteeing excellent mechanical and impact parameters of the deposited metal (KCU at -60°C). The finished seam is characterized by increased resistance to chipping, even in conditions of violation of the “interpass” temperature level during long-term operation. "Esab SV-08g2s" is used in the following industries:

• energy;
• carriage building;
• heavy engineering;
• shipyards;
• special equipment;
• construction of bridges and building structures.

Esab SV-08g2s

Technical indicators:

Advantages:

• high-quality seam in multi-pass welding conditions;
• acceptable price.

Flaws:

• not detected.

ER-70S-6 Brima 0011991

The winner is “Brima 0011991”, used for semi- and automatic “MIG/MAG” welding, the cord successfully works with carbon, low-alloy metals using mixtures of shielding gases. Among the advantages of this model are small metal spattering, high-quality straight seams, and the ability to work with increased efficiency. Mechanical properties:

• yield limit - 420 MPa;
• tensile strength - 530 MPa;
• comparative elongation - 27%;
• impact hardness - 90 J/cm2.

ER-70S-6 Brima 0011991

Technical indicators:

Advantages:

• little splashes during operation;
• price quality.

Flaws:

• not detected.

Powder

Elitech 0606.016000

5th place - for the Elitech 0606.016000 powder cord, this model is used by semi-automatic MIG/MAG welding machines without the use of gas. The homeland of the brand is the Russian Federation.

Elitech 0606.016000

Technical indicators:

Advantages:

• used without gas;
• relatively low price.

Flaws:

• not detected.

CEDAR MIG E71T-GS

4th place is occupied by powder “MIG E71T-GS”, the wire is capable of welding materials in one “pass” with an overlap joint, and you can work in all directions. The product is successfully used in the shipbuilding industry, the manufacture of various metal structures, works with rotating parts, and in other areas where it is difficult to use semi-automatic welding equipment in a shielding gas environment. The device must operate on direct current (DC), the polarity is straight, the cord is wound on a reel in a row.

CEDAR MIG E71T-GS

Technical indicators:

Advantages:

• price quality.

Flaws:

• not detected.

Innershield NR-232

Bronze - for flux cored wire operating without gas. Model “Innershield NR-232”, used with carbon metals, and the nozzle can be held in all spatial positions.

The features of “Innershield NR-232” include: increased speed and depth of weld deposition during out-of-position work; relatively fast grasping of parts; easy removal of slag. Batch quality testing complies with AWS D1.8 regulations. Area of ​​use of "Innershield NR-232":

• construction industry, including metal structures that meet seismic safety requirements;
• general construction plates
• production of shipbuilding parts, fittings;
• heavy engineering, various containers, bunkers, supports, bridge elements.

Innershield NR-232

Technical indicators:

Advantages:

• strong seam;
• easy removal of slag.

Flaws:

• not detected.

Filarc PZ 6113

2nd place is occupied by a universal, multi-position rutile powder cord, operating without shielding gas, made to work in argon mixture “M21”, carbon dioxide “C1”, without impurities. The equipment must be configured for direct current with reverse polarity.

"Filarc PZ 6113" welds carbon, low-alloy metal structures, ship elements. The wire has excellent technological parameters, forming an even welded weld with an easily detachable slag crust, while there is practically no spatter. It is important to note that when forming a reverse bead by one-sided welding, it is necessary to use ceramic linings with a trapezoidal groove. The seam should be made at an angle backwards, pressing the slag into the back of the bath.

Filarc PZ 6113

Technical indicators:

Advantages:

• no splashes;
• multi-position work.

Flaws:

• not detected.

Wire for welding aluminum and its alloys, copper and its alloys

Aluminum welding wire, as well as wire made of aluminum alloys, is manufactured in accordance with GOST No. 7871-75. To work with aluminum, we recommend using the brands Sv-AK-5, Sv-A1 and Sv-AMts. The composition of the wire should be similar to the composition of the part.

For welding copper and copper alloys, wire manufactured according to the GOST standard No. 16130-90 is used. We recommend using wire grades M1 or MSr1. You can also use filler rods of the M1r and M3r brands.

To work with other non-ferrous metals (for example, bronze or brass), use wire with the same composition as the part itself. In this case, the brand of wire is not so important.

Steel

Welding wire is made by cold drawing steel blanks with a low carbon content, a moderate amount of alloying additives and from high-alloy raw materials.

GOST 2246 70 standardizes the characteristics of welding wire made of all types of steel. The standard stipulates the division of products into two groups. The first is wire for surfacing, the second is for making electrodes. Belonging to the second group is marked with the letter E.

