AWS - Welding of Cast Iron - Papers PDF

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AWS W C I 8 5 W 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 000b715 2 W
Welding
of
Cast Iron
A Selection of Papers
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AWS WCI 8 5 D 0784265 0006716 4
Welding of Cast Iron

A collection of outstanding
articles from periodicals
and reference literature
Prepared by the AWS Committee on

Welding of Iron Castings
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AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY

550 N.W. LeJeune Road, P.O. Box 351040
Miami, Florida 33135

AWS W C I 85 078V2b5 0 0 0 b î 1 7 b 9
Key Words
Iron, Cast, Gray (Grey), Ductile, Nodular, Malleable, White, Spheroidal graphite, Welding, Gas metal arc, Shielded
metal arc, Flux cored arc, Submerged arc, Oxyfuel gas, Electron beam, Flash,Braze welding, Electrodes, Filler metals,
Preheating, Postheating, Hardenability, Microstructure, Macrostructure, Mechanical properties, Cracking, Mainte-
nance, Repair
Library of Congress Number: 85-071307

International Standard Book Number: 0-87171-251-2
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Published 1985 by
The American Welding Society
550 N.W. LeJeune Road, P.O. Box 351040
Miami, Florida 33135
The articles in this publication were reprinted with permission of the original publishers who hold the copyrights.
Material contained in any article herein may not be reproduced without permission of the original copyright holder.
The information contained in this book shall not be construed as a grant of any right of manufacture, sale, use, or
reproduction in connection with any method, process, apparatus, product, composition or system, which is covered by
patent, copyright, or trademark. Aiso, it shall not be construed as a defense against any liability for such infringement.
No effort has been made to determine whether any information in the book is covered by any patent, copyright or
trademark and no research has been conducted to determine whether an infringement would occur.
Printed in the United States of America

90 89 88 87 86 85 5 4 3 2 1

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Contents
Personnel ...................................................................................... vii
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preface ........................................................................................ ix
Acknowledgment ............................................................................... xi
Section I . Gray Cast Iron

1-1 ................................... 1
Welding of Gray Iron with Mild Steel Electrodes. R . L. Kumar
1-2 ............ 4
Weldability of Gray Iron Using Fluxless Gray Iron Electrodes for SMAW. J . H . Devletian
1-3 Welding of Gray Cast Iron. A . G. Hogaboom ................................................. 10
14 ......................................... 15
Gray Cast Iron Welding. J . Klimek and A . V. Morrison
1-5 The Metal Arc Welding of Cast Iron for Maintenance and Repair Welding, Clive Cookson ........... 20
Id Maintenance and Repair Welding of Castings. C. Cookson ...................................... 26
1-7 Heat Control: Key to Good Cast Iron Arc Welds. H. Znomasson ................................. 36
1-8 Improving the Process of Gas Welding Cast Iron. G. I. Kletskin. Yu. I. Zhuravitskii. and
........................................................................... 38
A . M . Nikitich
1-9 Quench Welding Process for Joining Cast Iron. Clive Cookson................................... 42
Section II . Ductile Cast Iron
11-1 Welding Ductile Iron . .............................................
Part One, J . W. Flannery 47
11-2 Welding Ductile Iron . .............................................
Part Two. J . W. Flannery 52
11-3 .................................................
Repair Welding of Ductile Iron. A . J. Osborn 56
11-4 Welding Nodular Cast Iron. R. C. Bates ...................................................... 64
11-5 New Ductile Iron Welding Process ... Saves Castings and $. D. T. Roberts........................ 69
11-6 High Strength Welding of Ductile Iron Castings. R. Medana. E. Natale. and M . S. Remondino ........ 72
11-7 Secondary Graphite Formation in Tempered Nodular Cast Iron Weldments. D. R. Askeland
and N . Birer............................................................................. 78
11-8 .............
Short-Arc Welding of S.-g. Iron in the SKF Katrineholm Works. Sweden. S. A . Froberg 84
11-9 Welding Ductile Iron Using the GMA Short CircuitingTransfer Process - A Progress Report.
...............................................
D . J . Kotecki. N . R. Braton. and C. R. Loper. J i 88
II- 1o Preheat Effects on Gas Metal Arc Welded Ductile Cast Iron. D. J . Kotecki. N . R. Braton. and
...........................................................................
C. R . Laper. J i 94
11-11 .......................................
Flux-Cored Electrode for Cast Iron Welding. R. A . Bishel 100
11-12 The Effect of Base Metal Microstructure on the Impact Properties of Cast Ductile Iron
Weldments. D. R. Askeland and Yutaka Hirota ................................................ 110
11-13 Submerged Arc Welding of Ductile Iron, M . A . Davila. D. L. Olson. and T.A . Freese ............... 118
11-14 .....................
Welding Consumable Research for Ductile Iron. A . M . Davila and D . L. Olson 126
II- 15 ...........
Joining of Ductile Iron by Several Arc Welding Methods. T.E. Kihlgren and H. C. Waugh 130
II- 16 Welding Ductile Iron Castings. R. D. Forrest.................................................. 140
Section III . Malleable Cast Iron

111-1 Welding of Malleable Cast Iron. CIATF Commission 7.2 Malleable Cast Iron ...................... 152
111-2 Electron Beam Welding of Pearlitic Malleable Iron. W. C. Truckenmiller .......................... 164

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Section IV . Other Cast Irons

IV-1 Metal Arc Welding of White Cast Iron. Clive Cookson .......................................... 173
IV-2 Weldability of Spheroidal-Graphite-Type Ni-Resist Cast Irons. S. N. Anant Narayan.
A.J. Rickard,andN.Stephenson ........................................................... 177
Section V . General
v-1 The Metal Arc Welding of Aluminum Alioyed-Calcium Inoculated Grey Cast Iron at Preheat
Temperatures Lower than 2ûOOC. Henk de Vries ...............................................
192
v-2 The Effect of Micro and Macro Structures on Physical Properties of Castings .......................
202
v-3 The Jominy Test and Hardenability ..........................................................
210
V-4 Tramp Elements in Cast Iron. Carl R. Loper. Jr ................................................
220
v-5 Welding of Spheroidal-Graphite Iron. D. R . Thorneycroft .......................................
224
V-6 Maintenance and Repair Welding. A . M . Horsfield and Jorgen Stromberg .........................
233
v-7 Repairing Cast Iron by Welding. Rudolph Mohler .............................................242
V-8 The Technological Effectiveness of Methods of Welding Cast Iron. V. G. Ivanov.
.
V. I . LRvchenkov and F. N . Terskii ..........................................................
246
v-9 Welding Cast Irons. E. N . Gregory and S. B. Jones .............................................
249
v-10 The Development of a SMAW Procedure for Cast Iron. B. Appelt and R. E. Long .................. 261
v-11 Application to Cast Irons of Vertical Welding Under Slag. A . Michel ..............................
264
v-12 Flash Butt Welding of Cast Irons to Other Metals. A . Rege ...................................... 292
V-13 .................................................
Production Welding of Cast Iron. S. D . Kiser 321
V-14 ................................................................
Cast Irons. R. A . Bishel et al 327
Bibliography ................................................................................... 345

Subject Index .................................................................................. 351
Index ......................................................................................... 355
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vi

AWS W C I 85 W 07842b5 000b720 b W
Personnel
AWS Committee on Welding Iron Castings
L. W. Myers, Chairman Dresser Industries
R. J. Dybas, 1st Vice Chairman General Electric Company
A. H. Miller, 2nd Vice Chairman Consultant
E. J. Seel, Secretary American Welding Society
K. E. Banks Teledyne McKay
J. G. Bielenberg* Consultant
R. A. Bushey Alloy Rods
R. O. Drossman Co-ûrdinated Industries
E. R. Kuch Gardner Denver Company
J. C. Margerie* Centre Technique des Industries de la Fonderie
J. V. Matush Combustion Engineering
J. Mikurak Sandvik
C. D. Nickey Consultant
W. F. Ridgway Eutectic and Castolin Institute
M. T. Rowley* American Foundrymen’s Society
M. N. Ruof? General Electric Company
L E. Shoemaker Inco Alloys International
J. E. Jones Colorado School of Mines
R. A. Strahl Allis Chalmers Corporation
C. F. Walten* Iron Castings Society
*Advisory Member
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AWS WCI 85 U 0 7 8 Y 2 b 5 000b72L 8
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Preface
The welding of cast iron is a subject of concem to many people both in and out of the welding community. The level of
confidence in obtaining dependable welds is low, particularly among those who do not have ready access to reliable
information on this subject. In reality, the picture is not as dark as it may seem.
In 1965, the American Welding Society, through its D11 Committee on Welding Iron Castings, published a
comprehensive study entitled "A Test Program on Welding Iron Castings". Additionally, hundreds of articles and
reports have appeared in technical publications in most of the industrialized nations of the world. To this body of
knowledge must be added the data contributed by many foundries and filler metal manufacturers whose research
programs have developed many new applications and materials.
The AWS D11 Committee, which includes members from AWS, ASM, ASME, the Ductile Iron Society, the Iron
Casting Society, and the Centre Technique des Industries de la Fonderie (France), addressed the task of reviewing
nearly four hundred articles from ali sources, Forty-three articles were chosen for reproduction in this reference book.
The aim was to cover all types of iron castings and ali commonly used welding processes. The criteria for selection were
(1) completeness of information, (2) accuracy and agreement with currently accepted practice, and (3) sound
background of historical fact.
The book includes a Subject Index which is cross-referencedso that pertinent information may be found under several
headings.
Additional articles and reports have been listed in a Bibliographyto assist the reader who wishes to delve further into a
subject.
Because cast iron is nonhomogeneous and has high carbon content, welds on iron castings will not yield good results 50
p consistentlyas welds on mild steel. A shop may occasionallyencounter an unweldable casting. Also, a weld in an iron
casting will seldom, if ever, have properties equal to those of the base metal. Nevertheless, there are many applications
where useful welds can be made in iron casting when information presented here is used in conjunction with sound
engineering judgement.
The Committee welcomes suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism pertaining to this publication. Please
address correspondenceto Secretary, D11 Committeeon Welding Iron Castings, American Welding Society, P.O. Box
351040, Miami, FL 33135.
ix

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Acknowledgement
The American Welding Societyexpressesits appreciation to the followingorganizationsand journals for permission
to use articles from their publications in this book
American Foundrymen’s Society, Golf and Wolf Roads, Des Plaines, IL 60016
Belgian Institute of Welding (L’Institut Belge de la Soudure), Rue des Drapiers 21, 1050 Bruxeles, Belgium
The British Library, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ United Kingdom
Canadian Welder and Fabricator, 1077 St. James St., Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 3B1, Canada
Casting Engineering and Foundry World, 115 Main St., Bridgeport, CT 06604
ESAB AB, Fack, S 4 2 70 Goteborg, Sweden
Foundry Management and Technology, Penton IPC, Penton Plaza, Cleveland, OH 44114
Foundry Trade Journal, Queensway House, 2 Queensway, Redhill, Surrey, RHl lQS, England
Metal Construction (The Welding Institute)
Metal Progress, (American Society for Metals), Metals Park, OH 44073
Modern Casting (American Foundrymen’s Society)
Plant Engineering, 1301 S. Grove Ave, Barrington, IL 60010
Soudage et Techniques Connexes, Publications de la Soudure Autogena, 32, Boulevard de la Chapelle, 75-Pans 18,
France
Svetsaren, A Welding Review (ESAB AB)
The Welding Institute, Abington Hall, Abington, Cambridge CB1 6AL, England
Welding and Metal Fabrication, Industrial Press, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 SAS, England
Welding Engineer, Jefferson Publications, Box 19,44 S. Old Rand Road, Lake Zurich, IL 60047
Welding Journal (American Welding Society), 550 N.W. LeJeune Road, P.O. Box 351040, Miami, FL 33135
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xi
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AWS W C I 85 m 0784265 0006723 L m
1-1 1
WELDING GRAY IRON

WITH MILD STEEL ELECTRODES
By R. L. KUMAR
Indian Institute of Technology
Kharagpur, India
IN BRIEF: Gray iron can be welded tion and structure of the metal
most economically by arc welding at the interface between the dif-
with mild steel electrodes CO long ferent work pieces joined together;
as certain precautions are taken so metallographic techniques are
before, during, and after welding.
important in studying the struc-
tures of the gray iron, the weld
Some key precautions are proper
metal deposited from the electrode,
joint preparation, choice of elec-
and the heat-affected zone at the
trode, preheating, and post heat- interface. Proper understanding of
ing. The author explains what t o the changes in volume that take
do and why. place near the interface during
welding also are essential.
W WELDING can be a valuable During welding, the highly local-
tool for the gray iron foundry, not ized heat input results in steep
only for repairing surface defects temperature gradients between the
on castings, but also for welding weld metal and the cold gray iron.
together two or more castings. And They produce high expansion and
with welding, castings can be in- contraction stresses in the restrict-
corporated in assemblies including ed space. Because steel shrinks
rolled, forged, or other cold-worked more than gray iron, precautions
materials. must be taken to prevent forma-
Under these conditions, the metal- tion of shrinkage cracks, and lack
Microstructure at the weid area lic arc welding process is the most of pressure tightness can result.
shows that fusion is complete at satisfactory and economical, par- Both the graphitic or free carbon
the junction of steel (top) ticularly when mild steel electrodes and the combined carbon in gray
and gray iron. are used. For one thing, they are iron go into solution in the molten
the least expensive of the available metal. Simultaneously, the mild
electrodes for welding gray iron. steel weld metal absorbs carbon
For another, the mild steel weld from the molten iron, and some of
metal has a high solidification rate. the remaining carbon and silicon
This fact makes possible arc weld- is burned out by the high heat at
ing in any position, which is not the weld zone.
possible wlth other welding meth- Then the molten metal is cooled
For a listing of available ods because of the high fluidity of rapidly by the surrounding mass of
?
literature on welding, turn to pas 133.
gray iron. cold gray iron. The rapidly cooled
Success in welding gray iron with gray iron first solidifies as a mix-
mild steel electrodes, however, re- ture of austenite and cementite.
lA.&L% quires an understanding of the When it cools below 750C (about
process. 1,380F) the austenite changes to
Metallurgical A s p e c t s-Proper- pearlite. At room temperature, the
ties of the final component depend alloy consists of a mixture of pearl-
to a large extent on the composi- ite and cementite because most of
Source: Foundry, January 1968 --``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

Provided by IHS under
. 3 license with AWS
AWS W C I 85 0789265 0006924 3
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the free carbon is retained in com- to produce cracks in the weld or at

bined form. This metal, which is the interface. \J6"""O4
brittle, unmachinable white iron, is To minimize the development of

formed in the parent metal next to stresses, the gray iron should be
the interface. heated to the bare minimum. Also,
On the other side of the inter- because mild steel gives easy fusion
face, the mild steel changes to
martensite under similar heating
with minimum penetration, a small-
gage electrode with the lowest cur-
h-4t- % e
and cooling conditions. Away from rent setting that gives sufficient SINGLE V GROOVE
the interface, the weld metal is penetration should be used. Al-
high carbon steel. Both of those though steel rods less than '/s in. in
constituents impair the machina- diam can be used, a %-in. rod
bility of the weld joint. usually is employed with a setting
Thus the interface area is a com- of 70 to 90 amp.
plex structure that includes free Suitable fluxes are provided as
graphite, martensite, pearlite, and coatings on the electrodes. A typi-
some ferrite. It presents problems cal coating contains 40 to 60%
if machining is needed, and it can graphite, 1% barium chloride, and
be the source of poor strength, remainder silicon carbide.
The hard white iron in the weld For welding gray iron, alternating /c60"-w"
zone is weaker than the gray iron current is smoother in operation at
behind it on one side of the inter- low current values, and it produces DOUBLE V GROOVE
face, as well as the high carbon a less penetrating arc. Reverse-
steel on the other side, and the steel polarity direct current also can be
weld metal behind that. When a
welded joint fails in tension, it
fails in the white iron area.
used.
Grooves required f o r welding
may be prepared by chipping, grind-
4P00
Usually, on gray iron castings, ing, or cutting with a gas torch.
the welds are not required to be A single V-groove is used for
machined. Then, welding with the metal sections up to 1% in. thick,
mild steel electrodes without fur-
ther treatment is quite satisfactory,
and a double V is made for those
greater than 1% in. thick. The h
3-4 t- tl/ë
particularly if the strength require- V-grooves should have an included SINGLE U GROOVE
ments are not high and the struc- angle of 60 to 90°.
ture of the weld metal is not im- For heavy castings, a U-shaped
portant. groove with the walls of the U
Recommendations-A s w e'v e
mentioned, d e f i n i t e precautions
must be taken when the common
sloping by about 20° can be pro-
vided. This groove is intermediate
between the single and the double
4t
coated mild steel electrodes are V-groove, and welding is done from
used because they otherwise tend one side only.
MILD STEEL WELD METAL

II
HARDENED STEEL
HARDENED GRAY IRON
GRAY
7- IRON DOUBLE U GROOVE
The grooves that should be

used in joining two pieces of
cast iron depend on the
section thicknesses involved.
'FUSION OCCURS ALONG THIS LINE
Cross-section represents the heat-affected zone when gray iron has

been welded with mild steel electrodes.
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AWS W C I 85 0784265 0006725 5 m
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On small castings, the V-groove gray iron during cooling, the form- absorbed by the work at one time.
is made with a grinding wheel. For er tries to pull away from the lat- As a final step, peening the hot
t h o s e castings having sections ter. This effect is more pronounced beads helps to produce good joints.
greater than 1 in. thick, a cutting when long weld beads are de- Heat Treatment-In case machin-
torch should be used. A pneumatic posited. As the first step in over- ing of the weld is essential, the
chipping hammer also can be used coming this difficulty, the beads main problem is to obtain softer
to rough out the grooves, which are deposited in a curved path in- welds. Often adequate strength in
then are finished by grinding. The stead of a straight line. In addition, the weld joint also is desirable. The
disadvantage with chipping is that the beads are placed in short best method available under such
it may cover up certain defects in lengths widely separated from each circumstances is to preheat the
the castings that are critical. other so that each bead can cool work to an optimum temperature
Since steel contracts more than for 3 to 5 min to minimize the heat of 300C (570F) with a maximum
of 600C (1,llOF).
I
12,000
Preheating reduces the cooling
rate and hence prevents hardening
10,000 and cracking in the weld zone.
Those conditions are inevitable if
the cooling rate is greater than
600F per min. Preheating is re-
;; 8000
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commended when the components
to be welded are such that the ex-
pansion caused by the heat of weld-
6000 ing results in excessive stresses in
O other parts of the casting.
z Preheating cannot be used, how-
4000 ever, when minimum heat is to be
applied to avoid distortion of the
parts being welded.
2000 -- Preheating offers other problems
than distortion. Even after an an-
nealing treatment, an unmachinable
-- area of high carbon steel remains
in the weld zone, and high preheat
temperatures - say above 450 C
(840 F)-are likely to weaken the
gray iron. Owing to the low total
input, supplementary heating very
often is required to maintain the
m
w
m
‘Ooo t preheating temperature.
The machinability of welded gray
iron can be increased by a post
welding heat treatment up to 650C
(1,200 F). That treatment specifical-
L
a
a ly reduces the hardness of the heat-
x 600-- affected zone. A further reduction
?
I
of hardness can be accomplished
a
O
by applying a full anneal treatment
5 400-- that decomposes the unstable ce-
mentite to graphite and ferrite. Un-
GRAY CAST IRON
fortunately, it also weakens the
gray iron.
In both the above methods, local
heating of the joints or total heat-
ing of welded assemblies is done
o 400 800 12QQ at temperatures of 540 to 650C
(1,000 to 1,200F). The castings are
PREHEAT TEMPERATURE OF covered with materials like asbestos
or sand that are designed to pro-
Plots relate preheat temperature and weld area microhardness. mote slow cooling.
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AWS WCI 135 0 7 8 ~ 2 6 5000672b 7
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Weldability of Gray Iron Using

Fluxless Gray Iron Electrodes
for SMAW
Welds having original base metal hardness and graphite

content are attained by decreasing weld cooling rate
and increasing the carbon equivalent of the weld admixture
BY J. H. DEVLETIAN
ABSTRACT. l h e weldability of class 40 level that was dependent upon the known that high quality gray iron cast-
gray iron using fluxless gray iron elec- carbon equivalent of the weld admix- ings can be obtained by:
trodes was investigated. Single and ture. I . Slow cooling rates during eutec-
multiple-pass welds were deposited Introduction tic and eutectoid transformations.
by the SMAW process with preheating 2. Carbon equivalent (C.E.) of near-
temperatures up to 830C (1550 F). l h e l h e utilization of inexpensive gray eutectic composition.'
cooling rate for each weld was record- iron electrodes to weld or repair-weld 3. Use of graphitizing inoculant^.^^^
ed. Evaluation of weldability included large gray iron castings by the 4. Low superheating tempera-
microhardness studies, metallurgical shielded-metal arc welding (SMAW) ture~.'-~
analysis and crack susceptibility of the process has been largely ignored in
weld and heat-affected zone (HAZ). favor of the more costly nickel-base Under these conditions the resulting
The weldability of gray iron was electrodes-namely E Ni-CI and E NiFe- microstructurewill contain the desired
significantly affected by the cooling CI. Despite the increased cost and the graphite flakes in a matrix of ferrite
rate and carbon equivalent of the weld consumption of the strategic element and/or pearlite.
admixture. Decreasing cooling rate nickel, many foundries have been l h e welding of gray cast iron with
and/or increasing carbon equivalent reluctant to use gray iron electrodes gray iron electrodes, however, is
substantially lowered weld hardness for fear of producing cracked white particularly difficult because the effec-
due to the increased amounts of iron weld metal with a martensitic tive use of inoculants and low super-
graphite and ferrite forming in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). heating temperatures are not practical
weld. Peak HAZ hardness of the gray The gray iron literature is replete in the SMAW process. Successful
iron base metal was also found to with research concerning the factors welding of gray iron would require a
decrease with decreasing weld cooling affecting the degree of graphitization sufficiently slow weld cooling rate and
rate. of gray iron castings and its associated a near-eutectic C.E. in the weld admix-
Cracking tendencies in the weld arid mechanical properties. It i s well- ture to insure a high graphitizing
HAZ were eliminated by maintaining potential; otherwise, a white iron weld
the cooling rate below 10 C/s or 1.8 F/s is inevitable. Recently, Hogaboome
(or above 300 C or 572 F preheat). reported that fluxless cast iron elec-
Crack-free welds having original base /. H. DEVLETIAN is Associate Professor trodes could be used to repair-weld
metal hardness and graphite content large gray iron castings provided that
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Materials Science, Department of Chemical

were readily attained by reducing the Engineering & Materials Science, Youngs- adequate preheating, high welding
cooling rate (through preheating) to a town State University, Youngstown, Ohio. currents and controlled cooling proce-
Source: Welding Journal, 57(7), July 1978 _ _ ~ - -

~-
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Table 1-Chemical Composition of Gray Iron Electrode and Base Table 2-Chemical Compositions of Weld Admixtures Deposited
Metal, % on Gray Iron, %
c si P Mn S C.E.") c si P Mn S C.E.
Base metal 2.87 1.80 0.10 0.81 0.067 3.4 Single pass weld 3.00 2.30 0.20 0.69 0.040 3.8
Electrode 3.84 2.92 0.35 0.75 0.020 4.5 Multiple pass weld 3.35 2.66 0.29 0.70 0.015 4.2
'"C.E. - %C + .3 (%Si + %P)
IAnalvsis on
dures were utilized.

The purpose of the study reported diameter E Ni-CI electrodes. Composi- were recorded on a continuous chart
here was to further refine the existing tions of all materials are given in Ta- recorder and the weld cooling rate for
work on the weldability of gray iron ble l. each weld was taken at 704 C (1300F).
using fluxless gray iron electrodes and Weld cooling rates ranging from 0.19
the SMAW process. Specifically, this to 160 C/s (0.35 to 288 F/s) were
Welding
paper quantitatively relates the micro- investigated.
hardness, degree of graphitization, Single pass, bead-on-plate welds Slow weld cooling rates were ob-
microstructure and crack susceptibility were deposited on the flat test plates tained by preheating the workpiece on
of the weld admixture as a function of using the manual SMAW process. a heavy-duty electric hot plate. Accu-
measured values of weld cooling rate Multiple-pass welds were deposited rate preheating temperatures were
and C.E. on the test plates containing the 90 assured by welding a chromelalumel
deg single V-groove. The interpass thermocouple onto each test plate. As
Procedure temperature was either the specified soon as the thermocouple registered
preheating temperature or room tem- the desired preheating temperature in
Materials the test plate, a variac attached to the
perature when no preheating was
ASTM class 40 gray cast iron in the used. hot plate was adjusted to stabilize this
as-cast condition was used exclusively All SMA welds made with fluxless temperature. After stabilization, the
in this investigation. Ingots approxi- gray iron electrodes were deposited at power to the hot plate was shut off
mately 20 X 20 X 70 cm (7% x a constant arc energy input of 2700 and welding commenced immediate-
7% x 27% in.) were machined into Vmm, using a welding current of 450 A ly.
10 x 10 x 2 cm (315/~~ X 3% x 'Y,,, and a travel speed of approximately 2.5 The fastest weld cooling rates were
in.) test plates for subsequent welding. mm/s (5.9 ipm). The EN¡-CI electrodes obtained by partially immersing the LO
A 90 deg single V-groove was also used 160 A and approximately 6 mm/s mm (1% in.)'thick test plates in a
machined into half of the test plates. travel speed. shallow pool of water about 5 mm (0.2
In order to duplicate'the repair-weldin.) deep and then welding. The water
ing procedures used in commercial which was maintained at 25 C (77 F)
Control of Weld Cooling Rate acted as an efficient heat sink during
practice, the surfaces to be welded
were cleaned by using a hand oper- A weld cooling curve was obtained welding.
ated grinder. for each weld specimen by plunging a
Metallography
Filler metals used to weld gray iron 0.38 mm (0.015 in.) diameter W-3%Re/
were 5 x 5 mm (0.2 x 0.2 in.) square W-25%Re thermocouple directly into All metallography of weld and HAZ
class 20 gray iron and 3.2 mm (Vá in.) the molten weld pool. Cooling curves structures were performed on trans-
verse-to-weld sections taken with in 1
cm (0.04 in.) of the embedded thermo-
couple for an accurate correlation
between weld cooling rate and mi-
too0 crostructure. Sections were polished
w
r
and then etched i n 4% picral.
r1570c's Carbon Equivalent
800
To study the effects of C.E. on weld
properties, two values of C.E. (namely,
I I
3.8% and 4.2%) were compared
2 800 throughout this investigation.
M The value of 3.8% was obtained by
3 welding class 40 gray iron having a C.E.
= 1 w I of 3.5% with a class 20 gray iron elec-
3
I
trode with a C.E. of 4.6%. The resulting
weld metal admixture possessed the
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
C.E.of 3.8%-Table 2.
200 Similarly, the 4.2% C.E. value was
I obtained for the multiple-pass welds
I , where the final pass of the resulting
WELD I HAZ
O
I I I I weld admixture contained a C.E. of
n I I I I I I
4.2%-Table 2.
2.4 1.6 .8 O .8 116 i4
Microhaidness
Distance, mm
fig. I-Microhardness scan over the weld and HAZ for fast, intermediate and Diamond pyramid microhardness
slow weld cooling rates. Weld admixture contains 3.8% CE. Base metal is class 40 tests were conducted on transverse-
gray iron to-weld sections using a 300 gram (0.66

AWS WCI 85 W 078Li265 0 0 0 b ï Z B O
6 1-2
Ib) weight acting on the indenter. The were performed on the single-pass and C.E. welds were consistently lower
average hardness of each polished and multiple-pass welds. than those for the 3.8% C.E. welds. For
etched weld was obtained by taking at example, at a weld cooling rate of 3
least ten equally spaced indentations C/s (5.4 F/s) , the average hardness
Results values for the 3.8%and 4.2% C.E. welds
(at 0.2 mm (0.08 in.) intervals) vertical-
ly and at least 10 readings horizontally The weldability of gray cast iron were 420 and 265 DPH, respectively.
within the weld fusion zone. Similarly, using gray iron filler metal and the Weld metal hardness values were
the average value of the peak HAZ SMAW process was evaluated by hard- comparable with those of the gray iron
hardness was obtained by taking at ness tests and metallographic analysis. base metal only when the weld cool-
least six indentations along the HAZ Results of this work are presented in ing rates for the 3.8% and 4.2% C.E.
side of the weld-base metal interface. Figs. 1-8. welds were reduced to approximately
Care was taken not to indent any of 0.7 and 5.3 C/s (1.3 and 9.5 FIS),
the large graphite flakes in the HAZ. respectively. By contrast, all welds
Haidness deposited with the EN¡-CI electrodes
The diamond pyramid microhard-
ness test was chosen because of its The hardness profile across the weld (for reference only) were much softer
ability to provide the microhardness and HAZ of a sing1.e-pass (C.E. = 3.8%) than the gray iron base metal regard-
values of any part of the weld/HAZ weld was found to be dependent upon less of weld cooling rate.
microstructure. This test wps used to weld cooling rate. Typical microhard- The peak HAZ hardness of the gray
obtain the hardness of the matrix and ness scans for welds having fast, inter- iron workpiece was also affected by
not that of large graphite flakes. Thus, mediate, and slow cooling rates are weld cooling rate. In Fig. 2b, peak HAZ
the diamond pyramid hardness values shown in Fig. 1. The fast cooling weld hardness decreased significantly with
tend to be slightly higher than similar resulted in the highest overall hard- decreasing weld cooling rate.
Brinell or Rockwell test results when ness values in the weld and HAZ, Metallographic Analysis
large graphite flakes are present in the while the slow cooling weld resulted
microstructure.' in lowest hardness. Graphite Formation. In this study,
Average weld metal hardness values both the amount and size of the
for both the 3.8% and 4.2% C.E. welds graphite flakes which resulted during
Weid Cracking
were found to decrease with decreas- eutectic solidification were found to
Weld cracking was reported after ing weld cooling rate as shown in Fig. increase substantially with decreasing
visual and dye-penetrant examinations 2a. The hardness values for the 4.2% values of weld cooling rate and
800 a
u+
600
.E I 0 3ßXc.I.
500 A 4.6% C.E.
* OCf
ACE
380.
k2*o
o Reference Weld Made
with fNt.Ci
300
b.
I
8+ o A' h
I
m
I
I
.
I
I
I 5
0.1 1 10 loo lo00
I I
I
I
I
I
1
at I 10 no
Weld Cooling Rate, "C/s
Fig. 2-The effect of weld cooling rate on: a-average weld
Weld Cooling Rate, "C/s
metal hardness for admixtuw compositions of 3.8%and Fig. 3-The effect of weld cooling rate on: a amount and b size of
4.2% CE.; b-peak HAZ hardness of gray iron graphite flakes forming in 3.8% and 4.2% CE. weld metal
- --``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
li Copyright American Welding Society

AWS W C I 85 a 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 000b929 2
1-2 7
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
a b a b
Fig. 4-Rapidly cooled welds deposited on gray iron having been Fig. 5- Welds having an intermediate cooling rate were preheated
preheated fo 200 C (392 F). Weld in a has a 3.8% CE. and 22 Cis (39.6 to 400 C (752 FJ. Weid in a has a 3.8% CE.and 4.2 Cis (7.6 F/s)
F I S ) cooling rate while the weld in b has a 4.2% C.E. and a 26 C/s cooling rate while the weld in b has a 4.2% CE. and 5.2 Cis (9.4 F i s )
(46.8 F / s } cooling rate. Picral etchant; ~ 4 0 0(reduced 50% on cooling rate. Picral etchant; X 4 C û (reduced 50% on reproduction)
reproduction)
Fig. 6-Slowly cooled welds deposited on gray iron having been

preheated to 590 C (7094 F). Weld in a has a 3.8% C.E. and 0.89 Cis
(7.6 F i s ) cooling rate while the weld in b has a 4.2% CE. and 0.95
Cis (1.7 FIS} cooling rate. Picral etchant; X4ûû (reduced 50% on
reproduction)
a b
increasing C.E.-Fig. 3. The amount 0.32 C/s that a fully gray iron structure and HAZ were eliminated by reducing
and size of graphite flakes observed in developed in the 3.8% C.E. weld as the weld cooling rate below approxi-
the 4.2% C.E. welds were consistently shown in Fig. 7. mately 10 and 36 C/s (18 and 65 F/s)
greater than those observed in the Solid State Transformations. Once for the 3.8% and 4.2% C.E. welds,
3.8%C.E. welds. Generally, the form of the eutectic structure had solidified, respectively.
graphite flakes observed in all welds the subsequent eutectoid transforma-
were predominantly the interdendritic tion proceeded very much like that of Preheating Temperature vs. Weld Cooling
ASTM types D and E.g No graphite was a high carbon steel. For the fast cool- Rate
observed in 3.8% C.E. and 4.2% C.E. ing welds, both the primary dendrites Following the preheating proce-
welds for weld cooling rates greater of austenite and the austenite in lede- dures outlined in this study, the
than approximately 6 and 30 C/s (11 burite transformed to a bainitic struc- preheating temperature was found to
and 54 F/s), respectively. ture-Fig. 4.
be a consistently workable control
The weld microstructures in Figs. With decreasing cooling rate, this over weld cooling rate. With welding
4-7 illustrate the effect of weld cooling bainitic structure was replaced by fine parameters fixed for all welds, increas-
rate and C.E. on the formation of pearlite-Fig. 5. At very slow cooling
ing the preheating temperature de-
graphite. The fast cooling welds in Fig. rates, the solid state transformation of creased the weld cooling rate as
4 are clearly white iron. In Fig. 5, austenite resulted in pearlite and shown in Fig. 8.
intermediate cooling conditions re- ferrite as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.
sulted in a mottled iron structure with Discussion
the 4.2% C.E. weld containing signifi- Cracking in Welds
cantly more graphite than the 3.8% The two most significant variables
C.E. weld. The microstructure of the Severe transverse cracks resulted in affecting the weldability of ASTM class
slowly cooled welds in Fig. 6 shows both the 3.8% and 4.2% C.E. welds 40 gray iron using class 20 gray iron
that the 4.2% C.E. weld was fully gray when the cooling rate was excessive, electrodes were found to be the cool-
iron while that of the 3.8% C.E. weld while no cracking occurred for the ing rate and the C.E. of the weld metal.
was still mottled iron. It was not until slowly cooled welds. In this investiga- These two factors had a pronounced
the weld cooling rate was reduced to tion, cracking tendencies in the weld effect on the weld hardness, formation

AWS WCI 85 078q265 0006730 7 W
8 1-2
O 3.0% C.E.
A 4 . 2 ~C.E.
Fig. 7-Very slowly cooled weld deposited

on gray iron having been preheated to 760 C
(7400 F). This weld has a 3.8% CE.and 0.32
Us (0.58 F/s) cooling rate. Picral etchant;
x400 (reduced 50% on reproduction)
of the Fe-graphite eutectic, eutectoid Weld Cooling Rate, "C/S

transformation and weld cracking. Fig. 8-The effect of preheating temperature on the cooling rate of single-pass
gray iron welds where the arc-energy input, specimen size and geometry were
Hardness and Carbon Equivalent held constant
in this investigation, the hardness of
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
cast iron weld metal of a given C.E. forming in cast iron weld metal i s requires a preheating temperature of
was found to depend directly upon predominantly the interdendritic 600 C or 1112 F (or a cooling rate of
the weld cooling rate-Fig. 2. This ASTM types D and E (see Figs. 5 and 0.88 C/s, ¡.e., 1.6 F/s) while the 4.2%
behavior is in agreement with the cast 6a). It is only at extremely slow weld C.E. weld needs to be preheated to
iron l i t e r a t ~ r e ~ . ' in
. ~ .that:
~~ cooling rates that some non-interden- only 360 C or 680 f (or 6.3 Cís ¡.e., 11.3
dritic types of graphite are observed as F/s). This would represent a substan-
1. The higher temperature eutectic in Figs. 6b and 7. tial cost and energy savings.
reaction of austenite graphite dom- + Furthermore, the eutectoid transfor- in this study, the size and shape of
inates during solidification of slowly mation also contributed to the result- the workpiece and the arc-energy
cooled (Le., with minor undercooling) ing hardness of the weld metal. The input were held constant. Under these
castings. slower the weld cooling rate and the restricted conditions, the relationship
2. The lower temperature eutectic greater the C.E., the more potent are between the preheating temperature
reaction of austenite carbide domi- + both the solid state graphitizing and and the resulting weld cooling rate is
nates for fast cooling rates (¡.e., with ferritizing effects. For example, at the shown in Fig. 8. However, if the
large undercooling) resulting in white slow cooling rates indicated in Figs. 6 section size were reduced or the arc-
iron. and 7, solid state graphitization has energy input were increased, the curve
in this investigation, the occurrence permitted the formation of some in Fig. 8 would shift to the left-¡.e.,
of gray, mottled or white iron in the ferrite during the eutectoid transfor- lower preheating temperatures to ob-
weld admixture of a given C.E. de- mation. This i s why the ferritic areas tain a given value of weld cooling rate.
pended essentially upon weld cooling are usually located adjacent to graph- In fact, Hogaboomsreported that SMA
rate. ite flakes. repair welds made on gray iron could
The C.E. of the weld admixture also increased C.E. substantially aug- be deposited with such high values of
had a significant effect upon weld ments the graphitizing and ferritizing arc-energy input that no preheating at
hardness. Since increasing the silicon potentials of the weld metal as can be all was required.
and carbon contents intensifies the seen by comparing Figs. 6a and 6b The results of this study show that,
graphitization potential of the weld where the ferrite content of the 4.2% metallurgically, there is no upper limit
metal, the 3.8% C.E. welds developed C.E. weld i s far greater than that of the for preheating gray iron. The higher
significantly higher hardness and less 3.8% C.E. weld. the preheating temperature, the
graphite than the 4.2% C.E. welds. greater the degree of graphitization
Preheating Welds and ferritization which produces soft-
Microstructure er weld and HAZ structures. However,
The preheating temperature re- an upper limit may be required only
Since the formation of eutectic quired to obtain a soft gray iron weld when excessive softening can not be
graphite depends upon nucleation and and HAZ depends upon several fac- tolerated.
growth kinetics,1° the amount and size tors:
of the flakes are controlled by the 1. C.E. of the weld admixture.
solidification time and the graphitiza- 2. Section size and configuration of
tion potential of the weld admixture. work piece. Conclusions
In welding of gray iron, the amount 3. Arc-energy input. The effects of SMA welding of ASTM
and size of the graphite flakes i n the A high C.E. significantly increases class 40 gray cast iron using gray iron
weld admixture increased with de- the graphitizing and ferritizing poten- electrodes were evaluated by micro-
creasing weld cooling rate and increas- tials of the weld. Thus, increasing the hardness and metallographic analysis.
ing C.E. weld C.E. would allow a lower Based on this study, the following
Because graphite-nucleating inocu- preheating temperature (or faster weld conclusions were reached:
lations and low superheating tempera- cooling rate) to produce a specified
tures are not practical for welding and, weld hardness value. For example, to 1. Weld metal and peak HAZ hard-
therefore, not used in this study, the obtain a weld hardness of 325 DPH ness decreases significantly with de-
morphology of the eutectic graphite (see Figs. 2a and 8). the 3.8% C.E. weld creasing weld cooling rate.
~~

AWS W C I 45 078q265 0006933 O
1-2 9
2. Increasing the C.E.of the weld tion of brittle white iron is highly Foundrymen’s Society, 52,1944, pp. 113 to
admixture decreases weld hardness probable when the weld cooling rate 158.
and reduces the need and cost for exceeds about 10 C/s or 18 F/s (or less 5. Schneidewind, R., and D’Arnica, D. A.,
preheating. E.g., the 4.2% C.E.welds than 300 C or 572 F preheating). “The Influence of Undercooling on the
Graphite Pattern in Gray Cast Iron,” Trans-
develop original base metal hardness actions of American Foundrymen’s Society,
and graphite content with a weld cool- 47,1939, pp. 831 to 849.
ing rate of 5.3 Cis or 9.5 F/s (or 390 C References
6. Hogaboom, A. G.,“Welding Gray Cast
or 734 F preheat); but decreasing the 1. Schneidewind, R., and McElwee, R. G., Iron”, Weldingjournal, 56 (2), Feb. 1977, pp.
C.E.to 3.8% requires a substantially “Composition and Properties of Gray Iron, 17 to 21.
slower cooling rate of 0.7 C/sor 1.3 F/s Parts I and II.” Transactions of American 7. Waiton, C. F., “Gray and Ductile Iron
(or 640 C or 1184 F preheat) to attain Foundrymen’s Society, 58, 1950, pp. 312 to Castings Handbook”, Iron Founders‘ Soci-
similar results. 332. ety, inc., Cleveland, ,1971, pp. 187 to 238.
2. Lownie, Ir., H. W., ”Theories of Gray 8. ASTM Specification A-247-67, “Stan-
3. The eutectic graphite content of Cast Iron Inoculation,” Transactions of dard Method for Evaluatingthe Microstruc-
the weld admixture increases with American Foundrymen‘s Society, 54, 1946, ture of Graphite in Iron Castings.”
decreasing cooling rate and/or in- pp. 837 to 844. 9. Geist, K. R., and Hambley, W. A., ”A
creasing carbon equivalent, but its 3. Eash, J. T., and Bayonne, N. J., “Effect Practical Method of Selecting the Correct
morphology is primarily the interden- of Ladle Inoculationon the Solidification of Type of Cast iron, Part 2,” Iron Age, 158,
dritic ASTM types D and E. No Gray Cast Iron,” Transactions of American Oct. 17,1946, pp. 64 to 70, and Oct. 24,1946,
graphite occurs in the 3.8% and 4.2% Foundrymen’s Sociefy, 49, 1941, pp. 831 to pp. 58 to 64.
C.E. welds when the weld cooling 849. 10. Hughes, I. C.H., “A Review of Solidi-
4. Schneble, Ir., A. W. and Chipman, J., fication of Cast irons with Flake Graphite
rates exceed 6 and 30 Cis (10.8 and 54
“Factors Involved in Superheating Gray Structures,” The Solidification of Metals,
FIS), respectively. Cast Iron and Their Effects on Its Structure Iron and Steel institute, London, 1967, pp.
4. Weld cracking due to the forma- and Properties,” Transactions of American 184 to 191.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0789265 0 0 0 b 9 3 2 2
10 1-3
WELDING OF GRBY CAST IRON

BY A. G. HOGABOOM
A. C . H O C A B O O M is a Welding Consultant, Quincy, Massachusetts.
The welding of cast iron i s usually considered to be The Problem

rather undependable, erratic and a sort of hit-or-miss Cast iron-or at least the gray variety-is a rather crude,
deal. This is partly because of an apparent widespread impure alloy of mainly iron, carbon and silicon. Its
lack of understanding of the various factors associated formation during solidification and cooling is such that
with the welding of cast iron-also partly because of much of the carbon separates out of solution as free
inconvenience in welding cast iron in the more depend- graphite in flake form in a matrix of rather impure, high
able ways, partly because of a scarcity of suitably skilled silicon, medium to high carbon steel. The metallurgical
welders versed in the more dependable methods and structures typical of gray cast iron in both the unetched
partly because of a scarcity or complete absence of and etched conditions are shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
published information concerning the fundamentals of The graphite flakes act like tiny cracks within the
cast iron welding and more dependable methods. matrix metal to promote fracture without appreciable
The intent of this paper i s to provide at least a little yielding. At the same time, the high carbon, silicon and
insight into some of the major interrelating factors and impurity content of the matrix material tends to limit i t s
outline a little known but very fast, economical and high ductility and ability to deform without fracture.
quality way to make certain types of major repairs. Combined, the two factors of crack-like discontinuities
“Hot Arc” welding in progress on a gray cast iron casting
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Source. Welding J o u d , 56(2), February 1977 ___ -

AUS WCI â5 O i â L l 2 6 5 13006733 9
1-3 11
Fig. 3-Finish machined "Hot Arc" welds
Fig. 4-Preheating of gray iron casting for "Hot Arc" welding
Fig. 2-Etched structure of gray cast iron-mixture of ferrite

pearlite and graphite flakes. Nital etch, X 100
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
and limited ductility of the matrix material result in the

no ductility characteristics of gray cast iron.
Graphite is black, and the many flakes exposed on
fracture surfaces give gray cast iron its characteristic gray
appearance.
Hardening Characteristic
Alloys of iron and carbon, especially when accompa-
nied by other alloying elements such as manganese,
silicon, chromium, nickel, etc., are quite readily
hardened by rapid cooling from high temperature. Files, Fig. +"Hot Arc" weld-showing surface finish before machin-
knife blades, springs, the gears and axles in automobiles ing
and many other things are hardened and strengthened in
that way. However, they are usually given a second,
Stress Build-Up
lower temperature treatment to partly soften and
toughen the parts. Stresses are another important factor. Most materials
The area immediately adjacent to a weld pass is heated expand on heating and shrink on cooling. Cast iron is no
to the melting point and cools very rapidly to or nearly to exception. On heating, the heat-affected zones adjacent
adjacent metal temperature by conduction of heat into to weld passes expand, soften, upset, and shrink on
the surrounding metal. If that temperature i s fairly low- cooling. So also does the deposited weld metal shrink on
say below about 500 F (2óûC)-and the material is high in cooling.
carbon such as gray cast iron, extreme hardening i s Shrinkage or attempted movement of anything
almost certain, irrespective of the kind of filler metal attached to something else that is not similarly moving
used. About the only way to prevent the hardening is to will set up stress-twisting a child's ear or trying to take
heat the surrounding material to a high enough temper- off in a car while tied to a tree are examples of a non-
ature to slow down the coolirrg rate sufficiently to metallurgical sort. For weld passes, the stress magnitude
prevent hardening. In other words, preheat it. The will depend on temperature difference, shrinkage char-
temperature usually needed to prevent severe hardening acteristics of the materials involved, span over which the
of the heat-affected zones adjacent to arc weld passes shrinkage difference takes place and the elastic, plastic
on cast iron i s about 600 F (316 C) or a bit higher. and strength characteristics of the materials involved.

AWS WCI 85 038Li265 0006934 b m
1-3
Fig. 6-Example of excavation and area damming for ”Hot Arc”

welding (see Fig. 7)
Fig. .7-Schematic representation of Fig. 6 showing excavation
areas and an example of damming
About the only way to prevent stress build-up is to
lessen the degree of temperature and shrinkage differ-
ence or develop easy yielding, putty-like conditions in
the adjoining metals. Heating the base metal to a there is little or no possibility of producing welds in this
sufficiently high temperature-say, around 1500 F (816 C ) way with over about 60 to 75% of the strength of the base
or higher-will accomplish the latter. Heating to some- metal and often much less.
what lower temperature-say, around loo0 F (538 C)- If the foregoing strength and consistency are not
will lessen stress build-up sufficiently for most, i f not all, considered adequate for the application involved, next
practical purposes. Furthermore, heating cast iron to thought would probably turn to the possibilities for gas
much over loo0 F for any extended period of time will welding with preheat, or brazing. The gas process is
cause considerable weakening of the base metal. All of capable of producing welds of quite high strength and
these factors-hardening, stress and possible weaken- more consistently than i s generally possible by arc
ing-need to be taken into account in welding cast welding with nickel alloy electrodes. However, gas
iron. welding suffers from marked inconvenience, due to the
Basically, then, the problem boils down to near zero heat associated with welding on preheated parts with a
ductility of the base metal, tendency to harden along big gas flame. Furthermore, the process is relatively slow
low preheat weld passes, stress build-up from shrinkage and this extends the time workmen are exposed to the
of passes and almost certainty of at least some cracking disagreeable heat froni the gas torch and preheated base
adjacent to welds unless sufficient preheat is used to metal. Because of these factors, there are now very few
eliminate both hardening and high stress build up. This men who are experienced or knowledgeable in the art of
being the case, it i s in order to consider process charac- gas welding or willing to stand the heat involved in gas
teristics, application problems and popular opinion welding large gray iron castings. The result is usually to
concerning the welding of cast iron. make the process unattractive or inapplicable, although
Processes for Casting Repair capable of producing quite good welds.
As for brazing, this i s a very good process for some
Nowadays, when a gray iron casting needs repair, first repairs and i s easier to apply than gas welding with cast
thought usually turns to the possibilities of repair with iron rod. Bond strength may, however, be somewhat
nickel or nickel alloy electrodes and little or no preheat. variable. Also, for high stress and cyclic load applica-
This, of course, involves rapid heating and cooling of tions, the yield and fatigue strength of the brass filler
heat-affected zones, the hardening thereof, differential metals (so-called bronzes) may also be too low.
shrinkage, high stresses and a likelihood or certainty of at Another method for repair of gray iron parts (but one
least some cracking in or along the welds. Consequently, that does not involve heat or welding) is a proprietary
mechanical cross-link method called “Metalock.” It is
basically similar to stitching a seam with needle and
thread; the process involves drilling and the insertion of
tie-bars across the fracture surfaces. For some applica-
tions, to avoid dismantling, delay or distortion problems
in welding, this may be a quite favorable method of
repair.
If none of the foregoing methods are considered
adequate or applicable for one reason or another, what
other possibility (or possibilities) exist? Although rela-
tively unknown, there is another method for welding
gray iron. It i s far faster than nickel electrode or gas
welding and is capable of producing higher strength
welds than any of the foregoing repair methods. It may
be termed “Hot Arc” welding with cast iron electrodes.
By this method, welds can readily be made very rapidly
with the full strength of the base metal; also, the welds
are both machinable and gray iron in character. Figure 3
Fig. 8-Typical temperature gradrent pattern for “Hot Arc”
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
shows the type of weld obtainable. Details of the
-- -
welding
Copyright American Welding Society large cast iron parts -
~
~-~ process follow.

Provided by IHS under license with AWS I
~- -
No reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS
. l Not for Resale
A W S W C I 85 07842b5 000b935 8 W
1-3
Metal run-out from the ends can be prevented in

several ways. One is to tack weld steel dams in place (see
steel cover in Fig. 7). A second is to have someone hold a
steel bar or carbon strip in place to chill and hold the end
metal of each layer in place. A third i s to deposit a low
amperage “bead” across the ends of each layer before
depositing the hot fill part. Any of these methods will
result in a rather rough and irregular surface that can
readily be melted and washed off after finishing the fill
part.
Control of Undercut
The finish of “Hot Arc” welds i s crucial to the success
of the process. There i s a tendency for rather deep
undercut around the edges of such welds and a
Fig. 9-Gray iron casting which had rather large shrink and sand
inclusion areas repaired by “Hot Arc.. welding. Arrows indicate
tendency for the weld edges to become white iron and
weld regions glass-hard unless the finish i s properly handled.
The undercut tendency is due to the graphite flakes in
gray iron and their not dissolving abruptly as the adja-
cent matrix metal melts under the intense heat of the arc.
“Hot Arc” Process Thus, they tend to remain for a bit and for the inter-
Process Characteristics vening matrix metal to melt and draw away from the
“dry,” unfused graphite surfaced edges, due to surface
Basically, the “Hot Arc” process is similar to gas
tension in the molten material.
welding except that cast iron weld metal i s deposited by
This situation can be handled in several ways. One is
the metal arc process. Preheat is essential, the same as
to leave the undercut and fill it with nickel alloy
for gas welding-say, around 900 to 1100 F (482 to 593 C).
electrodes after completion and cooling of welds. A
The welding is then done by the arc process using cast
better method is to finish the edges by gas welding,
iron rod for the electrode. The latter may be ordinary gas
which process applies heat at a slower rate and allows
welding rod such as i s available at any welding supply
time for the graphite flakes to dissolve in the molten
house or special rod made with a little higher carbon and
weld metal and for the edges to smooth out without
silicon contents to compensate for burn-out during
undercut.
welding. Rods may also be coated with graphite or flux,
In most cases, other than with very coarse graphite,
,Í so desired, but coatings are not essential.
the undercut can also be eliminated by either carbon arc
For best results, the welding, itself, should be done
or gas tungsten arc welding the edges, as both processes
with rather large electrodes at high amperage and with a
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
permit slower melting and continued application of heat

big, fluid puddle, rather than with quick solidifying
in a given region. I f suitably experienced men are
”beads” such as are most common in welding most
available, however, the gas process i s generally prefera-
other materials. Typical i s use of 1/4 in. diameter cast
iron rod with around 400 to 450 A, or larger rod with up ble for edge finishing.
to 600 A. Controlled Cooling
So applied, deposit rates will run from around 10 to 30 Weld edge hardness is a function of cooling rate
pounds per hour (4.5 to 13.6 kg/h) and may be further during the first three or four minutes after the deposition
increased by feeding electrically neutral filler metal (¡.e., of passes or completion of welds. If weld edges cool
cold rod) from the side, by placing broken pieces of rod from molten or near white heat to a dull, dark red or
along run paths, or by feeding in cast iron chips. black heat within a minute or so, the edges are apt to
The type of weld obtainable by this process and become white iron and very hard. On the other hand, if,
machinability thereof are shown in Fig 3. Figure 4 and at the finish of welds, the cooling rate of the weld and
the lead photograph show preheating and welding of a especially the edges i s controlled by application of gas
gray iron casting. Figure 5 shows a finished weld before torch heat so as to remain quite red, say around 1600 to
machining, the same weld as shown in Fig. 3 after 1700 F (871 to 927 C ) for a period of about 2Y2 to 3
machining. minutes and the cooling rate of the weld region is then
Area Damming controlled by torch heat so that the weld region does not
Due to the high amperage used and extreme fluidity of cool to a black heat-say, 1100 F (593 C)-in less than
superheated cast iron, the hot arc process cannot be another 3 to 4 minutes, the weld and heat-affected zones
used in other than the flat position and even for that will be soft, gray and readily machinable.
must be surrounded and supported by some sort of solid The latter two details of undercut fill and controlled
material. The root of through joints and edges of weld cooling of weld areas are vitally important to the success
areas are best supported or dammed and blocked off and machinability of “hot arc” cast iron welds.
with carbon or graphite plates and carbon paste to seal Preheat
any irregularities. The carbon plates and paste may, in Comment about overall preheat and cooling after
turn, be held in place with braces or straps tack welded welding is pertinent and follows. In many cases, overall
with nickel alloy electrodes. However accomplished, a preheat to the aforenoted loo0 F (538 C) temperature
complete edge seal under and around hot arc welds i s range i s not essential. it was not needed for the part
absolutely essential to avoid molten metal run-out. shown in the lead photograph, largely because of no
An example of area damming is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. internal cross-members. Were the part more complex,
The casting shown here was dammed on the face and containing cross-members, more even or overall preheat
back sides of the flange and welded from the edge. The would be essential. In many cases, a tapered preheat may
sloping surfaces presented something of a problem (but be used, with full preheat in the weld vacinity, about half
notSociety
Copyright American Welding too much). that at midpoint across the part and little or none on the
AWS W C I 85 0 7 8 9 2 6 5 000693b T W
14 IS
fusion line must of course reach that temperature and
there must be some sort of temperature gradient leading
away therefrom. For soft, gray deposits, the gradient
should not be too great.
Typical gradients for good deposit conditions are
illustrated on Fig. 8. Although overall preheat may be
either uniform and in the 900-1ûûû F (482-538 C)
temperature range or tapered, immediately adjacent to
weld areas, the base metal should be torch heated to a
good red heat for the start of ”Hot Arc” weld deposi-
‘ tion-say, to about 1500 F (816 C)-with the drop to black
heat of about ïûûû F (538 C) spread over a distance of
from about 8 to 12 in. as indicated by Fig. 8.
For maximum certainty of avoiding cracking or dele-
terious stress build-up, a full overall preheat followed by
a furnace stress relief heat treatment at around loo0 F
(538 C) is undoubtedly best. The large casting shown in
Fig. 70-Unetched “Hot Arc” weld and fusion Zone StWCtUre ~ i9 was~ handled
. in that way. i t had over 200 Ib of weld
x 100 metal deposited in it in around 3% hours one day, which
illustrates the speed of the process. The casting was then
returned to the furnace for a full overall 950-1000 F
(510-538 C) stress relief. When machined, there was no
indication or evidence of repair, which illustrates the
quality of properly made “Hot Arc” cast iron repairs.
Discussion
The “Hot Arc” process for welding cast iron is not
new. It was briefly outlined in the 1938 edition of the
AWS Welding Handbook. It has also been referenced in
Russian and other foreign literature. However, these
references have been mainly in connection with elec-
trode coatings to promote graphitization or produce
gray iron deposits from electrodes with steel cores,
details and references for which I no longer have.
Covered electrodes fer this general type of cast iron
welding were also available for many years in this
Fig. 77-Etched “Hot Arc” weld, fusion line and heat-affected country from the Chicago Hardware Foundry Company
zone structure. Weld is at left; base metal i5 at right. Nital eich, which, however, no longer makes the electrodes. The
guidelines for welding with the Chicago Hardware
Foundry Co. covered electrodes were, however, some-
what different from “Hot Arc” procedure. Lower amper-
age, smaller electrodes and lower preheat were generally
recommended, along with more conventional quick
solidifying bead deposition. From trial and what I have
seen, such bead deposition frequently results in some
sort of weld deposit trouble-either from slag entrap-
ment, hard areas in welds, porosity, cracking or other
factors. Conversely, high amperage, big puddle, hot weld
region welding and controlled cooling procedures with
“Hot Arc” have given consistently satisfactory results. So
deposited, welds which are completely free of cracks
and of full base metal strength can readily be made.
The metallurgical structures typical of “Hot Arc” weld
deposits and heat-affected zones in gray cast iron are
shown in Figs. 10-12. Tensile strength of such joints
made with ordinary bare cast iron gas welding rods such
Fig. ‘12-Typical etched structure of “Hot Arc” weid deposits. as are available from any local welding supply house
Nital etch, x 100 typically run from about 3oooO to 35000 psi (241.3 MPa),
and higher strengths should be readily attainable with
opposite side. The same principle but carried to a lesser appropriate alloying.
degree i s usually adequate for most gray iron weld Conclusion
repairs-say, with a full loo0 F (538 C ) in the general weld It is to be emphasized that the ”Hot Arc” process is not
area-perhaps half that on the opposite side and grad- intended for miscellaneous, odd-shaped or small part
ually tapered heat in between. welding. It can only be used in the flat position with
Preheat temperatures alone without illustration of complete edge and root seal. For appropriate work,
gradients may be somewhat misleading. Cast iron melts however, it offers an outstandingly fast method for
at around 2200 to 2300 F (1204 to 1260 C ) which is a making top quality, full base metal strength repairs in
rather light red or cream colored heat. In welding, the gray iron castings.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 W 078q265 0006937 L D
1-4 15
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
CALLS FOR APPROPRIATE PREHEATING MEASURES

BEFORE PROCEEDINGTO EFFECT REPAIRS WITH EITHER
OXYACEWLENE OR ARC WELDING
Author Klimek using oxyacetylene torch and rod to make

welding repair in gray iron casting.
BY J. KLIMEK A N D A. V MORRISON
Source: Welding Journal, 56(3), March 1977 - _.

16 1-4
The iron Casting Society-located in Cleveland, Ohio- elements in small amounts such as nickel, molybdenum
has provided data indicating that, in 1975,10,622,000 tons and chromium to enhance specific properties such as
of gray iron casting were produced. The production of machinability, tensile strength, heat resistance, etc.
ductile iron castings reached 1,825,000 tons, while In addition to color of fracture, gray irons are further
730,000 tons of malleable iron castings were produced. differentiated by specified tensile strength, deflection
Data for white iron and alloy iron castings were not and brine11 hardness, there being essentially no practical
available. yield strength, elongation or reduction of area.
We can reasonably assume that 0.1% of the gray iron The rate of cooling between heavy and light sections
castings produced either in 1975 or in previous years will and other factors in the mold can, for practical purposes,
fracture or wear in critical areas and can be salvaged by affect the physical properties of a gray iron casting. All of
welding. On this basis, the task of weld repairing-its these variables must be controlled by the foundry to
magnitude-and the economic advantage of reclaiming produce a satisfactory product.
10,662 tons of gray iron castings becomes apparent.
White Iron
Cast Irons-Types and Properties
The fracture surface of white iron i s white in color due
Generically, the term “cast iron” encompasses a broad to the absence of free graphite, all of the carbon being
variety of engineering materials, all of which have combined with iron or other carbide forming elements.
unique properties for specific applications. A brief The basic elements in white iron are the same as in gray
description of cast irons-their types, physical properties iron. The difference is that white iron contains appre-
arid engineering applications-is pertinent to an under- ciably less carbon and silicon, and i f alloyed the amount
standing of the welding techniques used in their of alloying elements added i s much more than in gray
successful repair. in this respect, cast irons are differen- iron to promote maximum hardness and erosion
tiated by their color when fractured into two broad resistance.
classes-gray and white. Also, they are further differen- White irons may be white throughout the fracture or
tiated by microstructure, physical properties and alloy white on the outer area and gray on the inner area
composition into many other grades. In turn, the phys- depending on chemistry, section size and cooling rate.
ical properties of cast irons are established during the The white irons are generally considered to be nonweld-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
melting cycle by control of composition. If the iron is not able due to high hardness, high residual stress, low
an alloy iron, control is primarily related to the percent- deflection plus engineering applications and economics
ages of carbon and silicon in the alloy: that dictate replacement rather than repiiir.
Gray Iron Malleable Iron

The fracture surface of gray iron is gray in color due to Malleable iron is a low carbon, low-silicon cast iron. It
the presence of free graphite. The alloy contains varying has definite physical properties of tensile and yield
amounts of carbon, silicon, manganese, phosphorus, strength and elongation due to either a ferritic or
sulfur, and residuals and may be alloyed with other pearlitic matrix with free carbon in the temper form. The
temper form of carbon has the appearance of an irreg-
ular shaped mass; this gives the malleable iron properties
1. KLIMEK is Owner and Welder, Weldize Corporation, Brook- closer to nodular carbon iron than to flake carbon iron.
lyn, N. Y., and A. V. MORRISON is Chief Equipment Inspector, The microstructure and temper carbon form are devel-
Chevron Oil Company, Perth Amboy, N . 1. (€ditor‘s Note: At age oped by heat treatment.
75, Mr. Klimek is still welding and has 50 years of gray iron Malleable iron i s not normally welded although it can
welding experience.) be brazed or silver soldered.
Fig. 7-Preheating a gray iron casting

with charcoal before proceeding with
welding repair

A W S W C I 85 07ö112b5 0 0 0 b 9 3 9 5
1-4 17 I
Alloy Cast Iron containment until, by judgement and experience, fusion
with the base metal i s achieved.
The term ”alloy cast iron” can be construed to include
This type of weld repair is a foundry method appli-
a great variety of cast irons, from ductile cast iron to
cable to relatively large expensive raw castings with
austenitic cast irons, including alloyed gray and white
small defects. It is not applicable to field or shop repair
cast irons. The most unique of these i s ductile cast iron
of finished and engineering applied castings.
which i s made by inoculating gray cast iron with magne-
sium. The addition of magnesium causes the normal gray
Arc and Oxyacetylene Welding-Comparisons
cast iron flake graphite to assume a nodular or spherical
shape. Composition control and heat treatment result in Gray iron castings may be repaired in the field or shop
a cast iron having the essential physical properties of a by means of arc or oxyacetylene welding. However,
low carbon steel. The nodular structure i s not retained if either type of welding without proper preheat involves
these irons are welded. the strong possibility of cracking due to the concentra-
Other alloy cast irons encompass a range of alloy tion of heat resulting in severe thermal gradients and
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
content from less than 1% to over 20% of alloying stress concentrations during the heating and cooling
elements such as tellurium, phosphorus, nickel, chromi- cycles. In addition, some section of the fusion or heat-
um, molybdenum and silicon, each of which implants affected zone matrix will transform to martensite which
unique properties of hardness, heat resistance, corrosion is an embrittled phase, thus compounding both current
resistance, and impact strength, etc., for specific engi- and future woes.
neering applications. Some alloy irons can be welded Of the two methods of welding without specific
but normally are not. preheat, arc welding is more prone to cracking and
martensite formation than i s oxyacetylene. In addition,
Welding Repair of Gray Iron Castings arc welding does not give a color match due to core
wire, an iron-nickel alloy, being a different composition
”Burning In”
than gray iron, an iron, carbon, silicon alloy. This may or
If welding can be construed as being ”the application may not be of iniportance depending on application.
of sufficient heat to a base metal to cause i t to melt and The same is true of brazing with copper base alloys.
form an alloy with an applied liquid metal or itself”, then With either oxyacetylene or arc welding, preparation
the first gray iron welding repair’ method would of a defect area by mechanical means-grinding, chip-
probably be the foundry method of “burning in” a ping, machining-is a prerequisite to success. Moreover,
defective casting. with arc welding, skip welding, peening and cooling to
“Burning in” is done by building a containment ambient temperature before applying the second pass,
around the defective area and then slowly but contin- etc., are recommended to help avoid the undesirable
uously pouring molten metal into and overflowing the effects of cracking and martensite formation due to the
f i g . 2-Cracked “€//iott”6ûû# steam turbine f i g . 3-Cracked “Elliott” 6ûû# s’tearn turbine prepared tor
welding repair and preheating

AWS W C I 8 5 W 07842b5 000b740 I W
18 1-4
heat generated by the arc. An oxyacetylene flame is

considerably colder than an arc, and i t s heat is not as
concentrated. The result i s that a welder must apply
considerable preheat before he can commence actual
welding, a result being that cracking and martensite
formation may be minimal.
Preheat Procedures
Some Basic Considerations
Preheating a gray iron casting sounds simple but
actually-requires forethought, equipment, time, patience
and-very often-experience. Forethought is required to
look at the defective casting and torm a mental or
written plan o i job progress. Included in the plan are
items such as casting alloy composition, overall dimen-
sions of the casting, wall thicknesses of both the area to
be welded and other areas, and grinding out the defect.
Other items to be considered are rate of heating,
positioning of casting for desired sequence of welding
(which may involve several moves of a hot casting or
cycles of heating-cooling-heating), electrode and torch
sizes and types, fitting, thickness and type of insert
material, etc.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
The minimum preheat temperature to successfully
weld gray iron castings i s 700 F (371 C); 800 F (427 C ) is
preferred and up to 1100-1200 F (593-649 C ) will not
hurt and may actually aid in acetylene welding because
some casting thicknesses are tremendous heat sinks, and
proper fusion as well as impurity and gas bubble tlota-
tion require that the welder be able to maintain a pool of fig. 5-“€/liott” 6003: steam turbine back in service-only minor
fluid metal. machining wa5 required alter welding repair
Equipment
Preheat equipment varies irom the simple and cheap
to the elaborate and expensive. All preheating should be
done in a reiractory oven. The oven can be constructed
of loose bricks to accommodate one-of-a-kind type jobs,
or i t can be a permanent oven to accommodate multiple,
similar jobs such as cylinder heads.
The use o i a refractory oven is crucial to success when
weld repairing complex castings. This i s because i t
permits controlled rates of heating and cooling to avoid
thermal stresses and retains residual heat during the
actual welding operation.
Depending on the job, other equipment would
include welding supplies, cranes, machine tools and
miscellaneous handtools.
Fuels
The tuel ior preheating may be gas, charcoal
briquettes or wood charcoal. If the fuel is gas, i t must be
ditiused through a bed of refractory briquettes to permit
slow, even heating. With all but the most simple
uniform-wall thickness castings, a direct gas flame will
result in high thermal stresses and potential cracking.
Many old time practitioners o i the art ot acetylene
welding gray iron castings (including coauthor loe
Klirnek) iirmly believe that the best iuel ior miscella-
neous small to medium sized castings i s wood charcoal.
However, a more modern concept well established in
the pressure vessel, piping, chemical plant and petro-
leum refining industries which has not been applied to
gray iron welding is to use electricity for tuel, especially
when preheating large castings.
The development of reliable, accurate thermocouples
Fig. #-Welded “Elliott” 6íXl# steam turhine and resistance heating blankets applicable to almost any

g AWS WCI 85 0784265 0006943 3 W
1-4
finish. Other factors such as preparation, preheating,

finishing and overhead are cost controlling. However, it
is to be noted that, with an oxyacetylene torch with a big
tip and two 3/16 or 1 / 4 in. (4.76 or 6.35mm) rods welded
together to make one, i t is possible to deposit filler metal
very fast.
5. Are pressure tightness and uniform thermal expan-
sion important such as on cylinder heads or steam
turbine or pump cases? If “yes,” the choice i s oxyacety-
lene welding with gray cast iron rod. This i s because the
finished welded casting must be as uniform as possi-
ble.
Differences in chemical composition as related to
elements that impart tluidity to molten weld metal (¡.e.,
carbon, silicon, manganese and nickel) make the differ-
ence between “good” iron and “dry“ iron, and strongly
influence the ease of fusion. Contrary to a popular
welder’s belief, the previous service of the casting does
not “burn” these elements out ot the metal unless it is a
high temperature application such as the surface of a
steel ingot mold.
The normal difference in composition between the
skin of a casting and the interior also may present
difficulties in tying in the surface pass. However, the
main difficulty is that some castings have included gas
pockets, sand, gas producing inclusions, etc., which
result in pressure test rejections unless carefully
removed during the actual welding operation. In this
respect, oxyacetylene is superior to arc welding because
the welder has a chance to work out the defects. The
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
fig. 6-Cracked “‘knock ouf pot” oxyacetylene welding is thus enhanced by the skills of an
experienced welder of high integrity and devotion to the
art such that i t s superiority cannot be surpassed as a
shape, together with programmed multi-point repair method for gray cast iron.
time-temperature controllers and lightweight insulation,
must be noted. Together, these are more feasible, safer
and more desirable than an open flame for preheating
prior to effecting weld repairs in gray iron castings.
Final Considerations
Preheating i s time-consuming and is thus an anathema
to much modern industrial production thinking. A multi-
wall complex casting of varying wall thicknesses may
take two to four hours to preheat slowly to welding
temperature. To go much faster is to invite trouble from
thermal stresses. It is common practice to preheat on the
night shift and weld on the day shitt.
If a casting is properly preheated, then either oxyacet-
ylene or arc welding, or brazing. will make a useable
joint depending on application. If the preheating is not
correct, none of the welding methods will be totally
satisfactory.
The choice of welding method i s dictated by job
variables, ¡.e.:
1. I s color match important?If “yes,” use oxyacetylene
welding and gray iron rod. If “no,” use either oxyacet-
ylene or arc welding with nickel alloy rod.
2. I s out of downhand welding required? If ”yes,“ use
arc welding, although oxyacetylene welding with gray
iron rod can be used very well vertically.
3. Are increased strength and ductility required at a
high stress crack location? If so, use arc welding and
nickel alloy rod.
4. Speed of welding-this is important on any job for
cost control. However, actual welding time is generally
self-administrative, because the nature of gray iron Fig. 7-Welded “knock out pot.” N o leaks were detected after
welding i s such that once you start to weld you must welding repairs were made

AWS WCI 135 078Li2bS 000bqY2 5 D
20 1-5
The metal arc welding

of cast iron for
maintenance and repair
welding
by Clive Cookson, M.Weld.1. The author argues that the development
of low heat input weld metal composi-
tions and welding techniques have made
metal arc welding a viable proposition
for cast iron repair work.
The metal arc welding of cast iron is still widely con- The depth of hardening of a particular cast iron,
sidered as a dubious method for joining and overlaying. which governs the width of the HAZ, depends to some
It is true that many difficulties do exist, but with the extent on the structure of the cast iron before welding.
development of speciaiised low heat input weld metal The presence of pearlite, especially in SG irons, can
chemistries and welding techniques, these difficulties influence the depth of the HAZ, the controlling factors
have been largely overcome, with the result that repairs being solution of carbide and diffusion rates of carbon.
over a wide field can be carried out confidently. The actual hardness of the HAZ, however, does not
In this paper, the selection of suitable weld metal differ very much with different irons.
compositions is considered, and the paramount welding
and metallurgical problems discussed, together with Choice of electrode chemistry
possible solutions. Finally, a selection of difficult but Research work is being carried out by the author’s
successfiil weld repairs is presented. company on improvements to metal arc electrodes for
the welding of cast iron. It is generally established that
Heat input the 60/40nickel iron type of electrode offers the highest
The heat &om the welding arc results in the formation of crack-resistivity, but remarkable results have been
a liquid pool consisting of a weld/base metal mixture obtained with various flux coatings extruded on identical
which brings a narrow band of base metal to an austenitic filler wires. F l u densities, remelt and flotation charac-
condition causing rapid solution of the graphite flakes teristics are also pertinent factors in the homogeneity of
or nodules. the weld metal.
Thii austenitic region becomes enriched in carbon, Figure 2 shows the effect of a slag inclusion and the
and the rapid quench effect from the base metal mass, incipient hot cracks emanating from this. Microscopic
as the arc is traversed, transforms the carbon-rich inclusions of this nature can lower the tensile strength
austenite to martensitic structures with eutectic carbides to around 93 N/mmz, as shown by specially prepared
at the interface where carbon-rich microscopic pools tensile specimens.
have formed.
This interîàcial carbide band can be continuous or
discontinuous. The heat treatment necessary to trans- 1 Two weld deposits made under identicalwelding parameters:
(left) low dilution value, (right) high dilution
form this heat affected zone (HAZ) and so alter the
structure is generally impractical on large components,
and also on smaller components which have been exten-
sively machined, due to scaling and distortion problems.
The depth of the HAZ is relative to the heat input
and the welding technique used. It has been shown that
where electrodes are used which exhibit a soft arc-
brazing characteristic, minimal hardening occurs due to
a reduction of hard transformation pr0ducts.l This is
illustrated in Fig. 1 with a macrograph of two weld
deposits made under identical welding parameters. The
low dilution value can be seen on the left, which has
produced minimal hard microconstituents in the photo-
micrograph beneath. There is evidence of only slight,
discontinuous carbide at the interface. In Fig. 1, right,
high dilution has occurred with mass martensitic and
carbide structures shown in the relevant micrograph.
Mr Cookson is Chief Welding Engineer at Eutectic Co Ltd, Feltham.
Middlesex.
Source:Metal Construction and British Welding Journal, M a y 1971 (The Welding Institute)
_._ -
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

21
The test programme indicates that an even wider
range of electrode types with repetitive core wire
chemistries will be required in the maintenance field of
weld repairs to cope with specific problems. This could
well illustrate the folly of grouping electrodes by core
wire composition, and making a selection on economic
grounds. (Figure 3 shows the effect of thrce diffeicnt
coatings on a fiO/40 Ni:Fe alloy using identical welding
parameters.)
Austenitic stainless steels
An austenitic stainless steel is sometimes favoured for the
welding of cast iron where bonding problems are
2 Effect of a slag inclusion with incipient hot cracks ( x 100) encountered. Although only a low percentage of
presumably successful repairs have been made using this
chemistry, it usually involves the deposition of only a
small amount of weld metal. However, even a few
successes will raise an obvious danger if this opinion
becomes more widespread.
Investigations by the author have shown that in
certain cases successful welds can be made on cast iron,
using austenitic stainless steel electrodes, where the
degree of restraint is low, or where the deposit is in
compression to the base metal.
AWS E312/16 filler metal, popularly referred to as
the 29/9 type (Cr:Ni), was also employed in the test
programme; this seemed an obvious choice due to its
high crack resistivity attributable to the high proportion
of intergranular &ferrite which provides preferential
precipitation sites for the dissolved impurities and certain
3 Effect of three different coatings on a 60/40Ni :Fe alloy using elements melted from the base metal.
identical welding parameters
Various degrees of cracking were observed in the weld
metal, due possibly to the excess precipitation of carbon
at the ferritelaustenite phase boundaries. HAZ cracking
was very prominent where restraint was inherent in the
joint (Fig. 4).
HAZ cracking does epitomise the problem of using
austenitic stainless steel filler materials ;their undesirably
high physical properties make the brittle HAZ even more
pronounced and vulnerable to stress. The yield point
of austenitic stainless steels exceeds the strength of the lower
strength cast irons.
A further risk with the use of these welding materials
is the introduction of chromium which increases the
hardness of the austenitic transformation products and
of the carbides formed, Fe,C+Fe/Cr,C.
Tin bronzes were also investigated and three problems
were confirmed: (a) weid metal cracking, (b) poor
bonding, and (c) base metal cracking due to copper
4 HAZ cracking, using austenitic stainless steel filler ( x 100) penetration of the grain boundaries.
5 Formation of massive brittle Al :C:Fe nodules, aluminium Aluminium bronzes proved to be successful in many
bronze ( x 10) cases, especially with cladding operations on cast iron,
but iron and carbon pick-up also proved to he highly
detrimental on restrained joints, especially where higher
than usual amperages were used on initial runs to over-
come bonding problems, due to the formation of massive
brittle Al :C :Fe nodules (Fig. 5). With heavy build-ups,
cleavage of the initial run occurred, due to embrittle-
ment in this area.
Tests using a nickel buffer layer and a low penetration
technique (Fig. 6) minimised this problem. However,
the high tensile strengths and low elongation values
(< 5%) developed with the heat-treatable aluminium
bronzes as-deposited, make them a dubious choice for
the general repair welding of cast iron.
Ferritic deposits
The use of ferritic deposits for the welding of cast irons
is frought with many problems. Figure 7 shows a grey
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 8 5 07842b5 000bî4Li 7 W
22 1-5
cast iron joint edge clad with two layers of a ferritic
deposit; the extent of cracking can be seen.
With single deposits, cracking was in many cases 1101
observed, but the structure consisted of a broken carbidc
network in a martensitic matrix. The average hardness
of the single layer was 500 DPN.
There are cases in maintenance repair welding where
the choice of this chemistry is a viable one, but it is
incorporated sparingly and in individual stringer beads, 6 Tests using a nickel buffer layer and a low penetration
usually in chamfered grooves to obtain high strength technique
bonding.
Nickel-base electrodes
Electrodes containing >!IO% Ni and the 60/40Ni:Fe
type have undoubtedly emerged as the most satisfactory
chemistries for the welding of cast irons, generally
because of their desirable mechanical properties and
ability to precipitate the carbon picked up from the base
metal in its free form as graphite.
Figure 8 shows a 60/40Ni:Fe deposit, consisting of a
cored, solid solution structure containing graphite
nodules and aggregates, the nodular form due to residual
magnesium in nickel, used as a deoxidant.
Certain weaknesses can exist in a deposit containing
a microstructure in which free graphite aggregates pre-
dominate. A preference for the formation of graphite
spheroids + carbide is indicated and this can be 7 Grey cast iron joint edge clad with two layers of a ferritic
encouraged with modification to the flux coating. deposit
The high nickel electrode, while being more ductile,
is prone to weld metal cracking under restraint during
welding. However, on large fills, the higher strength
nickel iron deposits can create a tensile stress on the
HAZ and promote cracking problems in this area. The
author devised a ‘cross’ technique which overcame these
problems on a specific repair, and this is described later.
Tensile tests carried out on SG cast irons welded with
a Sol40 Ni:Fe electrode, showed average values of
550 N/mm* on pearlitic structures, and 454 N/mm* on
ferritic structures, elongation (50 mm) being 2% and 6%
respective1y.
In-service conditions
Grey flake cast iron has relatively low ductility and so
its uses include in-service conditions which do not
involve high fluctuating stresses or shock loading in
which the SG irons are better employed. The welding 8 60/40 Ni:Fe deposit consisting of a cored, solid solution
of the SG irons for this kind of in-service condition is, structure containing graphite nodules and aggregates
however, not under discussion. Where tensile stresses
are involved with grey iron casting then the framework 9 Extent of wear in a segment of a steel half casing
is inevitably massive to provide a high safety factor.
Grey cast iron is widely used fir machine tool castings,
pump casings, bearings, h e a v rolls, turbine casings,
liquid containers and many more. There is a strong
need in industry today to repair worn and broken parts
to prevent downtime which is sometimes disastrously
extended with long delivery dates. Without any doubt,
the above applications constitute the largest proportion
of cast iron welding.
The problem facing the welding engineer is that the
component should be restored to a mechanical condition
which is comparable to the original casting. Many
failures occur due to lack of knowledge of the problems
which exist in the welding of cast iron.
The choice of weld metal chemistries has been shown
to be vital, with the nickel-free chemistries providing
minimum chance of success.
Failures which could have been avoided only
strengthen opinion among some factions that cast iron
cannot be welded with the metal arc process, and this
could be no further from the truth.
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AWS W C I 85 0789265 000b745 O 9
1-5 23
Piiobiems in welding casting unless long inter-weld pauses are observed.
The main contributory factors to failure of a weld repair Expansion and contraction is unbalanced and cannot be
to a casting during welding, after welding, or while the tolerated on highly restrained areas of castings and
component is in service are as follows: especially thin sections. Grey cast iron has negligible
ductility, and so the stresses developed cannot be
Ferritic deposits. Ferritic deposits will harden when
absorbed by distortion in the casting.
deposited on cast iron due to carbon pick-up and the The MS Mf range for cast irons depends on a number
high quench effect. Apart from their sensitivity to
of factors, but the Mf point generally is not below 90°C.
cracking, they also develop undesirably high physical Tests have shown that if the weld deposit length is
properties, including high yield strengths.
curtailed to x 2 the base metal thickness on thin
Heat build-up. There is usually a heat build-up in the sections, the temperature upon breaking the arc is below
100°C, falling in seconds to around 40°C on the first
run. If an airline is employed to quench the deposit
and remove the excess 20°C, then each and every run
will be a facsimile of the preceding one, No detriment
will result to the base meral by quenching from up to
90°C when this temperature is induced locally in the
weld area with curtailed deposit length on a previously
cold casting. The quenching of small castings would not
be necessary where a uniform heat build-up can be
obtained.
Crack susceptible weld mûal chemistries. Deposits which have
significant ductility dips and/or low melting inter-
granular films are not generally suitable for the welding
of cast iron where restraint in the joint or repair area
is encountered, this being frequently the case on massive
castings.
Improper welding kchniques. It is generally advisable to
deposit stringer beads when welding cast iron, so
avoiding an excessive weaving motion. Craters must be
filled both at the start and completion of a weld run.
A parallel line of stops and starts should also be avoided.
10 Technique of depositing stringer bead 'squares' De-slagging must be judiciously exercised to avoid flux
entrapment.
Heavy build-ups. Large deposits create an undesirable
tensile contractional pull against the base metal, and so
it is necessary to drastically reduce this by peening and
other techniques like the 'cross' formation with a more
ductile chemistry.
HAZ hardness and width. Ways of minimising the extent
and hardness of the HAZ have been discussed, as this
is the prime reason for cracking and failure of welds on
cast iron. It has been proved conclusively that cutting
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
stress grooves and so scolloping the joint surface, and
consequently the HAZ, together with the use of low heat
input chemistries and techniques, virtually resolves this
problem. However, the geometry, design and spacing of
the grooves is of the utmost importance and can vary
with each repair.
11 Half casing completed, showing extent of build-up 13 Stack cooler repair; line at weld/base metal interface caused
12 Stack cooler repair; a cross design was built in the centre of by austenitic type filler metal and ferromagnetic casting creating
the defect north and south pole

AWS W C I 85 078Li2b5 000b7Lib 2 W
I 24 1-5
Piekaration. The importance of correct preparation of the periphery, and filled with a low heat input metal
the defect or damaged area before welding cannot be arc 60/40 Ni:Fe type deposit. The low penetration
over-emphasised. The area should be ground and dye- buttering technique was carried out, followed by grind-
penetrant tested to ensure a sound base, with all corners ing and testing. A ‘cross’ design, using a high nickel
and edges radiused. The casting should also be warmed electrode, was built in the centre of the defect (Fig. 12)
to 20°C before the welding operation begins, as hydrogen and the htercross areas filled with the Sol40 M:Fe type
induced HAZ cracking in the welding of cast iron previously used. Grinding of the surface and dye
cannot be ignored. It is also advisable to bake electrodes penetrant testing was observed at each fill-in stage of
immediately prior to use. On no account should damp this first test.
electrodes be used. The ‘cross’ technique was used on each layer built up,
ensuring that the crosses were in different positions to
Some successful weld repairs avoid a straight-through layer of high nickel deposit.
Hdf cusing. In one example, taken from a major steel- The final layer was ground and tested both with dye
works, extensive wear had resulted in severe damage to penetrant and the magnetic particle technique. Note
four bearinghalf casingsfrom a large sheet steel cropping the l i e at the weld/base metal interfixe, Fig. 13, caused
machine. The material was grey flake cast iron to by the austenitic type filler metal and ferromagnetic
BS 1452 Grade 14. Figure 9 shows the extent of wear casting creating a north and south pole in much the
on one of the segments. Numerous welding contractors same way as a discontinuity.
were approached and all considered the repairs to be
impossible.
A procedure was drawn up by the author which
included preparing the surface and cutting stress
grooves across the face. The grooves were filled with a
low heat input electrode (60/40Ni:Fe type). The area
was then divided into squares, using stringer bead
deposits (Fig. IO). These squares were then filled with
the deposits transverse to those in the adjacent square
to break up the stress pattern. A high nickel type deposit
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
was also employed in the repair, observing techniques
previously discussed.
Figure 11 shows one half casing completed, and the
extent of build-up can be seen. The nickel-iron type
deposit was used on the final layers because of its better
bearing properties. The repairs were completed eighteen 15 Ship‘s turbine repair. showing extent of cavitation (above),
months ago and the components are still performing’ pad layer ground to size (centre), and (below) descaleä area
ready for welding
satisfactorily.
Stack cook. In another example, unavoidable sand ~
scabs during the casting operation had resulted in

defects in grey cast iron cooling panels for furnace lining
in steel production. The section thickness of the panels
was 125 mm, and the defects averaged 150 mm in
diameter and up to 37 mm deep. It was important that
the thermal transfer properties were not denuded by
weld defects including cracks or porosity. Earlier
attempts at a repair resulted in weld metal cracking and
weld/bax metal cleavage, the latter caused by an
undesirable tensile contraction stress in the weld deposit.
The following technique was devised and proved
completely successful in the nineteen repairs. The area
was ground and dye-penetrant tested, and then warmed
with a flame to 20°C. Stress grooves were cut around 16 Stress grooves filled with a 60/40 Ni:Fe type electrode
14 Difficult working conditions for ship’s turbine repair welding 17 Effect of peak technique for required build-up (peaks
indicated by chalked arrows)

AWS WCI 85 0 7 8 4 t b 5 OOOb747 4
1-5
consolidatc thc Idades to íhc casing, and to fill in thc
inter-blade arcas where loss of the spacers had occurred.
The quench weld technique, using an airline, was
employed with peening of the deposits; 90% of the
welding was carried out in the vertical-up position. The
success of this repair resulted in a similar repair being
carried o u t on the RMS Himalaya. The Oronsay repair
has been describcd in detail elsewhere.*
Figure 14 shows the difficulties of the working condi-
tions; Fig. 15 shows extent of cavitation (above) pad
layer ground to size (centre), and (below) a descaled
area. The need to obtain sound deposits can be
appreciated as cleavage of the weld metal could cause
extensive damage to the blades of the casings and rotors.
Wobblers in steel works. The Wobbler ends of cast iron
and steel rolls are subject to extensive wear. In this
example, while welding of the steel Wobblers poses no
real problem, the SG cast iron Wobblers had not been
successfully reclaimed. The techniques outlined pre-
viously were conformed to, with air quenching exercised
throughout the repair.
Stress grooves are cut across the worn face and then
filled with a 60/40 Ni:Fe type electrode (Fig. 16). Due
to the extensive build-up required, a ‘peak‘ technique
was devised (Fig. 17) which simulated small mountain
peaks, indicated by arrows. The inter-peak areas were
finally filled and the repair ground to size (Fig. 18).
Four such welding operations are required on a single
Wobbler end. The repair gave eighteen months satis-
factory service.
The author does not deny that the welding of cast
iron is a difficult and complicated task. It requires
18 Finished repair after filling in inter-peak areas and grinding
specialised knowledge and, possibly, a welding technique
to size tailored to each individual problem.
Welder training and absolute participation in the
repair lay-out is vital. Nickel-free chemistries can, and
Ship’s turbine. A few years ago a wcld rcyair opcration indeed are, used in the welding of cast iron, but any
was successfully carried out to two LP cast iron marine preference for these should be calculated against a
turbine casings on board the 28,000 ton P & O liner possible failure which would make the nickel-free types
RMS Oronsay. The repair work was necessary owing the most expensive ones.
to extensive metal loss, caused by water droplet erosion Massive repairs on sections up to 1200 mm thick have
resulting from high velocity impingement of moisture not been discussed in this paper, although such repairs
beads expelled from the rotor blade tips. The casings frequently have been carried out. One such repair to a
were grey flake iron conforming to BS 1452 Grade 14, massive cast iron frame in a steel works has been per-
and the blades were of Monel. forming satisfactorily for over two years, with high
Preferential loss of the cast iron base mcial had tensile stresses on the joint area. However, techniques
occurred (a) on the surface and inside edge of the gaskrt for these repairs are radically different from those that
face, (b) between the individual blades on the first rows have been discussed, and fall outside the scope of this
of each casing, and (c) the spaces between the blades u p article.
to and including the first eight rows. The root lacing
wires were also exposed on the first rows by loss of the References
low moor iron locking strips and spacers. 1 C;ookson, Clivc. ‘Krpair of Li’ cast iron niarine steain turbine
Metal arc welding was employed, using a 60/40 Ni:Pe casings’. Weld. and Met. Fab., August 1969.
2 Cookson, Clive. ‘Quench welding process for joining cast icon’.
soft brazing type electrode to replace the lost metal, to Weld. and Met. Fa&, August 1970.
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AWS WCI 8 5 078Li265 000b748 b
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Maintenance and repair welding of castings
By C. Cookson, FWeldl, LIM, AMIET
Well over 85% of all weld repairs in the field of service repair and
maintenance welding a r e carried out on castings. In many respects
the repair and maintenance technological side has to be highly alert,
because modern engineering developments constantly create gaps in
the acquired knowledge, gaps that have to be closed with the aid of
welding engineering and metallurgical work. New concepts of weld
metal chemistries also have to be developed to meet these contin-
gencies and to maintain the repair and maintenance field as a
specialised operation, even though largely operating outside that
line of welding controlled o r guided by national or international
standards. Full metallurgical backing is just a s essential as
welding engineering, and both these functions a r e usually con-
trolled by one man, the Welding and Metallurgical Engineer.
H i s job is to examine a damaged component, assess all the facts,
carry out the required tests, then draw up a welding technique and
choice of welding material and often do the practical repair himself.
Quality control of all welding products brought into the company may
be his responsibility also, together with the development of custom-
made weld metal chemistries and fluxes. Unfortunately a repair
technique used on one casting is not a panacea: each repair must
be considered individually. The case histories discussed in this
Paper merely brush the myriad of problem repairs in the repair
and maintenance field.
CASE HISTORY NO. 1 Bs 1452, Grade 14. The cracks had propa-
Metal-arc repair to cast iron bridge gated to the fillet area from focal s t r e s s points
and in some instances had encroached into the
In 1968 serious cracks were observed in the cruciform section of the upright. Seventeen
structural members of the Osney Bridge, Fig. 1, cracks were found, all similar in magnitude,
which carried the A. 420 over the River Thames every one on the side nearer the crown of the
in the western approach to the City of Oxford. bridge section.
The structurai beams are cast iron similar to The exact cause of the damage was not
known, but it is assumed to be associated with
Mr Cookson is Group Technical Director, cyclic loading caused by the passage of heavy
Weld Group, Navan, Republic of Ireland. vehicles during the war periods, and the
S O l l E L W d hg of Casthgs, The Welding Institute, 1977

* -~
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~

AWS WCI 45 W 07842b5 0 0 0 b î 4 9 & W
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presence of large surface sand scabs in an area during welding, with subsequent disruption
adjacent to the focal s t r e s s points. of the welding arc.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
In view of the extent of cracking a repair

was necessary, and, because of the condition of 2 The metallurgical notch effect at the root
the parent metal, it was necessary to effect the is possibly minimised.
repair by metal-arc welding. A high safety
factor was achieved by incorporating into the 3 Practical tests and metallurgical examin-
weld repair plain carbon steel bars, which ation of typical sections showed clearly
extended across the front face of the web, thus that the weld metal on the initial weld
giving an additional bond to more sound areas. beads on the outside of the joint was
A section of the-parent metal was removed allowed to contract by the closing of the
for analysis which showed the phosphorus con- joint faces into the annealed nickel strip,
tent to be 0.99. A special welding procedure
and technique had to be devised to minimise 4 Although no significant additional strength
weld metal repulsion and to eliminate lack of would be achieved in the joint by welding
fusion and cracking dangers. each side into the nickel strip, the neat-
The bridge, which was completed in 1888, ness of the joint and other attendant
consisted of eight arch ribs, two sections of advantages can be appreciated.
which were more recent additions to widen it:
these were sound. The remaining seven inner The bar-reinforcing operation was pre-
arch ribs contained 112 'junctions', seventeen faced by a weld cladding operation. A 12mm
of which had suffered extensive cracking. diameter 0.4% carbon steel bar, bent to fit
A two-stroke, ZOOA, 450 cycle, AC weld- the configuration, was then positioned and fillet
ing machine was positioned on the bank, and welded to the clad layer, Fig.3. The yield
the earth lead was fixed to the outside section strength of the bar and weld metal was calcu-
of the bridge. The welding lead, which measured lated at >460N/mm2 which added a high safety
100m was laid across the river bed and brought factor to the repair.
up into a barge to a receiving plate from which It is suggested that in view of the excess-
two electrode holders were taken. ive sand scabs, which had to be ground away
in view of the amount of inter-deposit work at the joints, this repair was possible only by
of peening, deslagging and cooling, it was pos- metal-arc welding. The success of this repair,
sible to have uninterrupted welding from both after more than three years, may be of real
leads, though not simultaneously. significance, as this is, to the author's knowl-
All the members of the bridge were ground edge, the first of its kind,
and dye penetrant tested, Fig. 2a. A Gmm diam-
eter hole was then drilled at the termination of CASE HISTORY NO. 2
each crack which was afterwards cut through
with a hacksaw, Fig.2b. The cracks were Repair of a furnace roll
ground out U fashion, one-third from each Attempts at weld reclamation on 25/12 Cr-Ni
side, and .i nickel s t r i p inserted. The inser- furnace rolls (C=O.5%) from a Priest normal-
tion of the nickel strip was a new technique ising furnace, which had been in service for
devised by the author, Fig. 2c. some years, were unsuccessful because of the
The electrode used for the entire repair severely embrittled state of the parent metal;
was a 60%Ni-40%Fe type, of 3.2mm diameter, this had resulted in extensive cracking in both
as this allowed better practical control during weld metal and parent material. The preweld
welding which was carried out in the flat, solution heat treatment was not possible with
horizontal/vertical , and vertical up positions. the equipment available. The author was asked
It was necessary, when welding began at to investigate the problem.
0800hr, to use a propane torch to warm the The roll, which measured 5.5m in length,
parent metal to > 3OoC to avoid condensation 419mm in diameter, with a wall thickness of
and any danger of hydrogen-induced heat- 38mm, was constructed from a barrel, centrif-
affected zone (HAZ) cracking. ugally cast in one piece, with a bell-end cast-
The technique of inserting the nickel-iron ing (static cast) welded into each end after
strip into the hacksaw cut through the crack shrink-fitting.
may be summed up as: During service, the maximum live load
of 1783kg is distributed over a 3.2m length,
1 The hacksaw cut removes any rust and and the maximum temperature was estimated
impurities which may cause outgassing at 96 O°C, although this ceiling temperature

AUS W C I 85 0784265 0006950 4
20 1-6
depended on the specific heat treatment being periods within the 600°-850°C range, and once
carried out. Each roll is driven from one end the sigma phase has been formed the maximum
at ïrev/min. operating temperature of 9600 is too low for
Service failure of the rolls was caused by rapid dissolution.
extensive cracking in the weld/parent area of
the original fabrication, a situation which often Problems to be overmm
results in complete separation of the bell-end It was established from weld deposit tests that
casting from the barrel during service. This a number of problems had to be surmounted
particular roll had been in service for seven for a successful repair to be obtained.
years, and the problem seemed relevant to all Firstly, parent metal embrittlement, pre-
the other rolls in the furnace as regular replace- sumably caused by the prolific formation of
ment was becoming necessary. Ma c6 carbide and some sigma, reduced the
parent metal ductility, and the stresses created
Preparation of weld ama by localised expansion and contraction, because
Complete removal of the cracked and eroded of heat from the welding operation, could not
weld metal and adjacent parent metal to pro- be absorbed without cracking occurring.
vide a joint design free from defect, produced Secondly, the extensive joint preparation
a channel 127mm wide; this promoted a con- required demanded a prodigious amount of
dition which underlined the stress problem weld metal which would produce very large
because of the extensive weld deposit then strains on the joint walls.
required. This particular problem of embrittled
A section of sound parent metal was cast austenitic steels is synonymous, from a
removed from the joint area for metallographic practical point of view, with the low ductility
examination. The structure, Fig.4, is basi- found in certain grades of grey cast iron,
cally austenitic with prolific intergranular M23 although to a lesser degree. Newly developed
Cg carbide, which has coarsened, presumably techniques have now largely overcome this
because of the relatively long periods at high problem in welding cast ir0n.l The technique
temperatures, The presence of sigma is indi- used involves depositing short stringer beads
cated by the random needle-like phase. of weld metal which are rapidly quenched with
Further sections were taken of weld an air line with extensive peening of the weld
deposits, tests being carried out on joint faces beam immediately the a r c is extinguished.
in the repair area using conventional welding The technique achieves:
metal. The 'bead-on-plate' test was also con-
ducted on various parts of the joint, and gross (a) The peening operation which should reduce
fissuring occurred around the entire periphery the height of the weld bead by one-third,
of the deposit. using a three-pound bail-pane hammer,
The tests proved that a conventional weld minimises the weld metal contraction
repair was totally impractical, especially in stress which may be serious in large
view of the extensive joint preparation necessary fills.
to provide a sound parent area. (b) Quenching the weld bead maintains the
The embrittlement of high chromium and casting at room temperature, thus allevi-
austenitic ehromehickel steels by the formation ating the serious problem of localised
of sigma and M23 c6 carbide can occur when expansion and contraction.
service temperatures in the range 680°-850°C
are encountered. Although the degree of Extensive bead-on-plate tests were then
embrittlement may be extensive in many situ- carried out, observing the air quench and
ations, experience indicates that the component peening techniques, and fully crack-free
can still continue to give satisfactory service, deposits were obtained. It was, therefore,
although any attempts at weld repairs are decided to proceed with the repair.
largely unsuccessful because of parent metal
cracking caused by nonuniform expansion and Repair technique
contraction, and the stresses created by weld To minimise the reaction stress the entire
metal contraction. joint area was clad, using a 'soft arc' coating
Although the maximum operating tempera- 25/20 Cr-Ni type metal-arc deposit. A 3.2-
ture of the furnace, 960°C, is above the upper diameter electrode was employed to limit the
critical temperature range for the formation of region of contraction strain, before peening of
sigma, it must be realised that such a furnace the deposit reversed this stress to a compres-
may frequently operate or be held for long sive one to the base metal.
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AWS W C I 8 5 W 0789265 0006953 b W
1-6 29
After the joint faces were completely clad preheat hard constituents a r e formed in the
a close inspection revealed no evidence, at this HAZ; these include carbides, martensite, and
stage, of cracking in the weld o r base metal. bainite. Where s t r e s s e s are induced as a
It was then anticipated that a limited degree of result of contractional strains, unless mini-
ductility would be afforded by the clad layer mised by special welding techniques, this
against contractional s t r e s s e s which might exist embrittled area can create cracking problems.
when the joint itself was filled progressively. However, cold welding is widely exercised, and
The root deposit was completed next, using is a viable method of repair and rec1amation.l
the back-step technique with air quenching and It is also a proven method of welding white
comprehensive peening. It was decided to cast irons.2 However, it is incorrect to
incorporate 19mm tound bar sections in the assume that a preheat should not be used when-
repair in a 'Jacob's Ladder' formation to reduce ever possible. in fact it is highly desirable
the amount of weld metal required by 6kg and to preheat pearlitic SG cast irons to around
thus the overall strain, Fig.5a. 25OoC to avoid cracking, and even grey flake
AIS1 Type 304 bars were the only bar irons benefit enormously from some degree of
material available and although it is inferior to preheat.
the furnace roll material, it was adopted because The repair to a ship's wet liner seal was
it would be well below the surface layers. The a typical example of a repair where preheating
bars w e r e raised and tacked at each end to allow could not be used. However, owing to the
complete root penetration from both sides, still importance of the operation it had to be shown
using a 3.2mm diameter electrode. The bars quite clearly that a sound technique was to be
were then dressed down with a hammer, having used. The area to be welded, Fig.6, was tested
previously been bent to the required shape to to ascertain the extent of the damage. The
produce a consistent root gap. The repair pro- broken-out section, Fig.?, was also damaged
ceeded using the same technique of depositing and this was prepared and preheated to 4OO0C,
short runs, immediately peening with a simul- then heavily clad on the joint edges and outside
taneous quench, using an air line with a jet faces, where two high tensile bars were to be
forced as high as could be tolerated. positioned. A postweld heat treatment of 900°C
The joint was filled in the next stage using was carried out to dissolve the carbides in the
a block sequence with 5mm diameter electrodes, HAZ.
and was finished in the inter-block a r e a s after The object of welding the broken section
the entire circumference had been covered to in this way was to achieve a mechanical joint
reduce the degree of s t r e s s in the joint. A in addition to the joint proper; Fig.8 shows the
final capping layer was deposited without peen- general idea. The joint faces of the main cast-
ing, Fig.5b. ing were then clad, using short runs and peen-
It is appreciated that, in some quarters, ing, and maintaining a localised interpass
peening is considered to be detrimental to the temperature of 10OOC with large soft flame
corrosion resistance of an austenitic stainless burners.
steel, and also that the susceptibility to the The patch was fitted into position and
formation of the sigma phase may be enhanced welded in the same manner, i.e. short runs
by this operation. However, peening was a and peening.
technique which was found to be essential in The two bars (12.7mm diameter) were of
this repair. The capping weld deposits induced En 110. These were initially clad with the TIG
a certain amount of s t r e s s relaxation in the process and a nickel wire containing titanium
underlying beads (which had been work-hardened (employing a 250°-300°C preheat) to allow the
by peening), and thus some benefit would be relatively cold welding of the bars to the cast-
obtained, even though the transformed area would ing at a later time, and s o avoid HAZ cracking
extend through only that portion of the remelted in the bars. Figure 9a shows the completed
bead and HAZ produced in that same bead. repair with one bar visible.
This particular repair was in service for The final stage of the repair was the tin-
about three years when it was removed for ning of the inside face of the broken section,
another cause. Numerous rolls have been using a tin-based solder having a high melting
repaired using the same technique. point. This was then scraped in to within
O. 025mm using an accurately ground template,
CASE HISTORY NO. 3 Fig. 9b.
It will be appreciated that, apart from a
Repair of wet liner seal in ship's engine sound weld repair, a mechanical joint of some
When a ferromagnetic cast iron is welded without strength was achieved, and in addition there
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AWS WCI 85 m 078Li2bS 0006952 8 m
30 1-6
were two high tensil bars overlapping the final two layers of austenitic stainless steel
joints. Reference to Fig.8 will show that the were then deposited. When these particular
heat-treated broken section will really comprise impellers were due for repair, only a deposit
the full wedge shape, as illustrated, thus giving of austenitic stainless steel was required. To
a mechanical joint of some strength. ensure this the area was initially cut back to
allow an adequate deposit of the final layer.
Bronze castings
Aluminium bronzes occupy a pre-eminent Aluminium castings
position in many industries because of their Like aluminium bronze, aluminium castings are
mechanical strength ,and .resistance to attack also widely used and well documented with regard
to a wide variety of corrosive media. The to welding. However, the gear pump casting,
duplex aluminium bronzes in the cast form Fig.11, was repaired in an interesting way.
find a wide outlet for pump castings, shafts, The worn internal bores were degreased, rotary
valves, and gear wheels, etc. wire brushed, and the casting preheated to
The welding of aluminium bronze is heavily 20OoC. Using an oxyacetylene torch and a
documented in technical literature. However, special flux a tin-based alloy was deposited
there are a few slants on the welding of cast- without fusion. Metallographic examinations
ings in the repair and maintenance field that have shown that a bond is achieved by the weld
a r e worthy of mention. metal dissolving the surface of the aluminium,
The attack caused to component parts o r interalloying. The weld metal used is a
working in liquid media can be a complex com- derivative of a bearing metal, i.e. tin-based
bination of corrosion, cavitation, pitting, deposit and containing antimony to form SbSn cubes,
attack and impingement attack, o r any single and copper to form Cu6 Sn5 needles. A super
one of these. Figure 10a shows damage caused wear surface is obtained after boring, and field
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
mainly by cavitation to an aluminium bronze tests have proven this method.
impeller in the paper industry. Figure 10b
shows the completed repair. This is interest- CONCLUSIONS
ing from the point of view that Superston-40 Variais selected repairs of castings have been
weld metal was used to repair this duplex discussed in some detail, even though these
bronze, using the TIG process. An increase repairs do not portray in any depth the full
in the working life was obtained with an increase range of problems met in service R and M
in efficiency. No postweld heat treatment was welding. It is hoped that a general idea has
employed. been portrayed to those unfamiliar with this
Stainless steel rings have also been used line of repair.
in this particular area on pump impellers in
the mines, but loosening of the rings caused RE FER ENCES
problems. Experimental work was carried out 1 COOKSON, C. 'The metal-arc welding
and a successful result obtained by depositing of cast iron for maintenance and repair
an 18/8/3 Cr-Ni-Mo weld metal to the face. welding'. Metal Constr., 3 (5), 1971,
To achieve a weld deposit which would exhibit 179-84.
adequate ductility a thin layer of copper was 2 COOKSON, C. 'Metal-arc welding of
deposited on the aluminium bronze, using TIG white cast iron'. Metal Constr., 3 (lo),
AC, and then a layer .of nickel, TIG DC-. The 1973, 370-73.