A product with a low carbon content and a moderate amount of alloying additives is available with or without copper plating. Copper-plated welding products are marked with the letter O.

The specific concentration of copper in the coating is specified in the technical specifications (TS) approved for each type of wire product. The standard specifies the thickness (diameter) of all products with maximum permissible deviations.

The marking includes a set of letter designations and numbers that you need to navigate to correctly select wire products.

The designation St informs that this type of welding product is intended for welding. The next number displays the mass fraction of carbon expressed as a percentage. The following are letters indicating the presence of additives.

Nitrogen is contained only in wire products with a high degree of alloying of steel raw materials. In such cases, indicate the letter A. The presence of niobium is indicated by the letter B, tungsten - B, manganese - G, copper - D, molybdenum - M, nickel - N, silicon - C.

The presence of titanium is indicated by the letter T, vanadium - F, chromium - X, zirconium - C, aluminum - Y. You should pay attention to the information presented also because the letter does not always correspond to the name of the chemical element.

Each letter symbol is followed by a number indicating the average mass fraction of the element in the steel alloy. If the number is not indicated, it means that the additive is contained in a trace concentration.

The letter A present at the end indicates a high degree of purification of the material from sulfur and phosphorus. If there are two letters A at the end, then the concentration of sulfur and phosphorus is negligible.

Manufacturers and suppliers are required to guarantee proper storage and subsequent transportation of wire products. This requirement is also specified in the standard.

Features of application

Before use, welding wire for gas welding with acetylene (or any other flammable gas) must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt, oil, traces of corrosion, paint, scale, etc. Form the seams slowly and evenly. Avoid splashing metal while welding. After cooling, the seam bead should be smooth and uniform in appearance. The presence of defects (pores, cracks, slag inclusions, etc.) is not allowed. Watch out for refractory oxides; they should not get into the weld pool. And most often they enter the welding zone with filler material. The oxides themselves are formed due to the reaction of nitrogen with oxygen. Their melting point is higher than that of the base metal. For this reason, the seams become uneven and of poor quality.

Requirements

There should be no defects on the surface . The only thing that is allowed is the risks from wire drawing during its manufacture. In this case, the number of marks is limited to 5% of the total surface .

Fubag copper-plated welding wire. Photo 220Volt

Strict requirements are imposed on winding. The row and density of winding in the coils is an important condition for its uniform supply when performing welding work.

Kinds

The main technological process where stainless steel wire is used is semi-automatic in an atmosphere of protective gases. To improve process parameters, it can be coated with copper, i.e. be copper-plated (! not to be confused with copper wire). It is used as an additional material in argon arc welding with a non-consumable electrode. Using a gas burner, it is applied to the surface in the form of surfacing.

Useful video

Assortment

The choice of welding mode is influenced by the size of the welding wire. Diameters most often used during work: 0.8 mm; 1.0 mm; 1.2 mm; 1.6 mm; 2.0 mm. In some branches of mechanical engineering, filler materials up to 6.0 mm are used.

Copper-plated steel welding wire (1 kg; diameter 0.8 mm) Elitech. Photo VseInstruments.ru

Manufacturers

Swedish ]ESAB[/anchor] in its range of produced welding consumables has a line of standard sizes of copper-plated wire: alloyed OK Autrod 12.64; OK Autrod 12.51 and others. It has strict requirements for the geometry and strength of the copper coating. Copper shavings do not accumulate in the feed tip.

Reference. Welders owe the creation of polished wire to a Swedish company.

Chinese manufacturers Prima, DEKA and Golden Bridge produce copper-plated wire that meets the stringent requirements of European standards. However, compared to Western companies, their products are economically advantageous for widespread use by customers, so welders also purchase other types of products, for example, stainless, aluminum and flux (powder).

Where is flux cored welding wire used?

This type is used for connecting metal products. They contain low-alloy, medium-carbon and carbon steel. Another component in the installation process is the absence of a gaseous medium.

Another name for flux-cored wire for welding is fleece. It is based on the fact that not the entire body is made of a metal alloy. The inner container is filled with a special powder.

The main advantage of this material is considered to be high-quality seams. During operation, a powerful arc is formed, which allows you to fix iron workpieces.

Such wire is divided into five categories:

• Organic;
• Rutile fluorite;
• Fluorite – carbonate;
• Rutile;
• Fluorite.

Novice welders can sometimes confuse this model of consumable with steel welding wire.

When choosing consumables, it is necessary to take into account the diameter of the welding wire and the thickness of the iron structure.