31
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
1 Osney Bridp
2 Osney Bridge showing: (al cracks, dye penetrant tes&,

16) cutting with hacksaw, 8nd (c) nickel strip in p l m

AWS WCI 85 078Li2b5 0 0 0 b 7 5 4 I.,
32 1-6
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
3 Repaired section showing bar in position
4 Structura of furnao.? roll x5ûû

AWS WCI 85 078q2b5 0 0 0 b 7 5 5 3 W
1-6 33
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

34
AWS WCI 8 5 - 078lr265 0006956 5
1-6
8 Drawing of technique, ...............HAZ
9 (al completed repair, (bl scraping in operation
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0784265 0006757 7
1-6
E
.?
sE
9
ci
ci
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 = 078V2b5 OOOb758 7
36 1-7
Heat control: key to

good cast iron arc welds
by
H.Thomasscn
Welding Consuitant -Burlington, Ontario.
HE MODERN,nickel base arc welding electrodes provide cooling rate after the weld is laid down. This involves
T a practical method for arc welding many of the cast
irons. Today's problems are not in the weld metal, they
many factors with mass, ambient temperature, heat input
and metal quality, among the more important, as will be
are in the thin envelope which unavoidably surrounds seen h m a brief look at them.
every weld and which has been heated to a temperature Mass is important because the greater the amount of
above that at which the carbon (graphitic or combined) metal below the weld the more rapidly is the heat con-
goes into solution. It is this carbon solution at tempera- ducted away. Hess and his associates in a classical article
tures above the so-called critical temperature that makes published over twenty years ago showed that with all
heat treatment, including hardening and annealing of iron other factors held constant including heat input the rate
base alloys, practical. It is a fact that while a welder does of cooling in the boundary zone of a weld on one inch
not intentionally heat treat the material he is welding, he thick plate was ten times as fast as for the same weld on
can liot avoid doing so, at least in the boundary zone. quarter inch plate. Thus mass is an important hctor in
This nieans that the key to successful cast iron arc weld- cast iron welding and a technique that would be com-
ing lies in control of the cooling rate in the zone wherein pletely satisfactory on quarter inch-thick material would
the metal was unavoidably heated to above the solution not be useful on inch-thick stock.
temperature of the carbon. Whenever an iron base alloy is Ambient temperature is important, it is clear that the
so heated, then the rate of cooling from that temperature less the differential the slower is the heat transferred.
controls the hardness of that portion of the metal which This too was illustrated by Hess and his data shows
was so heated. It is true that the envelope surrounding that a four hunàred degree preheat results in approxi-
a weld is very thin, in cast iron, it is rarely over fifteen mately half the rate of cooling in the boundary zone when
thousands of an inch thick, but this envelope is compared with exactly the weld made with a 72 degree
critical. It is through this zone that the weld bead Fahr. ambient temperature. This is an illustrative figure
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
fractures and curls up leaving a typical cast iron frac- with no magic in four hundred degrees since the less
tured surface below it. This is because ail metais are good the differential the slower is the heat transfer.
conductors of heat and in such cases the heat was very Heat input is also an important factor; in general,
rapidly removed by conduction back into the mass, so the less the heat input the narrower, the more severe and
much so as to have a quenching effect. This both eiii- dangerous is the boundary zone with a greater probability
bnttles and cracks the metal in this thin envelope. The for severe cracking. This is due to the fact that the less
prevention of this undesired cracking lies in control of the heat there is to be dissipated the faster does it occur.
PHOTOMICROGRAPH etched to show graphite flakes. Each black RELATIVELY LOW GRADE iron, etched in 5% Niial. Grey oreas
wiggle is a floke of graphite [ 100 diometers). are oreas containing combined carbon as carbides. (100 di-
ameters).
.. - Souroe: Canadian Welder and Fabricator, November

_ . ~ 1969 -.
, Copyright American Welding Society
Í
AWS W C I 85 078q265 0006959 O
1-7 37
PHOTOMICROGRAPH at 1,000 diometers. Thumb-print-like lines PHOTOMICROGRAPH of relatively low grade annealed cost iron.
ore iron-carbide laminae; iron-carbide i s hard and contributes (1.000 diameters).
little to materiol strength.
Metal quality is yet another important factor. Every higher preheat. In development work done by the writer
welder is aware that he must use vastly different tech- he found that on half inch thick, high grade cast iron
niques on high carbon steels than on low carbon steels. (45,ooO psi iron) with low heat inputs a preheat of 600
A similar situation exists with cast iron. In general the degrees Fahr. was essential to prevent any trace of micro-
higher the grade of cast iron and the higher its strength, cracks in the heat affected zone while if it is desired to
the higher is the proportion of the carbon that is present have a truly machinable boundary zone then the preheat
as carbides. Carbides are mich easier to place in solri- must be raised to 800 degrees Fahr.
tion on heating than is graphitic carbon though the latter
does go into solution also, thus the higher the grade Mass is beyond the control of the welder but he must
(strength) of the iron the easier it is to harden and the understand it and work with it. He must keep in mind
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
more care is required in hardening. Most cast iron welding that as metal thickness increases, so does the rate of heat
is a repair operation with little or not data available as extraction by conduction back into the mass. The curve
to the quality of the iron, in such cases there is only one of heat conduction rates flatten out with increasing thick-
thing to do, assume that it is high grade iron and act ness and become pretty much of a constant between one
accordingly. If you have low grade iron, no harm has been and one and a half inch thick material. From there on in-
done but if you assume that your casting is a low strength creasing thickness merely increases the rigidity of the com-
metal and it should be of the high strength type then ponents and this too must be considered when welding
you are likely to get an unsuccessful weld so the best heavy sections.
plan is to assume high grade metal whenever there is any Thus the key to successful arc welding of cast iron
doubt about it. lies in the metal immediately adjacent to the weld rather
than in the weld itself. The truly critical area is an en-
In arc welding cast iron it is usual to hold the heat velope of less than U32 of an inch thick that surrounds
input down in order to avoid excessive contractional the weld and which has.been heated above the tempera-
stresses. This is generally good practice but we must ture at which the carbon is dissolved making it available
keep in mind that the cooling rate must be controlled to for hardening as the heat is transmitted away from the
prevent the excessive hardness that results from rapid cool- weld area by conduction. This in turn means that bound-
ing. Thus if we are to use low heat inputs and gain the ary zone cooling rates are a true measure of successful
minimum contractional stresses then we must compensate cast iron welding if we may assume good electrodes and
for it by reducing the temperature differential. This means techniques.

AWS WCI 85 m 07892b5 0 0 0 b î b 0 7 m
38 1-8
IMPROVING THE PROCESS OF GAS WELDING CAST IRON
G.I. KLETSKIN nd Yu.1. ZHURAVITSKII

Stwkolit P h t
A.M. NIKITICH
Moscow Institud,of S t a d m i AlkPys
SYNOPSIS parent metal Is determined by the structure of the

cast iron rod (4). On using rods with a ferritic
It is shown that the properties of cast iron fffler structure and coarse gmphite the àroplet separates
wires can be improved by holding in a crucible of a very slowly from the rod (8-l0sec) as compared with
melting furnace at 1400-1580%. self-flwring filler rods with a chilled cast 'iron structure o r a refined
wires alloyed with copper, nickel and tin, and with structure (2-3sec). in the first case, a thicker oxide
additions of boron (to 0.03%) and rare earth metals film forms on the droplet, and the spreading of the
(to O. 12%), have been developea for the welding of droplet over the surface of parent metal is poor
cast iron. (despite the fact that the droplet had separated at a
higher temperature). Consequently, in the case of'
On the basis of the type of thermal cycle, the gas wing rods with a coarse cast iron structure (cast
welding of cast iron can be divided (provîsioaaiiy) into iron with coarse graphite inclusions), the temperature
three groups (according to the data supplied by in the zone of contact between the deposited and the
VNIIAVTOGENMASh and the Stankolit plant). These parent metal is considerably higher and the duration
a r e a s follows: of the surfacing process is 1.5-2 times longer than
1. Welding with the general preheating of compon- it is with chiiled cast iron rods.
ents to 600-7000C in heating devices of various types, During surfacing, the burp-out of carbon and
followed by cooling after welding (mder asbestos silicon from the rods made of a cpst iron with a
sheet) from the liquid pool temperature to 40O-45O0C coarse structure amounts to 22.3 and 20.4% respect-
at a rate of ~ û . P C / s e c . ively (i.3 and 10.1% for chilled cast iron o r for
2. Welding with local heating of a defective area to refined cast iron rods). These results can be
600-700% (for instance, with additional portable explained a s follows. in the period of droplet forma-
torches, or directly with the welding torch) and with tion, an important role is played by the viscosity of
cooling in air after welding (under asbestos sheet) at liquid cast iron, which, other conditions being equal,
a rate of *3W/sec. is determined by its initial structure. The viscosity
3. Welding after preheating a defective area to red of white cast iron at 130OoC is approximately haif the
heat, followed by cleaning the surface by melting and viscosity of grey cast iron of the same composition
fluxing. A f t e r welding, the defective area is covered (5.6). This is explained by the presence of graphite
with asbestos. The rate of cooling of deposited metal blocks undissolved in the iron melt (with a grey
in this welding technique is approximately 70C/sec. structure). The process of the dissolving of graphite
The task of obtaining the required quality of starts prior to the melting of iron, and it depends on
deposited metal at a given thermal cycle is reduced the rate of diffusion of carbon.
to the manufacture of cast iron filler rods, which Thus, temperature delays occur prior to the
make it possible to produce a deposited metal with a separation of the droplet. For cast irons with a
structure corresponding to the parent metal and con- coarse structure such a delay takes place at 1450-
taining no gas pores. 15OO0C, which corresponds to the temperature of
it is recommended that rods with a grey cast dissolving of graphite blocks in the melt (6,8). In
iron structure should be used. The formation of this case the duration of the temperature delay prior
cementite of the surface of these rods is unacceptable to the separation of a droplet in these cast irons is
(1-3). approximately three times longer than with chilled cast
investigations show that the nature of droplet
formation and of the interaction of the droplet with
Source: SvarochnoeProizvodstvo(WeldingProduction), 23( 1i), 1976(Translationpublished by the British Library)

--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
- -
Copyright American Welding Society \
No reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS D-5 Not for Resale
AUS W C I 85 078Y2b5 0 0 0 b î b L 7
1-8 39
F&3. n>s e-
~ O f I t > e ~
obccisti#ndqpositr
on lhe content of 280
M k v n FS75 in Fig.4. The dependenni of
6
lh8d>upintl>eplV-
zbo rim herdnsgs of depashi
“ 4 metal on the cluban equiv-
ductbn of m i s : 1 -
f z 210 dent of rods W M verious
-dk>g at
14#Qc, h m ) ; 2 - C nd Si conbmts: 1.2.3
lhe SmW, a 1Goypc. O 0,s %O $5 %
220 - 4.03.6C, 2.6-2.8Si; 2,3
hin. contun of fenvdlkon 2oa - 4.0-3.6C. 3.03.5Si; 3 -
Y 44 $6 46 47 4,8 49 C3 3,2.?.4C,3846Si.
irons, In this case it must be taken into account that,

Therefore the ledeburitic structure of cast iron during welding, a large amount of silicon is burnt out
results in higher technological properties of the rods, (up to 20%) at a relatively low burn-out of carbon
and the deposited cast iron consequently has a more (5-6%).
favourable structure and hardness. The properties of deposited metal a r e affected
Mects in cast iron castings (2,3,7,8-11) are also by the conditions of manufacture of rods. A
repaired mainly with cast iron fiiler rods whose long-term holding (to 15-2Omin) of cast iron in the
composition corresponds to the eatectic condition (Ce = crucible of a melting furnace at the melting tempera-
4.3%). Figure 1 shows the structural diagram of a ture (1400-l58O0C) reduces the viscosity of liquid iron
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
cast iron constructed in the Co-ordinates ‘carbon and improves wetting.
equivalent - the cooling rate v of cast iron’. Analysis Examination of the microstructure of deposited
of the relationship (ce = 3.47 v0.12) confirms that at cast iron shows that an increase in melting tempera-
cooling rates typical of gas welding (v = 7OC/sec) the ture and in holding time above the optimum values is
carbon equivalent of the cast iron of the filler rods associated with the de-activation of nuclei of graphite
must not be lower than 4 . 3 4 4 % . formation, with an excessive refining of graphite, and
The recommended compositions of cast iron filler with the possible formation of supercooled structures
rods (GOST 2671-70) are characterised by very wide in the deposit.
ranges of the content of elements (for instance, the Experience obtained with the application of rods
range of the carbon and silicon contents is 3-4.5 and of the cast iron of the proposed composition indicates
2 . 5 - 4 . 5 s respectively). But an increase in the silicon that efforts to produce a grey cast iron structure in
content to the upper limit increases the hardness of deposited metal a r e often associated with difficulties
the metal of the welded joint, as a result of the forma- caused by the formation of gas pores in the deposit.
tion of silico-carbides and alloyed ferrite, and also The principal reason for the formation of pores in
because of the unavoidable reduction in the contents of deposited cast iron is evidently the presence of
total and free (in the form of graphite) carbon. in hydrogen transferred from the flame of the gas
addition, the susceptibility of deposited cast iron to acetylene torch. Under welding conditions, the gas
the formation of pores increases. To ensure that phase contains up to 40% hydrogen, of which 30% can
repaired defective areas have the grey cast iron struc- be dissociated into atoms.
ture and that their properties satisfy the standards for The gas bubbles nucleate (at the usual degrees
castings of metal-cutting machines, the carbon and of supersaturation of the metal with the gas being
silicon contents of the cast iron rods should be 3.3- released) on non-wetted inclusion (silicates and
3.6 and 3.4-3.9% respectively. -
aluminates) liquid metal interfaces.
TABLE 1.
content of ~eiements*,%
Melt
Comment
No. si Mn S P Cr Ni Ti Sn Cu
For repair of defects

1 3.2-3.6 3.4-4.0 0.4-0.7 0.04 0.15 0.10 0.1-0.2 0.1-0.2 0.3-0.5 - revealed during
machining
2 3.0-3.4 3.0-3.6 0.4-0.7 0.04 0.15 0.10 0.4-0.6 0.1-0.2 - 2. 0-3.5

The same, after sur-
face hardening
The same, on
3 3.0-3.4 3.0-3.6 0.4-0.7 0.04 0.15 0.10 0.2-0.5 0.1-0.2 0.1-0.3 1.0-2.0
sc-d surfaces
* in all cases the contents of hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur, phosphorus

O. 0065, O. 04, O. 15 and O. 10% respectively, and the contents of manganese and titanium should be within the
range O. 4-0.7 and O. 1-0.2% respectively.

AWS WCI 45 m 0784265 0 0 0 b ï b 2 O m
40 1-8
TABLE 2.
Characteristics of deposited cast iron

Filler material (content
Flux Hardness
of elements, %) porosity,
Machinability HB,
%
w / m 2
Cast iron (3.42C, 3.5Si, 224

without flux Good O. 231
0.63Mn, 0.2P, O.O5S,
Borax Good O. 060 22 o
O. 45Ni, 1.52Cu)
Cast iron (the same + without flux Good o. 537 236

O. 03B) Sodium carbonate Good O. 150 23O
Cast iron (the same + without flux Satisfactory O. 032 264

O. 2B) Sodium carbonate Satisfactory o. 017 289
Cast iron (the same + without flux Good 1.812 236

0.05Ce and 0.03Y) Boric acid Good o. 120 229
Cast iron (the same + Without flux Satisfactory 4.9 235

O. 07Ce and O. 05Y) Boric acid SatiafaCtOly 2.3 248
Cast iron (3.446, 3.62Si,

O. 45Mn, O. 13P, O. 06S,
Without fìux Good None 202
O. 48Ni. 2.26Cu. O. OZB,
O. 08Ce, O. MY)
The risk o r pore formation can be reduced by manufacture of rods, made it possible to produce poreless
lowering the content of various non-metallic inclusions deposits. But the strength and wear resistance of the
in the cast iron, by selecting a suitable chemical welded joint decreased (due to the presence of up to
composition of the cast iron for rods, and by adhering 70% of ferrite in the joint).
to the optimum casting conditions. The results of investigations into the effect of
The investigations conducted a t the stankout plant, Mirious alloying elements, added to the mds, on the
at the Moscow institute of Steel and Alloys, and at properties of deposited cast iron show that completely
VNIIAVTOGENMASh (12), show that an increase in the poreless deposits, with the structure and hardness
silicon content of rods increases the susceptibility of corresponding to that of grey cast iron, can be pro-
deposited cast iron to the formation of pores (see duced as a result of aiioying with nickel, tin and
Fig. 2), especially with an increasing fraction of ferro- titanium, with nickel, th and copper and with nickel,
silicon in the hot metal charge in the melting of iron titanium, tin and copper* (see Table 1).
for rods (see Fig.3). A relationship has been deter- In the welding of cast iron, the flux is usually
mined between the formation of pores and the number represented by borax, which decomposes at high tem-
and nature of non-metallic inclusions in the cast iron peratures to boron anhydride and sodium oxide. . The
of the rods. The composition of inclusions, and their sodium oxide facilitates binding of the oxides (mainly
nature and dimensions, determine the overall adsorp- Feû and Si02) present in the cast iron, and also those
tive effect. Non-wettable silicates a r e the most formed during wdaing, in complex compouuds. The
Vangerous', because they increase the interfacial area, presence of boron leads to the formation of low-
and consequently reduce the work of formation of a melting compounds in the form of a dense fiim on the
gap pore. An increase in melting temperature, and surface of the weld pool. But a miform supply of
particularly in holding time in the furnace, in the flux is required to produce 8 continuous slag cover,
melting of cast iron for rods facilitates a more com- and this canuot be achieved evm by using various
plete removal of gases and non-metallic inclusions devices. Consequently, the deposited metal often con-
from the cast iron, and the porosity of cast iron in tains a large number of pores.
repaired areas in castings consequently decreases. In A continuous slag cover can be formed with self-
the melting of cast iron in induction furnaces, the fluxing cast iron roda containing boron and elements
optimum melting temperature (1400-1580%) dependa that form basic tupe oxides with a low dissociation
on specific conditions. The optimum time of holding tension (e. g. cerium and yttrium).
the cast iron in the furnace prior to pouring into The rods with up to 0.246B and up to 0.7% of
moulds is 15-2Omin. rare-earth metals (REMs)can be used for the welding
"he predetermined ratio of carbon to sillcan
in cast irdn, and the conditions of melting in the * Author's Cert. No. 339366.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AUS W C I 85 07842b5 OOOb7b3 2
1-8 41
of cast iron without the need to add any additional considerable extent as a result of the formation of
quantities of flux to the weld pool. siiicocarbides. Annealing at a temperature of 500-
To clarify the effect of alloying elements on the 6OO0C, corresponding to the decomposition tempera-
technological properties of the welding process, ture of the silicocarbides, reduced the hardness of the
experimental deposits were made with and without deposits.
flux. in deposition with cast iron rods containing
boron the flux was represented by’ sodium carbonate CONCLUSIONS
(Nazco,), and borid acid was used with rods of a cast
iron alloyed with rare-earth metals. Both boron and 1. It has been established that holding in the
the REMs, added to the cast iron of the rods, exert crucible of a melting furnace at 1400-1580°C has
the fluxing effect during welding (see Table 2). This a beneficial effect on the properties of cast iron
reduces the porosity of cast iron deposits. The burn- filler rods.
out of boron in welding varied from 30 to 65%. 2. Self-fluxing filler rods, alloyed with copper,
increasing the REM content of the rods increased nickel and tin, and with additions of boron (to
the porosity of cast iron deposits (this increase was O. 03%) and REMs (to O. 12%), have been
especially pronounced at REM contents of more than developed for the welding of cast iron.
O. 3%). The machinability of deposited metal was
impaired also. The higher hardness of deposited cast REFERENCES
iron, a s compared with the parent metal, is obviously
due to the greater burn-out (to 30%) of silicon during 1.ELISTRATOV, P.S. Metallurgical fundamentals of
welding. the welding of cast iron. Mashgiz, Moscow, 1967.
Experimenta in which boron, cerium and yttrium 2. KRANKE, R. Schweisstechnik, 1962, No. 5.
were added separately to the cast iron of the rod (see 3. BLANK, G. M. Zeitschrift f u r Schweisstechnik,
Table 2) gave the following resulta: the addition of 1966, No. 11.
boron faciiities the formation of a dense film of slags 4. LEVI, L.I., et al. Weld. Prod., 1971, No. 4.
on the pool surface, but the characteristic feature of 5. NAKAGAWA , N. Collection: The physico-
the process is a high viscosity of the metal of the chemical fundamentals of metallurgical processes.
pool. This extends the duration of deposition, and it Moscow, N a d , 1961.
increases the burn-out of silicon; the hardness of cast 6. LEVI, L.I., et al. Izv. VUZ, Chernaya
iron deposits consequently increases until chilled cast metallurgiya, 1973, No. 9.
iron structures a r e formed; the addition of cerium 7. VERTMAN, A.A. and SAMARLN, A.M. The
and yttrium satisfactorily deoxidises the metal being properties of iron melts. Moscow, N a d , 1969.
deposited, but it increases the porosity of the deposit. 8. ASINOVSKAYA, G.A. and ZHURAVITSKII, Yu. I.
The combined addition of boron, cerium and The gas welding of cast iron. Moscow,
yttrium (at a specific ratio) increases the quality of Mashinostroenie, 1967.
welded joints, and it creates favourable conditions for 9. VOSHANOV, K. P. The repair of equipment by
the self-fluxing of filler material in the course of welding. Moscow, Mashinostroenie, 1967.
welding. 1o. A Welding Handbook, Part 4. Moscow,
The highest properties of cast iron deposits were Mashinostroenie, 1971.
obtained with rods with carbon equivalents of Ce = 11. STERENBOGEN, Yu.A., et al. The welding of
4.6-4.8% and with 2.6-3.5%Si (see Fig. 4). cast iron, Kiev, Naukova Dumka, 1968.
A t silicon contents in excess of the above limit, 12. ASINOVSKAYA, G.A., et al. Weld. Prod.,
the hardness of the cast iron deposits increased to a 1967, No. 12.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 = 078Li2b5 000b7bLi m
42 1-9
QUENCH WELDING PROCESS

FOR JOINING CAST IRON
CLIVE COOKSON*, M.Weld.1.
T HE metal-arc welding of cold cast iron has for many

years been a controversial subject, mainiy because of
the high failure rate both during and after welding. The
cold base metal mass. Such deposits are susceptible to
quench cracking and hydrogen induced cracking in the
heat-affected zone under the usual welding conditions.
development of specialized electrodes and welding tech- Fig. 1 shows a ferritic deposit made as a buttering pass to
niques has more recently established this process for the achieve the optimum conditions by eliminating a reaction
repair, reclamation and production welding of cast iron. stress. The visible fine cracks would probably go
The Quench Welding procedure introduced in March unobserved, and failure could well occur during service.
1960, after three years of field testing, is an even more 4. Limited knowledge of preparation, pre-weld testing,
radical departure from the full fusion oxy-acetylene process welding and peening techniques, and the ability to recog-
because of the integral quench known as Step C in the nize the arcing characteristics of the nickel type deposit.
joining operation. Failures during and after welding can 5. High heat input causing deleterious expansion and
be caused by: base/weld metal dilution.
1. The heat-affected zone beneath the weldment, which The formation of a “white cast iron” heat-affected zone
consists primarily of euteaiferous carbides, martensite and cannot be entirely avoided during the metal-arc welding
bainite. This forms a metallurgical notch, and allows the of cold cast iron, but it can be reduced by using low heat
development of stress in a straight line. input electrodes containing caesium, strontium, barium,
2. The low ductility of the flake type iron which com- etc., to impart high thermionic emissivity at arcing tempera-
prises the larger proportion of castings, and the inability of ture levels. The increased ionization across the arc gap
this iron to absorb stresses created by base metal expansion is instrumental in reducing the operating amperage and the
and weid metal contraction. total heat input. The metallurgical notch, and stress in a
3. Incorrect weld metal chemistry of the ferritic type’on straight line, can be reduced by making this area discon-
large fills or in conditions involving restraint. Ferritic tinuous.
deposits on cast iron virtually become hardened tool steel
The non-ductility of grey cast iron can be offset by
due to carbon pick-up and the quench rate owing to the
using weld deposits which have a low hot yield strength so
that stresses can be absorbed by the weld metal without
. Fig. 1. Ferritic type deposit on grey cast iron. The surface has only cracking. Peening also stretches &e weld bead and changes
been buttered but extensive cracking is visible. the tensile stress to a more desirable compressive stress.
Pre-weld testing is as important as the preparation, and
also the ability to use a nickel-type electrode at the correct
amperage. Suitable deposition techniques are also essential
in achieving a successful repair.
The cheap ferritic deposit can be employed where a non-
machineable weld is permissible. The deposit has the
advantage of rusting and colour matching the cast iron.
However, the high yield point developed by carbon pick-up
from the casting makes this deposit type totally unsuitable
where stresses must be absorbed during welding.
Throughout the welding operation it is essential that the
base metal temperature should not exceed 80°C. in the area
of welding. To ensure this, sufficient interpass pauses ate
required. Cast iron has a higher thermal conductivity than
mild steel because of the graphite content. Its expansion is
apuroximately O.oooO12 in./”C. A surface temperature of
i,ooO°C. will cause an expansion and contraction of
0-012in. This results in a stress concentration which can
lead to cracking. Many castings are unweldable. The
Quench Welding process overcomes these two problems,
and considerably reduces welding time.
‘Chief Welding Engineer, Eutectic Company Ltd.
_ _ _ - S o w : Welding and Metal Fabrication, 38(8), A m t 1 9 7 0

--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
I
-
AWS WCI 45 W 07442b5 0 0 0 b î b 5 b W
1-9 43
Step A
7 ,-- Steu B
Fig. 3.Alternate deposit sequence used when filling a V joint. The
black dots indicate where craters have been filled.
- Step C
is exceeded, the amount of the iron phosphide eutectic
round the grain boundaries is pronounced. This constituent
melts at about 960"C,and under the influence of stress,
intergranular cracking can occur due to the chain formation
of the iron phosphide which is hot short when the solidified
weld bead is contracting.
Nickel has a slow solidification rate and this allows time
for the formation of gases from sulphur or base metal con-
tamination by oil, paint, or grease, and the deposit is
rcpclled. An iron-base electrode which has a high solidi-
fication rate overcomes this problem by sealing in the
surface before the final joining operation. T h e electrode,
QuenchTrode B, should not be used for joining.
Fig. 2. The three main stages in the Quench Weld method of
repairing cast iron. Step A : grooving operation. Step B : filling of Preparation
grooves. Step C : joining operation.
Oil, grease, rust, paint, etc., must be completely removed
from the weld area. Ferrous hydroxide, which forms part
of the corrosion prOd.ict, decomposes to steam under the
arc which can lead to heat-affected zone cracking.
The Tab Test Damage to a casting may take the form of:
Before an attempt to repair is made, the casting should (a) An incomplete crack.
be tested for weldability. The tab test is a method used to (b) A complete crack separating the component.
ascertain this, and not to determine the type of cast iron. (c) A situation involving both the abovc conditions.
A hot-rolled piece of mild steel, in. by 1 in. by 1: in. In all repairs, the surface must be cleaned and then dye
should be double fillet welded to the casting near the joint penetrant tested. T h e cracks should be centre punched
area, using electrode QuenchTrode C . When the weld has along their length to make a blueprint of the damage, g d
cooled to room temperature the steel strip should be then holes drilled h i n , in advance of the cracks to al w
hammered off. A weld that breaks off flush with the for sub-surface extension. T h e size of the drilled hole will
surface denotes impurities in the base metal. be determined by the thickness of the section, though 1:. in.
T h e next step should be spraying across the surface with usually suffices.
the iron-base electrode, QuenchTrode B. A second plate Double V preparation should always be employed when
should then be double fillet welded into position. If this possible for obvious reasons, and where this is not possible
breaks off flush with the surface then the casting must be a single V preparation, two-thirds thickness of the material
considered unweldable. This situation, however, is rare. will usually suffice because of the high strength of the
Where a casting has broken due to overloading, a weld deposit and the surface area covered in the joint design.
repair would be subject to failure. Reinforcement of the
part with strongbacks or gussets is usually a solution, but
the load limits and design factor must be evaluated by a
qualified engineer to avoid the development of a dangerous
situation.
Grey iron does not exhibit a definite yield like mild steel, Fig. 4. Corner weld extension used to prevent edge cracking.
though at room temperature it can sustain loads of up to
80% of its tensile strength. However, it is usually designed
for service at about 25% of its tensile properties.
Sulphur and phosphorus are elements which can lead to
weld failure if they exist in amounts in excess of the safe
limit. Sulphur produces excess cross bead cracking and
the pick-up of as little as 0.1% by weight in a high nickel
weld deposit will cause brittle fracture. T h e weldability
of a casting is affected when the sulphur content exceeds
0.15%.
T h e maximum phosphorus content in cast iron which
allows freedom from cracking is 0.6%. Where this figure
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 078Li265 0 0 0 b î b b 8 W
44 1-9
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 5. (Above) Broken parts of a 40 ton press with stress
grooves prepared.
Fig. 6. (Right) Welding together the broken press frame.
Sharp comers must be radiused to prevent dilution and can be done simultaneously, and so an air blast offers
the formation of hard spots. A rotary cutter, unlike the advantages over the dzmp rag quench which must be
grindstone, does not shake the free graphite to the surface, closely controlled to avoid the presence of water in the
though it is advisable to wire brush the prepared area joint during welding, in fact this technique should be used
vigorously before welding. only as a last resort.
Quench Weld Step A. Step A (Fig. 2) is the grooving The deposit length should be a maximum of 4in. and
operation, and may be accomplished with ChamferTrode, this should be immediately peened along the bead, from the
an oxygen-free metal-removing electrode which has a crater end, with blows sufficient to indent and slightly
specially thick coating so as to concentrate the arc to give spread the surface.
the maximum blasting effect. An arcing block is a useful aid because this allows the
Once the joint has been prepared either by cutters, electrode tip to reach its operating temperature before
grinders, CharnferTrode, or a combination of these three, being transferred to the job, and so minimizing the heat
stress-relieving grooves must be cut across the joint faces. input to the base metal.
The grooves should be threequarters the diameter of the Craters are dangerous crack starters, and these can be
coated ChamferTrode, and spaced not closer than +in. avoided by pausing at the end of the run for 3 s to allow a
apart. The maximum size ChamferTrode employed for minute accumulation of weld metal.
the grooving operation is gin. diameter. When filling the joint, the stringer beads should be
Step B. The next operation is the filling of these alternated (Fig. 3) so that an unsightly accumulation of
grooves, using the iron-base electrode which has a high lumps does not occur at one end of the joint. Stresses, too,
solidification rate and is designed for greater cleansing are minimized by finishing the subsequent run approxi-
properties. The back-step technique should be used, and mately in the centre of the previous deposit.
each deposit soundly peened. No quenching should be Weaving should not be ‘employed durin2 the welding
attempted at this stage, and the deposits must be allowed operation because this increases the thermal gradient for
to cool naturally. The bead should be flat with the surface, the same length increment. EutecTrode C is formulated
and only a single pass made to fill the groove. for wash and fluidity. Wash is the lateral capillary flow
Once the grooves have been ñlied, QuemchTrode B of the deposit, and fluidity the forward flow.
should again be used. Drawing a long arc, the areas The short arc brazing technique is a method where the
between the deposits should be sprayed, again allowing the arc is concentrated on the molten iiietal which flows
area to cool between each spray. The long arc reduces the forward and so prevents the arc from “digging in”. Pro-
heat input, achieves a 0.020in. deposit thickness, and gression of the deposit should be co-ordinatcd with the
effectively seals in base metal contaminants which could be intervalled electrode burn-off rate, a characteristic inherent
responsible for poor bonding and porosity caused by out- with the nickel type deposit. A higher amperage alters the
gassing. characteristic to that of a mild steel deposit, and this
Step C is the ñnal joining operation in which an air jet explains one reason for the failure of a component where a
or a damp rag is utilized. The rag should be squeezed free welder is not familiar with this aspect of the work.
of water and pressed on the deposit immediately the a m is The corner weid extension (Fig. 4) is a vital part of the
broken. When an air line is used, peening and quenching correct technique. Cracking is avoided by taking the weld

AWS WCI 8 5 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 000b7b7 T
1-9 45
+in. round the edge of the joint, 50 that it contracts on to
the vulnerable section like a “crooked” finger.
When the joint has been completely finished, grooves
should be chamfered across the surface lain. apart. ?e
length of these lacing beads will depend on the width of the
weld, but in any event these should extend each side by
tin. and i t i n . The “long” and ‘(short” beads should be
alternated around the joint. It is essential not to peen
these lacing beads so that contraction of the deposit has a
bracing effect. Porosity is caused by:
(a) The presence of water in the joint when quenching
with a wet rag, a reason for substituting this by an
air line.
(b) Moisture pick-up in the electrode coating which is
cured by baking at 150°C for 3 h prior to use. Fig. 7. The CastoGuna process. Profile of welds between
(c) A rapid rate of tqvel which disrupts the gaseous reinforcement bars.
shield of the arc.
Cross checking is the cause of a high heat input, (Le.,
excessive amperage) or weaving. Some slag types are
difficult to refloat when weaving, and this can result in slag and Mf 90°C is the general range for grey, spheroidal
inclusions or porosity due to the trapped slag gasifying. graphite, and malleable irons when unalloyed.
Hot peening will alter a high and narrow convex bead, The wideness of this quoted range can be affected in
which is crack sensitive, to a more suitable shape, and cold unalloyed irons by the silicon content which, when de-
peening will remove stresses in the weld bead. creased acts similarly with the Ms point.
The hiph strength irons (Meehanite, etc.) can be joined The austenitizing temperature also influences the Ms
with a strontium-aluminium bearing electrode (25 ton/in2), point which again is depressed where high temperatures
containing degasifiers in the coating to enhance the welding are encountered, and so causing more carbon to dissolve
operation, and alloying elements to refine the grain in the austenite.
structure and provide for an accelerated cooling rate. However, the important fact to note is that the Mf tem-
perature is never below 90”C, no additional hardening can
Metallurgical Aspects occur from quenching from a maximum of 110°C.
The metallurgy of the casting design of the component The benefits of using the Quench Weld process with
and the cooling rate during the casting process are impor- specially formulated alloys are considerable because the
tant factors, and it will be found that no two castings are main source of cracking is totally removed, Le., pronounced
identical from a welding point of view. base metal expansion and contraction.
A lack of balance in the cooling rate and the resistance The requirements of a suitable weld deposit for cast iron
of the mould to the contraction of the solidified metal are, therefore, numerous, and they include:
during casting can cause residual stresses, some of which (a) Full machinability.
have been reported as high as 14 ton/in2. (b) Low yield point.
Though the various stress patterns will balance out (c) High ductility which allows substantial peening.
during cooling, these can be disturbed by metal removal, (d) Low heat input.
Le., machining or preferential heating. The grooving in (e) Arc stability.
Step A helps to disperse stresses in and near the joint area. (f) Instant arc ignition.
(Figs. 5 and 6). (g) Response to accelerated cooling, etc.
(h) Low hot-short strength.
Manipulative Skill
I t is essential that the welder should understand the The CastoGuna Technique
various techniques of welding cast iron and that he should
The CastoGuna welding technique was developed by
be fully competent to carry them out. The welder is
Von Saurma, a German Castolin-Eutectic welding engineer,
certainly the most important man in the repair operation
and depends upon the reinforcement of a weld area with
because success or failure rests entirely on his skill.
The Quench Weld process should not be used on chilled steel rods (Fig. 7).
Its main use is for the repair of heavy parts which might
irons (Le., White cast iron, Ni-Hard, etc) which are --``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
be prone to weld metal contraction stresses where large

inherently crack sensitive under ordinary conditions. This
base metal would crack during the quenching operation. deposits of weld metal are required. It was first used in
England at a large steel works on the cast iron frame of a
The Quenching Process hot strip rolling mill which was fractured through a
The experts were initially dubious about the idea of shoulder (Fig. 8). The component weighed approximately
quenching a hot weldment and base metal with an air line 50 ton. On some repairs, the CastoGuna process can be
or damp rag, the latter being significantly prone to harden- used across the fracture without first welding the joint. The
ing and cracking. reinforcement of the weld area is obtained by welding
However, if one considers an initial 2in. deposit length round bars transverse to the weld or fracture. Important
of an electrode on a casting of gin. minimum thickness, points are:
upon breaking the arc the temperature will be a maximum 1. The bar material should be EN8 or similar material
of 110°C and be falling rapidly. An air line or damp rag is quenched but not tempered to obtain a high yield
now used to accelerate the cooling to approximately 20’C. point
The second and subsequent deposits are the same as the 2. The rods, cut to the same length, are placed across
first and so the operation continues identically, Le., always the weld or fracture, and they should alternate off
quenching at 80-llO’C. centre to obtain an overlap not less than 4 in. from the
The Ms-Mf range of cast iron depends on the chemical edge of the weld on the short side and 6in. on the
composition and alloying elements. However, Ms 220’C long side. The bars will, therefore, measure loin.

AWS W C I 85 078Li265 0006968 Z
48 1-9
Fig. 8. Fractured steel mill frame showing reinforcement bars

welded in position.
together with the width of the surface weld or loin. Fig. 10. Repair by the CastoGuna method of a cast iron pulley
when pre-weld jointing is not observed. wheel at a brick works. The illustration shows one reinforcement
3. Round bars are used because good root penetration is in position.
obtained leaving a mail area of unwelded base metal.
4. The spacing between the rods should be one and a
haif times the diameter of the rods, and the area advisable to complete the welding on one end of ail the
between should be filled with weld metal to achieve a rods before moving to the opposite end.
complete band round the fracture. The coverage of After the rods have been completely welded in this
the surface with weid metal is more important than manner the between spaces are then filled, forming a
the thickness of this coverage or reinforcement. concave shape, each end reaching the centre of the bar.
When the bars have been marked in position with chalk Any additional weld metal wili not increase the strength.
+
lines, stress grooves are cut, in. apart with ChamferTrode The techniques regarding peening and crater filling are
the same as those used in the Quench We!d process, and
at right-angies to the bars. The number of stress grooves
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
(Fig. 9) should be a minimum of five on the 4 in side of the should be observed.

bar, and seven on the 6in. side. These grooves are then The bars can be heated and bent to any configuration,
filled using an iron-base electrode, QuenchTrode B. The and then reheated and quenched. The diameter of the
grooves should extend 3 in. on either side of the bars. bars will depend upon the section thickness of the casting
It can be seen that when these grooves are filled, and in the area of fracture, but they are seldom less than %in
the bars welded into position with the weld reinforcement or more than 1+in. Where pre-weld joining is omitted,
between them, the. “grip” to the base metal will be exten- the strength of the reinforcement becomes singularly
sive and conciusive, acting as a series of dovetail joints. impoitant.
Welding of the bars into position should be carried out
with QuenchTrode C, and the air line quenching method
employed. The deposition method is extremely important, Fig. 11. Completed repair on the pulley wheel.
i.&, welding should begin at the top of each rod and a
1-itin. bead deposited. Three superimposed ñllet
deposits should be made either side before the next 1-
ltin. is tackled, working down the bar. It is usually
Fig. 9. Reinforcement bar welded in position with stress grooves

filled below it

AWS WCI 85 078q2b5 0 0 0 b 9 b 9 3 E
11-1 47
by J. W.Flannery a heat of gray iron followed by inoculation with

The International Nickel Co., Inc. ferrosilicon. The effect of this treatment is to re-
place strength-impairing flakes of graphite
, with
LATESTDEVELOPMENT in ductile iron welding is use relatively harmless spheroids.
of the short circuiting arc process. Because of its The various grades of commercial interest have
lower heat input, this process can be used to im- been classified by ASTM according to their me-
prove mechanical properties and machinability of chanical properties (Table I). In most of the speci-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
ductile iron joints. Although ductile iron is being fications, the agreed upon mechanical properties
welded by this process commercially in Europe, its may be obtained by use of suitable combinations of
use on ductile iron in this country is just beginning composition and heat treatment, at the option of
to be evaluated. the supplier. Depending on composition, the as-czt
Ductile iron has become a widely accepted engi- elongation of ductile iron usually falls within the
neering material since its introduction 20 years range 2-2096. In most cases, ductility can be im-
ago. This material is also known as nodular iron proved by the ferritize-annealing heat treatment
or spheroidal graphite iron. In the western hemi- shown in Table III. By this treatment, both pri-
sphere the name ductile iron is used, while in mary carbide and pearlite are transformed into
Europe and most other areas the term spheroidal spheroidal graphite and ferrite.
graphite iron, or S.G. iron, is preferred.
Like gray irons, ductile irons are actually a fam- Weldability. Most of the published welding work
ily of cast alloys. Based on microstructure, there are has been on material which received this “fenitize-
five main types of ductile iron: pearlitic, ferritic, anneal” heat treatment. Very little welding has
acicular, martensitic and austenitic. The first four been done on the high-strength irons. Some work
are similar in composition to ordinary gray irons but has been performed on austenitic compositions.
are more ductile and have tensile strengths two to The conclusions which are derived from an eval-
three times that of gray iron. uation of weldability are tied not only to the meth-
With respect to mechanical properties, ductile od of evaluation and the test results, but also to
iron is often likened to cast low carbon steel. Duc- the particular criteria of weldability selected. In
tile iron has been referred to as “the cast iron that some situations, an alloy must yield welded joints
can be bent.” having properties equivalent to those of the un-
The substantial improvement in properties over welded material. In others, it may be satisfactory to
those of gray iron is made possible by the introduc- obtain weldments adequate for intended service.
tion of an appropriate quantity of magnesium into In general, ordinary flake-type gray iron has
Source: Welding Engineer, November 1968 . --.

AWS WCI 85 078Li2b5 0006970 T W
48 11-1
- Comparison of annealed cast steel plate
"*
4 *
(top) and annealed ductile iron plate after expio-
sion impact.
Table I-Grades of Ductile Iron
Minimum Mechanical Properties

Tensile Yield
Strength Strength Elongation Matrix
Grade psi PJi in Y', "/o Structure
60-40-18 60,000 40,000 18 Ferr'h
6545-12 65,000 45,000 12 Ferrik
80-5506 80,000 sS.Oo0 6 Pearlite
10070-03 100,Ooo 70,000 3 Pearlite
120-9002 120,006 9o .
m 2 Fine carbide
disperssd in
ferrite
PSTM Specification A53661
I Table Il-Range of Ductile Iron Compositions
Composition, %
TYPQ T.C. Si Mn cr Ni P S Mg
Low alloy
High alloy
3.043
2.5-3.0
154J
1.5-6.0
0.2-0.8 -
0-5.5
0.0-2.0 0.02-0.15 0.01-0.03 0.04-0.1
0.4-1.8 18.032.0 0.0-0.2 0.01-0.03 0.04-0.1
been classed as weldable by several different weld- iron, full postweld annealing is essential. In this
ing processes. It is also generally conceded that be- country, a cerium-containing rod3 is available, while
cause of its metallurgically superior quality, ductile in Europe the filer metal contains magnesium
iron should be, and is, inherently easier to weld and 5% nickel.'
than gray iron. While this may be true, reasonable
care is required in the welding of ductile iron. Heat-Affected Zone. Control of the microstruc-
One of the reasons that gray iron has been welded ture in the HAZ is one of the most significant of
satisfactorily is that relatively little is demanded the problems encountered in attempting to obtain
of this material in terms of mechanical properties. welded joints in ductile iron with properties which
Most gray irons are brittle and relatively weak and match those of unwelded material. A number of
service stresses are mainly compressive. Hence, for investigator^^*^.' have described microstructures
such material there is no need for ductile joints or which are present in the heat-affected zones. Be-
high-strength weld deposits. Because ductile iron cause of the inherently faster cooling rates, these
offers superior base metal properties, it is often undesirable hard structures are present to the great-
subjected to tensile loads. Weaknesses which would est extent in welds made by the metal-arc process.
not be important in a gray iron joint are intolerable The microstructures are complex and usually con-
in a ductiie iron joint. sist of a mixture of martensite, austenite, primary
Although metal-arc welds in ductile iron develop carbide and eutectic, surrounding partly dissolved
excellent tensile strength and the joint properties nodules of graphite. The total width of the hard
are adequate for most purposes, the formation of zone varies somewhat, but is usually of the order
a carbide flash at the base metal-weld metal inter- of 0.03 to 0.10 in: Hardness in the as-welded wn-
face, and martensite in the weld heat-affected zones, dition ranges from 300-700 V",but areas with
has sometimes given rise to machining difficulties* hardness values of above 450 VHN constitute a
even though the weid deposits themselves are easi- relatively small percentage of the total.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
ly machined. Additionally, metal-arc weldments in The mechanism by which these structures are
ductile iron have been considered unsuitable for formed is well established. Under the influence of
applications involving severe shock or high fluctu- heat from the arc and the molten weld metal, a
ating stresses. narrow zone adjacent to the weld metal becomes
Formation of a zone of extreme hardness ma). heated to temperatures just above the eutectic tem-
be avoided by oxyacetylene welding the casting with perature. In reaching this temperature, the matrix
ductile iron fier rods, but for development of opti- is first austenitized and then rapidly begins to dis-
mum ductiiity in gas welds in ferritized ductile solve the nodules of graphite. This results in a car-
_ Copyright
- American Welding Society
AWS WCI 85 = 07892b5 000b97L L m
49
11-1
Table I II-Ferritize-Anneal
Heat Treatment
Hold 3 hrs. at 1550-1650°F Furnace cool to 1275°F

Hold 5 hrs.at 1275” Furnace cool,slowly,to 1100°F
Air cool to ambient temperature I
Table IV-Transverse Joint Properties-ENiFe Electrode
Max.
Hard-
ness- Unnotched
Yield Heat Charpy
Tensile Strength, Reduction Weld Affected Bend Impact
Plate Strength, 0.2% offset, Elong, Area Hardness, Zone, Angle, Strength,
Type Condition psi psi % % Bhn VHN deg. ft-lb
Ferritic Unwelded 68,500-72,500 47,50057,000 10-18 - - - 78-80 1o1
(60-45-10) As-welded 51,000-68,500 40,000-57,000 1-9 11-18 205-250 665 14-28 14-20
Annealed’ 54,OOO-72,000 37,00057,006 5-14 5-28 185-235 420 1838 28-36
Ferritize 61;00048,000 39,000-52,000 6-12 35 175-180 175 40-45 3336
annealed
Pearlitic Unwelded 98,500 86,000 3 Nil - - 5-10 10-11
(80-60-03) As-welded 66.000-82.000 71,000-76,000 1-2 3-4 190-225 535 14-15 13
Annealed’ 63,000-71,000 68.060 1-2 2-6 175205 555 - 11
Ferritize 57,00065,000 49,00051,000 6-12 7-15 175-180 185 33-36 36-40
annealed
bon-rich austenite and small pools of carbon-rich Carting Defects. In evaluating the weldability of
liquid. Then as the weid metal and the heat-affected any given composition or individual casting, care
zone are rapidly cooled, under the influence of the must be exercised that underbead cracking difficul-
large mass of cold metal just beyond the peak-tem- ties are properly accessed. Dross inclusions and
perature zone, the carbon-rich austenite transforms spongy or poorly fed amas can be sources of diffi-
partially or wholly to martensite and the liquid culty. If the casting to be welded is metallurgically
freezes as a mixture of eutectic and primary car- unsound, the weldment is almost certain to be of
bide. Annealing in the range 1,000-1,200°F is suffi- p r quality.
cient to transform the martensite to softer struc- Detection of these defects is not always easily ac-
tures. Still higher temperatures completely ferritize complished. For critical parts or where pressure
the acicular material. tightness is required, careful inspection assumes in-
creased importance. In some instances, an experi-
Effect of Casting Structure. With respect to the enced weldor can detect sponginess by the manner
maximum hardness attained in the heat-affected in which the base metal “collapses” when exposed
zone, it appears to make relatively little difference to the welding arc. In such cases, it is important to
whether the original matrix structure is ferritic or stop welding and grind or chip to sound metal.
pearlitic. However, the total width of the heat-
affected zone is greater in the case of the pearlitic MetabArc Welding
iron, so that the gross effect is more evident when Nickel-Iron Electrodes. Most of the test work and
a pearlitic iron is welded. actual fabrication of ductile iron have utilized
The amount of eutectic melting and, there- nickel-iron electrodes conforming to AWS Specifi-
fore the amount of primary carbide which is formed cation A5.15-65T’ (ASTM A398-65T), under the
on heating, is probably about the same in either case, designation ENiFe. This type appears to produce
but the pearlitic matrix is more readily converted to the best results both as to optimum properties and
carbon-rich austenite and thereby becomes a more consistency of performance. The range of proper-
potent source of martensite. Since it is during this ties shown in Table IV has been condensed from
transformation to martensite that underbead crack- the published data.
ing is likely to occur, trouble of this type is more Even with this electrode, which seems to be opti-
probable in the pearlitic grade than in the ferritic mum, there is a disturbing amount of scatter in the
grade. This behavior is normal if the matrices of reported values for both strength and ductility. The
the two irons are thought of as low-carbon ferritic greatest variation is noticeable in comparing the
steel and high-carbon pearlitic steel, respectively. --``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`--- results obtained in different laboratories, but indi-
AWS WCI 8 5 07ôLi2bS 0 0 0 b 7 7 2 3
11-1.
FIG. 4 - Modified U-
joint is utilized for weld-
ing heavy sections of duc-
tile iron.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
/
FZG. 3 - Typical microstructure of a weid heat-affected zone in ductile iron.
vidual investigators noted nearly as much. In the evolution during welding.

AWS test program on welding iron castings ( 1965), Castings containing g& should be baked at 1000°F
the same prioblem was experienced. While some of for at least five minutes, if possible. If furnace heat-
the variations may be inherent in the cast or ductile ing is not practical, the weid area may be locally
irons, others are definitely due to lack of weldor heated with large acetylene torches. If neither of
training with this type of electrode. these methods can be used, a third procedure is
useful :
Other-Coated Electrodes. The ferritic type of 1) Deposit a root pass. This pass will be porous
electrode is less expensive than the nickel-iron type, and should be removed by grinding.
but this advantage must be weighed against its 2) Lay down another root pass. If this pass is
greater crack sensitivity. porous, remove it also.
Various copper-base electrodes have been tried 3) Continue this procedure until rhe heat from
but with poor results. The major difficulty appears welding has driven out all of the gas and a sound
to be an inability to effect a good metallurgical bead is obtained.
bond between the iron and the weld metal. Fusion- 4) Finish the weld in the usual manner.
zone cracking and other defects are likely to be Defective areas should be cleaned out down to
present. sound base metal before the repair is attempted.
Techniques ]oint Design. Joint desi'gns similar to those used

Preparation of Castings. The casting skin and all for mild steel are suitable. The dimensions are: 60-
adhering foreign matter must be removed from the 70 deg. included angle for V-joints, 3116-% in. mot
surfaces to be joined and from the area immediately radius and 10 to 12 deg. side angle for U-joints. In
adjacent. This can be done by machining, grinding heavy sections, a modified U-joint reduces the
or other suitable means. Thorough cleaning will de- amount of welding required (See Fig. 4).
crease the likelihood of contamination and improve
slag merage and subsequent removal characteristics. Electrodes. Nickel-iron welding electrodes can be
Castings which have been in service are often im- operated on either a-c or d-c. When used on d-c,
pwgnated with oil or grease. These should be re- reverse polarity is recommended. In general, the
moved by suitable solvents, steam cleaning or similar welding current should be as low as possible con-
means. Where possible, heating the casting for 30 sistent with smooth operation, good bead contour,
minutes at 700°F or 15 minutes at 1000°F will and the obtaining of a good "wash." Overhead
help to eliminate volatile matter and decrease gas welding will require a reduction of 5 to 15 amps
AUS W C I 85 0784265 0006973 5
11-1 51
FIG. 5 -- Self-restraining test block for evaluating weldability.
and vertical welding, a reduction of 10 to 20 amps. Preheat. Using the test block shown in Fig. 5,
The manufacturers' recommendations for current Schwnbacker A d Schaeffler3 established the need
settings should be followed. for a minimum preheat of 250-350F for the 60-45-
Welds can be deposited in the flat, vertical and 10 grade of iron welded with ENiFe electrodes. A
overhead positions by either beading or weaving. preheat temperature up to 60OF may be desirable
The weave, when used, should not be more than where unusually high welding stresses are antici-
three times the diameter of the electrode. When pated. I n either case, the effect of the preheat is to
welding in grooves, better wash will be obtained on minimize the possibility of cracking in the heat af-
the side of the joint if a weaving technique is used. fected zone or in the weld. Strength and hardness
A skip technique may be used to minimize distor- values are relatively unaffected,
tion in extensive repair welds, extra-long welds or Preheats above 600F increased the amount of
heavy sections. primary carbide and the depth of the heat-affected
Arc length should be about '/8 to 3/16 in., the zone. Up to that temperature, there was no signifi-
same as used for mild steel welding electrodes. The cant effect on the microstructures.
flux should be removed from each crater before
makina a restrike and completely removed from Postheat. Postweld anneals have very little effect
each bead before starting a subsequent bead. This on either the hardness, strength or ductility of the
is readily done by scratching with the corner of a deposited weld metal. A ferritize-anneal is neces-
cold chisel and wire brushing. sary, after welding, to decompose the carbide stmc-
These electrodes, like all others, should be kept tures in the heat-affected zone. During this anneal
dry. The special sealed containers in use offer a the Fe& decomposes and the carbon is rejected as
high degree of protection but they should be stored extremely small graphite spheroids, frequently ar-
in a dry place. rayed in a chainlike pattern whkh impairs the
An excellent manner of storing electrodes, parti- ductility. In a fully ferritized j o h t where, for in-
cularly when the container has been opened, is in stance, the elongation of the base metal might be
a closed cabinet containing desiccants such as in- of the order of 15-20%, the elongation values across
dicating-type silica gel. Heating the cabinet with a welded joint will seldom exceed 5-lOOJo. The im-
an electric light bulb or a strip heater to a tempera- pact toughness and bend ductility are likewise not
ture of 15 deg. above room temperature is another fully restored. If necessary, a 1,275F annealing treat-
effective procedure. Temperatures in excess of 125F ment or a low tempering treatment (1,000F) can
are seldom needed. improve the machinability of the weld-base metal
Damp electrodes can be re-dried by baking. The interface.
time and temperature should be as indicated by T h e second part of this article deals with oxyacety-
the electrode manufacturer. lene, short-arc and dissimilar metal welding.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
~- 1
AWS WCI 85 = 07842b5 0006974 7
52 11-2
Welding ductile
bYJ*W*Fhnnay the structure completely.
The International Nicket Co., Inc. Table V shows a summary of the pmperties of
oxyacetylene welds. Like those obtained with ENiFe
In PARTONEof our discusyon on welding ductile electrodes (Table IV), the tests results are char-
iron (WENov.,page 57) we focused on the metai's acterized by considerable variation in strength and
gmeral propertics and what affect welding had on ductility values, and in no case is a level of joint
thue. One welding process in particular, manuai ductility obtained which matches that of the base
metai-arc welding, waa given a chse look. metal.
In this second and concluding part we will look Becawe of the lesscr amount of hard structure
into the weiding of ductile iron by the oxyacetylene formed, the oxyacetylene process may be preferred
M od and welding by short-circuiting arc. A dis- over metal-arc d d m g in some instances. Casting
'
cussioI1 on joining ductile inm with dissimilar metals defects in raw castings, for instance, are sometimes
using coated electrodes and short-circuiting am corrected in this manner. In some instances, where
methods is also included. the massive heat pattern of the oxyacetylene process
and the resulting distortion could be troublesome,
o%yacotylmnaWoldiiig as in finished or semi-finished parts, the rnctal-arc
Ductile Iron Füìer Rod. Both m a g n d u m - b e b g process is preferred in spite of the somewhat higher
and cerium-bearing ductile iron filler rods an cap hardness levels in the heat-affected zone.
able of depositing weld metal with a spheroidal
graphite rtnicture. The prefmnce seems to be for Coppcr-Ba~Füler Rod. A few investigators have
the cerium-karing type whkh appean to be l e 9 considered the pogility of braze welding with
p n e to @ty than the magnesium-bearing filler copper-base allays using the oxyacetylene process,
rod. Recently, a magnesium-bearing filler rod con- but contrasted with some rather good experience
taining 5% nickel has been developed, in which the with tightly fitting b r a d joints, the nsults ob-
&ty difficulties have been eliminated. Deposits tained by braze welding have been consistently poor.
made with this nickel-containing rod an less pnme As in the case of metai-arc weids made with copper-
to contain primary carbide than are nickel-free de- base covaad electrodes, the joint is. likely to be
poaia weak at the l i e of fusion.
Sxnailcr amounts of the hard cmatituents are
formed in the heat-affected zones of oxyacetylene Shorî Circuiting Arc Welding
welds than m the heat-affected zones of metal-arc Short ciicuiting arc, a comparatively recent varia-
welda Although &e temperatures may be of tion of Mig welding has been tried on ductile iron*.
the same order of magnitude, the cooling rate is This process requires a lower energy input and de-
very mbQtantial1y less in the oxyacetylene proces. velops a sirigfler weid pool than regular Mig. It
Neverthelus, sufficient primary carbide and acicular was considered that the machinability and tough-
structures are iikdy to be preænt to create hardness ness tpf arc welds would be improved if the hard
Ieveb in exass of 520 VHN in both the heat-affectai zone could be made discontinuous. Although the
zone and the weld deposit. The m a l practice is width of the hard zone is diminished by contiofling
to retard the cooling rate of the welded structure the heat input during the metal-arc welding with
by suitable insulation or by other means. However, fluxaated electipdes, discontinuous hard zona are
an anneal at 16OOF is usually necessary to faritkc seldom found in the heat-affected zones produced
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Source: Welding Engineer, December 1968

__
AWS WCI 85 07842b5 0006975 9
11-2 53
Table V-Properties of Oxyacetylene Welds-Ductile

Iron Filler Rod
(Annealed, Ferritic D.Z.Plutes)
~
Max.
Hard-
nesr- Unnotched
ìield Heat Char&
Tensiic Strength, Hong. Weld Affected Impact Location
Postweld Heut Strength, 0.2% offset, in 2-in. Hardness, Zone, Strength, of
Treatment pJi psi 96 Bhn Rhn ft-lb Fracture
Tron~voiwjoints
Annoolod (1000.F)’ 51,00056,000 - 1
-
210 305 -
- Wold 4 furion zone
--
Annmlod (laJO*F)’ 41,!i0069,000 45,000-53.000
Full brritize
annealed 49,00064,000
- 1-4
.- - - -
Wold & b o r motd
All-wold-metal
Aswolded J7.000 54,300 3.5 200
- 77 -
-
Anneolod ( t 100*F)S 76,900
Annooled (I600.F)’ 66,200
60,700
47,400
6.8
12s tw)
79
67 -
in commercial ductile iron.

It has been established that short-circuiting arc
welding of ductile iron with certain low-carbon
nickel-alloy filler wires markedly limits the width
of the hard zone. In weldments made by the proc-
ess, the carbide phase is frequently restricted to rela-
tively thin envelopes surrounding graphite spher-
oids, and the properties of the joints are improved.
Butt Welds. Butt welds were made in ductile iron

plates, 1/2 and 1-in. thick, using 0.030-in. diameter
nickel alloy filler wires. Of these filler wires, the
Nickel Filler Metal 61* (AWS A5.14, Class RN41)
and Monel Filler Metal 60’ (AWS A5.14, Class
ER60) are grades normally employed for welding
the respective nickel alloys by the argon-shielded
processes. Some of the ductile iron plates were
welded in the “as-cast” condition; others were fer-
+
ritized (2 hrs. 165O0F 4 hn. 1275OF, air cooled).
If the interpass temperature exceeded 250°F, the
plates were allowed to cool to this temperature be-
fore welding continued. Radiographic examination
of these welds demonstrated the high quality ob- FIG. 6 - Short-circuiting arc weld in ductile iron.
tained with this process. Note restriction of carbide phase to thin envelopes
Welds made using filler metals of mild steel or surrounding the graphite spheroids.
h$gh nickel alloys and argon-207Ó COZ as the
shielding gas were unsatisfactory. Severe cracking
occurred in the mild steel weld deposits. The nickel
alloy weld metals contained numerous pores and
suffered from gmss oxidation.
Microscopic examination of sections cut trans-
verse! to the I-in.-thick butt welds showed that the
carbide zone at the weld-fusion line was discontinu-
ous (Fig. 6) and was, in general, confined to
e n v e l o p around the graphite spheroids nearest to
the fusion line. Tempered martensite was also ob-
served in the pearlitic ductile iron plates near the
weld-fusion lines, but in the ferritized irons it oc-
curred mainly near the graphite spheroids. Un-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
*Trod8mork~f
Copyright American Welding SocietyTh8 In18rnationd Nickel Company. inr.
AWS WCI 85 D 0784265 0 0 0 b 7 7 b O D
54 II-* tempered martensi'te was detected next to the cap-
ping runs at the surfaces of the joint.
An interesting feature of these trials was the
production of crack-free weids in the pearíític duc-
tile h n without the use of pnheat. Metal-arc weid-
ing of the pearlitic iron usually requires preheat
temperatures above 4ûûF. Also, the flux-coated
electrode may require baking at 500F to prevent
the possibility of delayed cracking,due to hydrogen,
in the pearlite matrix.
The transverse fatigue strengths of test pieces
machined from short-arc butt welds in fenitic duc-
tile iron made with the nickel filler metal in 1%-in-
thick femtized ductile iron plate are superior to
those of specimens produced by the metal-arc proc-
ess with a commercial nickel-iron flux-coated elec-
trode (Fig. 7). Joints made in normalized ductile
iron by the two processes tended to show similar
fatigue strengths.
FIG. 7 - Fatigue strength of plain and welded
ferritized ductile iron. Pipe Welding and Olher Aspects. Ferritized cen-
trifugally cast ductile iron pipe is in substantial and
rapidly expanding use in construction of pressurized
pipe lines, and the suitability of short circuiting
arc welding has been explored in that context. For
positional welding, the deposition characteristics of
the Monel Filler Metal 60 proved to be better than
those of Nickel Filler Metal 61.
Argon-shielded short circuiting arc welding of a
pipe &in. diameter x %-in. wall, with the pipe axis
in the horizontal fixed position was successfully per-
formed. Because of the low penetrating power of
the short circuiting arc, it was found important to
maintain the mot gap during deposition of the mot
run. The joints were therefore tacked before weld-
ing. The runs were deposited by the downward
vertical technique, from the 12 o'clock position.
Satisfactory butt joints were also produced in the
pipe rotated under the torch with both filler metais.
FIG. 8 - Ductile iron clevis cap welded to carbon T h e carbide at the weld-fusion line occurred in
steel tube with ENiFe electrode (photo approxi- somewhat ,greater amounts than in welds made by
mately one-third actual size). the short circuiting arc process on %-in. and 1-in.-
thick ductile iron plates. This increase was prob-
ably caused by the greater build-up of welding heat
in the comparatively thin-walled pipe.
Dissimilar Metal Joints

Coated Electrode. When welding ductile iron to
a dissimilar metal, the best results have been ob-
tained using a covered electrode of the ENiFe type.
Strong crack-free joints have been p r e p a d be-
twem ductile iron and a number of other alloys
including mild steel, stainless steel, Monel* (nickel-
copper alloys), nickel, and Inconel+ (nickel-
chromium-iron alloys), with this electroda. The
hard zone persists. of course, in the ductile iron side
of the joint, but the overall joint ductility is Un-
proved slightly because the hard structures are
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
mainly limited to the one side. The weld metal and

HAZ of the other material generally remain soft
and can yicld to relieve stresses.
FIG. 9 -
Foundry shakeout deck required wcidr Of the several possible dissimilar metal joints,
of ductile iron to itself and to steel side decks.
mTra¿*mn.rko} Tha Ir~rrnrtìondNickù Company, h e .
AWS W C I 85 m 07842b5 OOOb777 2 m
11-2 55 I
the one between ductile iron and mild steel Y the

one most Likely to be encountered. Results have been
satisfactory with the ENiFe electrode. Example,
are shown in Figures 8 and 9.
Short Circuiting Arc. The short circuiting arc

technique offers a useful process for dissimilar metal
combinations involving ductile iron. Values in Table
Ví demonstrate that a short circuiting arc butt weld
riiade between pearlitic ductile iron and a mild steel
plate developed satisfactory transverse tensile prop-
erties. As shown in Figure 10, a fillet weid between
these materials (mild steel vertical members) did
I
not fail under impact. In Figure 11, an automatic ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~
71.2 43.0 15.1

setup for welding a mild steel steering column to NlcLoI 71.2 45.6 13.0
a ductile iron steeding gearbox is shown. The weld- 723 u 3 12.0 4d
ing process is fully automatic short circuiting arc
using Nickel Filler Metal 61.
Summary
While ductile iron can be joined by most of the
commercially accepted welding processes, the major
portion of welding in industry has been with ENiFe
coated electrode. The next most successful process
has been oxyacetylene welding using a ductile iron
filler metal. The main problem when welding duc-
tile iron is the formation of primazy carbides and
martensite in the weld heat-affected zone. While
preheating or postweld annealing will reduce the
deleterious effect of martensite, only a femtize-
anneal heat treatment of the weldment can elim-
inate the carbide structure. While the presence of
such hard constituents is not desirable, weldments
with this condition have given satisfactory service
in many applications. Also, when ductile iron is
welded to steel, greater ductility is achieved because
the hard zone is present on only one side of the FIG. 10 - Short-circuiting arc fillet weid between
joint and stresses are relieved by yielding of heat- mild steel and ductile iron (Nickel filler metal 61) .
affected m e in the mild steel. It is most important
to consider the properties of weldments in relation
to the service requirements of the part.
The latest development in the field of ductile
iron welding is the use of the short circuiting arc
welding process. When this process, which involves
a lower heat input, is used, the carbide phase is
frequently restricted to relatively thin envelopes
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
surrounding graphite spheroids and the mechanical

properties and machinability of the joints are im-
proved. It appears that the plate thickness has some
effect, fewer carbides forming in heavier plates. 0
I . Pellini W. S Suidor C. and BishokHz F., “Notch Ductility

of Nodular I r k ’ Tm&dons of the e n a n Socicîy for Metals,
vol 46 41845 (1%).
2. Kil&&n T +E.,d W a F H C., “Joining of Ductile Iron ai.
SmrJ k& he
Mcthodr’, Weldin8 Journal, 32 (IO) 9+7-
FIG. 11 - Welding a mild steel steering column

to a ductile iron steering gearbox using fully auto-
matic short-circuiting arc welding process and
Nickel filler metal 61.
- /
__ __ - ..-
AWS W C I ô 5 W 07842b5 0006978 4 m
11-3
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
~
Repair welding
of ductile iron
By: A. J. Osbom What are Ductile Irons?
Senior Applications Engineer Today’s trend for castings is that Tensile strength values can range be-
Eutectic & Cadon they provide a combination of me- tween a low of 340 MPa to a high of
Eutectic Corporatlon chanical and physical properties be- 1030 MPa in the as-cast condition,
tween those offered for grey-type cast with yield strengths varying betwen
irons and cast or wrought steels. A 275 MP and 820 MPa. Ductility
material bridging the properties of values, as may be expected, decline
grey irons and cast steels is today with an increase in tensile strength.
known as nodular iron, nodular The as-cast condition produces higher
graphite iron, spheroidal graphite strength cast iron and lower ductility
iron, to which the generic term ductile than do parts that have been heat-
is applied. treated after casting.
The increasing tonnage of ductile A micro-stnictural comparison be-
or nodular cast irons now being pro- tween an ordinary grey cast iron and
duced, and its wide usage for a ductile iron shows that graphite in
broad range of industrial applications, grey irons is in the form of flakes
attests to the importance and accep and in ductile iron, the graphite takes
tance by industry of this iron as a the form of tiny balls or spherulites
useful material. of characteristic structure.
“Grey irons” cover a series of eute-
Ductile Irons ciferrous alloys offering a fairly broad
The terms “ductile iron,” spheroidal selection of mechanical properties
graphite iron,” and “nodular iron” all with the matrix structure generally be-
refer essentially to the same engi- ing either pearlitic or pearlitic-femtic.
neering material. In these situations The objection to their use for highly
where the term “ductile” is used, the stressed components is that the mor-
reference is to the specific mechani- phology of the graphite-particularly
cal property of ductility measured as when it is interconnecting, acts as
a specific amount of elongation. In stress raisers, reducing as a conse-
many cases, ductile irons have me- quence the material‘s ability to tol-
chanical properties approaching that erate stresses much above a nominal
of low carbon and plain carbon steels. 300 MPa.
Source: Casting Engineering, Fali 1977

AUS W C I 85 - 0784265 0006979 6 W
11-3 57
Microstructure of grey iron showing graphite flakes Microstructure of ductile Iron showlng graphite spherulites
(Mag. X 100). (Mag. X 100).
Table I -Qeneral Analyses of Grey Iron and Ductile Irons

I IRONTYPE I C I Si
- Mn I P I S I Ni I C U I other I
% % % % % % % %
1)Grey 3.0 -3.35 2.0 -2.40 0.6 -0.7 0.2 max. 0.2 max. - - -
3.20-4.10 1.8-2.80 upto0.80 0.1Omax. 0.03max. - see “2”
2)Nodular Below
2) Additionally, cerium in amount of a few/lOOO of 1% or magnesium not in excess of 0.80%
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Types
.. of Ductile Irons Table II -(N.B. Tensile & Yield Strength Values)
Ductile irons are available today (N.B.Tensile and yield strength values are given in Megapascals)
offering a wide range of matrix stn~c-
tures and properties achieved either MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
through alloying and/or aiioying with
heat treatment. To give some idea of DUCTILE IRONS FLAKE-GRAPHITI
IRON CLASS DESCRIPTION As CAST AS CAST
the change in mechanical properties
effected through alloying and heat UTS YP ELON. UTS YP ELON
treatment. Table II highlights some Pearlitic Iron Structure is mixec
major properties: ferrite and cemen
tite with carbon
spherulites 690 540 1 4 % 340 - -
Ferritic Iron structure is mixa
pearlite and ferrit
with the carbon
finely dispersed 540 380 12-25 340 - -
Alloyed Irons
Accicular iron Generally alloyed
with nickeV
molybdenum/
chromium to pm
duce accicular,
austenitic or mar.
tensitic structures 980 780 3% 340 - -
Austenitic Iron 66
470 280 10-25 340 - -

AWS WCI 8 5 078Y2bS OOObîöO 2
58 11-3
Repair Wdding of Ductile Irons

Much has been said about the poor
weldability of cast irons compared to
plain carbon steel welding when using
the Shielded Metal Arc Welding Proc-
ess, The principal reasons given are
that the factors influencing the suc-
cess, or failure for that matter, in
obtaining satisfactory welds, such as
interfacial carbide formation, heat af-
fected zone cracking, the low strain-
to-failure at temperatures below
which plastic deformation occurs, and
the large shrinkage stresses involved
in fusion welding, prevent the achieve- Pearlite Ductile Iron Ferritic Ductile Iron
ment of other than randomly success- (Mag. X 250) (Mag. X 250)
fui repair welds. This is now no longer
the case. These problems are now
overcome by the proper selection of
repair electrode chemistry, control of
heat input and a judicious use of
proven repair welding techniques.
Selecting a Repair Electrode

Shielded Metal Arc Welding is, and
will probably remain, the most com-
monly used repair welding process.
The lower heat input and the excellent
mechanical properties achieved, make
it an ideal tool for the repair welding
of a wide range of both grey and duc-
tile iron components. However, not
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
all electrodes can be used and the
need to know which are suitable and Accicular (NilMo) Ductile Iron Austenitic Ductile Iron
(Mag. X 200) (Mag. X 100)
acceptable is mandatory if successful
welds are to be achieved.
Shielded Metal Arc Welding Using
Ferritic Eïectrodes
The use of ferritic electrodes for
welding ductile iron and even grey
irons for that matter, is frought with
ditficulty. Cracking or extremely hard
deposits, single pass-deposits have
been measured as high as 500 DPN,
makes the use of this chemistry very
risky. Residual stresses measured on
beadan-plate with mild steel have
been measured as higb as 310 MPa
in the longitudinal direction and as
high as 110 MPa in the transverse
direction. It is, therefore, most unlike-
ly that crack-free welds and welds
having acceptable machinability can
be obtained with this class of elec-
trode unless very high pre- and inter-
pass temperatures are used.
Ferritic weld deposit on grey cast iron. (Mag. X 100)
-
/,/
AWS W C I 85 0784265 OOOb781i
11-3 59

Aluminum-Bronze Electrodes
(ECUAL-AS)
Although aluminum-bronze elec-
trodes have been used successfully to
weld ductile irons, their primary use
has been for cladding and not for
joining. The technique called for with
this class of electrodes such as spe-
cially prepared joints; preheat and
slow-cooling requirements and a rath-
er fast deposition rate, make it a
rather difficult electrode to use. The
need to obtain adequate fusion and
the consequent development of large-
size A1:C:Fe nodules, markedly affect
elongation values. Aluminum-bronze
deposits in the as-deposited condition
have given measured elongation values
less than 5% making them a rather
poor choice for the high strength
joining of ductile irons. However,
without being too negative toward
this class of electrode, it should be
borne in mind that they make an ideal
cladding surface for such components
as slipper shoes, bearing seats in cast
iron plummer blocks and impeller
edge surfacing.

Austenitic Stainless Electrodes
(300 Cr/Ni Series)
Austenitic stainless steel electrodes
of types 308, 309 and 312 have been
used for repair welding both the pear-
litic and ferritic ductile irons where
interfacial bonding difficulties have ECuAl-A2 weld deposit showing the
formation of massive A1:Fe nodules.
arisen. However, under conditions of (Mag. X 10)
severe restraint, heat affected zone
cracking is a very pronounced effect.
This is thought to occur due to the
precipitation of carbon at the ferrite-
austenite phase boundaries. Addition-
ally, the high yield point of stainless
type electrodes, 312 S/S has a yield
point of around 550 MPa, which is
a higher yield point than both the
pearlitic and ferritic ductile irons,
compounds the tendency for HAZ
cracking. As a final statement, one
should mention that the introduction
of chromium from the welding elec-
trode further increases cracking tend-
encies by increasing the austenitic
transformation products and the car-
bides Fed2 # Fe/CoC.
High Nickel and Nickel-Iron
Electrodes
Electrodes classiíìed under the AWS
Specification A5.15-69,sub-group Deposits on cast iron using a 312 type
nickel-base electrodes, particularly stainless steel electrode. (Mag. X 100)
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 m 0784265 DO06982 6 m
11-3
groups ENi-CI and ENiFe-CI, are Table 111

weii known to produce satisfactory
MECHANICAL
mechanical properties when used to
weld grey, ductile, nodular and malle- IRON CLASS ELECTRODE TYPE(*) PROPERTIES
able irons. The nickel content in these
electrodes provides the strength and Pearlitic XYRON 2-23 (NiFe Type)
ductility with the carbon necessary for
graphite rejection being obtained from Ferritic NodulTec 2250 (NiFe Mod.) 210
the electrode coating. Because of the (N.B. Values are given in Megapascals.)
low solid solubility of carbon in WXYRON 2-23 and NodulTec 2250 are patented cast iron electrodes of
nickel, excess carbon is precipitated the Eutectic Corporation.
so that weld deposit microstructures
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
can generally be described as cored,

solid solutions containing graphite
nodules and aggregates. Although a
microstructure containing free graph-
ite aggregates has certain weaknesses
under tension, it is possible to obtain
a graphite spheroid plus carbide struc-
ture through electrode coating modifi-
cations. For example, tests carried out
on pearlitic and ferritic ductile irons
using a modified flux coating nickel
iron electrode gave the following aver-
age values shown in Table III.
The Influence of Heat Input
In any arc-welding process the A nickel-iron weld deposit on cast iron. A high-nickel weld deposit on cast iron.
structural changes occurring in the (Mag. X 100) (Mag. X 100)
HAZ are extremely important. For
example, Figure XII shows a peak
hardness of 420 HV (Rc 40 circa)
when a 3-pass weld deposit of a
nickel-iron type electrode was used on
a pearlitic ductile iron without pre-
heat. On the other hand, preheating to
500
I
r 477
-m
3
the order of 300°C reduced the peak Y I
hardness to a much more acceptable
270 HV (Rc 25). However, it must
-
o 400
F
I -350
u?
be stated that a great deal of myth
a
al
<n I r
\
and suspicion surrounds the interpre-

E
z I m
Y
tation of HAZ structures, particularly
when carbides are present. The inter-
=
0
900.
facial carbide band, whether continu- E

ous or discontinuous, can be reduced E
n.
by the type of flux formulation used U
on nickeVnicke1-iron electrodes. Con- 8 200.
tinuous carbide bands and Such hard o
E
transformation products as martensite
and bainite are related primarily to
the size of the electrode, amperage
level, and amount of preheat used.
By using preheating techniques judi- I I I I I \
ciously and keeping dilution to a
minimum, carbides can be kept dis-
continuous and undesirable structurai
changes minimized.
Some Case Histories
Any theoretical discussion of a sub-
ject which has essentially a practical
leaning should show some application
to field problems. The following case
histories were developed in Australia;
however, they would apply to any Figure 12
number of applications where welding Graph shows the range of hardness for a sample of pearlitic ductile iron welded with
is used as a maintenance tool. and without preheat.

AWS W C I 85 07842b5 OOOb783 8 W
11-3 61
Case History No. 1

Part Name: Preparation of a crack for welding vantageous in reducing any tendency
Spur Gear Wheel can be achieved with arc-air, chip- for the weld deposit to crack.
Unit Machine: gouging with a pneumatic chisel, Briefly, the welding technique and
Drum Winch grinding or with specially designed procedure used to effect the repair
Material: gouging electrodes. For this repair, was.. .
Ferritic Ductile Iron gouging electrodes were used, because
Reason for Failure: of the ease and rapidity with which 1. Degrease
Maintenance fitter dropped a ham- they remove unwanted metal. 2. Dye-penetrant test
mer between the spur gear and Any process which develops heat 3. Chamfer cracks to a single "U"
pinion drive which resulted in a during a metal removing operation preparation
high stress peak load, sufficiently where the quench effect is severe, can 4. Grind hardened kerf zone ap-
high to cause a crack to open in develop martensite/ austenite interfa- proximately 1 mm
two of the spokes and between the cial zones. The removal by grinding
two spoked segments. of this hard, crack sensitive structure 5. Preheat locally to 250"G300"C
Preparation : is mandatory, otherwise interfacial 6. Deposit weld metal using an
The gear was first degreased and cracking can occur. ENiFe-CI classification electrode
then dye-penetrant tested for ascer- Although normal practice dictates and a back-step technique. De-
taining the true location and range the use of general preheating -par- posit lengths not to exceed a
of the cracks - particularly impor- ticularly for the non-cracked contig- practically determined length of
tant with stress rupture cracking. uous spokes, it was decided to preheat 300 mm. Toe cracking occurred
Shop identification after dye-pene- preferentially in the immediate area a few times, overcome in this
trant testing was to centre-punch of repair instead of resorting to a instance by reducing the weid
the crack so that the welder would total weldment preheat. Furthermore, deposit length to 20 mm.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
not miss the crack during cham- the fair ductility properties and the 7. Peen all weld deposits other than
fering. sectional restraint were considered ad- root and final crown deposits.
Large ductile iron gear wheel repaired with a nickel iron electrode. Diameter - 3 metres.

AWS WCI 85 m 078Y265 000b98Y T m
62 11-3
Case Histoiy No. 2

Part Name:
Sump
Unit Machine:
Caterpillar D4
Material:
Grey Cast Iron
Reason for Failure:
During the course of. normal op-
eration-always arduous for “cats,”
the sump crashed into a hard rock
outcropping,breaking a rather large
section out of the sump bottom.
Preparation:
Cut from 9 mm thick mild steel
plate an insett piece conforming to
the general shape of the rupture.
Bisect the insert plate as shown in
the second continuation photo- The Break!
graph. ( n i e technique of cutting
in two an insert is simply to make
allowance for expansion and con-
traction when welding the plate
periphery to the cast iron sump.)
Back-step welding is recommended
for similar repairs as this reduces
crater cracking tendencies particularly
with such alloys as those meeting the
ENNi-CI classification.
The final step after completing the
peripheral welds is to join the bisected
plates. This can be done with any gen-
eral purpose mild steel joining elec-
trode such as an E6012, E6013, etc.
Insert Welding Technique.

--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
CaterDillar D4 cast iron summ Welded

with a high nickel.electrode. The Completed Repair.

AWS WCI 85 0781i265 000b785 Z 9
11-3 63
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Case History No. 3

Part Name:
Press Frame
Unit Machine:
John Heine Reciprocating Ram
Press
Material:
Ferritic Ductile Iron
Reason for Failure:
The classic service error! Trying to
blankout from material too thick
for the machine size. This resulted
in the crankshaft exerting an up-
ward motion of sufficient magni-
tude to completely fracture one of
the side yokes.
Preparation:
In any repair to a machine unit, it
is absolutely mandatory that the Repair Malleys side frame, John Heine Press, partially completed.
relative relationship between mat-
ing components be checked for an
acceptable level of tolerance. This
was done by using a spare crank-
shaft (the original one was bent
during the accident) for measuring
the respective reciprocating/rota-
tional movements.
Because the break was "clean"
Le. the fracture surfaces abutted
without excessive misalignment, the
preparation of the joint became a sim-
ple matter. A double "U" configura-
tion was obtained using a 6 mm diam-
eter gouging electrode with each
joint face ground to remove any HAZ
hardened material. To aid in align-
ment, a small landing of some 2 mil-
limeters wide was left on the top and
bottom of each root of the yoke.
The nature of the break and the
massive sectional restraint was
thought best to be met by the ENi-
Fe-CI classification electrode. Subse-
quent restraint tests proved the ade- Close-up repair - Malleys -Sydney.
quacy of this electrode classification
for the job.
A "balanced" deposition technique
was used and qualified by using flat
edge rulers and centre-punched ref-
erence points so that monitoring in
terms of fixed reference points was
readily observed.
The quality of the weld-deposit is
readily seen by the close-up photo-
graph.
Shows welder repairing side frame -Malleys, Sydney.

-
AWS WCI 85 9 078q2b5 0 0 0 6 9 ô b 3 =
114
Welding Nodular Cast Iron

By R. C. BATES
Arc weiás in nodular iron contain cprbide iayers at the fuskm lines
whidilo*ircrtheddtyandimprctproptities. PoshRelduiwrliag
eliminates carbibs and improves dicctility. Ory-wsetylsns welds
made with nodulu iron and Ni Rod 55 are free fnnn d i
but have high transition temperatures. (Ki, Ke; CI-r)
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
SmcE m p J T R o w c I I o N in the years after 4 hr. at 1-F.) and slow cooling produced
World War II, d u l a r iron has become an im- a ferritic matrix. The mechanical properties
portant matenal for castings. Its properties and (which are typical for Tdord material) were:
economies are attractive to designers. Unfor- 62,600 psi. ultimate tensile strength, 47,900 psi.
tunately, many applications have been bypassed yield strength, and u)sb elmgation in 2 in.
because available welding techniques did not Welding was done at the Metals Joining Lab-
provide joints with properties comparable to the oratory. To begin with, plates were placed in
parent material. holding fixtures so that the 300 bevels formed a
Actually nodular iron can be welded as easily single Vee with a 600 included angle and a %-in.
as can gray cast iron since their microstructures root opening. With a thin slice of nodular iron
difier primarily in the shape of the graphite as a back-up bar below the root opening, the
particles. However, the welds obtained in both entire fixture and plates were preheated at 6o(r F.
materials are generally fragile because brittle car- Approximately u)passes with Ni Rod 55 weld-
bides form in the weld m e . Post heat treating ing electrodes completed each weld. Each pass
was reported to be of little value because the ex- was preceded by peening and wire brushing.
tremely small graphite nodules which form upon Preheat was maintained at 6ooo F. with an oxy-
decomposition of the carbide were believed to acetylene torch, temperature being measured
reduce ductility. frequently with a contact pyrometer. We found
In most of the early investigations, made shortly the wetting characteristics of the Ni Rod to be
after nodular iron appeared, ductility of only 8 good. Metallographic examination, slow bend
to 10% elongation in annealed material was com- tests, tensile testing and impact testing of the
mon. Today, nodular iron produced by our plates followed.
TraíZord foundry possesses elongations of 18 to
22%. Because of these better properties, we took Microscopic Examination
another look at the welding characteristics. Figure 1shows nodular cast iron as annealed:
Welding With An Arc the structure consists of spheroidal graphite em-
bedded in a matrix of ferrite. A typical weld in
Arc welding procedures for Ni Rod 55 elec- the as-welded condition is shown in Fig. 2. Ad-
trode were íìrst evaluated. (Later, the program jacent to the weld metal (austenitic nickel-iron)
included an appraisal of oxy-acetylene welding lies a continuous layer of hard and brittle carbide.
procedures with nodular iron for a filler metal.) An extremely rapid cooling rate is responsible
Nodular iron plates supplied by Trafford were for this phase. Some of the base metal melts
14 in. long, 5% in. wide and 1in. thick, and had a
Wetallur 'cal Engineering, Materials Engineer-
composition of 3.68% C,2.23% Si, 0.041% P,0.06% ing Dept., 8estinghni.w Electric Corp., East Pitts-
Mg, 0.7W Ni and 0.44% Mn. Annealing (for burgh, Pa.
._-- Source: Metal Progwss, November 1959 ~-

AWS WCI 85 0784265 0006787 5
11-4
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fi 1 - Annealed Nd&r Cad Iron Structure Consiating of Graphite
Spferoids Embedded in a F e d e Matrix. Etchant, 2% nital; 250 x
during welding; it freezes and cools rapidly be- to those of the base metal. The average values
cause of the large mass of relatively cool base found were 60,500and 44,ûûû psi., respectively.
metal adjacent to the very thin molten layer. Elongation in 2 in. was 1û%. As-welded tensile
Solidification is, therefore, not unlike that which specimens exhibit slightly higher strength, but
occurs in a chill casting, and the resulting struc- the elongation is only 1 to 2%.
ture is similar to white iron.
What Bend Tests Proved
Examination of the phase next to the carbide
phase at magnifications up to 1500 diameters Bend tests were performed on unwelded con-
faileà to resolve the structure. Since the hardness trol samples, as-welded samples, and samples
is equivalent to Rockwell C-22, the phase prob- annealed after welding. Though most of the
ably is spheroidized pearlite. Its properties samples were tested with the roots of the welds
would be similar to those of lamellar pearlite of in tension, some as-welded specimens were tested
equivalent hardness. At greater distances from with the weld faces in tension. To aid measure-
the weld zone, greater and greater amounts of ment, lines were inscribed at %-in. intervals on
ferrite are found. Eventually, the structure is all specimens before testing. Spacing beween
completely unaffected, and consists of ferrite these lines was measured after testing.
and spheroidal graphite. The unwelded control samples bent an average
Annealing at 1 W F.followed with slow cool- of Wo.Although most bending occurred near the
ing decomposes the carbide network and con- center line, there was some bending within Y' in.
verts the structure of the heat-affected base metal of each side of the center line. Bending in the
to a mixture of femte and nodular graphite. At as-welded sample amounted to only a total of 2",
the fusion lines, however, many tiny particles of and was entirely restricted to the weld metal in
nodular graphite are present. an area of less than % in. on each side of the
An additional point concerning Fig. 2: "he center line.
dark phase present in the weld metal is believed No elongation was recorded across the fusion
to be graphite. Much of it has a flake structure, lines. Despite the total lack of strain across these
and probably decreases the ductility of the weld lines (in the as-welded samples), cracks always
metal. Graphite probably results from the car- occurred there. This shows that the continuous
bonaceous flux which coats the welding electrode. carbide network at the weld metal-parent metal
The tensile and yield strengths of arc weld- interface is brittle and will not support a bending
ments of annealed nodiilar iron are comparable load. Despite this lack of ductility, however. the

AWS W C I 85 = 07842b5 000b788 7
66 11-4
stmngtb of the as-welded joints is equivalent to fractures is one which OCCUIS over a relatively
&at of the base metal. Thus, such welds should wide range cd temperature. To evaluate the
be considered for applications where only impact characteristics of the welded and an-
strength, rather than ductility or impact re- nealed samples, drop-weight specimsru were
sistance, is needed. prepared. In this test, a specimen 14 in. long is
An average bend of 14" occurred during the supported on rests, and a weight of standard size^
root bend tests of the arc-welded samples which is chopped from a speciûed height. A notch is
had been annealed after welding. Most of the provided, usuaiiy, by placing a brittie weid bead
elongation was recorded across one of the fusion acIoss the center of the specimen which intro-
lines despite the numerous small graphite nodules duces a running crack after about a 30 bend. A
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 2 -Weld Zone in "IL-Welded"Nodular Iron. at wad inte+ce. Thfs&wéure k brittle. an¿ bu&
Note white frtm (wldnonnatii#en structure) formed weld. Etchant. 2%näd; 100 x
to b d t t h e m in the
evident in the microstructure. These tiny parti- stop prevents bending beyond 5". Thus, if the
cles are apparently not nearly as harmful as specimen breaks during such a test, the mech-
previously believed. Also, the ductility exhibited anism of fracture is primarily cleavage. This is
in these tests and the tensile tests is good enough a very brittle type of failure, and complete failure
for most applications. of drop-weight specimens occurs at temperatures
below the "nilductility transition temperature".
Tmnsit&n Temperature and Nodular Iran
The nilductility transition temperatures of both
Ncdular iron, like many other ferrous mate- unwelded samples and samples annealed after
rials, exhibits a brittle fracture below what is welding were -120 and AB"'.,respectively.
referred to as the ductile-brittle transition tem- Thus, arc welding, if followed by an annealing
perature. Actually, the term "transition tempera- treatment, causes no significant change in the
ture" is rather indefinite b u s e the transition transition temperature. Figure 3 shows the
from ductile shear fractures to brittle cleavage broken half of a drop-weight specimen tested at

AWS WCI 85 = 0784265 0006789 7 9
11-4 67
-960 F. Above -860 F.,the welded nodular iron Thus our investigation, originally intended to
samples which were annealed did not break even evaluate only metal-arc welding, was expnàed
under the severe impact loading of the test. to include the Linde technique. Welding rod
Since the fracture did not follow the fusion lines and recommendations for welding proadures
in low temperature tests and no fracture occurred were obtained from Linde, and plates similar to
above -WF., the harmful carbide layer in as- those previously described were welded.
welded nodular iron had apparently been elimi- The samples were placed on hebrick so that
nat. by annealing. The decomposition products the beveled ends formed a single Vee of 600 with
left from this carbide layer are not harmful to the a %-in. root opening. (Unlikethe sthip used for
mechanical properties, and the resulting joint is arc welding, no restraining ñxtures were used.)
adequate for most applications - even those First, plates were preheated to 800" F. with the
which require impact loading. torch. A neutral h e (25 to 30 lb. oxygen and
about 10 lb. acetylene) did the welding. Filler
No Carbides in Oxy-aœtylene Welds
metal was Linde Oxweld ô9 nodular iron rod, and
While adequate properties could be obtained the weld was fluxed with Oxweld Ferro. Once
in annealed arc weldments, the test results on as- a puddle was established, successive passes were
welded joints were not encouraging. Only where made continuously until the weld was completed.
no ductiiity was needed could as-welded joints About six passes were necessary for each weld.
be used. However, a way out soon appeared. In After welding, the sample plates were covered
the Welding Jwnrcil, September 1951, p. 410, with submerged arc flux and cooled slowly to
Day, Snyder anà Inskeep of the Linde Co. room temperature.
reported that they had successfully prepared One weld was cracked, but all others were
carbide-free welds possessing high as-welded sound except for porosity. Poor wetting in the
ductility, No postweld heat treatment was root area was also encountered, but this was later
needed. They did this with an oxy-acetylene eliminated with a slightly wider root opening.
welding technique and a specially prepared nodu- Figure 4 shows the interface of the weid metal
lar iron welding rod. and parent metal near the root of one of the
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 3-Welded and Annealed Specimen Which Has Been Tested With a
Ihoppsd Wdght d -OW F. B r f t t b failure did not occur in the fuuion m w ;
thfa fndfcdeu that the brittle carbide zone has been removed by annealing

AWS WCI 85 07842b5 0 0 0 6 7 7 0 5
68 11-4
welded joints. The matrix of the weld metal Like arc welding, oxy-acetylene welding pro-
consists of femte with mail patches of pearlite. duces joints in nodular iron with strength com-
Graphite nodules, whiie smaller than those of the parable to that of the base metal. The ductility
base metal, are spherical. While the interface of oxy-acetylene welds is somewhat higher than
contains some carbide, the amount is small com- that of unannealed arc weldments (an average
pared to that contained in the arc-welded bend of So occurred during root bend tests).
samples. In fact, no carbide existed except in More significantly, the bending was not confined
the mot area, which is illustrate.’. Other samples to the weld metal. Instead, bending also oc-
examined contained no carbide whatever. curred across the fusion lines and heat-ahted
The question arose as to whether it was the base metal. Thus, the lack of fusion-line carbide
special composition of the Linde r d (it con- allows uniform ductility across the weld zone.
tained 3.2% Si) that was responsible for the lack Though this was encouraging, another problem
of carbide in the weld zone, or whether the oxy- developed. Charpy specimens, machined from
acetylene welding technique causes slow cooling the weld joints of several samples, revealed that
rates which allow solidification to proceed with- the nilductility transition temperature of welds
out carbide formation. To check this, a sample made with Linde rod is only slightly below room
of nodular iron was oxy-acetylene welded with temperature, and the transition temperature of
Ni Rod 55 from which the coating liad been re- welds produced with Trafford rod is above m m
moved. Welding was difficult because the melt- temperature. Thus small defects may trigger
ing point of tbe Ni Rod was considerably higher premature failures.
tban that of the base metal. An extremely porous At the present time, while the carbide problem
weld d t d ; however, no carbide was formed. lias been eliminated, the problem of high transi-
In addition, we cast some nodular iron at the tion temperature remains. This problem must be
Trafford foundry. The composition was the same eliminated before oxy-acetylene welding may be
as that of the base plates except that the mag- recommended for general use in joining nodular
nesium content was increased to OJ2%to insure iron. Such weldments may be used, however, if
that graphite on the welds would be completely the design stress is low enough to insure that
nodular. Welds made with this rod were also the yield strength is not exceeded (even in the
free ofcarbide but the microstructure of the weld vicinity of stress-raisers), or if adequate inspec-
metal was primarily pearlitic rather than femtic. tion can insure freedom from defects which may
Since corbide-free welds were obtained with act as severe stress-raisers. Oxy-acetylene weld-
both nod& iron rod and Ni Rod, it is evident ing may be particularly useful in the future for
that oxy-acetylene welding is a technique which repairs in noncritical areas where postweld an-
will eliminate the discouraging carbide problem. nealing is not permitted. o
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
~

-___
AWS W C I 85 m 07842bS 000b77L 7 m
11-5 69
New Ductile Iron

Welding Process
Saves Castings and $
Now you can repair or assemble ductile iron castings by a

new gas welding process developed by a Texas foundry.
ANY BIETALCASTER making ductile vanced techniques Iiuvc. rcdiicetl ventioiiui cleaning room equipment
iron recognizes thc need for a sim- plant rejects to ;ì pructicd iniiii- should prove satisfactory for this
ple. ri&~l)lewelding technique that mum. But wlierc pc~riiiissil>l(~. this operation.
\vili iìid in salvage repairing and welding process ciìn I)(. used to rtb- In joining two members. each
joining of castings. Wr felt the pair many of the fc\v rcwiiiiniiig rv- iiicinber should lie notched at the
picssuri' of this need ever since jects, increasing custiiig yi(M fur- point of fusion welding in conven-
IW) \vIi(w \ve started casting duc- ther. Also, ductile custings cmi no\v tional fashion.
tile iron at Oil City Iron W'orks. be joined by a prlìcticiìl gas wdd- Preheating of the area to be
So \vc eiiil)urk(d on iì rescarcli and ing process, opening up ;i n(w*ficld weldcd s(wcs two desirable pur-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
dt.vc.lopinc.iit prograiii of our own of applicritions. As ductilc iron nini- poses :
to iiirct this iiec4. kets continue to expand the proc-
Aft(.r four years of developiiicnt. PSS ~~cconics cww more \~diial)l<~
1) Hetards post welding cooling
iiiicl cwiiiination of hundreds of and profitable.
rate to avoid presence of cemeii-
\\&Ispecimcm, w e c$iin rrów aii-
IlereS Ilorc We Did I t tite or martensite in the transi-
~iouncc'a ductilc. iron \\&ling ca-
You need this equipment (all Jis- tion zone
pahility with:
played in Fig. 1): 2) Avoids or minimizes excessive
casting stress and/or strain.
1) Pcrfect color match. 1) Suitable operator protectivc
2) S1achir;tbility at normal spcwis equipment
\vithout lieat treatment. 2) Acetylene gas and oxygen with Local preheating of area (Fig.
.'3) Similar chemical composition. appropriate pressure regulators 2 ) to be welded with methane or
4) Similar or identical microstruc- 3) Grinding or scarfing devices for LP gas torch to temperature range
turc. preparation of area to be welded of 500F to 7ûûF is sufficient to
5 ) Siinilar o r idcwtical pliysicnl and finishing welded area acconiplish these goals. Complicat-
propert ills. 4) Burner (natural gas or hitane) cd castings may require more elab-
f i t Hcsponsc to lieut trcutnicnt in for preheat of part orutch preheating.
predictable manner. 5 ) Powder spray type oxyacetylene For fusion welding a slight ex-
i) Sliniiniirn transition zone. torch fitted with appropriate tip. cess of acetylene is used to insure a
I j ì ?rf iiiimuni Iicat aflected zone. slightly reducing Rame. The Rame
9) so oxcessi\~l!srnsitivity to terh- The area to be welded must be is brought in contact with the area
iiiquc. clean and free from scale, rust or to be welded. When melting be-
10) Easy field welding. other impurities. This may be ac- gins, the rod is introduced into the
11) bliiiimiim stresses devc4oped: complished by any convenient flame and welding by puddling
means such as chipping and/or progresses in the usual manner.
Ycs, improved production meth- grinding. Normal good weld clean- Puddling may be accomplished by
ods, available alloys and greatly ad- ing procedures arc adcquatc. Con- either backhand or forehand tech-
Source: Modern Casting, February 1969

AWS WCI 85 D 078Li2b5 000b772 7 D
70 11-5
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 000b773 O
11-5 71
iiiqiics tvitli tlie lattcr prcfrwcd in rct;irdcd I)? continuing to play the to ;i inorc rupicl cooling rutc of
I h i c b
that the rod leads the p-ogression torch on tlic \ \ ~ l ddeposit ;ifteIr thc. \vcslcl dcposit tliui! is pro1)able
of tlic \veld. Flux of spc~ci.llcoinpo- solic1ific;itioii. Post h i t trc,atiiicmt witli th<. p;ii-cwt inc~tal,th<. iiodiilc
sitioii is ;iddecl to tlic piiddlc is not rcquirecl to accoinplish a frcc coiiiit o f tlic \wid dcposit will be
through the fìanic iii iiormal PO\\'- inacliiniiig \vclded ;irea with esccl- 1iiglic.r thaii thut of tlic piirciit mct-
der spray fashion. h t "color iiiatch". Thc \v(~ltl<*d al. ( Sec Fig. 4 )
The flux is s o adjiistcd as to pro- arca \\ill rcspoiid to coiivciitionnl A properly cmwitcd \veld \\ill h l
mote ii fluid slag cowr nrciwiir!. hcat trcatinents sii(*Ii ;IS tiwitiziiig. cweiitiiilly f r w from ccincntite
to sound %is\velds 11s \yell ;IS to iii- normalizing n i i d q i i ( ~ : i c ~ Iiiiitl
i tciii- (iron ciirhidc) in tlic wcld dcposit
surc coniplctc iiodulnritp of tlic pci- in il n i i i i i i i ( b i - likc tlic p;irciit or transition zone. It \vili posscss a
wclcl dcposit. A patciit for t l i v pro- metal (assiiiiiiiig iioriiiiil clicwiiwl pc;irlitic or sorbitic iiintrix with n
cc-ss is pciiding. coiiipositioii ). C;irld(* stul>iliziiig sinall l~iill's<'y(. of fcrritc aroiiiid
The cooling rate of tlic: cotii- ' clenicvits \vil1 affect responsc to tlie graphitv iiodiile-Fig. S.
pletcd wclcl deposit i i ~ hc y fiirtlwr Iwat treatrnent.
-- - _- -. - - __ - Coii(hsioti.s
Results of ASTM 1-in. Y-Blocks from Single 1200-lb Ladle. i ) Tlic proccss dcscriliccl is pr;u.-
Bar No. Condi t i on Tensi l e Yield El Bhn tical under noriiinl opcratiiig
-- conditions and not ii 1al)oriitory
As C a s t technique.
m--
214-A
Unwel ded
Welded
87 .600
84 i 4 0 0
68,400
67,200
8.0
5 .O
217
2 23
2 ) It is possihlc to salvagc dcfec-
2 14-8 Welded 86,200 67,800 6 .O 223 tivc ductile iron castings, bcforc
-
or after machining by oxy-ncct-
Annealed ylenc welding with rcsiilting
Unwelded 65,200 47,800 19.0 156
215-A Welded 66.400 46,000 16.0 149 \v&l dcposits similar to parent
215-8 Welded 62,600 48,200 14.5 143 iiictiil in chemical analysis, mi-
Normalized crostructure niid physical prop-
Unwelded 93,400 76,400 4.0 235 erties.
216-A ilelded 97.200 77,000 4.0 241 3) Ductile iron parts which have
216-8 Welded 100;200 78,200 3.5 255
hccn scrapped through machin-
uenched and Tempered( 1OOOF) ing crror can be salvaged.
17 Unwel ded lZl,600 90,800 2.5 302
217-A Welded 117,200 87,200 3.5 269 4 ) Comples parts may be pro-
217-8 Welded 120,200 91,400 2 .o 293 duced by joining of several sim-
ple cast parts at lower cost than
Only s l x t e s t s o f h y s i ë a l p r o p e r t i e s have been p e r f o r m e d casting as integral part.
on d u c t i l e i r o n w e f d e d - t o 1020 s t e e l w i t h e n c o u r a g l n g b u t 5 ) Ductile iron castings may be
I n c o n c l u s i v e i n l t l a l r e s u l t s as f o l l o w s :
Red. o f rcpaircd or joined in the field
Area-% since no heat treatment is ni-
138* As we1 ded 53.850 38,850 23.0 67.3 qiiired.
* F a i l u r e occurred i n s t e e l parent metal. For more information about this wel¿dng
process circle No. 570, on lavt page.
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AWS WCI 85 W 078q2b5 0006799 2 9
72 11-6
chemical composition and the choice of the right types depends

High Strength Welding on weld needs and purposes.
of Ductile Iron Castings Cast iron-base materiais are employed when welding cast
parts for removing defects such as blowholes, cracks and
porosity by simply filling them and does not aim at obtaining
high mechanical properties. Therefore, this method of welding is
R. Medana only used for coarse recovery operations in stress free zones. Cu-
E. Natale base rods employed in brazing are also used for this purpose.
M. S.. Remondino Deformation and cracks are therefore less likely to occur, as the
Research & Development brazing temperature never exceeds 18MF (about i000C).
Teksid, Foundry Division, Turin, Italy Alloy materials, mostly Ni-based, are used to meet more
qualified welding requirements. In this case welding is
characterized by improved mechanical properties: ultimate
ABSTRACT tensile stress in a range of 70,000 to 85,000 psi (about 50 to 60
After a short review of problems arising during the welding of kg/mm2) and yield strength of 57,000 psi (about 40 kg/mm2)
ductile iron castings, the present paper deals with development have been attained by means of suitable heat treatment.
of a weld material suitable for obtaining high strength welds. However, it must be remembered that such remarkable strength
Such a material basically consists of cast iron enriched with represents the upper limit of the weld material, but the welded
additives that will act during solidification of the joint to cause joint cannot be considered homogeneous either as a microstruc-
graphite to segregate in form of spheroids, without any lamellar ture or in mechanical properties.
flakes. The joint so produced is then free from the microstruc- Microstructural Considerations
tural lack of homogeneity that occurs with usual welding
processes. Accordingly, the mechanical properties of the welded During welding, various sections of a casting are heated to
joint are similar to those of the base material. temperatures slightly higher than temperatures at which the part
was originally cast. The material is consequently subjected to
Some steps in development of such a weld material are structural changes like those which take place during heat
described. The target of getting the separation of carbon ( C ) treatment.
only in the spheroidal form was achieved by replacing the usual
spheroidizing element, magnesium (Mg), with cerium (Ce) and The diagram in Fig. I graphically shows structural changes
rare earths, which have far higher boiling points than (Mg),and which occur transversally to the welding bed in hypereutectic
therefore can effectively play their spheroidizing role during the ductile iron during welding. The extent of these changes is
melting of the welding bed. related to the temperature gradient present in the castings
during welding.
The influence of nickel (Ni) and silicon (Si) in the weld
material was also evaluated. Moreover, welding rods with a The final structure of the welded casting may be characterized
reduced rare earth content and with copper (Cu) instead of Ni by remarkable differences, which depend on cooling modalities.
were investigated and the results reported. Welding between The diagram in Fig. I clearly shows that material in the heat
ductile iron castings and steel pieces, like forged or laminated affected zone changes from a pearlitic-ferritic structure with free
parts, was also investigated. The high mechanical properties graphite before welding, to an almost austenitic structure. Later
obtained in the welded areas confirm the feasibility of this type on, during cooling which is usually rapid, austenite turns into a
of weld and allow a wide range of industrial applications to be pearlitic structure finer than the previous one with ferrite. The
considered. ferrite is now almost absent or it turns into a structure ranging
from martensite to bainite in limited zones where the critical
Introduction cooling rate was overcome.
Cast iron is generally considered a material not easily weldable In the melted zone, structures clearly depend on the weld
and difficulties are especially great with nodular cast iron material used. When cast iron base weld materials are used,
because of its high C content. During solidification of the melted cementitic structures easily originate; the rapid cooling prevents
welding zone, a part of the C tends to separate in form of the ledeburite and cementite decomposition (a higher percen-
lamellar graphite while another part combines with the base tage of Si content and a lower cooling rate help to reduce this
material giving rise to stable carbides. Therefore mechanical inconvenience). Part of the C separates in the form of lamellar
weld properties are considerably lower than those pertaining to graphite, even if the weld material composition is of a common
the base material. ductile iron.
These problems have been overcome. This paper deals with When Ni-base weld materials are employed, comparatively
the development of a weld material which can be used in nodular stable martensite structures originate in the transition zone
cast iron welding and is suitable for attaining high strength owing to the chemical composition, thus reducing the critical
welds. Actually, by using normal techniques and care as needed
for good welding, it is possible to produce uniform weld free of
defects, in which the same structural characteristics and
mechanical properties of the base material are present.
Table 1. Mechanical Properties of Base Material
After a wide practical evaluation in the field, this material has
been currently employed for years at an important foundry, for As cast Normalized
welding needs on heavy and medium weight ductile iron UTS psi (Kg mm-2) 93,000 (65) 128,000 (90)
castings, mainly for tractors and trucks.
0.2Y.S. psi (Kg mm-2) 68,000 (48) 74,000 (52)
The Problem oi Ductile Iron Weldlng
Ductile iron, as well as gray iron. is usually welded using an oxy- E % 5 5
acetylene torch or an electric arc method. Weld materials in the
forms of rods or electrodes may differ in form, section and Bhn 240 + 280 250 + 300
- Source: AFS Transactions,78-86,1978 (American Foundrpen's Society)

--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

'-
No reproduction
~- or networking permitted without license from IHS
_ _ ~ -. Not for Resale
-1
~
AWS WCI 85 - 078qZb5 0 0 0 b î 4 5 4
11-6
'C
SG I
I
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
700-
I I' I' I 500

II I O 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
Fig. 1. Structural and crystallographic modificationsof S.G. iron
in the course of the welding operation:
A = Melted zone (liquid)
B = Starting o1 solidification and graphite segregation
C = Austenitic structure base material: heat affected zone
D D = Pearlitic-ferritic zone base material.
cooling rate. Nickel from the weld material, C and Fe from the the preparation of different test welds: the chemical composition
melted base material are also present in this zone in different of this cast iron was as follows.
percentages (otherwise, without any diffusion a brazing would
occur instead of welding). It must also be observed that an
c si Mn S P M!3
3.60% 2.50% 0.40% 0.010% 0.05% 0.03%
extremely hard and brittle structure may originate when Ni
content is higher than 50%.
The mechanical properties of this iron, in the as cast and
As regards the graphite morphology, considerations similar normalized states are shown in Table I . The relevant fatigue
to those mentioned above can also be applied to these Ni-based limits (at 5 x IO6 cycles) to alternate plane bending are shown in
materials, i.e., the Camount separating in the form of graphite is Table 2.
smaller, because it only originates from the base material, but it
turns into a lamellar shape, thus reducing mechanical proper-
Table2. Fatigue Limits of Base Materlal
ties.
Improvement of Ductile Iron Welded Joints As cast Normalized
Micrographic examination of ductile iron joints welded by Ni- R =-I psi (Kg mm-2) 43,000 (ì30) 43,000 430)
base rods or electrodes shows a discontinuity and heterogeneity
of the micrographic structure. This fact must be overcome if a R = O psi (Kg mm-2) 36,000 (î25) 36,000 (25 ì25)
remarkable improvement is to be made. To this purpose a weld
material capable of causing graphite separation in the form of
nodules during solidification has been studied and developed. Heat Treatment
Such a material, covered by patent,' basically consists of cast Some heat treatments have -:en carried out after welding:
iron characterized by a composition similar to that of normal
nodular cast iron, but enriched with additives, which act during a) Carbide removal
the solidification of the joint to cause graphite separation in the heating up to 1650F (9OOC)
form of nodules. holding at 1650F (900C) for complete austenitizing
Experimental Tests rapid coolingdownand holdingat about 1300F(700C)
giving a ferritic-pearlitic structure.
The properties of materials used in the experimental stage and
the kinds of tests carried out on welded castings are reviewed b) Carbide removal normalizing
before dealing with weld material development. heating up to 1650F (900C)
holding at 1650F (900C) for complete austenitizing
Base Materials controlled cooling down, giving a uniform
homogeneous pearlite.
A common pearlitic nodular cast iron (corresponding to the
ASTM A 536-70 grade 80 - 55 - 6)was used as base material for The carbide removal cycle is always required on test pieces,

AWS WCI 85 D 0 7 8 q 2 b 5 0006796 b
74 11-6
Fig.2. Specimen for the determination of tensile strength ob-

tained from a welded bar:
k
/
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
S =Specimen
W =Welding.
because they cool rather quickly due to their low thermal c----- - ----
capacity.
Tests Made on Welds
c----- ------
,,--,J
’
I
The following tests were carried out on welded specimens:
a) Static mechanical properties:
Standard tensile specimens were obtained from welded Fig. 3. Specimen for the determinationof fatigue limit obtained
bars, Fig. 2; particular attention was given to placing weld from properly dimensioned welded keel block
areas in the middle of the sample’s length S =Specimen
b) Brinell Hardness: W =Welding.
Measures were taken transversally to the weld before and oxidation and partly to evaporation because of the high
after heat treatment temperature: therefore, spheroidizing does not take place
c) Fatigue limit: because of an insufficient concentration of the spheroidizing
Fatigue limits to alternate plane bending were measured element.
on specimens obtained from properly dimensioned keel
blocks, Fig. 3 The loss as a result of oxidation could be eliminated by
d) Metallographic inspection of the added material: carrying out the welding operation under inert atmosphere, but
Micrographic inspection was carried out on suitable evaporation loss would still exist; in fact the boiling point of Mg
specimens and on tensile test pieces starting from the heat is 2042F( I 1 17C), lower than the temperature present in the zone
unaffected base material up to added material melted. melted during welding. This trouble was overcome by sub-
stituting Mg with a less volatile spheroidizingagent such as Ce
and other rare earths.
Weid Maleriais and Results
Rods characterized by the same composition of common ductile
iron and with Mg contents ranging from 0.04 to O. 10% were first
tested in order to carry out the spheroidizing treatment directly
BASE MATERIAL
in the melted zone.
In all cases results were rather poor, both from the
micrographic point of view, Fig. 4, which showed the presence
of lamellar graphite and from the viewpoint of mechanical
properties as shown in Table 3.
Magnesium concentration on the weld was assessed and it
proved to be very low (¡.e. about 0.005% against 0.030% of the
base cast iron). This Mg loss has to be ascribed partly to
Table3. Mechanical Properties of S.G. Joints Welded with

Weidlng Rods Havlng Dittsrent Contents of Mg
UTS E
Mg content pri K
96 (Kg mm-z)
ascast normalized ascast nomaiized
0.04 42,800 (30) 41,400 (29) 1 0.4
0.10 51,400 (36) 48,500 (34) I 0.3

WELD MATERIAL
Bose Fig.4. Microstructure of S.G. iron welded with 0.1% Mg rod.
material 85,700 (60) 128.600 (90) 5 5 (1ooX)

AWS WCI 85 0784265 000b773 8
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--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
x 100 x 100 x 100

Fig. 5. Macrograph of a welded joint and micrographs of typical areas.
From the literature it is known that the boiling point of these order to compensate for Si oxidation losses, which are about
elements is much higher than that of Mg,Le., Ce about 5306F 30% in a standard welding cycle. Silicon increases metal fluidity
(2930C), La about 6098F (3370C), Pr about 5450F (3017C) and therefore simplifies deposition of the metal. Besides, it
while they are all characterized by a melting point below 1830F promotes cementite transformation to pearlite and graphite
(IûûûC). In spite of some losses as a result of oxidation, a good during cooling. Too high a content would, however, decrease
spheroidization could be achieved in the welding bed by using a the weld tensile strength.
weld material containing a spheroidizing element of this type.
Different kinds of rods for oxy-acetylene welding 'were then The effect of Ni has also been evaluated. Its amount was
designed, manufactured and tested according to these concepts. maintained at a level high enough to increase weld plasticity and
thereby to decrease possibility of crack formation, but insuf-
The effects of Si content were taken into account and its ficient to cause formation of brittle structure such as (Fe Ni) C3.
percentage was metered in such a way as to get a Si content in the
bed almost equal to that which can be found in the base cast On the basis of these considerations, rods for oxy-acetylene
iron. The Si percentage in the rod material has been increased in welding 12 in. long (300 mm) and I / 4 in. dia. (6 mm) were cast
Table4. Tensile Propertles of Base Materials and of Welded

Joints
UTS YS E Table5. Fatigue Llmlts, at 5 x lo6 Cycler, Alternate Bendlng
psi (Kg mm-*) psi (Kg mm-z) % R = -1 R=O
Base material psi (Kg mm-2) psi (Kg mm-2)
as Cast 92,850 (65) 68,500 (48) 5' Base material
normalized 128,500 (90) 74,300 (52) 5 as cast i 42,830 (i30) 35.680 i 35,680 (25 2 25)
normalized i 42,830 (i30) 35,680 i 35,680 (25 i 25)

Welded joint
perlitic - ferritic 88,500 (62) 59,950 (42) 3.5
Welded material f 37,100 (i26) 32,830 i 32,830 (23 i 23)
normalized 114,200 (80) 82,750 (58) 2

AWS WCI 85 = 038q265 000b998 T
76 11-6
STEEI
350
380
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
150
21)
150
F 1 DUCTILE R
I ON
1 1 8
Fig. 6. Hardness values measured transversally to the welded
c Fig. 7. Microstructure in a welded joint between S.G. iron and
steel. (1OOX)
zone before and alter heat treatment:
A =melted zone
B =he. attected zone spheroidizing element can be reduced to 0.4% without affecting
C =base material the quality of the spheroidization. The partial or total Ni
1 =aswelded replacement by Cu still enables us to obtain a high tensile
2 =nannalized. strength with a modest elongation reduction.
according to the following composition. As regards welding modalities, the same care used with other
materials for oxy-acetylene welding is required. The condition
C si Ni of surfaces to be welded isvery important. Foreign material such
3 to 3.2% 3.3 to 3.5% 4.9 to 5.1% as oil, grease, paint, rust, sand and earth must be removed, as
these impurities can cause inclusions and blowholes.
Mn Rare Earth S P The edge preparation can be done using the same criteria
0.3 to 0.4% 0.5 to 0.8% 0.01% 0.04% usually adopted for welding steel. We must in particular
mention butt joints carried out with bevel angles ranging from
40" to 90"; easy uniform operation and good mechanical
Test welds, as previously described, were made using these characteristics were obtained in all cases. It should be pointed
rods. Micrographs from different zones of a butt welding (base out that the practical performance of the welding operation
material, transition zone and weld material) are shown in Fig. 5. turns out to be easy and quick thanks to the favorable
Figure 6 shows hardness measured transversally to the welded combination of the surface tension and fluidity found in the
point before and after heat treatment for carbide removal. weld material.
Complete casting preheating is not generally necessary. Local
Data about mechanical weld properties are shown in Tables 4 preheating with the torch is sufficient just before welding. Pre-
and 5. The first series of data was obtained from the fracture of
heating at about 6ooC ( 1 1 I2F) is only advisable for castings with
tensile specimens, while the second series concerns fatigue tests very irregular mass distribution, where dangerous stresses might
to plane alternate bending. The data obtained show that arise. The decrease of the temperature gradient prevents
mechanical properties, both static and dynamic, are very close possible crack initiation. In order to eliminate carbides and
to those of the base metal. Micrographs and data are in internal stresses, some form of heat treatment is generally
agreement with the excellent mechanical and structural quality
needed as in any other process.
that can be attained.
This kind of rod enables a good spheroidization to be
obtained, which tends to be fine and uniform because of the Welding Ductile Iron With Steel
relatively high solidfication rate. Such a structure guaranties
mechanical characteristics as good as those of the base material; In order to verify the welding feasibility between heterogeneous
the only condition being that welding is done properly to materials, welds between ductile iron and SAE 1040 and S A E
produce a joint free of welding flaws. NE 9837 steels were made using rods containing 5% Ni, 0.8%
R.E.
Moreover, rods with different chemical compositions have
been produced and tested; the rare earth content was reduced The micrographs of Fig. 7 show the structure in the welded
and Ni was replaced by Cu. It was observed that the zone. Carbon diffusion phenomena towards steel occur. Conse-

AWS WCI 85 078Li265 O O O b î ï î L D
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Table 6. Mechanical Properties ol Welded Joints Eelween S.O.

Iron and Steel
Base materials UTS YS E
psi (Kg mm'l &(Kg mm2) %
3 51
S.G. iron and
82,000 (58) 61,000 (43) 3
380 SAE 1040 steel
250 S.G. iron and

9û,ûûû (63) 77,000 (54) 2.6
SAE NE 9837
281 The results obtained show that ductile iron can be effectively
welded to steel by using the proposed material.
Conclusion
According to the results reported in this paper, it can be stated
that ductile iron welds achieve a high structural
homogeneousness and high mechanical strength. At this time,
only tests on oxy-acetylene welds have been completed as the
applicable technology permits use of rods with diameters greater
than 5 mm (0.175 in.).
Further work is now being performed in order to obtain rods
S A I
Fig. 8. Hardness values measured transversally to the welded
with a smaller diameter, 1/8 in. (3 mm), with the same type of
material. These rods are intended for use as coated electrodes in
zone belween S.G. Iron and steel:
arc welding.
A =Melted zone The fact that high-resistance welding on ductile cast iron
C =Steel using the new weld material can be carried out represents an
I =Ductile iron.
important improvement, even if, at present, limited to oxy-
quently, a gradual appearance of nodules of free graphite acetylene welding. This method is most advantageous both as a
characterizes the interface. Then the structure turns into a salvage operation of expensive castings and for production of
proper steel structure through a martensite zone. Hardness assembled units composed of several elements made of ductile
figures measured on the transverse welding section, are shown in iron.
the diagram of Fig. 8. As expected, the highest value was found
on the weld zone. A deeper knowledge of this type of welding may lead to a
greater flexibility in designing weld-assembled components
Table 6 shows the mechanical properties found on tensile including ductile iron castings and steel sheets or forgings, so
specimens obtained from the weld zone. The specimen fracture that we may obtain full benefit of each technology and thereby
always takes place in the ductile iron side at an average distance obtain the most economical method of producing the job.
o f . I in. (2 mm) from the interface with the added material, and
therefore in the heat affected cast iron zone. Reference
I. E. Natale, Italian Patent No. 68062A/77 (May I I , 1977).

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AWS WCI 85 078lr2b5 O007000 2
70 11-7
Secondary Graphite Formation in

Tempered Nodular Cast Iron Weldments
Graphitization of martensite and carbides during
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
postheat treatment produces secondary graphite

nodules in the heat-affected area; preheating can
control the amount and morphology of these nodules
BY D. R. ASKELAND AND N. BIRER
ABSTRACT. Postheat treatments below lar iron weldment i s postheatedat very

the critical temperature are effective in high temperatures, the carbides will
reducing the hardness of nodular cast graphitize, just as white cast iron is
iron weldments by eliminating car- converted to malleable cast iron,
bides and martensite. However, be- producing small graphite nodules from
cause of the precipitation of secondary the carbides. These nodules may often
graphite nodules, such postheat treat- be arrayed in the form of long chains
ments may not completely restore of graphite particles.*
ductility to the weldment. High pre- The second source of secondary
heat temperatures minimize martens- graphite is high carbon martensite
ite and the amount of secondary located in the partial fusion zone and
graphite that forms during tempering; œ transformation zone of the weldment.
they also increase the amount and Large amounts of carbon can be
continuity of the carbides, resulting in Fig. 7-Round secondary graphite nodules dissolved in austenite during the weld-
elongated and chain-like graphite par- and uncoalesced carbon clusters in the ing cycle by solution of carbon from
ticles. heat-affected region of a nodular iron weld- the original primary graphite nodules.
Full annealing of the weldments ment after tempering at 1250 F (677 c). XSOO On rapid cooling, high carbon mar-
(reduced 50% on reproduction) tensite will form. Initially, clusters of
prevents the formation of chain-like
graphite but does not completely tiny carbon particles form from the
ment. martensite during tempering; the clus-
prevent the formation of secondary
In nodular iron weldments, the ters eventually coalesce into distinct
graphite nodules. Best results might be
secondary graphite particles originate secondary graphite nodules.
obtained by combining a suitable from two sources. First, iron carbide
preheat temperature to prevent mar- Figure 1 shows an example of both
forms in the fused and diluted base uncoalesced carbon clusters and sec-
tensite formation with proper selec- metal adjacent to the fusion zone due
tion of base metal microstructure and ondary graphite nodules in the heat-
to fast cooling rates and the absence of affected region of a tempered weld.
welding process and parameters to
effective nuclei for graphite during These secondary graphite particles
minimize carbide formation. A full
anneal gives better microstructure solidification. The iron carbide i s diffi- originate at lattice defects, particularly
cult to prevent except by using at martensite plate boundaries or
control than a subcritical heat treat-
extremely high preheat temperatures,' intersection^'.^; consequently, their
ment.
although the continuity of the car- number is at least partly determined by
bides can be disrupted by control over the structure and coarseness of the
Introduction the initial microstructure and the martensite. The secondary graphite is
The microstructure of nodular cast welding parameters.2When the nodu- only observed after tempering at or
iron weldments is characterized by the above about loo0 F (538 C) and after
formation of hard, brittle iron carbides D. R. ASKELAND is Associate Professor of the martensite has at least partially
and high carbon martensite in the Metallu'rgicalEngineering, and N. BlRER is a ferritized.B-BThe amount and morphol-
heat-affected area. Although these Graduate Student in Metallurgical Engi- ogy of the secondary graphite depends
constituents can subsequently be neering, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rol- on the amount of carbon in the
eliminated by a lengthy heat treat- la, Missouri. martensite, or on the peak tempera-
ment, secondary graphite particles are Paper presented at the AWS 60th Annual ture and time to which the austenite
produced which still impair the ductil- Meeting, held in Detroit, Michigan, during was exposed.
ity and impact properties of the weld- April 2-6, 7979. Higher austenite temperatures or
Source: Welding Journal, 58( 1i), November 1979 - - -_

Copyright American Welding Society \
Provided by IHS under license with AWS l
AWS W C I 85 078q265 0007OOL
11-7 79
longer times at elevated temperatures content helped assure that large while the remainder of the matrix
increase the amount of carbon dis- amounts of martensite would form in transformed to austenite. Both the
solved in the martensite. For low the heat-affected area during cooling liquid and the austenite were enriched
carbon martensite, no secondary of the weld, both by promoting pear- in carbon by partial solution of the
graphite forms; for intermediate car- lite in the base metal of the casting graphite nodules. On cooling, the
bon levels the secondary graphite i s and by increasing the hardenability of liquid solidified as white iron, contain-
round and randomly distributed, while the austenite. ing massive iron carbides, while the
at high carbon contents elongated Castings were preheated in an elec- high carbon austenite transformed to
nodules or chains of secondary graph- tric muffle furnace; immediately after coarse martensite.
ite are produced.8 Elongated ferrite removal from the furnace, a bead- 4. Transformation Zone (TZ): This
grains are also norm’ally associated on-plate weld was produced using the portion of the heat-affected .area was
with the high carbon contents. shielded metal arc welding process heated above the critical temperature
with 0.125 in. (0.3175 cm) CI-Ni elec- so that austenite formed during the
Procedure trodes. The heat iríput varied from weld pass; however, no melting oc-
27,000 to 44,ooO joules/in. (2540 to curred. The amount of carbon dis-
Nodular iron plates 0.5 in. (1.27 cm) 4140 cal/cm). Samples were cut from solved in the austenite depended on
thick were poured in green sand molds the welded plate and heat treated in the peak temperature reached during
after the iron was melted in a 50 pound an electric muffle furnace for up to the weld pass and increased towards
(22.8 kg) capacity magnesia-lined high sixteen hours. Metallographic speci- the fusion zone. On cooling, a grada-
frequency induction furnace. The iron mens were prepared from the welds tion of transformation products was
was nodulized at 2710 F (1488 C), and etched in 5% nital. obtained, ranging from coarse, high
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
inoculated, and poured at 2550 F (1400 carbon martensite near the fusion
C). The composition of the cast plates Results and Discussion zone to fine, lower carbon martensite
was 3.6%C, 2.14%Si, 0.39% Ni, 0.038% and eventually to fine pearlite.
Mg, and 0.013% S. The high nickel Microstructure of Weldments 5. Base Metal (BM): The original
structure of the base metal contained
Figure 2 shows a typical microstruc- spheroidal graphite nodules in a
ture of an as-welded nodular cast iron predominantly pearlite matrix due to
plate, with no preheat. Five regions in the high nickel content. A small ferrite
the weld were identified to simplify ring was observed around most of the
subsequent analysis: nodules. As a result of preheating and
I . Fusion Zone (FZ): The weld postheating, spheroidization of the
deposit contained tiny graphite nod- base metal matrix occurred.
ules in an austenitic matrix, since an
iron-nickel electrode was used to Width of the Heat-Affected Regions
produce the weld.
2. Carbide Zone (CZ): This portion The average widths of each of the
of the heat-affected zone i s composed three zones in the heat-affected area
of partly diluted base metal that were measured using a Filar eyepiece
melted during the weld pass and solid- on the microscope. Figure 3 shows the
Fig. 2-Typical~microstructure of a nodular
ified as white iron containing massive effect of preheat temperature on the
iron weldment with no preheat, showing
the carbide, partial fusion, and transforma- and often continuous iron carbide. width of each of the zones as well as
tion zones. X250 (reduced 5@% on repro- 3. Partial Fusion Zone (PFZ): In this on the total width of the heat-affected
duction) region, the portion of the matrix of the area. The carbide zone was very small
base metal near the primary graphite except at very high preheat tempera-
1 nodules melted during the weld pass, tures. At high preheat temperatures,
b
P
-TZhigh _______i
l-----TZh _______c(
Fig. 3-The effect of preheat temperature on Distance From Fusion Zone

the width of the zones in the heat-affected Fig. 4-A schematic diagram showing a peak temperature distribution in the
area of nodular iron weldments heat-affected region of nodular iron weldments at two preheat temperatures

AWS WCI 85 078Y2b5 0007002 b W
80 11-7
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 6.-Microstructure in the partial fusion zone of nodular iron weldments after welding;
fusion zone is at top of photomicrograph: A-no preheat; B-930 F (5WC) preheat; C-IMO F
(650 C) preheat. X250 (reduced 53% on reproduction)
be higher than the equilibrium liqui- of secondary graphite during temper-

dus. ing of martensite depend on the
DISTANCE (min) At high preheat temperatures, the coarseness and carbon content of the
Fig. 5-The effect of preheat temperature on rate of solution and liquation is faster martensite which is produced. One
the hardness in the transformation zone of than at low preheat temperatures, thus indication of the carbon content in the
as-welded nodular iron weldments reducing the effective liquidus and martensite is its hardness. Microhard-
permitting smaller fusion zones, larger ness traverses were made through the
the carbide region became more transformation zones, but an overall transformation zone in order to com-
extensive and continuous, as has been smaller total heat:affected area. In Fig. pare the tendency of the martensite to
reported previously in the available 4, the peak temperature profile for the temper and produce secondary graph-
literat~re.~Carbides also precipitated low preheat temperature is depicted as ite. The effect of preheat temperature
more frequently at grain boundaries in being above that for the higher on the diamond pyramid hardness in
the partial fusion and transformation preheat temperature; further from the as-welded nodular iron is shown m
zones at high preheat temperatures. weld, the profile for the low preheat Fig. 5.
The transformation zone increased temperature should fall below that for When the preheat temperature is
continuously as the preheat tempera- the high preheat temperature. 482 F (250 C) or less, a significant
ture increased, as expected, while the The actual dependence of these amount of high carbon martensite is
partial fusion zone decreased in size, widths on the preheat temperature produced in the transformation zone.
causing the overall width of the heat- may differ depending on welding The hardness exceeds Rockwell C 60in
affected area to also decrease. conditions, base metal thickness, and these regions, consistent with a large
The schematic diagram showing the base metal microstructure. Because fraction of high carbon martensite
effect of preheat temperature on the there was an increasing amount of produced by rapid cooling rates
peak temperature curve (Fig. 4) may ferrite in the base metal as the preheat achieved after welding. At higher
help explain these observations. Melt- temperature increased, and because preheat temperatures, the cooling
ink of the iron is not instantaneous ferritic microstructures are known to rates were slower after welding, giving
upon heating to the liquidus tempera- reduce transformation rates during less martensite, more fine pearlite, and
ture, since time is required for carbon heating, the total heat-affected zone consequently lower hardnesses in the
to dissolve and diffuse from the might be expected to be smaller at transformation zone.
primary graphite nodules and even- high preheat temperatures. The as-welded microstructure in the
tually combine with the iron to partial fusion zone and in the transfor-
produce a liquid. Because of this mation zone near the weld is shown in
Microliardnesr of the Transfomaiion Fig. 6 after different preheat tempera-
nonequilibrium effect, the effective Zone
liquidus temperature on heating, tures. The martensite is very coarse
above which melting is complete, may The characteristics of the formation and abundant at low preheat tempera-
Fig. 7-Microstructure in the partial fusion and transformation zones before and after tempering at 1250 F (677C). showing the effect of
initial matrix structure on formation of secondary graphite: A-PFZ (as-welded); 6-PFZ (tempered); C-TZ (as-welded); D-TZ
(tempered). X î 5 û (reduced 52% on reproduction)

AWS W C I 8 5 m 07842b5 0007003 8 m
ai
tures and disappears at the highest 800 o o
preheat temperature. Consequently,
little secondary graphite caused by 60
graphitization of the matrix would be
expected during tempering after high $I
preheat temperatures; practically no 600- v)
martensite i s present, while secondary 9a m
W
graphite does not form during the I . .50 2
ei
ferritization of pearlite. m
However, greater quantities of more
0 .
I
i
continuous iron carbides, including 3 400- .40 U

grain boundary carbides, are observed
in Fig. 6 as the preheat temperature
E .
-1
a
a
increases above 932 F (500 C). After
a
8
-
immnEn c. un
.30 x: Fig. 9-Microhardness indentations overlap
tempering, the appearance of, chain-
like. secondary graphite nodules from as 200-Air
e77
.
A&AA
._
- y
AA i secondary graphite nodules, reducing hard-
ness values for the matrix. X7ooO (reduced
graphitization of the carbides would SO??on reproduction)
be expected in welds produced at high
preheat temperatures. I 2
The amount, hardness, and coarse-
ness of the martensite also decreased
with increasing distance from the
fusion zone, producing a change in the
incidence and morphology of second-
ary graphite nodules in each weld.
Figure 7 shows the original as-welded cementite is redissolved and a very
microstructure.and the tempered mi- fine dispersion of carbon particles, or
crostructure in a plate welded with no clusters, i s produced during the tem-
preheat, revealing the difference in pering of quenched nodular iron.
matrix structure on secondary graphite These carbon particles eventually co-
formation. At distances more remote alesce and produce distinct secondary
from the fusion zone, the peak graphite nodules in a ferritic matrix on
temperature was lower, less carbon tempering at loo0 F (538 C) or above.
dissolved in the austenite, less austen- The number of secondary graphite
ite transformed to martensite, and nodules depends on the tempering
consequently fewer secondary graph- temperature and time, on the martens-
ite nodules formed during tempering. ite coarseness and carbon content, and
Postheat treatment reduced the on the composition of the iron. For I . . . . . . . .
hardness in the heat-affected area due instance, silicon increases the number 1 o o * o o M o
to tempering of the martensite, graphi- of secondary graphite nodules, while PRE HEAT TEMPERATURE (C)
tization of carbides, and ferritization copper and nickel decrease the num-
Fig. 70-The effect of preheat temperature
of the .base metal matrix. Figure 8 ber.* Similar behavior should be
and tempering time on the number of
shows the hardness profile in the heat- expected in nodular iron weldments, secondary graphite nodules produced dur-
affected area of a weld produced with where martensites are produced having tempering at 7250 F (677 C) ar three
no preheat both before and after ing a wide range of previous thermal locations in the heat-afíected region
tempering. The hardness in the trans- histories.
formation zone is relatively uniform Figure 10 shows the number of
after tempering and decreases as the secondary graphite nodules produced
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
tempering temperature increases. at three locations in the heat-affected less carbon and i s less likely to form,
Ferritization of both the heat- area as a function of the preheat again reducing the number of sites at
affected area and the base metal was temperature after tempering 1 hour (h) which graphite can nucleate as well as
slow in nodular iron due to the pearl- and 4 h at 1250 F (677 C). These areas reducing the amount of carbon avail-
ite stabilization caused by the high include locations near the boundaries able in the martensite to form
nickel content of the iron. The hard- between the carbide and partial fusion graphite. There are some secondary
ness readings do not necessarily reflect zones, between the partial fusion and graphite nodules even near the base
the true hardness of the matrix, since it transformation zones, and between metal; there apparently i s some base
was almost impossible to completely the transformation zone and the base line number of nodules, for which
avoid secondary graphite nodules dur- metal. The number of secondary nuclei were produced during the
ing testing. Figure 9 shows microhard- graphite nodules decreases as the transformation processes occurring
ness indentations which overlap sev- preheat temperature increases; less during welding and heat treatment.
eral nodules, resulting in a lower hard- martensite forms in the transformation Finally, the number ot secondary
ness value. In fact, the hardness in the zone due to slower cooling rates. With graphite nodules is reduced by use of
base metal was often higher than in less martensite, and consequently few- longer tempering times. Some of the
the transformation zone due to the er martensite plate boundaries and less favored nodules dissolve and the
presence of the secondary graphite. intersections, the number of nuclea- carbon re-.precipitates on other sec-
tion sites for secondary graphite are ondary graphite particles, causing their
reduced. growth. This appears to occur more
Secondary Graphite
The number of secondary graphite rapidly when large numbers of nod-
When martensite in nodular iron is nodules also decreases as the distance ules are present, as near the fusion
heated, the initial stages of tempering from the fusion zone increases. Due to zone.
resemble that of steel, where cement- slower cooling rates and lower peak The relationship between nodule
ite is the eventual product. However, temperatures, the martensite contains number and nodule size i s shown iri

Provided by IHS under license with AWS I
AWS W C I 85 W 0789265 0007009 T
02 11-7
Fig: 12-The effect of preheat temperature on the amount of

secondary graphite in the partial fusion zone while tempering at
1250 F (677 C) for 1 h
I' I 1
2 3 4 Fig. 11-Relationship between the number and size of secondary
graphite nodules formed during tempering at 1250 F (677 C).
NoDUL€ DIAMFER MICRONS Numbers refer to preheat temperature
from the average number and diame-

ter of the nodules. Although large
numbers of secondary graphite nod-
ules form at low preheat temperatures,
the time at the peak temperatures is
short and the martensite tends to be
relatively low in carbon, since there is
insufficient time to dissolve large
amounts of carbon from primary
graphite nodules in the austenite.
At higher preheat temperatures,
more carbon is dissolved in the aus-
tenite. Although fewer nucleation sites
Fig. 73-Elongated secondary graphite nod-
ules produced while tempering following
for secondary graphite nodules are
high preheat temperatures. X500 (reduced produced, there i s a greater amount of
50% on reproduction) carbon available to form the nodules.
At very high preheat temperatures, the
total percent of secondary graphite
Fig. 11. Both increasing the original begins to decrease again, even though Fig. 74-Chains of graphite nodules in the
preheat temperature (shown as num- there is a large amount of available carbide zone formed during tempering
bers on the graph) and tempering time carbon, because there are too few following high preheat temperatures due to
reduced the number of secondary nuclei. Most of the austenite trans- decomposition oí iron carbides. X7000
graphite nodules and increased their forms to pearlite rather than martens- (reduced 38% on reproduction)
size. Long tempering times permitted ite. As the pearlite is ferritized, carbon in the regions that contain high carbon
coalescence and growth of favored re-precipitates on primary nodules martensite. These regions produce a
secondary graphite nodules, as ex- rather than as secondary graphite large number of secondary graphite,
plained previously. High preheat tem- nodules. often elongated. The nodules effec-
peratures, on the other hand, reduced tively pin the ferrite grain boundaries,
the amount of martensite, and thus the Morphology of Seconday Graphite which are initially acicular in shape,
number of nucleation sites at which outlining the former martensite plates,
the nodules could form. However, due The shape of the secondary graphite thus preventing the grains from grow-
to the higher peak temperatures that nodules is significantly affected by the ing into the equiaxed morphology
would be expected at high preheat carbon content of the martensite; which is more desirable. When fewer
temperatures, any martensitethat does secondary graphite may be round and secondary graphite nodules are pres-
eventually form should have a high randomly distributed, as in Fig. 1, or ent, as when high preheat tempera-
carbon content and should permit may be elongated, as in Fig. 13.Gener- tures are used or at distances further
large secondary graphite nodules to ally, the higher carbon martensites from the fusion zone, the ferrite grains
form. Thus, only a few, large secondary encourage elongated secondary will more likely grow and become
graphite nodules should precipitate graphite; consequently, this morphol- equiaxed during tempering.
when tempering the weld after high ogy is found in the partial fusion zone
preheat temoeratures were em- and in the transformation zone nearest Graphitization of Carbides
ployed. the fusion zone. Round secondary
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Figure 12 also shows that high qraphite is observed in the transforma- A second source of secondary
preheat temperatures will cause a tion zone nearer the base metal, where graphite nodules is the iron carbide
large amount of carbon to be made the peak temperature was lower and a present in the carbide zone. The
available for secondary graphite for- lower carbon martensite was pro- carbides form during solidification of
mation. The amount of secondary duced. the molten cast iron. Only very slow
graphite, in area I%, was estimated .The ferrite grains are also elongated cooling rates can prevent their occur-

AWS WCI 85 W 07842b5 0007005 L W
11-7 83
the hardness of martensite without
causing secondary graphite formation,
higher postheats are required to
graphitize, the carbides; consequently,
secondary graphite nodules will form.
The number of secondary graphite
nodules will diminish slightly with
increasing postheat times.
Fully annealing the weld appears to
most effectively minimize the second-
ary graphite nodules; however, i t is not
successful in completely preventing
their formation. The most effective
way to prevent or minimize secondary
graphite nodules i s to prevent the
formation of carbides and martensite
Fig. IS-Microstructure of two nodular iron weldments after annealing a t 1650 F (900 C) for 2 during welding. This requires careful
h. Welds were preheated a t three different temperatures: A-no preheat; 8-480 F (250 C)
control of the base metal composition
preheat; C 4 2 0 0 F (650 C) preheat. X250 (reduced 53% on reproduction)
and microstructure, the preheat tem-
perature, and other welding parame-
rence; the typical preheat tempera- ples of the annealed microstructures ters.
tures often tend to increase the are shown in Fig. 15; complete elimi-
amount and continuity of the carbides nation of the pearlite was not obtained Acknowledgments
rather than prevent their formation. due to the presence of nickel in the
The authors gratefully acknowledge
During tempering at high tempera- base metal.
tures, the iron carbides graphitize, the generous assistance of the Weld-
with the graphite particles often ing Research Council for its partial
Summary support of this research and of Wagner
preferentially nucleating at the inter-
face between the fusion zone and the In order to reduce the hardness and Casting Company for providing chemi-
brittleness in the heat-affected area of cal analysis.
heat-affected area. Long chains of
discrete secondary graphite nodules nodular iron weldments, the forma-
are formed, producing an almost Lion of martensite and carbides must References
continuous film of graphite-Fig. 14. be prevented or these constituents 1. Nippes, E. F., Savage, W. F., and
The severity of the chain-like nodules must be eliminated by heat treatment. Owczarski, W. A., "The Heat Affected Zone
worsens at the higher preheat temper- However, any heat treatment must be of Arc-Welded Ductile Iron," Weldinglour-
atures, where problems with martens- carefully controlled to minimize sec- na/, 39 (ll),Nov. 1960,Research Suppl., pp
ite and the secondary graphite from ondary graphite nodules and to max- 465-sto 472-S.
the martensite are least pronounced. imize the ductility in the weld. 2. Hirota, Y., "The Effect of Welding and
Increasing the preheat temperature Microstructure Variables on Carbides and
Consequently, it i s difficult to select a
Impact Properties in Ductile Cast Iron
preheat temperature that will prevent produces a number of desirable
Weldments," M.S. Thesis, 1977, University
the carbides, the martensite, and the effects. First, high preheat tempera- of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Mo.
secondary graphite nodules that are tures, by reducing the cooling rates, 3. Pease, G. R., "The Welding of Ductile
produced from both. minimize the formation of martensite Iron," Welding lournal. 39 (I),Jan. 1960,
in the transformation zone. In addi- Research Suppl., pp I-s to 9-5.
tion, the size of the partial fusion zone, 4. Farinez, F., "The Effect of Alloying
which contains high carbon martens- Additions on the Formation of Secondary
Annealing Graphite in Quenched and Tempered
ite as well as carbides, i s reduced.
Specimens from the nodular iron Finally, due to the formation of coarse Nodular Cast Iron," M.S. Thesis, 1976,
welds were also annealed at 1650 F University of Missouri-Rolla, Mo.
martensite, relatively few secondary
5. Rys, P., "Graphitization of Nodular
(900C) for 2 h and furnace cooled. graphite particles will grow during Iron During Tempering," 26th International
Problems with secondary graphite for- tempering; in fact tempering may not Foundry Congress, Madrid, October, 1959.
mation were largely reduced com- be necessary if the preheat was suffi- 6. Danko, I. C., and Libsch, J. R.,"Second-
pared to the results obtained from cient to reduce the amount and ary Graphitization of Quenched and Tem-
subcritical tempering. At intermediate continuity of the martensite. pered Ductile Cast Iron," ASM Trans., 47,
preheat temperatures, very few sec- Unfortunately, high preheat temper- 1955,pp. 853 to 863.
ondary nodules were observed. A atures may increase the size and 7. Gilbert, G. M. and White, D. G., "Me-
somewhat greater incidence of nod- continuity of the carbide zone and the chanical Properties of Nodular Irons Heat
carbon content in the martensite. Treated to Obtain Ferrite and Tempered
ules was observed at the highest
Martensitic Structures," 8CiRA )., 11, 1963.
preheat temperature; these nodules Unless the carbides are rendered pp. 199 to 222.
probably formed from graphitization discontinuous by proper control of the 8. Desai, M.. J., "Metallographic Study of
of the carbides during annealing. welding parameters and the base Phase Changes in Heat Treated Ductile
However, the secondary graphite nod- metal microstructure, postheat treat- Iron," M.S. Thesis, 1970, University of
ules, although closely spaced, did not ment will be necessary and elongated Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Mo.
have the chain-like morphology. secondary graphite and chains of 9. Hucke, E. E., and Udin, H., "Welding
The greatest number of secondary secondary graphite may be produced Metallurgy of Nodular Cast Iron," Welding
graphite nodules was observed when if a subcritical postheat temperature i s lournal, 32 (8),Aug. 1953, Research Suppl.,
no preheat was used; these nodules used. pp. 378-sto 385-S.
10.Flannery, J. W., "Welding Ductile
probably formed from nuclei pro- Postheating i s necessary in most Iron-Part Two," Welding Engineer, 53 (12),
duced by the original martensite. cases in order to eliminate the carbides Dec. 1968,pp. 50 to 53.
Previous work has shown that these and martensite and thus reduce hard- 11. Eckel, E. J., "A Study of the Ferritiza-
secondary graphite nuclei are not ness and brittleness. Although low tion of Nodular Iron," AFS Trans., 66,1958,
eliminated by re-austenitizing.8 Exam- tempering temperatures can reduce pp. 151 to 165.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 9 O3842b5 000300b 3 =
04 11-8
Short-arc Welding of S.-g. Iron in the SKF

Katrineholm Works, Sweden
By S. A. Fröberg"
The author discusses, in a practical manner, the application of short-arc welding to the correction of
machining errors, repair of defects, and the joining of castings, made from s.-g. iron, to other metais. Details
are given of physical, mechanical and micrographic investigations of such welds.
In the SKF Katrineholm works, the short-arc Test Welds
technique has been used to weld s.-g. iron for almost
one-and-a-half yews, particularly for, 1 correcting To determine the variation in structure and hardness
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
machining errors, 2 repairing defects revealed by in the weld zones, test welds were made in a large
machining, and 3 welding liners in austenitic man- number of 12 by 75 by 150 mm plates in SKF's
ganese-steel, or hardened spring-steel to s.-g. iron normal grades of s.-g. iron-the ferritic iron SKF G83,
axle-boxes. The author's experience suggests that it the pearlitic/ferritic iron G82 and the pearlitic iron
is the most satisfactory method of welding s.-g. iron. G81. A 6-mm-deep V-joint with a 75 deg. included
angle was machined along the longitudinal centre line
In the short-arc technique, welding conditions are of the plates, and welding was effected using both
adjusted to produce a short-circuiting arc in which the single and multiple beads. Optimum welding con-
weld metal is transferred in the form of large droplets. ditions are presented in Table 2, and data on the
Since short circuiting reduces the energy generated hardness, mechanical properties and structure of the
and, thus, also the temperature of the molten metal, welds are tabulated in Table 3. For purposes of
melting and hFating of the base metal are minimized. discussion, the heat-affected zone has been divided
It is important that the welding electrode should be into three arbitrary zones: 1 The melted zone;
capable of holding carbon in solution and should be of 2 the conversion zone, in which the parent metal has
small diameter (Nickel 61 filler wire, 0.03 in. (0.75 been heated above the critical temperature, and
mm) in diameter, has been found to be the most 3 the modifie&-structurezone-that where the metal
satisfactory electrode in this respect) and, for best has been heated to below the critical temperature but
results, the electrode should be given a swiftly- where some modification has taken place.
oscillating transverse movement as it is moved
forward and, to decrease heat input further, the weld
should be produced in a series of short lengths. Due
to the low energy which characterizes the process,
finish-machined parts may be welded without risk of
excessive undercutting. Table 1 lists typical welding
data.
*Mr. Fröberg is attached io SKF Sweden.
1 Torsion- and bend-tested specimens in ferritic iron.

2 Hardness variation across, and width of, the weloment in
pearlitic iron.
3 Hardness variation across, and width of, the weldment in
pearliticlferritic iron.
4 Hardness variation across, and width of, the weldment in
ferritic iron.
2 3 4
Source: Fcundry Trade Journal, May 23,1968

_- - ______ ~

__
\
I
-~ -
AWS W C I 85 07842b5 O007007 5 D
11-8 05
TABLE
2.-Optimum welding conditions.
Arc voltage : 17 V.
Welding amperage : 100 A.
Welding wire: Nickel filler metal 61; dia.,

0.03 in. (0.75 mm).
Protective gas: 6 litres per minute.
Wire feed: 6 m.per minute.
Torsion and Bend Tests

T o ascertain the ductility of short-arc-welded s.-g.
iron, particularly the ferritic grade, 10 by 25-mm
rectangular-section or 25-mm-dia. round-section
welded test-pieces were twisted or bent. Fig. 1 shows
specimens after testing.
Hardness Tests
Hardness across the heat-affected zone varied with the
grade of s.-g. iron. In the case of the pearlitic grade,
the maximum increase in hardness in the heat-
affected zone was about 200 Brinell and the width
TABLE 3.-Weìd properties and depth and structure of the

welding zone.
!
Grade Ì
SKF G 81 G82 ' G83
Swedish Standard
(SIS) 0707 0727 0717
~~~ ~ ~~~~
Properties
Proof Stress,
kg. per sq. mm. 40 35 28
Tensile strength, I
kg. per sq. mm. 60 I 52 i 40
5 Microstructure of short-arc weld in ferritic iron. Elongation, I
per cent 2 7 ' 15
6 Microstructure of metal-arc weld in ferritic iron. Brinell hardness I 300 max. 170-230 i 140-190
7 Microstructure of short-arc weld in pearliticlferritic iron. Matrix Pearlitic ' Pearlitic- I Ferritic
ferritic i
Depth of the welding I !
Tensile Tests zones, mm., approx.
Cast tensile-specimens were sectioned in the middle, Melting zone 0.0 , 0.0 0.0
welded with an X joint and then tested. Usually the Transition zone 0.3 0.2 ' 0.1
1
Ì
Modified-structure i
test-bars in G83 broke in the parent metal, and the zone 0.4 1 0.2 1 0.0
stronger bars in the G82 and G81 grades fractured Total depth of the 1
I
in the welds. I
~
welding w n e 0.7 0.4 O. 1

?ABLE1.-Weldiw data. Structure of the
welding zones
Welding machine: ESAB A9 PP/25 Melting zone Traces of Traces of Insignifi-
primary Primary cant traces
Welding electrode: Nickel filler metal 61; dia., cementite cementite of primary
0.03 in. (0.75 mm.) cementite
Arc voltage : 16-20 v. Transition zone Predom- Predom- Predom-
inantly inantly inantly
Welding amperage: 90-120 A. martensite martensite martensitc
Protective gas : Argon, 6-8 litres per minute. Modified-structure Heat- Hat- -
zone affected affected
Wire feed : 68 m.per minute. pearlite ferrite
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007008 7 9
06 11-8
9
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
10
of the zone was 0.7 mm (see fig. 2); the corresponding being only 1/100 that associated with ordinary
values for pearlitic/ferritic s.-g. iron were 140 Brinell arc-welding (see figs. 5 and 6).
and 0.4 m m (fig. 3). The lowest values were exhibited
by ferritic s.-g. iron, the hardness increase being Microstructure
not more than 110 Brinell and the width of the heat- Figs. 5 and 7 illustrate the microstructure of the
affected zone only 0.07 mm: In this case, the maxi- heat-affected zones, and show clearly how much
mum hardness was no more than about 260 Brinell, narrower the zone is in the ferritic iron. The spheroids
i.e. only about 30 Brinell higher than that of the adjacent to the weld are, to a certain extent, sur-
weld metal (see fig. 4). rounded by cementite, but the effect of the latter is
believed to be relatively insignificant.
The short-arc technique can be employed to greatest
advantage in welding ferritic s.-g. iron, the width of Applications
the martensitic portion of the heat-affected zone Fig. 8 shows a 522-kg SKF G82 bearing housing
12 Detail of repair- welded roller-bearing axle-box. 13 Roller-bearing axle-box with welded-on liner.

AWS W C I 85 0784265 O007007 7 W
11-8
15
14 Components of piston before welding.

15 Piston after welding.
16 S.-g. iron detail welded to a steel plunger.
for a paper machine. A fault introduced during

machining of the groove in the base of the housing
was corrected by short-arc welding. Fig. 9 is a
photograph of part of the base after the weld had been
ground.
The sleeve illustrated in fig. 10 is in SKF G82 iron
and weighs 62 kg. Machining revealed slight but
extensive casting defects, which were subsequently
remedied by short-arc welding. Fig. 11 shows the
sleeve after final grinding of the weld. The two roller-
bearing axle boxes in SKF G82 iron pictured in
fig. 12 each weigh 49 kg. In the box on the right a
core was placed the wrong way round, causing the
boss for a bolt hole to be cast in the wrong place,
and a new boss had to be built up by short-arc
welding. In the box on the left the boss is in the
correct place. Fig. 13 shows a 25-kg roller-bearing
axle box in SKF G82 iron with welded-on liners in
austeniric manganese-steel.
Conclusion
Though the author has approached short-arc weld-
Fabricating a Piston ing with caution, his experience to date has been
In figs. 14 and 15 the two components of a piston can very encouraging. SKF‘s Swedish customers have
be seen before and after fabrication welding. The shown keen interest in welding s.-g. iron, and it is
piston, produced in pearlitic ,ferritic s.-g. iron, is believed that the short-arc process will go far to
designed to operate under a pressure of 6 atmospheres. sobe the problem of welding graphitic materials.
Components such as those shown in fig. 16-an s.-g. The writer considers it the best method so far nvail-
iron detail welded to a steel plunger-have so far able and believes that it offers promises of widening
given more than a year’s trouble-free service. still more the field of application of s.-g. iron.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

88
AWS W C I 85 W 0784265 0007OLO 5
11-9
-
Welding Ductile Iron using the
GMA Short Circuiting Transfer Process-
A Progress Report
Although ductile iron production has established an enviable growth pattern

further growth hos been impeded by the difiulty in obtaining good welds,
by D. J. Kotecki, Rsch. Ant. 3) The formation of martensite and/or iron car-

N. R. Braton, Aooc. Prof. Mech. Engrg. bide in the weld metal due to the rapid cooling of
C. R.' Loper, Ji., Auoc. Prof. Met. Engrg. the weld metal (dependent upon the final weld metal
Tho Univsrsiîy of Wisconsin chemistry).
Madiion The formation of either martensite or iron carbide
in the weld metal or base metal is undesirable
if ductile iron is to be successfully welded. Iron
carbide, formed during solidification, and martensite,
Abornt formed during cooling below the lower critical tem-
An apparent lack of weldability in ductile iron, perature range, both contribute to a hard, brittle
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
generally attributable to three principal factors, is condition at the weld. Accordingly, the structure
investigated here, using previous studies as a point shows very low ductility and will be prone to cracking
of departure. Fully automatic short circuiting arc during welding. This cracking susceptibility is induced
deposition of nickel on ductile pennits employment by the deformation required to relieve stresses im-
of much larger diameter filler wue than used pre- posed by the uneven heating and cooling cycles of
viously while still obtaining noncontinuous fusion line the welding process.
carbides. This larger diameter wire is less costly Martensite formation can be eliminated by preheat-
on a per pound basis and permits higher deposition ing the base plate to temperatures such that the
rates. The present study is being continued. cooling rate is reduced sufficiently to avoid the mar-
tensite transformation, approximately ô0 F (316 C ).
If the base plate is not preheated, the formation of
IntrodUdOtl martensite can be controlled somewhat by controlling
LTiiOUCH DUCìïLE IRON PRODUCIION has estab- the welding process, causing the base metal to cool
A lished a growth patteni which exceeded even the
most optimistic predictions, the further utilization
at a slow rate wherever it was heated into the austen-
ite formation temperature region. Further control of
of this material has been impeded somewhat by the martensite formation in the weld metal can be ob-
present difficulty in obtaining ductile and machinable tained by using a filler metal composition incapable
welds. This apparent lack of weldability is generally of martensite formation even when diluted with iron
attributed to three factors: and carbon from the base metal.
1) The formation of martensite in the heat afiected Carbide formation presents a more formidable bar-
zone due to the heating of the base metal into the rier to the welding of ductile iron (Fig. i ) . Very
region of austenite formation, followed by the rapid unusual welding procedures or extensive preheating
cocling characteristic of most fusion welding proc- to temperatures greater than 1 W F (816C)' are
ews. required to slow the solidification cooling rate to
2) The formation of iron carbide in the junction a level such that iron carbide does not OcCuT in the
zone due to the heating of the base metal into the junction zone. Welding at such high preheating tem-
temperature region between the liquidus and solidus, peratures is uncomfortable and results, in undesirable
followed by rapid cooling incapable of permitting scaling and d i s t e o n of the casting. Post-heating
qaphite formation. to remove carbides from the deld area ako requires
Source: AFS Transactions, 67-94,1967 (American Foundrymen's Society)

~
Copyright American Welding Society . h

AWS WCI 8 5 W 078Ll2b5 0007OLL 7 W
11-9 89
Fusion of the base metal and wire is pccomplished

by a series of high-curruit, low-voltage Umts” ( W ,
to 200 shorts per second) wherein the wire dips
into the weld -1, extinguishing the arc. During
each short, enough wire melts to reestablish the arc,
permitting the process to repeat itself. The heat input
from this process can be approximated from the simple
formula:
Q = 60EI/S
where: Q = heat input, jouies per in.
E 3:average arc voltage, volts
I = average arc current, amperes
S = welding torch travel speed, in. per minute.
The short circuiting arc process permits the con-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
sideration of another approach to the welding of duc-

tile iron. During welding, melting starts at the graphite
spheroid-austenite interface and proceeds as carbon
from the spheroid di&ises through the liquid and
Fig. 1. Corbidic network at junction zone of ferritic duail. into the austenite. This d i h i o n of carbon is time-
iron weld obtained by mehing through o nickel loyer with
0.035 in. dio. mild stool at 180 amps, 34 VA, 16 ipm torch
dependent-that is, the extent of melting in the
trove/ s p o d (23,000 joules p r in.). T h . CO&& neîwork junction zone can be minimized by shortening the
is typicol of conventional orc welds. N h l etch, 1 0 0 ~ . time of exposure of the junction zone to temperatures
above the solidus. The short circuiting transfer GMA
process provides a method of welding with low heat
input and thus offers the possibility of welding ductile
the use of high temperatures over lf150F (899C) iron with a fusion zone containing minimum iron
for long periods of time and controlled cooling rates.’ carbide (or, at most, disamtinuous iron carbide)
Conventional welding of ductile iron requires that and not seriously impairing the ductility and machin-
the process be capable of producing a welded joint ability of the joint.
free of cracking and having sufkient strength and Some study of the use of the semi-automatic short
dacality to perform adequately in service. In order circuiting arc for ductile iron welding has been re-
to obtain such a weld the use of gas welding, at ported in the literature.’.* These studies have con-
very low travel speeds, is advocated. This permits sidered the use of h e diameter wires (0.030 in.)
a controlled slow cooling from the liquid and thereby bearing large percentages of nickel (5ï-97%). Other
minimizes the formation of carbides during solidifica- work also considered the use of mild st-1 wires
tion. If the structure is to be machinable, full anneal- of the same size; however, severe cracking of the
ing of the weld and its d a t e d heat affected weld metal occurred.
zone may be required to remove all traces of con- This study was undertaken to further investigate
tinuous carbide formation. the application of the fully automatic short circuiting
Since electric arc welding is usually accompanied arc to the welding of ductile iron, with specific
by greater temperature gradients between the fusion emphasis on the use of larger diameter filler wires
zone and the base metal, the formation of carbides capable of yielding higher deposition rates and lower
is more prevalent. Welding may be carried out satis- weld costs.
factorily if the weld is p r o d u d without cracks.
This requires that the weld be placed only in relative- Il.ruhs d Morurrkn
ly unrestrained geometries. Following welding, the Preliminary W e h , Mild Steel Filler Wire-Ductile
weld and its heat affected zone must then be fully iron from a number of commercial foundries was
annealed to remove the continuous carbides which used in this study. Castings were prepared as plates
have formed. It should be noted, however, that if 5 x 6 ~ 1m. and were of a nominal 4.45% carbon
the carbides found in either the weld metal or the equivalent composition. Single or double vee butt
heat &ected zone are discontinuous, that is, discrete joints were prepared with a shaper after the plates
isolated patches of the leàeburitic eutectic, only a were sectionedlengthwise,Fig. 2.
modest influence on machinability or mechanical prop
erties will be obtained.
More recent developments in welding have re-
sulted in the GMA (gas metal arc) short circuiting
transfer pncess capable of being used as a fully
automatic or semi-automatic process. Briefly. this pnni
ess utilizes a constant potentiai power source with
L U
”slope” control (which limits the peak current when
a short &cuit exists), a relatively small diameter
continuous filler wire and a shielding gas appropriate
for the filler wire and base metal. The wire feed
rate into the arc is machine controlled and the torch
travel speed may be manually or machine ccairolled.

AUS W C I 8 5 D 078q2b
II-
Tlie 3rst five samples were prepared using the

followingwelding conàitions:
Wiredmmeter 0.35 in.
wire feed speed 193 ipm
contact tube height above 0.5 m.
basemetal
Co, gas flowrate 3ofh
Torch travel speed 32.4 ipm
Average arc current loo amps
Average arc voltage 19 volts
Heat input 3520 joules/in.
~ o oPt P 0.3 in.
This series of welds was prepared to determine
the effect of joint geometry on the formation of
carbides within the weld. No preheat or post heat
was employed and the welds were sectioned trans-
versely on an abrasive cutoff wheel and examined
macro- and microscopically. Lack of fusion was ap- Fig. 4. Junction zone of steel deposit on pearlitic ductile
parent in all welds; however, only discontinuous iron at 19 volts, 100 amps, 32.4 ipm torch travel sped
carbides were present along the entire junction zone (3520 joules per in.) after iwo hours post heot at W F .
The joint is the same as in Fig. 3. Note the ¿iscon)niuous
of all welds. Martensite and retained austenite were carbides and lack of cracking. Nital efch, 1ûûX.
present on both sides of the fusion line. Cracking
was considerable in the martensitic zones, Fig. 3.
Fig. 5. Junction zone of steel dsp& on pearlitic ductile

iron at 19 volts, 100 amps, 22.7 ipm torch trove1 s p e d
( 5 P O joules per in.) after two hours post heat at 9OOF.
Fig. 3. As-welded iunction zone of steel deposit on pearlitic Note that the carbides are larger thon those ob Fig. 4.
ductile iron at 19 volts, 100 amps, 32.4 ipm torch speed Nital etch, 1OOX.
(3520 pules per in.). Note the discontinuous carbides and contacting the ductile iron. Passes not in contact
crocks. An abrosive CM wheel was used in preparation
d this specimen. N h l etch, 1ûûX . with ductile iron were made using increased welding
current as well.
Since an abrasive cutoff wheel was used to prepare At a heat input of 5ou) jouies per in. (22.7 ipm),
the specimens in this series, it was not possible to carbides in the junction zone were discontinuous
attribute the cracking specifically to either the cutoff but larger than in the previous samples (a joules
operation or the stresses present during welding. per in.), Fig. 5. At still higher heat input, 7430 joules
Therefore, another sample was prepared (cut with per in. (16.1 ipm), carbides were still larger and
a hacksaw) and examined after tempering the tended to form network s h c t u r e s connecting the
weld for two hours at 9ûOF (482C).The lack graphite spheroids at the junction zone, Fig. 6. It
of cracking as shown by Fig. 4 indicates that the was determined that a heat input of approximately
cracking shown in Fig. 3 could be primariìy attributed 5ooo joules per in. should be further studied from
to thermal stresses due to the abrasive cut& operation. the point of view of joint ductility.
AU remaining mild steel welds were therefore pre- Evaluation of joint ductility was performed by
pared using an 80 deg. double vee joint, but were using the standard 180 deg. si& bend test. This
tempered for two hours at 900F ( W C ) prior to test uses a transverse weld specimen machined to
micro- or. macmstmctural examination. In order to % in. thickness and bent around a 1%in. diameter
obtain more complete fusion of the weld metal, the pin. Since the pearlitic ductile inni did not pass
welding heat input was increased by reducing the this test even in the unweided condition, all s u b
torch travei speed for those weld passes directly quent welding was performed on ductile iron given a
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
~.
,---
í Provided by IHS under license with AWS
AWS WCI 85 W 07842b5 00070L3 O M
11-9 91
-I-
I.
GLOBULAR 1RâNSFER
SHORT CIRCUITIWB
ARC PlrSStS
FaSSES (rompend niartonriid
1 (mild stool1
Fig. 7. Skekh of d ../point made with short circuiting and

globular or spray trodor.
FRACTURE MTH
OF BEND
FRACTURE BEGAN
Fig. 8. S&&h of frocîure pothrn in side bends of ferritic
ductile iron welded wiîh mild deel at 5140 pules per in.
Fig. 6. lunctîon zone of dee/ deposit on pearlitic ductile
iron ai 19 volts, 105 amps, 16.1 ipm torch travel speed Nickel Alloy Filler Wire-In order to eliminate
(7430 joules per in.) after two hours pod heat o) 9 û û F .
Note the carbide networks betwwn grophiîe spheroids.
the tempered martensite layer in the weld metal
Nital mtch, 1 # X . at the fusion line (formed due to the high carbon
and silicon content in the weld metal in those regions),
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
nickel alloy wire was used for the short circuiting
arc deposits on the base metal. Ninety-su per cent
nickel wire was available in 0.082 in. diameter. This
ferritizing anneal (less than 10% pearlite). larger wix diameter (vs. 0.030 or 0.035 in.) yields
Thus, a ferritic ductile iron specimen was then higher deposition rates but requires higher operating
welded using the following parameters. It may be currents. This in turn requires higher torch travel
noted that a globular arc transfer technique was used speeds to limit carbide size. Furthemore, the deposi-
for those passes not in contact with ductile iron, tion of nickel is best achieved using an argon shielding
Fig. 7, made using the following welding conditions: gas rather than carbon dioxide. Welding conditions
established were as follows:
Short Globular
Circuiting Arc Transfer Argon gas flow 3ocfh
Current 110 amps 170 amps wire feed speed 165 ipm
Voltage 19 volts 25 volts Average arc voltage 18-19 volts
Torch trave1speeà e4.4 ipm 24.4 ipm Average arc current d90-30û amperes
Heat input 5140 joules/in. 10,soO jouies/in. Torch travel speeà 5(, ipm
Average heat input 626@6&u) joules/inch
Side bend specimens of these welds fractured after
bending less than u) deg. Failure began at the A number of specimens were prepared by "butter-
comer of the fusion line and progressed through the ing" the ductile iron with nickel using the short
base metal, Fig. 8. No yielding was observed in the circuiting transfer process. The faces of the ductile
weld metal; however, base metal yielding prior to iron were buttered separately and then joined by
fracture was readily apparent. the spray arc CO2 process using 0.035 in. diameter
Tensile specimens failed at sS,oOO to 61,700 psi steel wire at 180 amps, 34 volts, 16 ipm torch travel
with fractures similar to those obtained in bend speed (22,800joules per in.). This technique resulted
tests but with a slightly greater tendency for the in lack of root penetration by the steel, causing a void
fracture to follow the fusion line, Fig. 9. Again, at the weid center, and "bum through" at the weld
yielding was observed in the ductile iron but not face comers due to the high heat input of the
in the weld metal. spray arc process, Fig. 10. No noticeable difference
Hardness measurements across the weld showed \vas observed between welds made using interpass
the following average results: cooling to room temperature and those made with
Rase metal, ferritic ductile iron 128 Bhn' consecutive nickel passes. Accordingly, ail additional
Weld metal, tempered martensite 353 Bhd' nickel welds were prepared without intvrpass cooling.
Weid metal, mild steel eo6 Bhn" The mechanical problem of inadeqilate root pene-
The high hardness of the tempered martensite tration was by-passed by using a single vee, 90 deg.
may explain the failure pattern of the tensile and joint with feather edge. A copper backup strip was
bend specimens since yielding of the ductile iron used to prevent bum-through of the feather edge,
hase metal causes a notch to form at the fusion and "around-the-corner" nickel deposits were added
line resulting in premature failure of the joint. at the face of the vee, Fig. 11. In all, 25 nickel
- *Taken as RodrvcU B and converted to Brinell hudnas n u m k d-
passes (8480 jouies per in.) and 36 mild steeI passes
ing to MatOlt Handbook, Vol II. American Sociriy fa Metab, I=, p.
(19,100 jouies per in.) were required to complete
670-872. the joint. No restraint was imposed on this plate
**Taken LE R o d w l l C and w n v d to Bbn iamdias to M e t u b H a d - during welding.
so..

92
Although all carbides were discontinuous, the

amount of carbides present was noticeably greater
at the root of the weld than elsewhere due to the
greater heat concentration afForded by the joint geom-
etry. Martensite formation was limited to a thin layer
along the fusion line and around the carbides, and
no cracks were found, Fig. 12.
>LACK OF :'USION
Fig. 10. Sketch of butt weld made by buttering the pint

faces of the ductile iron separately with nickel prior to
FRACTURE PATH .-c joining with steel, showing areas of lack of furion and
heavy carbides.
Fig. 9. Sketch of fracture pattern in tensile tesf specimens

of ferritic ductile iron welded with mild steel at 5140 joules
per in.
Severe distortion of the specimen necessitated the

use of smaller test bars, 0.370x 0.673 x 4.5 inches, with
no reduced section machined on the tensile bar.
This bar failed at 68,300 psi at the gripping jaw,
% in. from the weld. Yielding was apparent in the
ductile iron and in the nickel layers but not in the
steel which had cracked considerably prior to fracture
of the specimen. Side bend test bars (duplicates) During steel deposition, the interpass plate temper-
failed entirely in the steel deposit after bends of ature was not permitted to exceed S75F (302C).
less than 20 deg. Some porosity was observed in the After completion of the weid, the specimens were
steel deposit. post heated at 900F (482C)for two hours. Dis-
Following a number of attempts to produce satis- continuous carbide along the fusion line and a thin
factory welds free of mechanical lack of fusion and tempered martensitic layer in the ductile iron ad-
weld porosity, several samples were prepared using jacent to the fusion line were observed, similar to
the 80 deg. double vee joint preparation. The most Fig. 12. Side bend specimens failed after bends of
desirable techfiique used no root gap. In addition, the 5.5 and 60 deg. Failure initiated in the steel and
use of a COz shielded spray arch technique for continued through both the weld deposit and the
completing the joint with mild steel was discontinued ductile iron. While the ductile iron and nickel deposits
and replaced with a manual stick electrode process. showed yielding, the steel deposits did not yield Sig-
This process, using % in. E-7018electrodes, is much nificantly.
less penetrating, and is more versatile than the pre- The difference in properties across the joint is
viously used process. Welding conditions for these illustrated by hardness data ranges as follows:
welds were as follows: 122-124Bh.
Ferritic ductile iron hase metal
NS-61 deposits on base metal 176-198Bh'
E 7018 deposit on NS-61deposit 312379 Bh"
Nickel Deposits Continued Weld Formulation-The E7018 elec-
Wire 0.062 in. NS-61 trode is well known for the ductility of its deposited
Wire feed speed 165 ipm weld metal in conventional steel welding applications.
Average arc voltage 18 volts However, in this application the deposit is made
Average arc current 295 amps (DCRP) on a nickel base, permitting the nickel to alloy
Torch travel speed 51 ipm with the mild steel in an amount controlled by the
Heat input 6240 joules/in. amount of penetration. It may therefore be proposed
Argon gas flow 30 cfh that the ductility of the composite joint is limited
Steel Deposits by the solid solution strengthening of the mild steel
Electrode % in. E 7018 by nickel.
Average arc voltage 22 volts A number of alternatives may thus be considered
Average arc current 120 amps to obtain greater joint ductility:
Average arc travel speed. 14 ipm i) Use the indicated welding produre outlined
Average heat input" 1 1 , W joules/in. above for nickel deposition on the base metal, foflwed
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 = 078Li265 0007015 Li
11-9 93
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
t
COPPER BACKUP STRIP
Fig, 11. Sketch of 90 dog. single voe joint mode with nickel
and stool showing geometry, location of nicáel posses and
location of around-tho-clock corner posses.
Fig. 12. Typical ìunciion zone of nkkel-shet composiie butt

weld in ferritic ductile iron. lhe 0.042 in. nickel wire was
deposiid on the ductile iron at 18 vohs, 295 amps, 50 ipm
by the completion of the joint with nickel wire. torch trove1 speed (6380joules per in.). After completion,
2) Use nickel alloyed steel for completion of the the joint was part hoofed at 900F for hvo hours. N o h the
joint after nickel deposition to prevent excessive hard- discontinuous carbides surrounded by îempered martensite.
ening by permitting austenite fozmation-e.g., austen- Nital etch, 1Wx.
ite stainless steel over nickel.
3) Use filler metals other than nickel or devise
complex filler metals which eliminate the disadvan- A further point which may be considered is that
tages of the nickel filler. previous studie+* encountered severe cracking with
mild steel deposits on ductile iron with 0.030 in.
Conclurions wire at 130 amps and 24 volts. On the other hand,
Considering the previous studies as a point of in the present study, with 0.035 in. wire at 100 amps
departure, several conclusions may be drawn from and 19 volts, cracking is greatly reduced (Fig. 4)
the present study. but lack of fusion becomes a problem. Both of these
Due to the greater control of welding parameters facts are probably attributable to the reduced pene-
available with fully automatic (vs. semi-automatic) tration accompanying the low current and voltage
short circuiting arc deposition of nickel on ductile employed in this study. Then by exploring welding
iron, it is now possible to employ much larger diameter conditions between these two extremes, steel joints
filler wire than previously used and still obtain non- may also become feasible.
continuous fusion line carbides. The larger diameter The present study is being continued by consider-
wire is less costly on a per pound basis and pemits ing other filler metals and techniques as outlined
higher deposition rates. above. Also to be considered is the use of preheat
A direct comparison of the ductility of @inkmade as an alternative to post heat for dealing with rnar-
by the methods outlined above with that of other tensite and the effect of preheat on carbide size and
studies is not possible due to differences in approach distribution.
to testing procedures. It might, however, be pointed
out that in a recent study” using 0.030 in. nickel Acknowledgmeni
filler wire similar in composition to that of the present The authors are indebted to the Grede Foundries,
study, face bend angles of 35 deg as welded and Inc. which provided most of the ductile iron used
90 deg after a two hour post heat at 1112 F (600C) in this study and to Richard Te@, a Mechanical
were obtained with an ali-nickel joint, while side Engineering senior at The University of Wisconsin
bends of the nickel-steel composite joint of this study who assisted in preparing many of the welds studied.
bent 55 and 60 deg. after a two hour post heat The authors would also like to express their grati-
at900F(482C) tude to the University Research Committee of the
A comparison between Fig. 12 uid Fig. 4, 5 and Welding Research Council, and the University of
6 seems to indicate that heat input as defined previ- Wisconsin Engineering Experiment Station for the
ously is not the only factor limiting carbide size financial support which made this study possible.
and continuity. The carbides of Fig. 12 (NS-61 de-
posited at 6240 jouies per in.) are most similar in
size and distribution to those of Fig. 4 (steel de-
posited at 3eo joules per in.). Thus, there appears
to be an effect of torch travel speed in addition
to its role in the heat input equation and/or an
effe‘ect due to differences in the filler metals. In other
words, equivalent heat inputs do not necessarily mult
in equivalent metallurgical structures.

AWS WCI 85 9 078Y2b5 00070Lb b 9
94 11-10
Preheat Effects on Gas Metal-Arc Welded Ductile Cast Iron

Preheat adversely affects fusion line carbides when using nickel
filler metal in the short-circuiting arc welding of ASTM grade
60-45-15ductile iron
B Y D. J. K O T E C K I , N. R. B R A T O N A N D C. R. L O P E R , J R .
AB~ITRACT. This study explores the the base metal was produced, this Both carbide and martensite
relationship of preheat to the forma- ideal is sometimes extremely di5- formation in the weld proper can be
tion of martensite and carbides when cult and costly to achieve. Such prevented by using a íUer metal
welding ASTM grade 60-45-15 ductile is the case for ductile iron. capable of holding carbon in solid
iron. The welding is performed by the Since its ñrst announcement in solution in a ductile matrix even
short-circuiting transfer technique of
the gas metal-arc process. 1948, ductile iron has developed when it is rapidly cooled. The
It is found that a preheat tempera- into a deairable engineering ma- most successful and widely used of
ture of approximately 600" F is ade- terial of widespread use due to its these ñller materiale are nickel-
quate to prevent martensite formation wide range of possible mechanical based alloys (c.f., Thomeycroftl or
in the heat-afFected zone of these properties and excellent castability. Osman and Stephenson*).
weldments. However, this preheat Greater utilization of this material, However, the use of nickel-based
adversely affects carbide geometry.
At moderate levels of welding heat
however, has been impeded by mer metal, or other íiiier metals,
di5culty in obtaining ductile and is incapable of altering the chem-
input, 5ûûû jodea/in., carbidic areas in machineablewelds. This di5culty
the partial fusion zone become nearly istry of the heat-affected zone and
continuam. If preheat is not used stems from the same high carbon zone of partial fusion. Thus at-
with this same welding heat input, the equivalent content which gives the temps to combat the tendency to
carbidic areas are clearly discontinuous. material its wide range of possible form carbide in the partial fusion
At a lower level of welding heat input, mechanical properties and excellent zone and to form marteneite in both.
such as 1850 joules/in., discontinuous castability. Carbon, during a fu- the heat-affectedl zone and partial
carbidic areas can be obtained with this Sion welding thermal cycle, tends fusion zone have centered around
preheat temperature. However, it a p to result in two effects: control of the weld thermal cycle.
pears that better bend teat results, 1. Wherever carbon-rich liquid One approach has been to recog-
when using nickel filler metal, can be
obtained with neither preheat nor post- (eutectic) is formed, in the weld nize that both carbide and mar-
heat than with just preheat. proper and in the zone of partial tensite result from rapid cooling.
Bend test reaults and fusion line melting adjacent to the weld Therefore, very slow cooiing can be
microstructures are presented for com- proper, this liquid tends to freeze beneficial. Among others, RiUey
parison. as carbide because of the rapid cool- and Dodds used high welding heat
ing rate in the weld zone. input and very large weld pasaea to
Introduction 2. Wherever austenite is formed, retard cooling, thereby avoiding
in the weld proper, in the zone of martensite and carbide formation.
In the aelection of a material for partial melting and in the heat- However, this becomes ineffective
an engineering application, the me- affected zone above the lower on large weldmenta when the mass
chanical properties such as critical temperature range, this of the structure ads as a quench.
strength, ductility, resistance to austenite tends to transform to Alternately, preheata of 6ûûo F
brittle fracture and machineability martensite upon cooling due to the were used by Bates' and others to
are a primary consideration. Fur- inherent hardenability of these prevent cracking, and a full pcmt-
thermore, if the material is to be compositions. weld anneal could then be used to
welded, an ideal joint in that ma- Both carbide and martensite, remove carbide and martensite
terial should have propertiea simiiar being hard and brittle, are detri- from the joint. However, anned-
to the base metal. However, be- mental to the ductility and ma- ing to eliminate carbides requiree
cause a welded joint is usually pro- chineability of the joint, and may high temperatures and long periods
duced under markedly Merent cause cracking during cooling. of time which frequently result in
conditions from those under which These tendencies are always cokiderable distortion.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
present when ductile iron is fusion More recently, Osman, et a l . , * - 5

The authom am at the Univeruity of W k o d o in welded. However, the extent to Kotecki, et d.' and others have
M a d i Wla, 88 fo11D1oII:* D. J. KOTECKI- which carbide and martensite actu- considered using the very low heat
W.D. Candidate, Dept. of Mechamcd Ene;neer-
ine; N. R. BRATON-AmCiate b k r ,
ally form is a function of local input of the short-circuiting trans-
Dept. of Machanical Eneineeime: C.R. LOPER, chemistry and local thermal cycie. fer technique of gas metal-arc
JR.-Aæo+te F r , De.pt. of Minerala L It is by manipulating these two welding with nickel-based filler
MetabEnmmmmg.
variables that some progress has metal to limit carbides to discreta
Paper to be premntui at the AWS M)thAnuuai been made towards obtaining an
Meethg in Phihielphin, Pa., during A p d 2% particles and martensite to a very
May 2,1û69. improved welded joint. thin layer dong the weld fusion
_ _ Source: Welding Journal, 48(4), April 1969

___ -
AWS WCI 85 O784265 000'7017 8 9
11-1o 95
h e . Then after a short postweld
heat treatment (e.g., llOOo F for
2 hr) to temper the martensite and
effect a stress relieved material,
crack-free, machineable joints of
considerable ductility were ob-
tained. The feasibility of this
technique, even without the post-
weld heat treatment, for both re-
pair and fabrication of ductile iron
was also reported by Fröberg.'
The Present Study
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
The present study is motivated

by the consideration that, although
the short-circuiting transfer tech-
nique has led to real progress in
welding ductile iron, joint ductility
and machineability have not usu-
ally been equal to that of ferritic
ductile iron. Furthermore, the
postweld .heat treatments used to
temper martensite may be objec-
tionable in some applications.
Weldment preheat tempera-
tures near or above the M. tem-
perature of the base metal have
been used for preventing martensite
formation in many ferrous mate-
rials during welding. This preheat
slows the cooling rate so that the
equilibrium transformation of
austenite to ferrite and pearlite, or
to bainite, occurs instead of mar-
tensite formation. Either bainite
or the ferrite-pearlite mixture is
more dudile than martensite.
One might therefore expect that
preheat, which eliminatea martens-
ite from the weldment, would have
a beneficial effect on the ductility
of welds made via the short-
circuiting transfer technique in
ductile iron. However, an addi-
tional factor must also be consid-
ered. The success of the short-
circuiting transfer technique de-
pends upon its ability to limit
carbides to discrete particles. The
extent to which carbides form de-
pends upon the length of time that
the partial fusion zone remains in
or above the eutectic temperature
range of the ductile iron. The
reason for this is that time deter-
mines the amount of carbon M u -
sion which produces the low melt-
ing point composition in the struc-
ture. Preheat would prolong this
time, thereby aggravating the car-
bide problem while tending to
eliminate the martensite problem.
Accordingly, the questions to be
explored in this study are:
1. What minimum preheat tem-
perature would eliminate martens-
ite from a &Ort-circuiting transfer
type weldment in ferritic ductile
iron?
2. To what extent will thie pre-
heat a d v d y de& carbide geom-
etry in the partial fusion zone?
AWS WCI 85 = 07842bS 0007018 T
96 11-10
Procedure
The equipment u8ei included a
600 amp 100% duty-cycle constant
potential power source, with vari-
able slope and inductance, a side- - . I I
beam carriage for automatic control DOUBLE VEE SINGLE U DOUBLE U
of electrode holder travel speed, a
hot plate capable of maintaining Fig. 1-Joint preparations used
temperatures up to 950” F, and a
fixture for maintaining joint align-
ment and restraint. Temperature was extensively macroscopically posed earlier. SpecimenA (Fig. 2)
ranges were determined by use of cracked before testing, and there- was given a poetweld heat treat-
temperature sensitive crayons. The fore the weldment can be said to ment at 900’ F for one hour to
welding conditions used in making have failed before bending. temper martensite. The carbides
the various weldments are listed in The base metal used in this study in specimen A form around the
Table 1. The conditions used for was a/, in. thick femtized ductile graphite spheroids in the zone of
specimen A were arrived at during iron plate (grade60-45-15)having a partial fusion. They appear at or
a previous study,S and those used nominal carbon equivalent of 4.45. near the weld metal interface in
for succeeding specimens6 were de- Three welding wim were used in Fig. 2 and are clearly diecontinuoue.
termined as necessary to improve making the test weldments: Inter- Specimen B was preheated into
bend test results. national Nickel Company “ N S the range 425 to 463’ F. Figure 3,
Three types of joint preparations 61,” (97% nickel), INCO “Ni-61” taken in th? zone of partial fusion,
(Fig. 1) were employed. Each (93% nickel), and Mid-States Steel shows that this preheat was in-
single-pass weldment was prepared ¿ Wii
re Company “Imperial 75” su5cient to prevent martensite
with the single U. Specimens A (mild steel wire intended for gas formation. The martensite is
through D were prepared with the metal-arc welding of mild steel). clearly visible in the h e a t - d d
double vee, while specimens S and In computing the heat inputs zone. In addition, an increase in
T were prepared with the double U. given in Table 1, the following the amount of carbide over that of
To d o r d better root accessibility formula was used: specimen A was apparent.
later testa were made with a double Heat input (joules/in.) = This increase in the amount of
U rather than a double vee. Each carbide prompted a reduction in
multipass weldment was back- 60 x average arc voltage x welding hzat input for specimens C
gouged with a shaper before the average arc amperage and D. Specimen C also exhibited
second side was welded to insure Electrode holder travel speed (ipm) martensite indicating that a pre-
complete mot penetration. heat of 525 to 550’ F is insuíücient
The single-pass welds in shallow Results to prevent martensite formation.
single U joint preparations were This martensite was not eliminated
made to allow study of the fusion Table 1 lists the welding con- until a preheat of approximately
line microstructure without the ditions used in preparing each 600’ F was employed for weldment
interfering effects caused by the specimen and the bend angles ob- D (Fig. 4A). Even in this ample,
reheating due to multi-pass weld- tained at fracture. By way of however, a few areas remain which
ing, and at the same time to permit comparison, an unwelded sample of contain some martensite.
bend testing of the specimen. The the base metal used in this study, Comparison of specimens A and
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
multi-pass welds were subjected to having the same thickness as the D (Figs. 2 and 4B) emphasizes the
transverse side bend tests, and the weld specimens studied, bent 180 adverse effect of preheat on carbide
results in Table 1 are averages of deg without fracture, although geometry. Even though specimen
from two to four test specimem. numerous small cracks could be D was made with a lower welding
The single-pass welds were sub- observed on ,the surface of the heat input than specimen A, the
jected to longitudinal face bend sample following bending. This carbides of specimen D are larger
teats (one per weld). was used to represent the ultimate
By way of comparison between results of the welded material.
the two types of bend tests, it Specimens A through D provide
might be noted that a longitudinal partial answers to the questions
face bend requirea simultaneous
yielding of the weld metal, un-
affectedbase metal, and the regions
along the fusion line. Conse-
quently, this bend teat is the more
severe for initiating cracks along
the fusion line. On the other hand,
while the transverse side bend test
does not require immediate yielding
along the fusion line as soon as the
teat ia begun, it does orient the
fusion line in such a way that
cracks, once initiated, propagate Fig. 2-Fusion line microstructure of Fig. +Fusion line microstructure of
specimen A made with an interpass tem- specimen B made with an interpass
readily along the fusion Ene. Bend perature of 1W’ F, heat input of 6ooo temperature in the range-4 F, heat
angles were measured at the point joules/in., and a postweld heat treatment input of 6ooo joules/in., and no postweld
of fracture except for those in the at 900” F for 1 hi-nickel filler metal, 296 heat treatment. nickel filler metal, 2%
specimens made with mild steel. nital etch. X50 (reduced 5096 on reprw nital etch. X2M) (reduced soq6 on
In thew specimens, the weld metal ducüon) reproduction)
- ~

AWS W C I 85 078Li265 0007OL9
11-10 97
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 5-Fusion line microstructure of Fig. &Fusion line microstructure of

specimen J made with a preheat of 700" F, specimen P made with no preheat nor
heat input of 2910 joules/in., mild steel postheat, 1850 joules/in. heat input,
filler metal, 2% nital etch. X 50 (reduced nickel filler metal, 2% nital etch. X100
50% on reproduction) (reduced 50% on reproduction)
formation at the higher preheat

temperature, despite the reduction
in welding heat input from 5000 to
2910 joules/in. for the latter weld-
ment. Second, the weld proper
exhibits a dual structure-Fig. 5.
The regions containing coarse mar-
Fig. &Fusion line microstructure of
tensite exhibit a great tendency to
specimen D made with an interpass initiate and propagate cracks.
temperature in the range 575400" F, heat The formation of martensitic
input 5000 joules/in., and no postweld regions in the weld proper despite
heat treatment, nickel filler metal, 2% a preheat of 700" F indicates a
nital etch. A (top)-X 2M), B (bottom)-. higher hardenability of the weld
X 50(reduced 50% on reproduction) proper. Since the weld proper Fig. 7-Fusion line microstructure of
consists of a mixture of high carbon specimen Q made with 600" F preheat, no
and more nearly continuous than iron from the base metal and mild postheat, 1850 joules/in. heat input,
those of specimen A, and extend steel from the filler metal, this nickel filler metal, 2% nital etch. X100
further from the weld proper. The higher hardenability appears at- (reduced 50% on reproduction)
bend angles obtained a t fracture tributable to the presence of de-
however, are similar-Table 1. oxidizers from the mild steel weld-
Since it has been indicated that a ing wires. The nominal composi- input of 2860 joules/in. Speci-
preheat of 600" F is sufficient to Gon of this filler metal includes mens N and O were made under
prevent martensite formation in 1.08% manganese and 0.55% sili- these conditions, and N was post-
the heat-affected zone, a logical con. weld heat treated while O was not.
question at this point is whether or The increase in the extent of The beneficial effect of postweld
not this same preheat will prevent carbide formation observed in spec- heat treatment is reflected by the
martensite formation in the weld imen J indicated that further ex- bend angles at fractureTable 1.
proper if the filler metal were mild ploration of still higher preheat In order to reduce the welding
steel inetead of nickel. Accord- temperatures would be of little heat input still further, smaller
ingly, specimens E through H were value. diameter nickel filler metal was
made with a constant preheat of The observed adverse effect of used (0.035 vs. 0.062 in.). Speci-
575-600" F and with decreasing the 600" F preheat on carbide mens P, Q, and R were produced
heat input. Each exhibited ex- geometry in specimens A through D with this h e r filler metal, under
tensive cracking in the weld metal prompted study of welding heat the conditions listed in Table 1.
immediately after welding, and inputs of less than 5000 joules/in. In particular, a heat input of 1850
microscopic examination revealed to combat this effect. Specimens joulesjin. was used. Efforts to
that martensite was present K, L, and M were made with de- reduce the heat input still further
throughout the weld proper. Like- creasing heat input (from 4760 by increasing electrode holder
wise, specimen I, made without down to 2620 joules/in.), each with travel speed encountered difficulty
preheat, exhibited cracking and 600" F preheat. Improved carbide in obtaining wetting of the nickel
martensite throughout the weld geometry with decreasing heat on the ductile iron without preheat.
Proper. input is reflected by increasing Accordingly, the arc conditions
For specimen J, using a mild bend angles at fracture-Table 1. were held constant for theee three
steel filler metal, the preheat tem- Specimen M was welded at 109 specimens in order to permit com-
perature was increased to 700" F, ipm. This welding speed appeared parison.
with a welding heat input of 2910 to be the maximum at which The fusion line microstructures
joulea/in. From the microstruc- nickel would consistently wet duc- of specimens P (no preheat nor
ture along the fusion line (Fig. 6) tile iron under the conditions listed postheat) and Q (600" F preheat
two observations are made. First, for specimen M in Table 1. With- and no pustheat) are compared in
comparison of the fusion line car- out preheat, the maximum elec- Figure 6 and 7. In specimen P
bides with thoae of specimen D trode holder travel speed under (Fig. 6) the carbides are confined to
(Fig. 4B) shows a considerable in- otherwise similar conditions ap- very thin "halos7' encircling their
crease in the extent of carbide pears to be 100 ipm, giving a heat parent graphite spheroids, but may
AWS W C I 85 m 0 7 8 ~ 2 O1 O~O ~ O Z O B m
98 11-10
big. &Fusion line microstructure of

specimen R made with no preheat, 1150"
F postheat, 1850 joules/in. heat input,
nickel filler metal, 2% nital etch. Xi00
(reduced 50% on reproduction)
be distinguished from the untem-

pered martensite which in turn
surrounds them. The carbides of
specimen Q (Fig. 7) are consider- Fig. %Transverse side bend test speci-
ably larger than those of specimen mens of weldments S (left) and T (right).
X 8/, (reduced 13% on reproduction)
P,though still discontinuous, and
extend further from the weld Fig. 10-Fusion line microstructure -of
proper. Furthermore, the partial metal was used to complete the specimen T. A (topewhere remelting
fusion zone plus the heat-affected joints. Resulting specimens S and did not occur; B (bottompwhere re-
zone, in the weldment made with- T are also described in Table 1. melting did occur. 296 nital etch. X 100
out preheat, weldment P (Fig. 6)is Both were made without preheat, (reduced 5oqb on reproduction)
no thicker than the partial fusion while specimen T was given a post-
zone in the weldment made with weld heat treatment at 1150' F.
preheat (weldment Q of Fig. 7). Transverse side bend test results heat temperature of approximately
This is reflected in a comparison of for these two specimens are similar, 600" F is sufficient to prevent mar-
the bend angles at fracture for the with the p t h e a t e d specimen ex- tensite formation in the heat-
two specimens-Table 1. The hibiting somewhat greater bend affected zone of these welds. It
weldment made without preheat angles (65 vs. 61 deg)-Fig. 9. has also been shown that a preheat
and without postheat could be This similarity is probably, in part, of 700" F is not sufficient to pre-
bent considerably further than due to the reheating effect of vent martensite formation in the
that made with preheat (75 vs. multipass welding-the martensite weld proper when a given com-
57 deg). formed by one welding pass being mercial mild steel filler metal was
Specimen R, made without pre- tempered to a certain extent by the used.
heat and given a postweld heat succeeding passes. Second, it has been shown that a
treatment, could be bent 180 deg The fusion line microstructures 600' F preheat considerably in-
without fracture, apparently equal- of these two weldments are similar. creases carbide size and continuity
ling the unwelded base metal, In both weldments, the fusion line over that obtained when the base
although the cracks originating carbides are small and very discon- metal is at or near room tempera-
from the fusion line of the weld- tinuous, except for a few regions in ture before welding. This adverse
ment are larger than those in the which it appears that the partid effect can be partially compensated
base metal after bending It should fusion zone was remelted by the for by reducing the welding heat
be noted, however, that the com- passea with the coarse wire (Fig. input within the limits imposed by
parison of this behavior in bending 10). These remelted areas are pres- the nickel wetting ductile iron. At
with that of specimens P and Q ent in both specimens. Therefore, very low welding heat inputs, on
may be misleading,, because the it appears that comparison of their the order of 2000 joules/in. or less,
base metal of specimen R came bend angles is valid, although this effect appears su5ciently ad-
from the edge of one of the cast neither represents the optimum verse as to make welding with no
plates, where the nodule count is attainable. preheat nor postheat seem prefer-
considerably lower than that of able to using preheat to prevent
specimens P and Q-Fig. 8. As a Summary martemite formation.
result of the low nodule count, Whether or not preheat was used,
carbides in specimen R are much The stated aim of this study was in no c m was heat-affected zone
more widely separated than in the to explore two questions: cracking observed in connection
other two specimens. 1. A t what preheat temperature with nickel filler metal. The ex-
Since multipass weldments are will martensite formation be pre- treme thinness of the heat-affected
of more engineering interest than vented when using the short- zone apparently prevents s m
single-pass weldments, multipass circuiting transfer technique when levels from becoming high enough
butt welds were then made using welding ASTM grade 60-45-15duc- to cause cracking.
the fine wire to join the halves of tile iron? It should not be assumed, how-
the weldments at the root and 2. How does preheat affect car- ever, that a 600' F preheat will
butter the sides of the joint prepa- bide geometry? prevent martensite formation in
ration. The coarser nickel filler It has been indicated that a pre-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
pearlitic gradea of ductile iron.
Hardenabfity of ferrous material
depends strongly upon local carbon
AWS W C I 85 - 078Li2b5 000702L
11-10
Also, alloying elements added to
ductile iron are likely to increase
The authors are also indebted to
Young Sik Jung for his help in pre-
99
content. In pearlitic grades of the local hardenability. paring several of the samples for
ductile iron, as soon as austenite is Finally, when very low heat in- metallographic examination, and
formed in the heat-affected zone, it put is used for the short-circuiting to Atmaram Varavadekar for his
will have a relatively high carbon transfer technique of buttering or contributions related to the choice
content due to the diasolution of surfacing, the resulting deposit has of filler materials used in this study.
the fine carbide lamellae of the a small cross-sectional area. Thus
parent p e a r l i 6 t h e diffusion dii- in multipass welding, some limita- References
tance between lamellae is extremely tion of the welding heat input is 1. Thorneycroft, D. R., “Welding of Sphe-
short. On the other hand, in also required for paases adjacent to roidal-graphite Iron,” Foundry W e Jnl., 114,
feriritic ductile iron, the carbon the buttering (or surfacing) to pre- 535-543 (1863).
2. Oman, J. L.. and Stephenson, N., “Further
which can increase hardenability vent remelting of the base metal Aspects of the Welding of 8. G. Iron,” Inter-
must ñrst diffuse outward from the partial fusion zone. national Nickel Company presentation.
3. Rilley, R. V., and D+d, J.,“Femus Rod for
graphite spheroids. The distance Welding Nodular Graphite Cast Iron,” Foundry
between theee spheroids is several Acknowledgments Trade Jnl., 98 (1889). 555-560 (Nov. 13,1962).
orders of magnitude greater than 4. Batas, R. C., “Welding Nodular Cast Iron,:
Metal proS., 76 (5), 95-99 (Nov. 1959).
the distance between pearlite The graduate student author waa 5. Osman, J. L., Stephenson, N., and “homey-
lamellae. Consequently, for the supported during the time of this croft, D. R., “Developments in the Welding of
S. G. Iron,” International Nickel Company preg
very short times at elevated tem- study by an NDEA title I V fellow- entation.
perature associated with the short- ship and by a scholarship given by 6. Kotecki, D. J., Braton, N. R., and Loper,
C. R., Jr., “Weidmg Ductile Iron Using the GMA
circuiting transfer technique of the Milwaukee Section of the Short Circuitmg Transfer Process -A Pmgreai
welding, pearlitic ductile iron is AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY. Report,” Trans. Am. Foundiymen’e Soc., 76,
likely to have greater harden- Ductile iron for the atudy was pro- 721-726 (1967).
7. Fröberg, S. A., “Short-arc Weldiig of S. O.
ability than ferritic ductile iron. vided by Grede Foundries, Inc. Iron in the SKF Katrineholm Works.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 O007022 L
100 11-11
A ductile iron disc being welded to a carbon steel plate by automatic flux-cored arc mlding
Flux-Cored Electrode for

Cast iron Welding BY R. A. BISHEL
presents the first new development in many years for the

welding of cast iron
ABSTRACT. Ductile and gray irons are being inin ductile iron and gray iron and has been successfully
creasingly used for cast parts. In a variety of applica- used to join ductHe iron to several dissimilar materials.
tions in assembled equipment such as farm machh- This paper describes the results of a testing program
ery. construction equipment, and machine tools these conducted to define operating parameters for this new
cast irons provide good service at low cost. In many electrode and to evaluate various types of joints welded
cases, however, the extent to which the cast irons have with it.
been used has been limited by the lack of a high-
deposition-rate, automatic welding method. The devel- Introduction
opment of a new filler metal in which theconcept of the The need for an automatic welding method for cast
flux-cored electrode is applied to cast-iron welding, irons has existed for many years. The availability of
promises to remove that limitation. The new flux-cored such a method would greatly reduce the cost of cast-
electrode uses a nickel-iron sheathing material with car- iron structures assembled by welding. It would also
bon, slagging ingredients, and deoxidizers added to the enable many forged and cast-steel parts to be re-
core. The product has produced high-efficiency joints placed by parts of lower cost gray or ductile iron, and it
would permit some complex castings to be redesignsd
as low-cost welded assemblies. In some Instances,
R. A. BISHEL is 8SSOCi8ted with the Huntington Alloy Products parts being produced as one-piece forgings could be
Division. The International Nickel Cmpany, Inc.. Huntington, produced in sections, with forgings used only where
West .Virginia. Paper was Qresentedat the 54th A WS Annual necessary and remaining sections replaced by
Meeting held in Chicago, Ill, during April 2-6, 1973. castings.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Source: Welding Journal, 52(6), June 1973

101
Previously available methods for joining, repairing, tained with the use of preheat.
and surfacing ductile and gray cast irons include braz- With gray iron, preheat is helpful in preventing fu-
ing, braze welding, oxyacetylene welding with cast-iron sion-zone cracking. The preheat temperature should be
rod, and shielded metal-arc welding with flux covered at least 400F (205C) and preferably over 600F (315C).
electrodes such as EN¡-CI or ENiFe-CI. These pro-
cesses have low deposition rates, and they are unsuit-
able for automatic or semi-automatic operations. Shielding
Short-circuiting gas metal-arc welding with filler metals The core of FC 55 contains deoxidizers, and the elec-
such as ERN¡-3 and ERNiCu-7 has also been used, but trode is designed to be operated with an open arc (no
with little success. Of these processes, shielded metal- shielding gas). A shielding gas may be desirable ioï
arc welding with ENi-CI or ENiFe-CI electrodes pro- moisture exclusion under conditions of high humidity or
duced the highest quality joints. for greater protection when a longer arc (higher
The new flux-cored electrode, designated NI-ROD* voltage) is used to increase wetting by the molten weld
FC 55, is the first welding product specifically designed metal.
for high-speed proauction welding of cast irons. Weld Carbon dioxide, argon, and nitrogen were evaluated
metal deposited by this electrode has a chemical com- as shielding gases. The best results were obtained with
position similar to that deposited by the ENiFe-CI CO,. Some mixtures of argon and CO, also gave good
covered electrode, that is, about 50% nickel, 49% iron, results. Argon, however, showed no apparent advan-
and 1% carbon. The cored electrode can be used tage and at higher concentrations (over 30%) caused
without shielding gas, with CO, or CO, plus argon slag sticking. Similar results were obtained with nitro-
shielding, or with submerged arc flux. Standard equip- gen. It offered no improvement over CO, and caused
ment for flux-cored arc welding (usually the same slag sticking.
equipment used for gas metal-arc welding) or sub- The cored wire can also be operated with sub-
merged arc welding is used. merged arc flux. Of the fluxes tested, a proprietary mix-
ture (INCOFLUX 5 Submerged Arc Flux) produced the
best results. Weld metal properties were equivalent to
Operating Characteristics or higher than those obtained with CO, shielding or an
Flux-cored arc welding of cast irons is a new area in open arc, and bead contour and deposition rate were
similar. The main advantage of submerged arc flux is
the field of welding. Much of the development work on
FC 55 involved defining the product's operating char- that no smoke is produced by the arc. The absence of
acteristics and establishing welding parameters for smoke could be important from the standpoint of OSHA
if smoke-extracting equipment is not available.
various joint types. The objective was to accumulate the
basic information needed to apply the process to
specific commercial operations. Power Sources
Direct current, pulsing arc, and alternating current

Effects of Casting Composition and Defects power sources were evaluated for use with FC 55.
As with any welding process, the first item for consid- Direct current power sources with either constant
eration is the condition of the base metal. Potentially voltage or constant current and with reverse polarity
detrimental elements such as sulfur, phosphorus, and gave the best results. Most of the work reported here
lead are normally held to acceptable levels during pro- was done with reverse polarity direct current using a
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
duction of castings. However, abnormally high levels constant voltage power source.
of such elements may cause welding difficulty or defec- A pulsing arc power source was also used success-
tive welds. High levels of phosphorus are particularly fully. With the pulsing arc, lower current and voltage
detrimental. Depending on the amount of weld-metal levels could be obtained, and arc blow was decreased.
dilution, phosphorus may cause hot-cracking of the
weld. Current
The casting must be sound and free of inclusions and
spongy areas. Such defects can cause severe porosity A wide range of current was used with the flux-cored
in the weld. Spongy areas may also be high in phos- electrode. Current varied from 200 A with the pulsing
phorus or some other harmful element. The best arc power source to 450 A with the direct current, re-
method to detect casting defects is by x-ray inspection. verse polarity source. The optimum current range for
Castings may also be impregnated with oil. If not moderate travel speeds was found to be 330 to 380 A.
removed, the oil will cause porosity in the weld metal. Currents up to 450A were required for travel speeds
Oil can be removed from castings by a heat treatment over 35 in./min (89 cm/min). At a given travel speed,
of 900-1OOOF (480-54OC) for a few minutes. higher currents produced deeper penetration. Figure 1
The as-cast surface, or skin, should be removed by shows the effects of current on weld beads deposited
grinding or machining before welding is begun. Unre- with a direct current, reverse polarity power supply.
moved casting skin will cause slag sticking, and it may Figure 2 shows beads deposited at various currents
adversely affect weld quality. with a pulsing arc power source.
Current also influenced deposition rate. At 250 A,
Preheat deposition rate was 9 Ib/hr (4 kgihr); at 380 A, deposi-
tion rate increased to 15 Ib/hr (6.8 kg/hr).
Preheat is not usually necessary for ductile iron, but
better wetting action (wider weld bead) can be ob-
Voltage
*NI-ROD, INCOFLUX. and MONEL are registered trademarks Voltage is related to arc length (distance between the
of The lnternational Nickel Company, lnc. workpiece and electrode). Arc length increases as volt-

AUS W C I 85 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 O007024 5
102 11-11
TW i - EM d ~ d t i gon
. WU ckrdr oopoanda)on ~udlk
iron
voltage, ûeatlwidth, Pene4ratIon. weid areatb), Mlutlon, carbon
V in. cm In. cm In? cm‘ K
25 0.52 1.32 0.080 am 0.068 0.433 u 1.84
28(9 0.54 1.37 0.065 0.165 0.080 0.516 38 1.62
28 0.50 1.27 0.060 0.152 0.083 0.408 46 2.01
30 0.56 1.42 0.080 0.203 0.076 0.490 49 1.94
30(d) 0.58 1.47 0.100 0.254 0.078 0.503 55 2.13
3OW 0.62 1.57 0.085 0.216 0.085 0.548 56 2.11
32 0.50 1.47 0.070 0.178 0.070 0.451 54 2.05
34 0.60 1.52 0.090 0.229 0.073 0.471 68 2.15
35 0.60 1.52 0.080 0.152 0.066 0.426 56 2.09
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
age increases. Greater arc lengths increase the tenden-
cy for air to mix with the molten weld metal passing
from the electrode to the workpiece. The air can con-
sume the deoxidizers in the core, causing porosity in
the weld metal. With open-arc welding, voltages above
31V can cause porosity. Shielding gas can be used to
prevent porosity at the higher voltages.
As shown in Fig. 3, bead width also increases with
voltage. The arc column has the shape of a cone, with
the vertex at the electrode. The base of the cone In-
creases in area as voltage increases, resulting in a
wider bead. -
Fig. 1 €tied ot current on bead 8hape and penetration. I
The effects of voltage variations on bead beads wem depo8ited at the seme trsvel speed and voltage.
characteristics are summarized in Table 1. Amperage values wem, trom leït to right, 200.200.250, 300,
350,4W, and 500. Power supply was direct current, mvem
Polarily
trawl 8p..d
The flux-cored electrode was operated at travel
speeds ranging from 10 in./min (25 cm/min) to 45
in./min (114 cm/min). At 350 A and 30V. the opt¡-
mum travel speed was 20 in./min (51 cmlmin). Higher
travel speeds usually required higher current, especial-
ly for fillet welds.
-
Fig. 2 Eltect oi current on beads deposited with a pulsing-
arc power supply. All beads wre depodted at the seme trave/
Ekctrad.Ertrnukn
speed with peak voltage at 45 V and óackground witage at
The amount of electrode extension (in this study, the 37V. Amperage values were, trom k i t to right, 250,240.230,
distance from the contact tip to the base plate or 275, 285, 295, 310, 330, 340. anil 350
previous bead) affected the degree of penetration by
the arc. With 0.093-In. diam (0.24 cm) electrode, 350 A,
and 3OV. the optimum electrode extension was 0.75 in. I I I I 1 i
(1.9 cm). Shorter electrode extensions caused deeper
penetration. Extenslons less than about 0.5 In. (1.3 cm)
increased the tendency for slag entrapment. Longer
electrode extensions decreased penetration. Figure 4
illustrates the effect of electrode extension on pene-
tration.
As electrode extension Is increased the wire be-
Fig. 3 - E t k t Ot voltage on Width

(1.0)) 0.46
t o w-
o IQdFhrhn
Of boed8 deposhd on
ductile iron

AWS WCI 85 9 07892b5 0 0 0 7 0 2 5 7
11-11 103
comes hotter (the l*R relationship). A given amount of
power is available at a given current and voltage. Ifthe
power is used to heat the wire, less power is available to
penetrate the workpiece. if the electrode is overheated,
its sheath will melt. The molten ball will twirl around the
end of the electrode and be thrown from the welding
area by the magnetic field, causlng spatter.
Fig. I -
€îîect ot electrode exmmlon on ponermtlon. Num-
bers under beads indlcam electrode exmnrlonr In Inohu.
Beads were deposlted on steel er S O A , 30V, end 20 In./mln
0.povltlon Rate (51 cm/mln) rravel speed
The deposltlon rate obtained with FC 55 varied with

welding current. As shown in Fig. 5, deposition rates of
over 15 ib/hr (68 kg/hr) were achieved at the higher
current settings.
The deposition efficiency of FC 55 was found to be
about 80%. That is, for each pound of electrode, 0.8 ib
will deposit as weld metal. The 20% loss represents
slagging ingredlents, deoxidizers, end spatter.
MuHlpk P # n r and Weave Bmda

With the slngle pass technique, structures in the
heat-affected zone were martensite, carbide, or a com-
bination of both. Multipass welding was beneficial be-
cause subsequent passes tempered the heat-affected
zones produced by previous passea. The structure in
the heat-affected zone was then tempered martensite,
or bainite. Carbides were not changed by subsequent
passes. 2 0 0 2 4 0 p 1 o a a o ~ 1 0 0 y o
Both weave beads and stringer beads were de- Ql-A
posited with FC 55. Weave beads up to 1.5 in. (3.8 cm)
wide were produced. l h e two techniques produced FIS. 6 - Etlsot or welding current on deposition ram or FC 66
equivalent weld metal properlbs. Weaving, of course,
decreased travel speed.
Out-of-Pdth Wddlng
The high deposition rates of FC 55 normally made
out-of-position welding impractical. Horizontal welds,
however, were successfully made with small diameter
(0.078 in.) (0.19 cm) wire and a pulsing arc power
source.
Slag Entrapnun1
As wlth any welding process that prgduces slag, slag FIO. 6 -
Slag entrapment under wem bead8 in duoW. hw,
entrapment can occur in flux-cored arc welding of cast vee-groove WeM
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Yleld Strength Tenrlle Elonga- Reduct.

(0.2% OihJet) atrqai, tion, area*
Specimen Shielding ksi MPa ka1 MPa w %
All-weld-metd None 46.0 310 00.0 470 15.5 14.5
All-weld-metal Coa 45.5 314 72.0 400 21.o 18.0
All-wdd-metal
Tranawae
Sub-arcflux
None
48.0
43.6
338
300
74.0
60.0
610
45s -
10.5
--
20.0
Tranawae
Tranavenr
Coa
Sub-arcflux
44.0
45.0
303
310
60.0
#.O
455
441 - -
AU-weld-metalCJ
Tranavarae @J
coa
coa
44.0
13.6
303
300
60.0
67.7
468
407 -
15.0 10.2

AWS WCI 85 m 0784265 0007026 7 W
104 11-11
irons. Slag entrapment can be controlled or eliminated

by proper selection of parameters and proper bead
placement.
Figure 6 shows slag entrapment in four areas of a
welded joint. Slag entrapment occurred under Bead 2
because of a wide weave and slow travel speed. Under
Beads 5 and 8, slag entrapment occurred because of
improper bead placement and insufficient travel speed.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
A travel speed of around 20 h i m i n (51 cmimin) was

found to minimize the possibility of slag entrapment
during multipass welding.
The experience and skill of the operator are impor-
tant factors in avoiding slag entrapment. A trained
operator will know where to position the electrode and
which parameters to vary. Grinding is the best method
to remove areas that contain entrapped slag.
und«wtting
Undercutting creates a notch in the heat-affected
zone, where martensite and carbide are present, and
can decrease the service life of the joint. Undercutting
-
Fio. 7 Undercurring in Klkt weldsbetween duCrne iron and along a groove face can entrap slag. Undercutting can
s W . Joints in top row were welded et 360 A end 30 V wiïh
travel speeds, from 1811 to right, of 35, 40, and 45 in./min (89, be avoided by proper welding conditions.
1O 2 and 1 14 cm/min). Joint at lower left shows increased un- Figure 7 shows the effects on undercutting of
demurring thet resulted from an increase in vdlage to35 V at variations in parameters used for fillet welds between
35ûA and 35 in./min. Undercuning was eliminaîed (lomr ductile iron and steel. Travei speed was varied from 10
right) d t h semngs of Is0 A, 33 V, and 35 ln./min in./min (25 cmimin) to 45 in./min (114 cmimin) with
current maintained at 350A and voltage at 3ôV. Under-
cutting was encountered at a travel speed of 25 h i m i n
(64 cmimin), and the degree of undercutting in-
creased with higher speeds. Attempts to decrease UR-
dercutting by raising voltage resuited instead in more
severe undercutting. An increase in current to 450 A at
35 in./min (76 cmimin) and 35V decreased under-
cutting considerably but did not eliminate it. At the
same travel speed and current, voltage was lowered
from 35V to 33V. Those settings eliminated the under-
-
cutting.
In other work. it was found that preheating the cast
irons to temperatures over 400 F (205 C) reduced the
tendency toward undercutting.
Spatter occurs when the force of magnetic fields

created by direct current flowing through the electrode
exceeds the forces needed to transfer molten metal
across the arc. Spatter is undesirable because It
reduces deposition efficiency and, if It must be re-
moved, increases the time required for completion of
the joint.
Spatter from the flux-cored electrode could be con-
trolled by adjustments in welding parameters. The
amount of spatter increased with voltage. The trendtion
voltage gap (from minimal spatter to significant spatter)
for FC 55 was found to be between 30and 32V. Figure 8
illustrates the effect of voltage on spatter.
Excessive eiectrode extension also caused spatter.
The optimum electrode extension for control of spatter
was about 0.75 in. (1.9 cm).
cunmHidsmdr*
As do other flux-coredelectrodes, FC 55 emits fumes
and smoke during operation. To prevent operator dis-
Fig. 8 - W - m e i a l spatter producd ar vrrkur w t q e
k v s l a W d d i n g m n a ~ ~ i r o m t o p t o b o l t o m . av.91
s v.
96 V, 28 V, and 25 V

AWS W C I 85 078Li2b5 0007027 O
11-11
Fig. 9 -
As-welded structure in he&-affected zone ot joint in -
Fig. 10 Heat-affected zone of joint in ductile iron atter a fer-
ductile iron. X700, reduced 30% ritizing anneal. X700, reduced 30%
5 1541 3
i
i 1361 2
o xa 400 mo m imo imo lua raw ism

1111 1-1 lz<yI 1116I I4271 IS381 16411 i7001 18711 (WII
i n i r a m n . OF i t i
Fig. 11 - Average thermal-expansion coefficients (from 200 F

- Test block used for evaluation of groove joints
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
(93 C) to temperatures shown) tor cast irons and weld metals Fig. 12
comfort or obstruction of the operator's vision, smoke- anneal decomposes the carbides and eliminates the
extracting guns or ventilating systems should be used. martensite.
Because of the self-shielding nature of the cored elec-
trode, smoke-removal systems can be placed near the Coefficient of Expansion
welding area.
As shown in Fig. 11, the coefficient of expansion for
Porthoat
FC 55 weld metal is near the coefficients for gray and
ductile iron. Similar expansion characteristics are
Postheatingand slow cooling of joints in gray iron are necessary to prevent excessive stress levels during
beneficial in that they reduce the tendency of gray iron welding.
to crack in the fusion zone.
Postheating of ductile iron at temperatures of about Evaluation of Welded JoinR
1000 F (540 C) greatly decreases the hard structures
in the heat-affected zone. Joints in ductile and gray iron were welded with FC
55 by various methods and tested for soundness and
FerritizingAnneal mechanical properties. Some joints between ductile
iron and selected dissimilar metals were also evaluated.
Although the extended times at high temperatures
often make it impractical, the ferritizing anneal is one Joint8 in Duclilr Iron
method to rid the heat-affected zone of troublesome
carbides and martensite. The recommended treat- Grade 60/45/10 ductile iron was used for the tests.
ment is 1550-1650 F (845-900 C) for 3 hr, furnace cool Self-restraininggroove joints were machined in 8 X 6 X
to 1275 F (690 C) and hold for 5 hr, furnace cool slowly 1.75 in. (20.3 X 15.2 x 3.4 cm) test blocks. The grooves
to 1100 F (595 C), and then air cool to room tem- were 0.75 in. (1.9 cm) deep. Figure 12 shows the con-
perature. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the ferritizing figuration of the groove joints.

AWS W C I 85 07842b5 0003028 2
106 11-1 1
The groove joints were welded with an open arc, with

CO, shielding gas, and with submerged arc flux. Typical
welding conditions were:
Voltage 30V
Current 350 A, dc
Polarity Reverse
Electrode Extension 0.75 in. (1.9 cm)
Travel Speed 20 in./min (51 cm/min)
Transverse and all-weld metal tensile specimens
were cut from the completed test blocks. slices for
macro- and micro-examination were also prepared
from the blocks. Some of the test blocks were ground
and liquid penetrant inspected to check for weld metal
cracking. Transverse slices were also liquid penetrant
inspected and examined under a microscope.
The tensile-test results are given in Table 2. Figure 13
shows some typical failed transverse specimens. In
most cases, failure occurred in or near the heat-
affected zone. Specimens that failed in that area had
tensile strengths up to about 70,000 psi (483 MPa).
Some of the transverse specimens failed in the base
metal, in which case the tensile strength was usually
greater than 72,000 psi (496 MPa). From these results,
it appears that the heat-affected zone is not the weakest
area if it is narrow.
Preheating of the ductile iron to temperatures of
400F (205C) and 600F (31%). although it provided
better wetting by the weld metal, did not improve
soundness or strength of the joint. For some applica-
tions, preheating may be a disadvantage since it results
in a wider heat-affectedzone and increases the amount
of carbides and martensite in the fusion zone.
Very little weld-metal cracking occurred in the
groove joints. The test results indicate that if a wide root
bead with extreme dilution is deposited, the resulting
high carbon content of the weld metal could cause
cracking. The carbon content required for cracking
would depend on the stresses present, but it is es-
timated to be above 2.5%.
Fig. 13 - Failed ifansverse tensile specimens ?rom /oints in Some fillet joints in ductile iron were also evaluated.
ductile iron At 350 A and 30V, good results were obtained with
-
Fig. 14 Filkt welds in ducüte iron. Joint on left we8 welded at 30 in./min (76 cm/min) with 150 A and 32 V. Joinî on right
was welded at 15 in./min (33 cm/mln) with 350 A and 30 V
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0784265 0007029 4 =
11-11 107
make that area the most vulnerable. High weld-metal

strength is not a requirement for joints in gray iron.
The carbon added to the core of FC 55 forms den-
dritic and nodular graphite in the weid metal. The
resulting increase in volume decreases shrinkage
stresses. In addition, the coefficient of expansion of FC
55 weld metal is near that of gray iron. Even with these
favorable circumstances, sufficient stress may be pres-
ent to cause cracking in the fusion or heat-affected
zone. The prevention of such cracking is the major fac-
tor governing welding procedures for gray cast iron.
Gray iron also exhibits a greater tendency toward
fusion-zone porosity than does ductile iron. The in-
creased susieptibility to porosity is due partly to
differences in chemical composition.
Preheating of the base metal is an effective method
to prevent cracking of joints in material under 0.75 in.
(1.Q cm) thick. Without preheat, the rapid cooling of the
heat-affected zone promotes the formation of carbldes
and martensite. Preheating widens the heat-affected
zone and lowers the hardness of the zone by temper-
ing the martensite. To be effective, the preheat
temperature should be over 400 F (250 C) and
preferably above 600 F (315 C). Highly restrained
joints may require preheat temperatures up to 900 F
Fig. 15 - Effects of preheat and peening on fusion-zone (480 C). Slow cooling of the completed joint Is also
cracking of gray iron. Top joint was completed without pre- beneficial because it tempers the martensite and
heat or peening. Center joint was preheated to 600-650 F reduces the stress that could result from nonuniform
(315-345 C), but was not peened. Bottom joint was welded cooling. A blanket of insulation can be placed over the
without preheat, but each bead was peened
joint to reduce cooling rate.
For joints in material over 0.75 in. (1.9 cm) thick, pre-
heating may not be sufficient to prevent cracking. Peen-
ing of each weld bead is an effective technique for joints
travei speeds from 10 in./min (25 cm/min) to 25 in heavy sections. Peening with a round-nosed tool
in./m¡n (64 cmlmin). With travel speeds from 25 in./ deforms the metal and relieves the stresses. Figure 15
min to 45 in./min (1 14 cmimin). an increase in current
to 450A was necessary to prevent undercutting. Figure shows the effects of peening and preheating on crack-
ing of joints in gray iron.
14 shows cross-sections of fillet welds made at
two different travel speeds.
Cracking of gray iron can also be controlled by care-
ful selection of welding parameters. For example, the
heat-affected zone can be widened by the use of a slow
Jointe in Gray Iron travel speed and a high welding current. A wide heat-
The low strength and low ductility of gray cast iron affected zone is less prone to crack than a narrow zone
make the material particularly susceptible to cracking because of better stress distribution and slower cool-
during welding. Shrinkage stresses that develop during ing. Also, a multipass welding technique will reduce
cooling of the weid metal tend to separate the weid cracking susceptibility because subsequent beads
bead from the base metal. The hard structures (car- temper the preceding beads and their heat-affected
bides and martensite) present in the heat-affected zone zones.
Fig. 16 - Groove-joint design used tor dissimilar metal joints. --``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
I DUCTILE IRON

AWS WCI 85 0784265 0007030 O 9
108 11-1 1
wlnrilri-
Some joints between dudle iron and other materlak
were welded with FC 55 to inveœtigate the dissimilar-
welding capability of the cored electrode. The dissimilar
materials were carbon steel, Type 310 stainless steel,
and a 67% nickel, 32% copper alloy (MONEL alloy 400).
Ductile iron was joined to the three dissimilar
materials by groove joints having the configuration
shown in Figure 16. All t h r o combinations were
successfully welded. Figure 17 show cross sections
from the joints. The standard procedures for welding
ductile iron gave good results for joints involving car-
bon steel and alloy 400. The joints between ductile iron
and stainless steel showed that FC 55 has a low
tolerance for chromium dilution. Hot cracking, general-
ly along the centerline of the weid, occurred with ex-
cessive chromium dilution. Careful positioning of the
electrode and a slow travei speed of 10 in./min (25
cmímin) produced minimum dilution and crack-free
welds. Chromium dilution could also be controlled by
applying a surfacing weld of ENiFe-Ci filler metal on the
stainless steel joint surface.
Fillet welds between ductile iron and carbon steel
were also evaluated. The joints are illustrated in Figure
18, and the evaluation results are summarized in Table
3. As shown in the table, dilution by the ductile iron ia
greater than that by the steel, resulting in a longer fillet
leg on the ductllsiron side of the joint. If a joint must
5 6 7 8
Fig. 18 - Fillet welds between ductile iron (horizontal meniber) and steel described in Table 3
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0784265 0007031 2
11-11 109
~~
Table 3 - Effect of Welding Conditions on Characteristics of Fillet Welds

Between Ductile Iron and Steel
Cur- Volt-
Travel speed rent, age, Heat input HAZ width Dilution, % Fillet size,(b)in.
NO.") In./rnin cm/min A V J/in. Jicm in. cm Castiron Steel X Y Z
1 10 25 350 30 63.000 24,800 0.0137 0.0348 31 10 0.40 0.50 0.65

2 15 38 350 30 42.000 16,500 0.0117 0.0297 29 23 0.30 0.37 0.46
3 20 51 350 30 31,500 12.400 0.0104 0.0264 30 25 0.26 0.28 0.35
4 25 64 450 32 34.500 13,600 0.0107 0.0272 40 17 0.25 0.33 0.38
5 30 76 450 32 28,800 1i,300 0.0101 O.ûî57 36 15 0.24 0.26 0.34
6 35 89 450 33 25,400 10,000 0.0097 0.0246 36 36 0.24 0.24 0.33
7 40 102 450 30 20,250 7,950 0.0095 0.0241 31 36 0.21 0.18 0.29
8 45 114 450 30 18,000 7,100 0.0090 0.0229 30 27 0.19 0.î6 0.24
(a) Numbers refer to photographs in Fig 18

(b) x = length of Miet leg on steel. y = length of fillet leg on ductile iron. z = bead width
have equal fillet legs, the electrode should be pocition- widely used ENiFe-CI flux covered electrode for cast
ed on the steel side of the joint. irons. The flux-cored electrode can be operated with or
The data in Table 3 also show the effects of varia- without shielding gas and with submerged arc flux.
tions in heat input on the heat-affected zones of fillet Deposition rates of over 15 Ib/hr (6.8 kg/hr) have been
welds. As heat input is lowered, the heat-affected zone obtained. The electrode has produced high-quality
becomes more narrow and contains fewer carbides. joints in both ductile iron and gray iron. It has also been
With a sufficiently low heat input, the heat-affected zone successfully used to join ductile iron to some dissimilar
will contain no carbides. Martensite cannot be metals.
eliminated by a low heat input, but it can be tempered Acknowledgments
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
by a twoipass welding method.
The development and testing of FC 55 and the preparation
of this paper involved many people at Huntington Alloys.
Summary Special recognition is given J. F. Crickard for his outstanding
assistance throughout the project. Among the others who
A neb flux-cored electrode has been developed that made significant contributions are H. F. Hendershot, G. A.
makes possible, for the first time, high-speed auto- Pease, J. H. Mesick, R. F. Freeman, J. P. Hunt, L. E. Eisel-
matic welding of cast irons. ? he electrode deposits weld stein, L. E. Shoemaker, IM. Morehouse, W. Turko, T. M.
metal having a composition similar to that from the Chan, R. E. Avery, and H. R. Conaway.

AUS WCI 8 5 W 078q2b5 0007032 Y
110 11-12
The Effect of Base Meia1 Introduction

An important limitation of cast ductile iron has been the lack of
Microstructure on the a superior structural joining method. Poor weldability of ductile
iron can be attributed to the formation of massive iron carbides
Impact Properties of Cast in regions of the parent metal that are partially melted during the
weld pass and to the formation of martensite in regions heated
Ductile Iron Weldments above the eutectoid temperature. Both carbide and martensite
formation are associated with rapid cooling after the weid pass
and contribute to the hard, brittle properties in the partial fusion
D. R. Askeland and heat-affected zones of the weld.
Associate. Professor of Metallurgical Engineering Previous work has demonstrated how these deleterious
Yutaka Hirota, Graduate Student products form during the welding cycle."' At high peak
University of Missouri-Rolla temperatures, the graphite nodules begin to dissolve in the
austenite, producing a carbon gradient from the nodule into the
Rolla, Missouri austenite and resulting in a gradation of transformation
products, including martensite, within this region. Partial
liquefaction also occurs at higher peak temperatures, giving a
ABSTRACT liquid that tends tosolidify as whitecast iron containing massive
Cast ductile iron plates 1.27 cm (0.5 in.) thick were welded with a carbides. The amount of carbidesand martensite depends on the
flux-cored iron-nickel electrode to determine the effect of weld peak temperature reached in the weld cycle.
size and base metal microstructure on the amount and Preheating the ductile iron may help minimize these transfor-
continuity of carbides and martensite in the heat-affected zone. mation products. Relatively low preheats are found to reduce o r
The influence of these parameters on the impact properties of prevent martensite.'-' However, moderate preheats often in-
the weld was subsequently measured. Large welds (or high heat crease the size of the partial fusion zone and thus the amount of
inputs), high nodule counts and a pearlitic matrix were found to massive Only very high preheat temperatures can
increase the amount of continuous carbides in the partial fusion prevent carbide formation.
zone, while small welds (low heat inputs), high nodule counts
and a pearlitic matrix increased the incidence of martensite in Post-heat treatment will temper the martensite or graphitize
the weldment. Low impact properties were obtained for small the massive carbides. However, secondary graphite may form
welds, high nodule counts and a pearlitic matrix. These effects from the martensite during tempering." while chain-like
can be explained due to the influence of the nodule count and graphite nodules are produced when the carbides are
matrix on the rate of solution of graphite in austenite and liquid graphitized.' Both forms of graphite may reduce the ductilityof
during the welding cycle. the weld.
SoErz AFS Transactions,79-73,1979 (American Foundrymen's Society)

--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

i -~ - - - -
AWS W C I ô5 07842b5 0007033 b
11-12 111
Table 1. Welding Parameters
Depth of Groove Arc Voltage Arc current Welding Speed Heat Input
ran (inch) volts amperes cm/rain (inchem/min) cal/cm (Btu/inch)
3.17 (0.125) 28.11 117.5 18.6 (7.;) 2,536 (26,960)
5.55 (0.219) 31.75 137.5 13.1 (5.2) 4.780 (50,790)
6.35 (11.250) 33.6 156.5 12.7 (5.0) 5,940 (63,100)
7.34 (0.289) 36.65 205.0 10.6 (4.2) 10,160 (108.200)
Oxy-acetylene eld ding^''^ and “buttering“ techniques’I have Sample 1: 115 nodules/ mm2obtained with no mold
been found to be effective in reducing these hard constituents in inoculation or chills,
the weld.
Sample 2: 155 nodules/mm2 obtained by adding
The effects of heat input (or weld cross-sectional area), the 10 g of crushed inoculant to the gating
original matrix and the nodule count on the formation of system of the mold.
massive carbides and fiartensite were determined in this
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Sample 3: 228 nodules/mm* obtained by mold in-

investigation. The effects were measured by determining the
oculation and chilling the bottom surface
amount and continuity of the carbides and martensite as well as
of the casting with graphite.
by impact testing of the welds. The impact test was found to be a
useful indicator of the continuity and amount of these brittle Sample 4: 410 nodules/min2 obtained by mold in-
constituents. oculation and chilling top and bottom
surfaces of the casting with graphite,
Procedure
The castings were austenitized at 900C (1650F) and either air
Cast ductile iron plates 1.27 cm (0.5 in.) thick were cast into cooled (normalized) to produce a pearlitic matrix or furnace
green sand molds. The base metal was melted and superheated cooled (annealed) to produce a ferritic matrix. The heat-treated
in a high frequency induction furnace to 1510C (2750F), plates were then clamped together in a vise, two at a time, and
nodulized with 9% MgFeSi and inoculated with 75% FeSi. The four different sized holes were drilled between the plates to
iron was poured at 137OC(2500F). The final composition of the produce grooves. The depths of the grooves were 3. I7 mm (O. 125
iron was 3.40% C, 2.05% Si, 0.28% Mnand 0.025% Mg, with the in.), 5.55 mm (0.219 in.), 6.35 mm (0.25 in.) and 7.34 mm (0.289
other elements within usual specifications. in.).
The nodule count was varied by controlling the mold
inoculation technique and the cooling rate, using graphite chills. A flux-cored iron-nickel electrode 1.98 mm (0.078 in.) in
Four levels of nodule count were produced. diameter was used to fill the grooves in each of the plates. The
3.17 mm
(0.125 in)
5 . 5 5 mm
(0.219 in)
6.35 mm
(0.250 in)
7 . 3 4 mm
(0.289 in)
(al
Fig. 1. Typical weld beads from tour dliferentgroove sizes (a) beforeand (b) after Impact
testing. Nital etch.

AWS WCI 85 0’784265 0007034 8 W
112 11-12
Fig.2. Typical microstructure of the parent metal after annealing. (a) 115 nodules/mm’,
(b) 155 nodules/mm’. (c) 228 nodules/mmzand (d) 410 nodules/mm*.Nitaletch. 1OOX
Transverse specimens were cut from the welded plates and

were surface ground to produce IO mm x IO mm x 55 mm
unnotched Charpy impact bars, with the weld bead located at The specimens were examined metallogriiphically after
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 8 5 0784265 0007035 T
11-12 113
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
(cl
Fig. 3. Typical . microstructure of the parent metal after normalizing. (a) 115
i
nodules/mmz, (b) 155 nodules/mm2,(c) 228 nodules/mm2and (d) 410 nodules/mm2.

Nital etch. 1OOX
testing. The nodule count was determined using specimens that apparent from these examples that the amount, thickness and
had not been etched. The thickness and continuity ofthe carbide continuity of the carbides in this region are dramatically
zone was measured after etching the weld with 10% ammonium influenced by the weld size and base metal microstructure.
persulfate, ( N H ~ ) ~ S Z O X , blackens all of the matrix except
which The average thickness of the carbide zone is shown in Fig. 5.6
the carbides and the austenitic fusion zone. Finally, the welds and 7 as a function of the nodule count and weld size (groove
were repolished and etched with 1% nital to reveal the extent of depth) for the annealed and normalized specimens. The carbide
martensite formation. zone is increased by increasing the weld size (or heat input) and
by increasing the nodule count. These effects can also be seen by
Results comparing Fig. 4a to 4c and Fig. 4a to 4b. At low nodule counts
The original microstructure of the parent metal before welding or for small welds, the carbide z-one also tends to be discon-
is shown in Fig. 2 and 3. A relatively wide range of nodule counts tinuous, as in Fig. 4c and 4d. In general. the pearlitic matrix
was obtained. Annealing was successful in eliminating any encourages the formation of carbides in the partial fusion zone
intercellular carbides and in producing a predominantly ferritic and tends to make the zone more continuous. even for small
matrix, although traces of pearlite remained in some of the welds (Fig. 40.
plates having low nodule counts. Normalizing produced These same regions are shown in Fig. 8 after etching in 1%
primarily pearlite, except for small ferrite rings around the nital to reveal the structure of the he'it-affected one. Some
graphite nodules. The amount of ferrite increased for higher carbides are now observed in the fusion zone. but the carbides in
nodule count irons. the partial fusion zone are more difficult to detect. Martensite
needles can be observed in the partial fusion zone; again, the
Typical microstructures at the fusion 7one boundary are amount and distribution o f thc martensite depends on the weld
shown in Fig. 4 after etching with the ammonium persulfate size and base met;il microstructure.
solution. The austenitic fusion 7one is not attacked. while the
heat-affected zone is totally blackened. The massive carbides in It was not possible to quantitatively meiisure the effect of
the partial fusion zone are easily recognized. It is readily these parameters on the formation o f martensite. Qualitatively.

AWS W C I 85 0 7 8 q 2 b 5 000703b L
114 11-12
(a) Annealed, 115 nodules/mmz. 7.34 mm (0.289 in.) (b) Annealed, 410 noduleslmm’, 7.34 mm (0.289 in.)
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
(c) Annealed, 115 nodules/mmz, 3.17 mm (0.125 in.) (d) Annealed, 410 nodules/mm*,3.17 mm (0.125 in.)
(e) Normalized, 115 nodules/mm’, 7.34 mm (0.289 in.) (f) Normalized, 410 nodules/mm’, 3.17 mm (0.125 in.)
Fig. 4. Typical microstructure of the partial fusion zone showlng carbides. Ammonium
persulfate etch. 250X

AWS WCI 85 078Li2bS 0007037 3
11-12 115
0 115 nodules/mm' 0 115 nodules/mm'

60
li
60 A
A
i'
155 nodules/m* 155 nodules/mm'
0 228 nodules/mm* [3 228 nodules/mm'
0 410 nodules/m' 0 410 nodules/mm'

-
-I
50
l/"l
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
50
w O
z
N
w 40 40
O
U
m
LT
4
U
c
O
30 30
VI
VI
w
sj
H
r 20
20
w
U
2
2
10 10
O
2.5 5. O 1.5 2.5 5. O 1.5
GROOVE DEPTH (m) GROOVE DEPTH (m)

Fig. 5. Average thickness of the carbide zone versus nodule Fig. 6. Average thickness of the carbide zone versus nodule
count and weld size for annealed plates. count and weld size for normalized plates.
the amount of martensite was found to increase when the weld

size decreased (compare Fig. 8a to 8c or Fig. 8b to 8d) and when
a pearlitic matrix was welded. Increasing nodule count appears
to increase the continuity of the martensite band (compare Fig.
0 ANNEALED CONDITION 8c to 8d).
I I
Figure 9 shows the effect of nodule count and matrix structure
on the impact valuesfor 3.17 mm(0.125in.)and7.34mm(0.289
in.) deep grooves. The impact value is found to decrease with
50 increasing nodule count, with increasing pearlite and with
decreasing weld size.
Discussion
The diffusion of carbon from the graphite nodules into the
40
austenite increases with increasing temperature and accelerates
rapidly when melting begins. Consequently. a high carbon
austenite and a very high carbon liquid can be produced
adjacent to the fusion zone.
30
High nodule counts accelerate the enrichment of the austenite
and liquid in carbon due to a higher total graphiteiaustenite
interface area and shorter diffusion distances between the
graphite nodules. As a result. higher nodule counts would be
20
expected to cause the austenite and liquid to be saturated with
carbon more rapidly than low nodule counts. producing more
martensite and thicker bands of continuous carbides on cooling.
as demonstrated in Fig. 5 to 7. The large amount of carbides
10 then reduces the impact properties of the weld.
More carbides were also found in the larger welds. which
require a higher total heat input. The partial fusion zone in the
large welds remained at a high temperature for long periods of
2.5 5.0 1.5 time, permitting more extensive carbon diffusion into the
austenite and liquid. This incrensed the size of the partial fusion
GROOVE DEPTH (mm) zone and promoted the formation of massive carbides on
Fig. 7. Average thickness of the carbide zone as affected by the cooling. a s shown in Fig. 5 to 7. Thus. largcr welds would be
original matrix structure lor high and low nodule count irons. expected to have low impact values. However. the slowcr

AWS WCI 85 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007038 5 W
116 11-12
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
lai 115 nodules/mm2.7.34 mm 10.289 in.) 1b) 410 nodules/mm2.7.34 mm 10.289 in.)
(c) 115 nodules/mm2,3.17 mm (0.125 in.) (d) 410 nodules/mm’, 3.17 mm (0.125 in.)
Fig.8. Typical microstructure of the partial fusion zone for annealed plates. Nital etch.
250X

117
minimizing the carbides rather than the martensite, since the

martensite can be eliminated at lower post-heat temperatures
than the carbides and the products of tempering may be less
detrimental than the products of carbide graphitization.
The original microstructure of the parent metal is also
significant. Large amounts of pearlite and high nodule counts
both favor carbide and martensite formation and thus reduce
impact properties.
Control of the microstructure would be beneficial in design-
ing ductile iron castings that are to be fabricated or assembled by
welding. The areas to be welded should be slow cooled during
solidification of the casting to encourage a relatively low nodule
count. Excessive inoculation or chilling would be harmful. The
casting should be annealed prior to welding. Heat inputs during
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
welding should be low, assuring that the carbides are discon-
tinuous, but the weld must be tempered to eliminate the severe
reduction in impact properties due to martensite formation.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Welding
Research Council, the U.S. Bureau of Mines at Rolla and
Wagner Castings Company for their assistance in this research.
100 200 300 400 500 References

NODULE COUNT ínodulcs/rnrn I
Fig. 9. Effect of n o d u l e count, m a t r i x structure and w e l d size on I . E. E. Hucke. H. Udin. "Welding Metallurgy of Nodular Cast Iron,"
i m p a c t value. Welding Jourml. vol 32. no. 8. Research Supplement, p 3 7 8 4 to
385-S (1953).
cooling rates associated with the high heat inputs minimized the 2. D.J . Kotecki. N. R . Hraton. C. R . Loper. "Welding Ductile Iron
formation of martensite. Because the small welds had a Using t h e G M A S h o r t CircuitingTrdnsfer Process." AFS Transac-
riom. vol 75. p 72 1-726 ( 1967).
continuous band of martensite. the impact values were very low. 3. E. F. Nippes. W. F. Savage. W. A . Owczarski. "The Heat Affected
The martensite appears to be more embrittling than the massive Zone of Arc-Welded I)uct¡le Iron." "<./<ling Journo/. vol 39. no. I I.
carbides. Research Supplement. p 4 6 5 4 t o 4 7 2 4 (1960).
Normalized specimens displayed a lower impact strength than 4. R . O. Day. J . S. Snyder. H. V. Inskeep. "A IVew Nodular Cast-iron
Welding Rod ror Foundriesand Fabricators." WeldingJournal. vol
annealed specimens. Part of this effect may be due to the base 36. no. 9. Research Supplement. p 410-S to 414s (1957).
metal itself, because pearlitic irons normally have poorer impact 5. W. A. Schurnhacker. A . I.. Schaefíler. "A Test Block for Welding
properties than ferritic irons. In addition, the austenite Grey a n d h'oduliir Cast Irons." Welding Journal. vol 35. no. 2.
that forms from the dissolution of pearlite initially contains Research Supplement. p 91-S io 99-S (1956).
more carbon than the austenite that forms from ferrite. 6. T. E . Kihlgrcn. H. C. Waugh. "Joining of Ductile Iron by Several
Consequently, a much different carbon gradient is established in Welding Methods." Wr./t/ing Jozrrna/. vol 32. no. IO. p 947-956
the austenite surrounding the graphite nodules. A similar (1953).
situation exists when the base metal begins to melt. Because of 7. H. Townshcnd. E. O. Porter. "Process Welding of Nodular a n d
Gray-Iron Castings." MiMin~qJourtiul. vol 38. no. 8. Research
the lower amount of carbon in the austenite and the liquid. less Supplement. p 329-S to 334-S (1959).
martensite and massive carbides will form in the annealed 8. M.Nuri Hirer. "Forrniition o f Secondary Graphite During the Heat
specimens, as shown in Fig. 7. and the impact properties will be Treatment of Nodular Cast Iron Weldments." M. S. Thesis.
improved. Similar observations have been reported in previous University of Missouri-Rolla ( 1976).
Wor~.9~14~15
9. G . R. Pease. "The Welding of Ductile Iron." Il'ddi~igReseurdr. vol
39. no. I . Research Supplement. p I-S to 9-S (1960).
Summary and Recommendations 10. J . W. Flnnncry, "Welding Ductile Iron - Part Two." UCltling
The results of this research have demonstrated that the impact En,qinwr. vol 53. no. 12. p 50-53 (1968).
properties of ductile iron weldments depend on the amount and I I . R . C. Hates. F.I . Morley. "Welding Nodular Iron Without Post-
Weld Anne;iliiip." WWding Journul. vol 40. no. 9. Research
distribution of massive carbides and martensite in the heat-
Supplement. p 417-S t o 422-5 (1961).
affected and partial fusion zones of the weld. In particular, thick 12. R . A. Hishcl. H. R. Conaway. "Flux-Cored Arc Welding for High-
continuous bands of massive carbides are detrimental to Quiility . h i n t s in I h c t i l e Iron." A FS Trumucfioiw.vol 84. p 487-492
properties. Martensite may become a problem when the carbide (1976).
zone is small and discontinuous. 13. A. .I. Oshorn. "Repair Welding of Ductile Iron." Cusriqq Grgin<w-
ing. vol 9. no. 3. p 25-37 (1977).
The size of the weld changes the type of undesirable 14. .I. W. Flatincry. "Welding Ductilc Iron - Part One." "&ling
constituent - massive carbides for large welds or martensite for En,~inwr.vol 53. no. I I , p 57-61 (1968).
small welds. The smaller welds have the poorer impact 15. "Welding I h c t i l e Iron: Current Practices a n d App1ic;itions."
properties. However, better overall results might be obtained by Ductile Iron Society. Moiintninsidc. New Jersey.

AWS W C I 85 W 0 7 8 Y 2 b 5 0007OqO 3 W
118 11-13
Submerged Arc Welding

of Ductile Iron
M. A. Daviia, D. L. Olson
Dept. qf Metallurgical Engineering
Colorado School of Mines, Goldon, Colorado
T. A. Freese
Electron Corporation
Littleton, Colorado
ABSTRACT
The effect of alloying additions in the welding flux on the
graphitization and noduiization of the fusion zone in pearlitic
ductile iron has been investigated using the submerged arc
welding process. Nodulization of the ductile iron fusion zone
was achieved using low-carbon steel wire with specific welding
flux additions.
Introduction
Ductile iron is a cast material consisting of a steel matrix with
spheroidal or nodular graphite. This relatively new engineering
material combines the castability of gray cast iron and the
mechanical properties of cast steel. Before the full potential of
ductile iron can be realized it will be necessary to develop
welding procedures'-" which enable joints t o be completed
having properties comparable with those of the base metal.
The graphitization and nodulization of the ductile iron
weldments is a function of the thermal experience and chemical
composition of the weld Composition variations of the
weld pool result from the dilution of ductile iron parent metal as
well as from the melting of the welding wire and flux.additions.
Graphitization of cast iron weidment is achieved by additions of
carbon (C). silicon (Si) and calcium (Ca) to the weld pool.
Nodulization of the graphite is promoted by magnesium (Mg)
and rare earth (RE)additions t o this weid pool. Togaina better
understanding of the influences of these flux additions on the
microstructure of the ductile iron weldments, this submerged
arc welding flux investigation was initiated.
Experimental Procedure
Ductile iron base metal test plates (180 x 80 x 30 mm) were
prepared for welding. The chemical composition (wt %) and the
physical properties of this ductile iron base metal are shown in
Table I. Prior t o welding, all welding test plates were ground t o
remove the oxide scale and the surface was cleaned with alcohol.
The microstructures of the as-received ductile iron plates are
shown in Fig. la and Ib. The structure consisted of graphite
nodules surrounded by ferrite rings and the darker lamellar
structure in the matrix is pearlite. This typical structure is
described as a bull's-eye pattern, By comparison with standard
structures of AFS2' the base metal consists of 27% ferrite and
73% pearlite. It also has 46 nodules/mm2 and using the
conversion curve for nodule counts of Schwartz:' a number of
1650 nodules/mm' was obtained. The average size of these
nodules in the as-received ductile iron was 0.093 mm in
diameter.
Some of the test plates received a ferritizing heat treatment (cl
and their structure is shown in Fig. IC. It contains graphite Fig. 1. Microstructureof the ductile iron base metal: a) pearlitic
nodules and the lighter structure in the matrix is ferrite. Its ductile iron (nital etch, lOOX), b) micrograph of the graphite
hardness is i63 Bhn and the graphite nodules have an average nodule surrounded by a ferritic ring in a pearlitic matrix (nitai,
diameter of O. 1198 mm. Small irregularities in the shape of the SOOX), c) ferritic ductile iron (ferritizing heat treatment). (nital,
nodules were observed after the ferritizing heat treatment. 1oox).
Source: AFS Transactions, 77-75,1977 (American Foundrymen's

_______
Society) --``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
._ -
_.
/
~
~ ~-
i_.-- 1
AWS W C I 8 5 m 0784265 000704L 5 m
11-13 119
Table 1. Chemical and Physical Properties of the Ductile Iron
Base Metal
Com position Weight Percent
c ...........................................................................
si ..................
Mn ..............................................................
................
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
N i ..................
This investigation began using 100% commercial flux. Later,

by adding different amounts of graphite, four fluxes were
prepared with 2. 5, i0 and 15% graphite with the balance being
the commercial flux. An attempt was made to prepare three
more fluxes with 20. 25 and 50% graphite but this effort was
discontinued because of instability of the welding arc and poor
bead morphology.
The research continued by preparing five more fluxes adding
1.5$[ Si(3% ferrosiliconcontaining 50q. Si) toeachcomposition
oft he five already prepared fluxes consisting of commercial flux
with O, 2. 5. 10 and 15% graphite additions. In this way
ferrosilicon was increased t o amounts of 6. 9. 12. 15 and 18%.
C wi si S P
..
El 12 Check
AS.17-69 Analysis 0.07 0 . 9 0.02 0.03 0.009
(WT%) GRAPHITE ADDITIONS IN THE FLUX

Fig.2. Micrograph of the weid metal: a) unetched, 250X, b) Fig. 3. Constant-graphiteparticlelinesrelatedto the siliconand
ammonium persulphate, 400X, c) etched nital, 250X. graphite additions in the flux.

Provided by IHS under
c
license with AWS
AWS W C I 85 078q2b5 00070Li2 7
120 IJ-13
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 4. Micrographs of the weld metal lor graphite additions in
lhe flux (unetched, 125X): a) OVO, b) Pio, c) Solo d) lo%, e) 15%
graphite additions.
Magnesium in the form of ferromagnesium (3.19% Mg. 46.86% reground until all the material passed througha 28-meshscreen.
Si) was also used to prepare five more fluxes with 0.04. 0.08, After weighing each flux addition, the fluxes were mixed to the
O. 12, 0.16 and 0.2Wz Mg; 15% graphite; additional ferrosilicon proper composition for 60 min to guarantee complete
additions to maintain a total of 3% Si in the commercial flux. homogeneity in the mixture.
Five fluxes were prepared by adding @% of a low-Si inoculant The welding was performed under the condition of constant
alloy (47.08% Si; 0.79%; Ca; 1.25% A l and the balance Fe) to heat input in order t o study the effects of flux additions on the
tluxes containing O, 2, 5. IO and 15% graphite additions in the graphitimtion and nodulization effects in the weld pool. All
commercial flux. These fluxes were prepared to investigate the welding was performed with the submerged arc welding process.
influence of Cu additions. A low Mg-containingtreatment alloy The filler metal used in this investigation was l/8-¡n.-dia
(3.ü774, Mg; 2.05+, R E and 45.01% Si) in amounts of 0.04.0.08. welding wire, the composition of which isshowninTable2. The
O. 12, O. 16 and 0.20C4, Mg was also used to prepare five more welding operation was performed using direct current reverse
fluxes with 15$:{, graphite. additional ferrosilicon to maintain a polarity. A bead on plate was welded in a flat position with a
total of 3%. Si in the commercial flux. These fluxes were single pass. The specimen was allowed t o cool to room
prepared to investigate the effect of R E additions. The materials temperature. The welding parameters employed in this research
used i n making up the fluxes were carefully pulverized. sized and are summarized in Table 3.

AUS W C I 85 m 078Li265 0007043 7 m
11-13 121
Fig. 5. Micrograph of the weld

metal for ferrosilicon
additions i n the flux,
(uneiched, 125X): a) O%, b)
3%, c) 6%, d) 9%, e) 12%, 1)
15% and g) 18% ferrosilicon
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
addition.
---
-.----I-._..-...-.-.--" " . - ... - - -- 1

-.-..-_____-._-----i.-----.----
I
~
I
I heat affected zone unaffected parent metal
! l
Fig.6. Sequential microstructureacross base metal, heat affected zone, fusion line and fusion zone. (nital 2%, 75X)

122 11-13
TaMe3. Welding Parameters for Ductile Iron Base Metal
volt age.. .............................................................................. .2K

Amperage ........................................................................... 300
‘Travel speed (fpm) .............................................................. 9.6
Wire speed (tpm) ...........................
Heat input (kji in.) ........................
Three types of heat treatment were investigated:
i ) Preheating of the basemetal at 750. 1000.1250and 1500F

(399. 538. 677 and 816C)
2) Ferritizing heat treatment 3 hr at 1650F (899C). furnace
cool t o 1275F(690C), hold 5 hr at 1275F(690C). furnace
cool to room temperature
3) Tempering: I hr at 800,900. 1000, 1100 and 12OOF (427,
482. 538, 593 and 649C). furnace cool. This heat treatment
was carried out in a vacuum furnace (0.062 atm).
The specimens, which were obtained from plates welded with
each of the different flux compositions, were prepared from a
section cut perpendicular t o the welded joint. A Rockwell C
hardness profile was made from hardness measurements across
the \veld at I ‘%in. below the plate surface. Several diamond Fig. 7. Microstructureof ihefusionIineinductileironweldment.
pyramid hardness (dph) tests were carried out t o identify (2% nital, 1OOX)
carbides. martensite. pearlite and ferrite structures. Optical The transition from the pearlitic ductile iron parent metal
photomicrographs of the microstructure in the fusion zone of with the graphite nodules which are surrounded by ferrite rings
each of the samples were obtained. Measurements of the to the carbide-rich fusion zone is well illustrated in Fig. 6. Notice
amount of pearlite and ferrite were accomplished by the the partial decomposition of the graphite nodules in the heat
outlining and weighing method and by comparing the affected ;lone (HAZ) and the resulting martensite. Adjacent to
photomicrograph with standards already established by the HAZ is a very narrow region called the fused bast metal or
AFS.’”’‘ The carbides in the fusion zone were identified by the fusion line. Fig. 7. In this region liquid exists around each
highlighting with a IWh aqueous solution of ammonium nodule during welding. After rapid cooling, this liquid region
persulfate and comparing with AFS charts.” Determination of transforms t o primary carbides and martensite. The weld
the number of graphite nodules per unit area was accomplished structure consisted of intermediate-shape graphite, carbide
by using a ground, polished and unetched specimen. Chemical structures and fine pearlitc.
analysis of the specimens was performed t o determine the weight
percent of Mg, C, Si and Mn in the fusion zone of these test The width t o depth ratio (W/D). a parameter typically
weldments. Two chemical analysis samples were used for each reported for weldments, is illustrated as a function of the flux
test condition to decrease the uncertainty of these reported addition in Fig. 8. This ratio ( W / D) is most sensitive to graphite
values. addition in the flux, while the ferrosilicon addition does not
have a major effect on bead morphology. The influence of the
Results and Discussion flux addition on the bead morphology is probably due t o the
Effect of the Silicon and Graphite Additions on Flux Behavior clecirical and thermal properties of these specific fluxes. The
flux with the lowest thermalconductivityinthemoltenstatewill
The number and morphology of the graphite particles in the confine more thermal energy in the location of the weld pool.
weld metal were observed in unetched weldments as shown in This will affect penetration and the sire and shape of the HAZ.
Fig. 2a. When the metal wasetched with ammonium persulfate
the carbides appear as light particles as shown in Fig. 2b. Also Hardness profiles for the weldment of pearlitic ductile iron
the weid metal was etched with nital 2% to display the complete base metal is illustrated in Fig. 9. The high hardnessshown(550
microstructure as shown in Fig. 2c. About 35 specimens of the Bhn) in the HAZ was obtained at theedge of the fusion zoneand
weld metal were microscopically examined to observe the
influence of the Si and graphite additions to the fluxes. Figure 3
is a graphical correlation of the results relating the graphitiza- OGRAPHITE ADDITION
tion of the weld metal t o the Si and the graphite content of the oFERROSILICON ADDITION
flux. From Fig. 3 it is observed that the graphitization increases
withthe amount ofgraphiteadditiontothefluxand thiseffectis
more prominent for the flux with greater Si content. It can be
seen that large increases of graphitization in the weld metal
require increases in both the Si and graphite content of the flux
(Fig. 4 and 5 ) . Generally the graphite in the weld metal was
found t o be an intermediate shape between spheroidal and flake.
This nodular tendency could be due t o diluted Mg and RE of the
melted base metal. Such behavior was predicted by Riley.’ The
size of graphite in the weld metal goes from very small (0.01 I
mm) t o large (0.044mm). The amount of carbide increased as I I L
5 10 15
the graphite content increased in the flux with no Si content. But (WT%) GRAPHITE ADDITIONS IN THE FLUX
for the other flux compositions the amount of carbides in the I I I I I I I
weld metal remains constant, although the graphitization O 3 6 15 9 12
18
increased. Loper and Heine26 reported that a n inverse (WT%) FERROSILICON ADDITIONS IN THE FLUX
relationship exists between the amount of carbide formation Fig. 8. Ratio W/D of the weldments related to the graphite and
and graphitization. ferrosilicon additions in the flux.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 m 0789265 0007045 2 m
11-13 123
N 0 6% FERROSILICON
+0.047 CALCIUM
600 I W
z
wz I99
0
+0.075 ALUMINUM ADDITION
6% FERROSILICON ADDITION
0
u)
2 166
W
I
I-
I33
z
iooi 1 1 1 1 1 I I I I I
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 I I I
MM O0 h 5 IO I:
Fig. 9. Transversal hardness profile of the weldmentsdonewith (WT%oI GRAPHITE ADDITION IN THE FLUX
a flux of 15% graphite and 6% ferrosilicon addition. Fig. 10. A comparison of the graphitizationeffect of calcium and
ferrosilicon graphite additions to the flux.
was contained in a very narrow region. It reflects the presence of
carbi.de and martensite at this location. Normally the hardness particles with proper graphite morphology in the weld metal
of the weld metal was 450 to 500 Bhn. This isconsistent withthe
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
(Fig. 3): the optimum flux composition was chosen to be a

large amount of carbides observed in the weld metal. commercially available submerged arc welding flux with 15%
After welding35 specimens withincreasing graphite additions graphite and 6% ferrosilicon additions. It is this flux t o which
of 0-25o/c, and theferrosilicon additions ofO-I8%intheflux, the further flux additions (such as ferromagnesium. R E , etc.) were
selection of the best flux composition was attempted. Fluxes made to continue the investigation of the nodulization effect of
with a composition higher than 15% graphite was eliminated the graphite.
from the selection due to arc instability and inferior bead Effect of Calcium, Magnesium and Rare Earth Additions on
morphology. Fluxes with a composition higher than 6% Flux Behavior
ferrosilicon were eliminated due to commercial specifications of
Si content in ductile iron of not greater than 3.5% or about the Calcium, magnesium and rare earth additions were made to
equivalent of 200 Bhn hardness in the ferrite matrix. Ferrite these fluxes (the commercial flux, 15% graphite and 6%
hardnesses greater than 200 Bhn will produce a brittle structure ferrosilicon (3% Si)) to investigate their ability to affect the
and unmachinable material. amount and morphology of the graphite. Figure 10 illustrates
the effect of Ca. introduced as a ferroaddition. on the
Within the acceptable range of 15% graphiteadditionand6% concentration of graphite particles in the fusion zone. It can be
ferrosilicon addition further analysis was necessary t o select the seen that the small Ca (0.047%) and aluminum (AI) (0.075%)
best flux composition which produced the most graphite additions to these fluxes of different graphite content caused a
major increase in the amount of graphite i n the fusion zone.
500 c N
Although excessive additions of Ca have a very powerful
I
z I
133-
Z
I
R
m z
O
v>
m
300- 5 110-
W LL
z
D
a
5 200-
OFUSION ZONE :
z 88 -
L I OHEAT AFFECTED ZONE
661
loot d
'
0
I
250 500 750 1000 1250 150
500 750 1000 1250 1500
PREHEATING TEMPERATURE OF 9<3 PREHEATING TEMPERATURE OF
Fig.11. Hardness profile as function of the preheating
temperature of pearlitic ductile iron specimen for the Fig. 12. Graphitization effect in the weid metal related to the
weldments done with 15% graphite and 6% ferrosilicon addi- preheating tempeiature of the ductlle iron for the weldment
tion in the flux. done with 15%graphlteand6%ferr0~iliconadditiünintheflux.

AWS W C I 85 D 0 7 8 9 2 b 5 0 0 0 7 0 ~ b9
124 11-13
carbide-stabilizing effect, the hardness obtained i n the weld
metal was about 450 Bhn, remainingfairlyconstant with respect
t o the weld metal obtained by using only the ferrosilicon and
graphite flux.
Calcium has been found t o reduce carbide cell si7e and
increase graphite nodule count." Furthermore it can be
observed that larger graphite particle size can be obtained by
additions of Ca to the flux. Thus Ca additions would be
expected t o increase the effectiveness of the inoculants when
added in controlled amounts.
A series of fluxes containing a constant 6% ferrosilicon. 15%
graphite and increasing percentages of the Mg additions was
prepared. It is well known" that Mg. in addition to being
effective as a deoxidizer and desulfurizer. is used io precipitate
graphite as spheroids. Weldmeht specimens were made with
these fluxes for microstructural investigation. Fluxes containing
insufficient Mg gave weld deposits which contained flake
graphite. The transition from flake graphite t o nodular graphite
was found in the weld deposits with increasing amounts of
ferromagnesium in the flux. It was observed that Mg did not
increase the nodule count. The nodule count remained generally
constant at about 140 graphite particles/mm* in the weld metal.
Moreover, a slight increase in the hardness was observed with
respect to the ferrosilicon-graphite flux. Vermicular graphite,
found in weldments made using ferrosilicon-graphite fluxes,
was not fûund in the weldments made using ferromagnesium
fluxes.
Cerium (Ce) was also used in the flux as a R E addition to Fig.13. Microstructure of the weld metal for 6Oh ferrosilicon,
study the improvement in the spheroidization of the graphite in 15%, graphite, 0.20% magnesium additions in thewelding flux
and a preheating temperature (1200F). (unetched, 15OX)
the weld metal. Five fluxes were prepared with additions of Mg
(0.04-0.20%) and Ce (0.024-0.119%). The Si (3%) and graphite formation is a well-established approach." Figure I I shows the
additions (15%) remained constant. The Ca additions were decrease in hardness of the fusion zone with increasing
reduced from 0.045 to 0.024% in these fluxes. The spheroidal preheating temperature. Also the concentration of observable
shape was found t o start at a lower level of Mg additions in the graphite particles in the fusion zone was found t o increase with
flux with Ce additions(O.OS% Mg- 0.039% Ce). The spheroidal increasing preheat temperature (Fig. 12). This increase in the
shape of the graphite was obtained in the weld at 0.20% Mg in number of graphite particles is consistent with the increase in
the fluxes without Ce additions and about 0.0896 Mg with Ce time for nucleation with the resulting slower rates. The growth
additions. There is a definite complimentary effect of the Mg of the graphite nodules was enhanced by this slower cooling
and Ce as spheroidizer elements in the weld metal. rate, resulting in increased nodule diameter.
The chemical composition of the weld metal was found to be The resultingmicrostructure of the weld metal which has been
in general agreement with the microstructure observed in the preheated at 1200F (649C) for I hr can be seen in Fig. 13. This
fusion zone. The number of graphite particles and the Ccontent weld was made with the optimum flux additions which were
of the weld metal were found t o be a function of the amount of found in this investigation. The flux composition was Kt
graphite addition to the flux. The Si content of the weld metal ferrosilicon. 15% graphite. 0.2094 Mg (ferroaddition). O. I2?; Ce
and the graphite particle concentration also correlate in the (ferroaddition) and 0.0249;. Ca (ferroaddition) t o the com-
same manner as the ferrosilicon addition in the flux. The mercial welding flux. Notice the excellent nodule concentration
efficiency of Si transfer t o the weld pool was not found t o be a and shape achieved by the lluxand preheat procedure. From the
strong function of the amount of ferrosilicon additions in the results of this investigation. the above flux composition and
welding flux. However, lowering the graphite content of the preheat treatment have been shown t o produce the best
welding flux improves the C transfer efficiency t o the weld nodulization in the fusion zone. This flux composition and
metal. The chemical analysis for Mg shows a greater transfer preheat treatment are recommended for further research and
efficiency of Mg for lower ferromagnesium additions in the flux development as a flux coating for steel electrode in the shielded
as predicted by Clark.2Y metal arc welding of pearlitic ductile iron.
Postheat treatment was also investigated as a method to
Effect of Preheating and Pastheating Treatments on the reduce the hardness of the fusionzone andeliminatesome ofthe
Microstructure of the Fusion Zone residual stresses. One hour stress-relieving anneals were applied
t o the weld metal at several temperatures. The hardness of thc
I n addition to the microstructure being controlled by chemical fusion zone was found t o decrease with increasing post-heat-
composition; the cooling rate is extremely important. The treating temperature ( i-ñr anneal).
deposited weld metal cools very rapidly from the molten
conditions. This is unavoidable due t o the conditions under A full ferritizing anneal (3-hr at 1650F(899C). furnacecool t o
whichit was melted. When the moltenductileiron weld pool had 1275F (690C). hold 5 hr at 1275F(690C). furnace cool t o rooin
all its C in solution, the casting (parent metal) quickly absorbed temperaturc) was applied to the weld metal. This anneal changes
the heat from the molten weld metal. Thus the metal. which on the hard microstructure (carbide and martensite) in the weld
ordinary cooling was ductile iron, will produce primarily a metal into a more stable, uniform and softer microsiructure
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
carbide structure in the fusion zone. Preheating the ductile iron such as ferrite. Four tests at different temperatures and tinies
base metal before welding t o slow down the rate of heat loss were carried out. From each of the above tests the time and
from the weld metal and reduce the amount of carbide temperature required t o decompose the carbides were recorded

7
AWS W C I 85 W 078ri2b5 00070q7 b
11-13
References
9- I . G. S.Schaller. "Cast Iron Electrodes for Welding Gray Cast Iron,"
Welding Journal. vol 19 (IO), Res. Suppl. p 395s-401s (Oct 1940).
2. R. V. Riley and J. Dodd, "Ferrous Rod for Welding Nodular-
z a- Graphite Cast Iron," Foundry Trade Journal. vol 93, p 555-560(Nov
3 1952).
DY 7-
3.5. Sohn. W. Boam, and H. Fisk. "Arc Welding of Ferritic and
Austenitic Nodular Cast Iron." Welding Journal, vol 32 (9). p 823-
a
W
833 (Sep 1953).
œ 4. J. E. Kihlgren. and H. C. Waugh."Joining of Ductile Iron by Several
m Arc Welding Methods," Welding Journal, vol 32( IO), p947-956(0ct
6-
v) 1953).
W
z
œ
5-
5 . F. A. Ball. and D. R. Thorneycroft. "Metallic-Arc Welding of
Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron," Foundry Trade Journal, vol 97, p
499-507 (Oct 1954).
9 6.W. A. Schumbacker. and A. L. Schaeffler, "A Test Block for
Welding Gray and Nodular Cast Irons." Welding Journal, vol 35(2)
œ 4- Res. Suppl.. p 91s-99s (Feb 1956).
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
O
IL 7. R. O. Day, J. S. Snyder, and H . V. Inskeep, "A New Nodular Cast-
g 3-
Iron Welding Rod for Foundries and Fabrication." Welding
Journal. vol 36 (9). Res. Suppl., p 410s-414s (Sep 1957).
I 8. B. Townshend, and E. O. Porter,"Process Welding of Nodular and
Gray-Iron Castings." Welding Journal. vol 38 (8). Res. Suppl., p
2- 329s-334s (Oct 1959).
9. G. R. Pease. "The Welding of Ductile Iron." Welding Journal, vol 39
( I ) . Res. Suppl.. p Is-9s ( J a n 1960).
I- IO. E. F. Nippes. W. F. Savage and W. A. Owczavski. "The Heat-
Affected Zone of Arc-Welded Ductile Iron," Welding Journal, vol 39
( I I). Res. Suppl., p 465s-472s (Nov 1960).
l I 1 I l I I I . R . C. Bates, and F. J. Morley, Jr.."Welding Nodular Iron Without
1450 1500 1550 1600 1650 1700 Post-Weld Annealing." Welding Journal. vol 40 (9). Res. Suppl.,
417s-422s (Sep 1961).
TEMPERATURE O F 12.Y. A. Stevenbogen. V. F. Khorunov, Y. Y. Gretskii. and M. M.
Fig. 14. A comparison of the time required io break down the Fishkis, "A Mechanized Method of Welding Gray Cast Iron Using
carbides in the weld metal and the carbides in astandardwhite Cored Electrode Wire.'' AVI. Svarka (9). p 82-86 (Sep 1962).
iron. 13.J. W. Flannery. "Welding Ductile Iron -- Part One," Welding
Engineer. vol 53 ( I I ) p 57-61 (Nov 1968).
as is shown in Fig. 14. It shows that at any temperature the time 14.5. W. Flannery. "Welding Ductile Iron - Part Two," Welding
requiredto breakdown thecarbidesintheweldmetalisless than Engineer. vol 5; ( 12). p 50-53 (Dec 1968).
15. W. Web. "Unter Pulverschwlssen mit Fullbandelektrode von
in white iron. Since the nucleation of the graphite in the weld Gusseisen mit Kugelgraphit." Schweissen and Schneider. vol 4(4). p
metal has already been achieved during the welding process by 21 (Apr 1969).
the graphitizing additions t o the flux, such a decrease in the 16. Y. Y. Gretskii. and V. A. Metlitskii. "Mechani7ed Welding and
necessary tirne to break down the carbides and t o diffuse the Deposition of Iron Containing Spheroidal Graphite- Using Core
carbon to the graphite was expected. Electrode Wire." Ait. Svarka (IO). p 36-38 (Oct 1971).
17. R. A. Bishel. "Flux-Cored Electrode for Cast Iron Welding."
Conclusions Welding Journal. vol 52 (6). p 372-381 ( J u n 1973).
18. H. Morrogh. and W. J. Williams. "The Production of Sodular
i) The graphitization in the weld metal was increased when Si, Graphite Structure in Cast Irons," Jour. Iron and Steel Instit.:vol
158- (3). p 306-322 (Mar 1948).
Ca and graphite additions were increased in the flux. Also 19. I . Minkoff. "Factors Affecting Growth of Spheroidal Graphite."
the preheating treatment yielded better graphite size and Modern Casting. vol 41 ( I ) . p 66-72 ( J a n 1962).
mor phology. 20.C. R. Loper. and R. W. Heine."The Solidification of Cast Iron with
2) The bead morphology was found t o be insensitive to Spheroidal Graphite," Trans. ASM. \o1 56. p 135-151 (1963).
variation in the Si additions inthe flux. Graphite additions in 2I."Microstructure of Ductile Iron." AFS publication. Des Plaines. 111.
the flux definitely idluence the morphology of the weld ( 1965).
metal. Fluxes with greater than 15% graphite addition 22. H. A. Schwartz. Metals and Alloys. vol 7. p 278 (1936).
produced arc instability and poor bead parameters. 23. Measurement of the Pearlite Content i n Ductile Iron
3) Neither Mg nor Ce additions t o the flux increased the Microstructures. AFS publication, Des Plaines. 111. ( 1971).
graphite count in the weld metal. However both additions 24. Reference Microstructure for Measurement of Pearlite and Ferrite,
Confent in Ductile Iron Microstructures. AFS publication. Des
assisted in the precipitation of the graphite in the weld metal Plaines. 111. (1973).
as spheres. Magnesium and cerium effects were found t o be 25. E. F. Ryntz. Reference Microstructure for Visual Estimation (it Iron
complementary. Carbide Content in Nodular Iron. AFS publication. Iles Plaines, 111.
4) Nodulization of the ductile iron fusion zone was achieved ( 1975).
using low-carbon steel wire with specific welding flux 26.C. R. Loper. and R. W. Heinc. "Graphite Formiition During
additions. Solidification of Cast Iron." AFS Transactions, vol 69. p 583-590
(1961).
Acknowledgements 27."The Ductile Iron Process." Miller and Company. Coinpndium IV.
Chicago. 111. ( 1972).
The authors acknowledge the research, equipment, materials 2X:The Ductile Iron Molten Metal Processing." A F S publication. Des
and chemical analysis support of the United States Army Plaines, 111. (1974).
Research Office, Hobart Brothers Co. Electron Corp and 29.A. R. Clark. and T. K. McClahan. "Low Mapncsium Alloys
Republic Steel Corp. Improves Magnesium Recovery." Foundry. vol 93. p 172-177( 1965).

AWS W C I 8 5 0 7 8 9 2 6 5 0007098 8
126 11-14
Welding Consumable Research

For Ductile Iron
Research at the Colorado School of Mines has developed
new austenitic consumable materials for welding ductile
iron that offer economic advantages, reduce cracking
susceptibility, and are machinable.
A. M. Davila and D.L. Olson
Dept of Metallurgical Engineering
Colomdo School of Mines
Golden, CO
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Before the full engineering potentials of ductile iron can be amounts of 99.9% pure Mn and Ni powder (100 mesh aver-
realized it will be necessary to develop welding procedures age) with a commercial submerged-arc welding flux. The
that enable joints to be completed having properties com- filler metal used was a 3.2mm diameter low carbon steel
parable to those of the parent metal. Ductile iron castings welding wire. Weld deposits were produced with the sub-
could serve as economical substitutes in many steel casting merged-arc weld process, which was chosen not because its
applications if they could be assembled by welding. use is advocated for commercial ductile welding, but
There are two approaches to the fusion welding of ductile because as a research tool it offers excellent control of
iron, both of which attempt to control the structures result- welding variables aiid a convenient means of changing flux
ing from the eutectic and eutectoid transformations.' ' The and metal additions to the weld pool. The welding
first approach is to produce nodular graphite during the parameters used in this investigation were selected to
eutectic reaction by the addition of graphitizing and nodu- produce a constant heat input of 3.5kJímm. The welding
larizing agents to the weid metal from the welding rod, wire, voltage was 30V with a travel speed of 245 mmímin and the
or flux. In this way a weld metal is produced which has a current was approximately 500A. Using these parameters
microstructure, mechanical properties. and thermal expan- and fluxes, single-pass bead-on-plate specimens were made
sion properties similar to those of the parent metal. on the pearlitic ductile iron (27% ferrite and 73% pearlite)
The purpose of the second approach is to produce a tough, test plates. The weldments were made in the flat position
relatively soft, austenitic weld metal. Desirable properties 01 using DC reverse polarity and without preheat treatment.
these welds result from avoidance of the eutectoid and its Metallographic specimens were prepared from transverse
hard products and from the ability of the austenite to absorb sections of the welds. Fusion zones, fusion lines, and heat-
carbon rejected by the parent metal, thus reducing the affected zones (HAZ) were examined for microstructures,
formation of carbides. At present this is accomplished by zone widths, and defects. Volume fractions of austenite
using nickel alloys as filler materials, such as Fe-95%Ni and phase and carbides in the fusion zone were determined.
Fe-550bNi. Since there may be possible advantages in the Figure 1 illustrates the various modifications in zone
reduction of this high nickel content, the research described microstructures resulting from the nickel and manganese
in this paper concentrated on studying the effects of the additions. Note the breaking up of the continuous carbide
replacement of nickel to varying degrees by manganese in structure with these alloy additions. Figure 2 shows the
the weld metal. volume percent of carbides in the fusion zone as a function
of flux composition. With no alloy additions to the flux the
Experimental Investigation structure is carbides and very fine pearlite, but the maxi-
Fifty ïûûûg flux samples were prepared by mixing various mum amount of carbides in the fusion zone resulted with a
- Source:
---- Mqciern Casting, November 1980
, - - __
AWS WCI 85 m O ~ J A W , ~ 0007ou T m
11-14 127
/
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. Fusion zone microstructure as function of the \

amount of nickel and manganese met(il powders to the sub-
merged arc welding flux.These metal powder additions di-
rectly alter the weld metal composition and microstructure.

AWS WCI 85 m 0781r2b5 0007050 b m
128 11-14
Cmmercial flux wiin sieel wire
Fig. 2. Volume percent carbide in weld metal as a-function of

nickel and manganese powder additions in the welding
flux.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
60% Ni 60% Hn
30% NI,30% Mn
10%Mn addition to the flux. Small amounts of nickel in the

flux are more effective than small amounts of manganese in
Commercmi flux wilh steel wire
reducing the amount of carbides, but for large additions this
trend is reversed, as indicated by the close spacing of the
lines on the lower part of the manganese side of this dia-
gram.
Manganese additions are found not only more effective
than nickel in reducing amounts of carbides, but are also
more effective in making the carbides discontinuous when
comparable amounts of carbide are present. Carbide-free
fusion zones, produced with fluxes containing both man-
ganese and nickel, and their composition range, are shown
cross-hatched in Fig. 2.
Fluxes that produced fusion zones with discontinuous
carbides occupy a larger range, lying roughly within the
@io% carbide region. Drilling tests have demonstrated that
carbide continuity is as serious a concern to machinability
as the carbide content. Since hardness is strongly influenced
by microstructure, the fusion zone hardness profiles in Fig. 3
60% 60% Mn
are very similar to carbide distribution as seen in Fig. 2.
Notice that the region that lacked carbides had a hardness
Fig. 3. Weld metal hardness as a function of the nickel and value below 10 Rockwell C.
manganese powder additions in the welding flux. The hardness profiles in Fig. 4 show large changes in peak
fusion line hardness with variations in flux composition.
Where temperatures are high enough in the heat affected
600
zone, the graphite nodules partially decompose to produce a
500
ACOITION~’ TO HOBAR;
H - 700 SAW FLUX
4 0% wdiiims A’ shell of high-carbon liquid around the nodules. With the
high cooling rates, a closed carbide shell surrounding each
nodule results.
Bordering on the fusion zone, the carbide shells may
400 CommciMIflurwilh steel uR
I Thrtmol ~ e t i i c i m l
of riponson
Lmpiiudmol fusion zone crocks
300
A Fusim line crocks
z
O
? Pormi metal CCefiKml of ilwmol

&a o1 B M C = IR4 riO-%C
200
100
O I , 1 I l I
I 2 3 4 5 6
60% Ni 60% Mn
DISTANCE, m m 30% Ni, 30% Mn
Fig. 4. Hardness profile across the fusion line of the Fig. 5. Average coefficient of line& thermal expansion of
weldments as a function of nickel and manganese powder weld metal made with various nickel and manganese
additions in the welding flux. powder additions to the weldingflux at 850C (1562F), 10°K.

AWS W C I 85 W O784265 000705L 8
11-14 129
Commercial flux with steel wire
-A m a i a of oustenite, %
H A Z width, mm
Coefficient of hermal
crpansim, &/c
Fig. 6 . Range of acceptable flux compositions to produce

desirable microstructures, HAZ widths, and coefficients of
linear thermal expansion in weldments of ductile iron.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
60% Ni 60% Mn
30% Ni, x>% Mn
connect or partially connect to each other to form a hard Analysis of the fusion zone microstructure, HAZ width,
fusion line region. Continuous carbide formation along the and thermal expansion have shown that properties which
partially melted region of the heat affected zone introduces will produce the least cracking and best machinability will
poor mechanical integrity to the weldment. The lack of car- be found in welds with at least 90% austenite, the narrowest
bides in the fusion line found for certain compositions sug- possible HAZ (0.75-0.80mm), and a thermal expansion coef-
gests that some of these fusion zones are of compositions ficient of about 18.4 x 1Ofi/Cat 850C. The ranges of flux com-
which melt below the parent metal eutectic temperature. positions that produce each of these desirable properties are
The concern over continuous carbide formation in the heat shown in Fig. 5. The cross-hatched area common to these
affected zone also suggests using welding procedures with separate ranges is the range of metal additions to the flux
low heat inputs. that should produce optimum weld properties. When
economy is considered, the 20%Mn-20yoNi addition to the
Thermal Expansion flux is probably the best, though higher alloy compositions
Since thermal expansion mismatch between parent and could be useful in some specific applications, such as when
weld metals is a major cause of cracking, the coefficient of dilution is very high.
thermal expansion was measured using dilatometry for se- Chemical analysis of the weid beads was also performed
lected weld samples, and linear thermal expansion coeffi- to calculate transferability of alloy additions from the flux
cients were calculated. The effects of flux composition on and to estimate the composition of shielded metal-arc
thermal expansion are presented in Fig. 5, which shows the welding electrodes and gas metal-arc welding wire that
value of the coefficent of thermal expansion at 850C (1562F). would produce the same results. Chemical analysis of the
As shown, the 60%Ni addition to the flux p d u c e s welds fusion zone showed that the 20?40Mn-ZOy~Ni addition to the
with lower thermal expansion than that of the parent metal, flux produces a fusion zone with 13.1yoMn and 15.9y0Ni.
but welds made with the 60y0Mn flux have larger coeffi- The wire composition needed to produce an equivalent weld
cients of thermal expansion. Also shown are symbols that will vary according to the amount of dilution by the parent
indicate the types of cracking found in each zone. When the metal. For 30% dilution, which is reasonable for SMA and
coefficient of thermal expansion is larger than that of the GMA welding processes, the ferrous wire would have to con-
ductile iron parent metal, it appears to be susceptible to tain 18.7yOMnand 22.7y0Ni.This is a substantial reduction
fusion zone cracks, and when less, fusion line cracks appear in nickel content from the 50 to 55%Ni rod and wire com-
to be promoted. monly used at present.
It is apparent that to reduce the cracking tendencies the
coefficient of thermal expansion of the weld metal should Further Research
match that of the parent metal. Suitable values of the coef- Welding consumable research for ductile iron is continuing
ficient of thermal expansion and acceptable hardness can be at the Colorado School of Mines. New investigations to
produced with certain fluxes along the 60% total alloy addi- determine the influence of copper additions to reduce nickel
tion line, but satisfactory results may also be obtained, using content of the austenitic weld metal are in progress. These
smaller alloy additions, by changing the flux composition to copper additions should also reduce the necessary heat
one near the 20%Mn-20%Ni addition to the flux as shown in input and assist in alleviating the problem of continuous
Fig. 6. carbide formation along the fusion line. Also, the influence
of the welding parameters on the ductile iron weld micro-
Optimum Composition structures and properties is being studied.
The determination of an optimum fusion zone composition
was based on considerations of cracking susceptibility, References
1 . Riley. R. V. aiid Dodd. I.. "Ferrous nid for welding nodular Enphite cast imn."Foundry
machinability, and expected economy. Cracking problems %de lournol. MI93. p 555.60 (13 Nov. 1952).
can best be avoided by producing welds which are free of 2. Peuse. G . R.. "'lhe weldiiig of ductile imii."Welding Journal, 39(1). is-gi1960).
3. Nippes, E. E. Savage. W. E. and Ow<:mrski. W. A.. " ï ñ e heat-affectedzone of arc welded
continuous fusion line carbides, soft fusion zones with ductile imn," Welding lournal. 3 Y ( l l ) , 4ti5~-72s(ï9ti0).
discontinuous carbides, and coefficients of thermal expan- 4. Bates. R. C. and Morley, E I.. "Weldingnodular imn without postweld annealing." Weld-
sion which match that of the ductile iron parent metal. 5.
ing lournal. 40l9). 417s-22~(1961).
Kotecki. D. J., Bratoo. N . R.. and Loper. C. R.,"Preheat effects on gas metal-arc welded
Machinability is also good when the fusion lines are soft and ductile cast iron." Welding Journal,~ ( 4 )itils-6s(i%u).
.
when the fusion zone has small amounts of discontinuous ti. Hucke, E. E. and Ildiii, H.,"Weldingmetallurgy of nodular cast imn." Welding Journnl.
52(8). 378S.85S[1953).
carbides in a soft austenite matrix. The best economy is 7. Davila. A. M..Olson. D.L.. aiid Freese. T.. "Submerged-arcwdding d ductile imn," AFS
achieved by reducing total alloy content and by substituting 'hnsoctions. vol 85. p 7711977).
ti. Davila. A. M. aiid Olson. II. 1..."The development d austenitic filler materials for welding
manganese for nickel as long as doing so does not compro- diu:tile inin." Welding Inrilituh! Pr<n.eedinRsof the Confewnct! on 'Ilends in Steel and
mise soundness and machinability of the weldment. Consumnbles f o r Welding. Intidori. p 493-507 (Nov. 1978).

AWS WCI 85 m 07842b5 O007052 T m
130 11-15
Joining of Ductile Iron by Several Arc Welding

Metul arc and inert arc welding of mcrgnesium-containing cast iron,
using nickeZ-iron electrodes, steel electrodes and nickel-iron jîZZer wire
by T.E. Kihlgren and treated with magneaium, the r e i d a castings are used in either the ascast
H.C. Waugh magneaium preferably being of the order or annealed condition, the anneal nor-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
of 0.05-û.08%. The baae compoi3ition mally consisting of 1 hi a t 1650’ F

can be further strengthened by increseee followed by slow cooling to 1275’ F,
in manganeae and nickel content. The holding for 5 hr and air cooling. In the
INTRODUCTION following tabulation repmenta a satis paper, the above condition will be deaig-
factory range of compositions of Ductile nated as annealed Gr FHT.
“D UCTILE IRON” is a relatively new

engineering material which com-
bines the castability and machin-
ability of gray cast iron and the me-
Iron, unwelded:
C . ........................... .3.2/4.2
Si. .......................... .1.0/4, O
Most of the data to be preaenîed w i i l
refer ta bsee plate falling within the range
of composition of Table i. Generaliy,
low-alloy plate containing less than 0.35
chanicai properties of cast steel to a re- Mn ........................... 0.1/0.8 Mn and 0.75 Ni was used for the welding
markable degree. The material, some- P, max........................... 0.10 teats.
times referred to as “spheroidal-graphite Ni.. ........................... .0/3.5
cast iron,” or “magneaium-mntg Mg.. ...................... .O .05/0.10 Part I. Metal Arc Welding
cast iron” is characterheà by a structure
in which graphite is preaent as spheroids The mechanical properties, depending METAL ARC WELDING WITH
instead of the flake form found in gray upon whether the casting is in the ae-cast NICKEL-IRON ELECl’RODES
cast iron. It ia this 8tnictural feature or annealed condition will range as shown
which accounta largely for the unique in Table 1. Using eertSin compositions A considerable amount of experience
characteristics of spheroidal graphite has been obtsined on welding of Ductile
cast iron. Iron with coated austenitic nickel-iron
In many of the fields of application of electrodes.. The particular eiectrode
spheroidal graphite cast iron, weldability Table 1 used for these studies is d&gnated com-
is an important consideration. With the Tensile stre h, psi.. . 80,000-105,ooO mercially as Ni-Rod 56 and is essentially a
increasingly wide acceptance of Ductile ::
Yield strewy psi.. . . . 45,000- 75,000
Elongation, %. . . . . . . . . . 1-20
60/40 nickel-iron core wire, coated with
Iron, the need for more information on a carboniferous lime-spar type of flux
its response to welding as a means of fabri- Bhn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140-290
coating. There are several other com-
cation, repair and salvage has become pro- mercially available nickel-iron electrodes
gressively greater. differing primarily in the composition
This paper deals with metal arc welding and appropriate heat treatments iiivolving of the flux coating applied. Much of the
and to a lesser degree with inert arc weld- quenching and drawing, tensile strengths following recommendations on welding
ing of magneeium-containing cast iron, as high as 150,ooO psi with 9% elongation procedure will apply to them electrodeu
using nickeì-iron electrodes and filler have been obtained. also. Since the costing ia an important
wire. Brief data are also presented on The greater portion of current produc- consideration, it is obvious that the data
metal arc weiding of this material with tion of Ductile Iron castings would fall on weld cracking, mechanical properties,
steel electrodes. within the following range of composition etc., cannot be appiied indiscriminately to
and properties shown in Table 2. Most ali electrodes of this general description.
COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES In the succeeding portions of the p e p ,
OF UNWELDED DUCTILE IRON when the term “nickel-iron” electrode ia
Table 2 used, the data will be based on Ni-Rod
Some comment may be in order on the 55 experience. In uaing other commercial
composition and properties of magnesium- Compooitim electrodes of this type, the electrode man-
runge Properties
containing cast irons. Basically, Ductile Ufaoturer‘s instructions with reepeot to
Iron ia a gray cast iron which has been 3.2-3.8 C 60/95,000 psi tende
electrode manipuiation, welding ourrents
strength
1.75-2.75 Si 45/65,0ûû Pei yield and welding procedure should be con-
stre-ngth Sulted.
O . 204.80 Mn 3/2û% elongation
T. E. Küûgren is Besearah M W u r g k t aith the 0-1 .O Ni 150/250 Bhn
Internationai Niokei Co. Bayonne N. J., and CHOICE OF CASTING
E.C. W i e is Weitling &ngineer4 th the I n k - 0.05-Ö.08 Mg
~ t i o n r Niokei
l Co., New York, N. Y. O. 10 P, max COMPOSITION FOR WELDING
%anted at the Nathcd Sprìng Meeting, AWS, 0.02 8,max
Houton, Tex., June 16-18, 1953. In general, the higher the manen-
,-- -&usce
Welding Journal, 32(10), October 1953 ~
\
11-15 131
and nickel contents (and hence the weld oil impregnated. Such castingci are de- areas in cold weather, and a preheat of a t
hardenability) the lesa latitude there is in greased by use of a solvent, such as carbon least 150-20O0 F should be applied under
welding and the greater will be the need tetrachloride, sometimes in conjunction these conditions. Low-alloy Ductile Iron
for preheat. For example, a Ductile with cleaning by steam, which will serve in the annealed condition may be welded
Iron containing0.90 Mn and 1.5 Ni will to remcve surface contamination with oil without preheat in many instances. The
require more care in welding than one and &rease. In some instances, oil may higher the alloy content (and bardenabil-
with 0.25 Mn and 0.70 Ni, other things have penetrated the casting sufficiently so ity) or the greater the restraint, the greater
being the same. The increase in weld that torch heating to about 760” F may be is the need for preheat. For a given com-
hardenability of the former will be re- indicated to decompose oil and grease and position, as-cast material will be more apt
flected in greater machining difficulties drive off volatile matter. to need preheat than annealed material.
in the heat-affected Eone. I t i s a i w im- I n any event a preheat is never harmful,
portant to control phosphorus content, and is a good precaution to observe in or-
Welding Amperages
if weld crackingis to Iw avoidltd. A 0.10% der to minimize danger of fusion line
P maximum appesrs sstisfactory whep The nickel-iron electrodes under dia- cracking. Obviously the amount of metal
plates are welded with nickel-iron elec- cussion operate on dc or ac. When to be deposited and the severity of sub-
trodes or filler wire. It is believed that a used on dc, reverse polarity is recom- sequent service conditions of the weld-
0.05QiO maximum may provide further mended. The welding current should be ment must be considered in deciding upon
latitude and is probably necessary where as low as possible, consistent.with smooth the use and the amount of preheat.
niild steel electrodes are to be used. In operation, good bead contour and the While a preheat of 300-350” F is often
gener-l, in applications where weldability obtaining of a good “wash.” Recom- adequate, one of 55@-ôOûoF is preferred
IS a prime consideration, the composition where high stresses are to be expected.
mended ranges are given in Table 3.
range of Table 2 should be further nar- An added advantage of preheat is the
rowed with respect to manganese, nickel greater facility of obtaining a good bead
and possibly phosphorus along the lines contour and a good wash.
indicated above. The following nominal Table 3
composition, for example, would be es-
perted to show a good combination of me- EleclTode DC AC Continuous Welding us. Intermittent
chanical properties and weldability using 3/32 50-80 60-90
‘/U 90-1 10 100-120 In welding of cast iron, intermittent
several welding processes: 3.50 C, 2.40 ‘/a2 120-140 130-150 welding is frequently used, a method in
Si, 0.25 Mn, 0.70 Si, <0.05 P, 0.06 Mg. a/16 110-160 150-170 which 2 or 3 in. of weld are deposited, the
bead allowed to coo1 until just warm to
EFFECT OF PLATE CONDITION the touch, another short bead deposited,
Electrode Manipulation and and 80 on. Using nickel-iron electrodes,
For maximum welding response, Duc- this procedure is not usually employcd in
Welding Sequence
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
tile Iron castings should be welded in the welding either cast iron or Ductile Iron.
annealed (FHT) condition. This treat- In general, the electrode should be op- Continuous welding is used, as in rormal
ment insures the greatest freedom from erated with a normal weave, and conven- welding practice, the heat input cf the
fusion line cracking hazards, as well as tional width beads deposited. The stringer early passes serving to supply a maderate
the best machining qualities, a t least as bead technique often used in cast-iron preheat. However, the bead sequence
far as as-welded joints are concerned. welding is not recommended with the should still call for a staggering procedure
Good quality joints can be obtained on nickel-iron electrode. In making butt to get reasonably uniform distribution of
either as-cast or annealed material using joints, a 60- to 75-deg vee should be em- heat in all parta of the weldment.
nickel-iron electrodes or filler aire, but ployed. Where a considerahle amount of
when using mild steel electrodes, the prior metal must be deposited, as in filling in of a
anneal is necessary, as will be discussed Position Op.-rabilit y
large cavity, the sides may be “buttered”
later. and the cavity filled in gradually toward The particular nickel-iron electrode
the center of the repair area. I n any used is operable in vertical and overhead
ARC-WELDING PROCEDURE WITH event, the welding should be staggered so as well as in donnhand positions. Fig-
NICKEL-IRON ELECTRODES that the heat is distributed reasonably ures 1-3 show 1/2- x ô- x 6-in. butt welds
uniforinly through the weldmpnt. in all positions, partially completed 80 that
The following procedure is suggested, the contour of intermediate passes may
much of it being applicable to welding Peening be seen. When operating out of position,
other electrodes and processes. a smaller electrode and lower amperages
This is often done to reduce the stresses should be used than for flat welding, as is
in the joint. If peening is to be done, it customarily the case in welding other
Preparation of Castings
should be by repeated moderate blows metals. For example, in Figs 2 and 3 a
This phase of any welding job is im- rather than by a few heavy blows, peening electrode a t about 105 amp was
portant, and successful aelaing mag each head as deposited. A 1/2-3/4-in. used, while the downhand weld was
hinge upon the care taken a t this stage. diam rounded peening tool or a ball- made with. 6/32-in. electrode at 135-140
On new castings, the preparation consists peen hammer is suitable. Peening, prop- amp. A electrode, as used in a
mainly of removing the casting skin erly done, can be quite effoctivc in reduc- down-hand weld on 1/2-in. plate, would
and adhering foreign matter from the tion of stresses. A 6- x 6- x 1/2-in. joint, be operated a t about 110-115 amp.
surfaces to be joined and frum the im- unpeened and unrestrained, exhibits con-
mediately adjacent area. This can he siderable boning. The same joint, suit- PROPERTIES OF NICKEL-IRON
done by machining, grinding, shot blasting ably peened, can be completed with vir-
tually no bowing.
ARC-WELDED JOINTS
or other suitable means. Such a precau-
tion not only decreases danger of contami- The data shown below are averages of
nation but also insures better slag cov- Preheating two groups of tests, based on standard
erage and removal characteristics. 0.505in. and subsize 0.357-in. round ten-
Castings which have been in service and In no instance should welding be done on siles machined from butt welds in 1-in.
require weld repairs may be found to be cold castings, as might occur in unheated and ‘/2-in. plate, respectively. Welds
Provided by IHS under license with AWS ,
No reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS Not for Resale __ I
A W S WCI 85 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007054
132 11-15
Fia. I Flat butt teeld in annealed Fig. 3 Oaerhaa¿ butt tceld i n l/,-in.
l/&n. Ductile Iron plate. Welded toith Fig. 2 VertSccil butt weld i n 1/&n. as-cast Ductile Iron piate using the
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
nickel-iron elect& plate of annealed Ductile Iron using nickel-iron electro&

tha nickel-iron electrode
HARDNESS OF NICKELIRCN
without preheat and with a 600" F preheat The data illustrate the value of welding ARC-WELDED JOINTS
are grouped together since no important the plate in the annealed (FHT) condition,
differences were consistently present. such joints exhibiting fairly good ductility The nickel-iron electrode deposits weld
The base plate contained about 3.30 C, without a postweld heat treatment. The metal having a Vhn of about 160, in the
2.30 Si, 0.70 Ni, 0.35 Mn, 0.05 Mg, <0.05 effect of the postweld full anneal on Duc- absence of plate dilution. The as-weìded
P. Welds were made with 6/&n. diam tile Iron welded in the ss-cast condition is hardness of the weld metal, when diluted
nickel-iron electrodes at about ï3û-140 of course marked, with respect to ductility. with the ductile imp base metal, is well
amp, d-c, reverse polarity. In the case of A 1275O F treatment applied directly to above this figure and varies considerably,
the welds in '/pin. plate, the welded the as-welded joint without the prior depending on the extent of dilution. In
1650" F treatment was also helpful and general, the weld metal of a multilayer
joints were 6 x 6 x in. and in the 1-in.
developed similar properties to the FHT single-vee butt joint in I/&. ductile iron
plate, 5 x 10 x 1 in. A double-vee, 7û-deg
specimens in the one set of tests made. plate will exhibit about 225 Vhn in the as-
included angle, a root gap and a
Figure 4 is a photograph of a set of welded condition.
copper backing were used. The welds
tensile bars showing location of fracture In single-layer welds, the weld hardness
were quite severely restrained with four
and the properties obtained on the par- can be kept a t a Sstiafactorily low level
C clamps and were unpeened.
ticular specimens illustrated. simply by use of moderately heavy beads.
For example, a light bead deposited upon
a cast-iron plate, using a rather rapid
speed of travel, may show hardnesses of
Table &Average Mechanical Properties of Nickel-Iron Arc-Welded Joints the order of 350-380 Vhn due to excessive
in Ductile Iron piate dilution. By depositing a substan-
YieM tially heavier (but not abnormally80) bead
strength, Elonga- at the m e amperage, using a slower weld-
PIde Posiweld, psi, 0.3% Tensile tion in ing speed,the increased ratio of electrode
Condilion €IT* offset strength, psi 9 in.
metal to base metal results in the much
Aa-cast AW 56,900 65,000 1.5
Aacaat FHT 45,900 63,800 10 lower hardness range of 180-225 Vhn.
Agcast FT 47 ,700 61,600 5 Similar effects are experienced in ductile
Annealed (FHT) AW 4,500 60,600 9 iron welding.
Annealed (FHT) FHT 42,500 60,500 12 In operationswhere single-beadwelds are
Annealed (FHT) FT 44,709 60,700 13
to be made, the use of the so-called heavy-
- * AW
= as - ,welded; FHT = 165ûF-1-FC + 1275SAC; = 1275F-5-AC.
pass technique can be quite helpful w h m
moderately low weld metal h a r d n m are
AWS W C I 85 078Li2b5 0007055 5
11115 133
desired. I n multilayer welding, the tech- I n addition to p h t e casting coinposition, ferrite matrix with spheroidal graphite.
nique is not required for the above reason, it should be recognized that any hctors These spheroids are rather small and often
but i t has been found useful, especially affecting the cooling rate such :is preheat, quite closely spaced, interfering somewhat
in the root passes of the weid, in providing speed of welding, heat input during weld- with obtaining of maximum ductility.
further insurance against weld hot cracking ing, etc., will influence the HAZ hardness
in welding heavy sections and is quite gen- ranges. MACHINABILITY OF NICKEL-IRON
erally employed. ARC WELDS IN DUCTILE IRON
Hardness traverses were made on a set STRUCTURE OF NICKEL-IRON
of Ductile Iron joints produced with nickel- ARC WELDS IN DUCTILE IRON I n general, the weld m e t d offers no
iron electrode on a Ductile Iron of the fol- problem in machining, escept possibly
lowing composition: 3.67 TC, 2.35 Si, The weld structure contains graphite in under cmditions of hexvy plate dilution.
0.23 Mn, 0.73 Ni, 0.055 Mg, <0.05 P and an austenitic matrix, with mme cwbides The ease of machining of the joint is,
0.3T Cu. The results are summarized in co-present in cored areas. Annealing rather, determined by the condition of the
the following tabulation: treatments result in further rejection 0 1 plate in the fusion zone and heat-affected
zone. The structural characteristics giving
rise to machining difficulties in this area
have already been discussed. The carbide
Table +Condensed Hardness Data, Vhn (2û Kg) flash is quite narrow, usually 0.005-0.015
in. in width. The over-all width of the
HAZ heat-affected zone varies, but a width of
Width, the order of 0.10in. is common.
Test Sample Plaie Weld Xax Avg in.
1 As-cast plate, as-welded 265 227 750 429 It has been previously mentioned that
0.093
2 Annealed plate, as-welded 173 229 665 449 0.063 the extent and hardness of the heat-
3 Welded joints, annealed 165 184 335 210 0.015 affected zone in the as-welded joint is a
function of both the plate composition,
heat input and cooling rate following
The high hardness shown for the maxi-

mum in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of
tests 1 and 2 was obtained a t the edge of
fusion, and was confined to a very narrow
zone. It reflects the presence of the car-
bide flash and martensite in this location.
The maximum HAZ value for test condi-
tion 3 is higher than might be expected
after a postweld F H T anneal. Some modi-
fication of the FHT heat treatment would
be indicated for this heat of plates if fur-
ther softening were desired. However,
both shaper and drilling and tapping op-
erations showed no signs of difficulty in the
heat-affected zone, suggesting the FHT
treatment to have produced adequate
softening. The 335 Vhn value of the
table for test condition No. 3 represented
an extremely narrow zone, the average
HAZ hardness being of the order of 210
Vhn. Weld no. 4692 4696 4693 4697
The width figures shown in the table Plate cond.: As-cast FHT .&cast FHT
Preheat None None None None
are of course approximate but reveal the Postheat Sone None FHT FHT
somewhat narrower heat-affected zone of Tensile strength, psi 'il .500 63.500 63.500 59.750
the as-welded joint made on annealed Yield strength, ps-i 59 750 45;400 -45 800 42;100
plate compared to that on as-cast plate, Elongation %in 2 in. 3 15 10 13
F H T = 1675'CF.-1 h F F C to 127:-5 hVAC
and the very narrow HAZ of the annealed
joints. Figure 4
The tabulation shown above represents
a series of traverses on one lot of cast graphite and deconiposition of an' iron \wldiiig. The higher the weld hardena-
plates of the analysis shown. It is of carbides which may be present. .4 car- Mity of the rasting composition, and the
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
course obvious that the HAZ values of the bide Rash is always present a t the frontier faster the cooling rate, the greater will be
as-welded joints will vary considerably of fusion, with the adjawnt heat-affected the advbrse rffect on marhinability, other
with casting composition. Elements such zone of the cast Ductile Iron showing con- things being the s:tnie. It is also apparent
as manganese and nickel will be expected siderable martensite. In multihyer weld- that, in multilayer welding, some amelio-
to increase the extent and hardness of the ing, the heat of subsequent passes exerts ration of the condition in this hard zone
heabafTected ione while elements such as an annealing effect adjacent to at least a can be effected as :t result of the tempering
silicon will be expected to decrease weid portion of the previous weld layer. This effect of succeeding passes.
hardenability. For example, a hardness annealing effect serves to temper the mar- I n the following iilustr:itions, which are
suryey on a welded joint made on an- tensite and, dcpcnding upon temperature, based on shaper machining tests on 1/&.
nealed centrifugally cast Ductile Iron pipe may also decompose some of the primary thick ductile iron welded plate, containing
P
con ining 3.6 C, 2.7 Si, 0.3 Mn, 0.4 Ni
and 0.05 Mg showed a maximum of 400
carbides, yielding ferrite and small spher-
oids of graphite.
:Lbout 3.60 TC, 2.40 Si, 0.30 Mn, 0.70 Ni,
0.05 hIg and <0.05 P, some of the factors
Vhn in the heat-affected zone, and an After a full anneal of the welded joint, influencing machinability will be demon-
average value of 340 Vhn in this area. the heat-affected zone shows mainly a st Yilt cd.
AWS WCI 45 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 000705b ?,
134 11-15
ped without difficulty as may be eeen in
Fig. 5F.
There is some indication that relatively
low tempering treatments can produce
fairly good machinability. Figure 6 shows
two sections from the wune joint, one por-
tion of which has been torch annealed for
10-15 min a t about. 1Oûû" F. The two
cuts on each sample are 0.050 and 0.100
in. below the reference surface. The
beneficial effect of the brief torch anneal is
apparent. It would be expected that a
1275" F anneal (without the prior 1650" F
treatment) might offer adequate machin-
abiiity for some operations.
The annealing cover pass technique can
also be usefully employed, but it is best
applied while the joint is Still hot. Fig-
ure 5 0 shows a joint made by continuous
welding, a full weave annealing cover pass
being applied, confining the latter to the
weld proper, without remelting parent
metal. Flush welds (unlese a postweld
heat treatment is used)are apt to be troub-
lesome in subsequently making surface
cuts. A weld reinforcement applied as a
cover pass not only 8trengthens the joint
but also tempers the hard heaeSnected
zone occurring &B a result of depositing
Fig. 5 Shaper machining testa on Ductile Iron arc-weldedjoints the flush beads (Fig. 7). The value of
using a tungsten carbide tipped tool is
shown in Fig. 8, the ridge effect being much
The type of machining test speciiiieii anneal (1ö50 + 1275" F) is applied after less pronounced when this type of tool is
used.
used is shown in Fig. 5F, the specimen, welding, it seems to make little difference
measuring 6 x 3 x */2 in., being cut out of whether the weld has been made on as-cast Summarizing the observations on ma-
a 6 x 0 x 1/2-in.welded joint. or annealed plate, or whether or not a pre- chinability of welded joints in Ductile
The machining test was carried out in heat or other special techniques have been Iron, as measured by shaper teats:
the shaper using the following condit.ioiis: employed. I n machining the fully a m i. The higher the nickel and especially
nealed joint, all the steps were cut without the manganese content, the higher will be
Speed, strokes per minute. . . . . . . . . . . , i 6 resharpening of the tool bit (Fig. 5G). A the weld hardenability and hence the
Depth of cut, in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.050 hole w'as drilled a t the interface and tap- poorer the machinability in the heat-
Feed, in. per stroke.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.01
Cutting tool bit: High-spccd to:d stwl
(Rex 95)
Each cut was started at thc ciid of the
weld and continued until all but a/8 in.
of the previous cut had been removed.
The first cut was a reference surfacc cut,
sufficient to remove casting skin. The
balance of the cuts were 0.050 in. deep.
The tool bit was resharpened before each
cut except in the joints fully annealed
after welding.
Figure 5A demonstrates the appreciahly
better machining response of as-welded
joints on annealed plate (no cover p:tss).
I n the as-cast plate, Fig. 5B, toorbreak-
down frequently occurred even in making
a single cut. Thc joint on annealed pl:it.e,
while still showing a hard zone, could I)(*
machined without too much difficulty.
By using a 600" F preheat and wl4iiig
continuously, a substanti:tl improvimoiit
can be obtrtincd. This is particuldy
noticahle in wclding trnnealcd 1)Iiit.c.
(B vs. A), B showing vory little difficulty
in the heat-affected zone. The cffoct wis
less noticcable in welds on as-cast pl:rtc.
since a pronounced hard zone persiste i
even with the prche:rt, but tool breaktlowii
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
F¿g. 6 Eifect of a postweld torch anneal on the machinability of Ductile Iron
was much less of :I problem. If :I full joints
~~~ ~ ~ ~-
AWS W C I 85 0781r265 0 0 0 7 0 5 7 9
11-15 135
affected zone in as-welded joints. Other
alloying elements which increase weld
hardenabibty, if present, will also be ex-
pected to decrease machinability in the
heat-affected zone.
2. Joints made on plate annealed be-
fore welding are more readily machined
than thoee on as-cctst material.
3. A full anneal after welding may be
es;pected to provide quite good machin-
abiiity under wide variations of composi-
tion, prior plate condition and welding
procedure.
4. A relatively low temperature post-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
weld anneal a t 1275' F will improve ma-
chinability considerably, often to a satis-
factory extent.
5. A simple torch-applied postweld
anneal a t about lûûûo F for 10-15 min
(l/rin. thick section) may provide ade- Fig. 7 Machinability of reinforced weld us. flush weld
quate machinability for a number of op-
erations.
6. When a measure of machinability is
needed in the as-welded condition, and
postweld treatments are not feasible,
recourse to continuous welding, with a
final cover pass, properly applied, may
often suffice, when used in conjunction
with n suitably chosen casting composi-
tim.
7. Carbide tipped tools offer advan-
tages over tool steel bits, particularly
where a substantial hard zone exists.
8. Where a quite high degree of ma-
chinability is a prime consideration, a
full anneal should be given the welded
Ductile Iron casting, prior to machining.
It is recognized that shaper operations
are much less demanding than some Fig. 8 Tool steel vs. tungsten carbide toolsf o r machining Ductile Iron, as-weided
of the other machining processes, such as
lathe operations, for example, and the
above observations must be considered
specifically as applied to the former. It
is reasonable to assume, however, that
Ductile Iron joints made with nickel-iron
electrodes and fully annealed after welding,
should be readily machinable using most
machining methods, including lathe work.
However, the data developed in the
shaper tests should be used, in general,
for guidance, in indicating trends in a
qualitative way.
DISSIMILAR METAL JOINTS

In most types of fabrication it is often
necessary for joints to be made between
different materials. So too with Ductile
Iron, the necessity frequently arises for
it to be joined to some other material.
Such a joint is readily made by metal arc
welding using a nickel-iron electrode.
In Fig. 9 are shown welds wherein Duc-
tile Iron is joined to each of five different
materials: mild steel, Type 316 stainless
steel, Monel, nickel and Inconel. The
welded joints were 6 x 6 x '/z in., each of
these joints being made by continuous
welding of annealed Ductile Iron plate to
the diasimilar metal. A 6/&n. diam Fig. Joints between '/Z-in. annealed Ductile Iron plate and other metals
nickel-iron electrode was used a t 135-140 welded with nickel-iron electrodes
(I
AWS WCI 85 W 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007058
136 11-15
a hard brittle 50ne ex& on both adea of
the joint in the aswelded condition.
FIELD APPLICATIONS OF
NICKEL-IRON ELECXRODE
Large quanîitiea of nickel-iron electrodea
sold under mera1 trade namea have been
consumed in welding gray iron castings,
and many case histories are avaiiable.
Due to the comparative newness of Duc-'
tile Iron, the field experience with Ni-Rod
55 in the welding of this material is, of
course, mÒre limited, but a few applica-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
tions can be presented. Figure 12 shows
a Ductile Iron screw for a dehydrator used
in the paper mill industry. The flutes of
this screw are regularly overlaid using
nickel-iron electrodes, in order to obtain
closer clearances in the screw housing and
to cut down wear. The leading face and
the rim of the flutes are built up about
I/* and l/. in., respectively, using a 200' F
preheat and continuous welding. Welds
are peened with a round nose tool and a
pneumatic hammer.
Figure 13 shorn some lengths of cen-
trifugally cast Ductile Iron pipe welded in
the anneaìed condition using nickel-iron
electrodes. As will be seen, failure oc-
curred in hydrostatic bursting teata at
about 5000-6000 p a through the pipe
wall, and a considerable distance from the
weld.
Figures 10 and 11 involving field ap-
plications where Ductile Iron-to-steel
jointe are required have already been
discussed and need no further comment. Fig. I l Ductile Iron eleais cop, ON:
Fig. IO Ductile Iron-to-steel weld in welded to steel tubular part
Hydrafugepart made w i t h nickel-iron METAL ARC WELDING WITH
electrode which must be recognized in order to pro-
STEEL ELECTRODES
vide a reasonable chance of aucceas are:
amp, the single-vee joint being completed Field experience involving welding of i. Castings should be relatively low in
with 4 passes and a sealing bead on the Ductile Iron with steel electrodes has been manganese and nickel. The maximum
root side. Neither preheat nor postheat scanty, and weld cracking has generally permissible levels have not been estab-
was employed for these welds. While been present. The results of laboratory lished, but good resulta have been obtained
the plates were quite severely restrained tests suggests that a mild steel electrode on plates containing lesa than about 0.30-
during welding, the resulting welds were of the low-hydrogen type may be used 0.35 Mn and about 0.70 Ni.
free of any indications of cracking. under certain conditions. The limitations 2. Castings should be low in phospho-
A great many applications involve the
joining of Ductile Iron and mild steel.
I n Fig. 10 is shown a Ductile Iron casting
welded to a steel pipe. This weldment is
part of a Hydrafuge, a machine used in
the pulp and paper industry. The weld-
ability of Ductile Iron was an hiportant
factor in ita selection. A nickel-irqn elec-
trode was used for this joint.
Another application involving Ductile
Iron welded to mild steel is illustrated in
Fig. 11, Here is shown an hydraulic
farm-loader part where a cold punched
Ductile Iron clevis cap is joined to a mild
steel tube.
To aum up the welding of Ductile Iron
to steel, it can be aaid that joining these
two materials by welding when using a
nickel-iron electrode is even more easily
accomplished than welding ductile iron
to itself, since the heabaffected none of the
mild steel remains soft and can yield to
-_
relieve streas, while in the matched welds,
Fig. I t ' Ductile Iron screw withflutes overlaid using nickel-iron electrode
AWS WCI 8 5 W 0784265 O007059 2 W
11-15 137
INERT-GAS-SHIELDEDMETAL-
ARC WELDING
This generic term is cumbersome and the
process is more often designated by the
trade names Aircomatic or Sigma. For
convenience, it will be referred to in the
discussion, somewhat inaccurately but
briefly, aa “inert metal arc” and its coun-
terpsrt with the nonconsumable electrode
as “inert tungsten arc.”
Znsrt Metal Arc: Nickel-Zron

Fig. 13 Centrifugally cast Duct& Iron pipe, butt weldsd using nickel-iron
ekctrode Filler Wire
This method of welding is readily

rua, at least below about 0.05% and still The field of application of steel elec- accomplished using a 60/40 type nickel-
lower if possible. This must be accom- trodes in welding Ductile Iron is obviously iron filler wire. The wire is identical in
plished by proper selectionof raw materials. much more limited than with the nickel- composition with the core wire used in the
3. Castings must be in the fully an- iron type and under the optimum condi- nickel-iron electrode previously discussed.
nealed condition prior to welding. tions for their use, some weld cracking Uncracked welds have been obtained
The tolerance for sulfur in the base b a r d s are still present. Whenever steel readily in Ductile Iron of the preferred
composition has not been ascertained but electrodes are used, suitable exploratory composition in sections up to i in. in thick-
tests should be made to determine if the ness, without preheat or with preheats up
magnesium-treated irons are customarily
low in this element and it was not a factor conditions of plate composition, heat
of concern in the present studies. treatment and the quality of weld re-
quired will permit their use. It woull Table 6
Under the above conditions of compo-
be expected that steel electrodes can be
sition and heat treatment, butbwelded Filler wire. . . . . . . .60/40Ni-Fe alloy
more readily used to join Ductile Iron to
plates x 6 x 6 in. have been successfully Wire diameter. . . . O . 045 in.
mild steel than to itself. Wire feed. . . . . . . .435 ipm
produced under moderate restraint both
with and without a 600” F preheat. Welding current. . ,170 amp, d c
Polarity. . . . . . . . . . Reverse
However, cracking tendencies were ob- Part II Backing. . . . . . . . . . Carbon block or copper
served in unpreheated welds in some in- Shielding gas. . . . .argon
stances, and the use of a 600’ F preheat OTHER WELDING PROCESSES Gas flow. . . . . . . .20 to 40 cfh
is advisable to provide a greater margin of Preheat.. . . . . . . . None to 600” F (de-
pending on jqb;
safety. The commercial electrode used, Ductile Iron can be welded successfully higher preheats quite
sough possessing quite good operating by other processes than metal arc, sonw acceptable, but usu-
and siag ChsrScteristics on wrought steel, of which will be discussed in the ensuing ally unneceesary
offers considerable difficulty with slzg sections.
interference when applied to Ductile Iron.
Whether the behavior is characteristic of
this class of electrode or applies to the
particular one used has not been definitely
determined, but it is believed that can-
siderable variations can be expected in
this respect in electrodes of the low-hy-
drogen type obtained from various sour-
ces. Despite these operating difficulties,
however, jointa were successfullymade on
plate of the following composition: 3.68
TC, 2.34 Si, 0.23 Mn, 0.73 Ni, 0.055 Mg,
<0.05 P, 0.006 S balance Fe. Tensile
teata on subsize 0.357-in. d m transverse
tensile test specimens showed the following
range of properties: 42/47,000 psi yield
strength (0.2y0 offset), 55/65,000 psi
tensile strength and 5 9 % elongation.
In most instances, failure occurred near
the plate-weld junction.
Attempts to weld as-cast plate of pre-
ferred composition were unsuccessful un-
less a high (looOo F) preheat was used
and even then the physical properties were
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
mediocre. Likewise, a Ductile Iron heat)

containing 1.6% nickel and 0.70% man-
ganese exhibited weld cracking, occurring
in this instance in the annealed as well as
the M a s t . condition. Ductile Iron con-
taining O . l O ~ ophosphorus, though readily
welded with nickel-iron electrodes, yielded
cracked welds using the steel electrode. Fig. 14 lnert-gas metal-arc weld using nickel-iron filler wire
AWS WCI
138
to 1000" P, using thc inert-gas metal-arc Much more test data are needed to the consumable electrode type is the more
proccss. define optimum welding procedures and interesting, and may ment consideration
In making jointa in I/%- to 1-in. thick to establish advantages and limitations for some types of fabrication welding,
Ductile Imn, thc conditions given in Tablc of the process. However, the experi- where production conditions warrant ita
U workcd ~ d l . erice to date suggests that resistance use.
Welds of quita good quality can bc to weld and fusion line cracking is quite
obtnincd with 20 cfh gas flow, but 30-40 good using nickel-iron filler wire. The SUBMERGED ARC WELDING OF
cfh is preferred to provide greater protec- process holds promise for applications DUCl'ILE IRON To STEEL
tion against gas porosity. There is somc where the production requirements merit
indication that a carbon-block backing ita consideration. A brief study was made of thisprocess in
gives better protection than a copper conjunction with an application calm
backuig. inert-Gas-Shielded Tungsten-Arc for the automatic welding of Ductile
Figure 14 shows a butt-welded joint Welding: Nickel-Iron Filler Iron to steel, with the submerged arc
made without preheat on as-cast Ductile method specified.
Iron plate of preferred composition using The response of Duotile Iron to inert- For laboratory studies, the test weld
the welding conditions tabulated above. tungsten arc welding has been examined employed was a T-weld comprising a
A typical cross section of such a weld, briefly employing nickel-iron filler, using 12 in. long by 6 in. wide segment cut from
after a postweld anneal (FHT) is depicted the welding conditions given in Table 8. some */bin. wall Ductile Iron pipe for the
in the same figure. Good results have base and a vertical leg of mild steel,
been obtained both with a single-vee and a 1/1 in. thick by about 2% to 3 in. high.
double-vee or X-joint design. A number This joint simulated the type of weld and
of joints were niade on Ductile Iron plate Table 8
the section thickness involved in the actual
containing 0.02,0.06 and O.10% pliospho- Tun sten electrode. . . . $/,ein. diam fabrication, though stress conditions were,
rus to examine the effect of this element, Shiefding gas. . . . . . . . .Argon of course, less severe.
with no indications of weld or fusion Gas flow. . . . . . . . . . . ..20cfh
Welding current.. . . . . ,220amp, d c A variety of nickel-iron or nickel-
zone cracking at any of the three levels. Polarity.. . . . . . . . . . . . .Straight chromium-iron alloys were examined,
Limited tensile test data .suggest that Filler wire.. . . . . . . . . . . a/l&. diam most of which were inacceptable either
inert metal-arc joints in Ductile Iron, Welded plate. . . . . . . . .6x 6 x l / 2 in. because of excessive weld porosity or
made with preheats up to 600' F. using No. of passes. . . . . . . . .2weave, 2 lapping
pronounced weld or fusion zone cracking
nickel-iron filler, may be somewhat in- tendencies, or both.
ferior in mechanical properties to joints Of the various filler wires tried, the one
nictsl-arc wclded with nickel-iron elec- Sufficient work has been done to indi- which gave the best results with respect
trodes. For example, a joint in 1-in. cate that Ductile Iron of suitable c o m p to weld quality was a Type 310 stainless
plate, welded in the as-cast condition sition for good weldability will respond steel wire of commercial origin containing
using the welding procedure of Table 6 quite weil to this process. Present infor- 27.7 Cr, 21 Ni and 0.34 Si. The Ductile
and subsequently given a postweld full mation suggests that the tensile properties Iron casting conhinecl 3.6 TC, 2.61 Si,
anneal yielded: 44,000 psi yield strength of tungsten arc welds made with nickel-iron 0.30 Mn, 0.38 Ni, 0.096 P and 0.048 Mg.
(.2%), 55,000psi tensile strength and 6% filler are somewhat similar to those of the Of the two proprietary melta examined,
elongation. The average properties of mctsi arc welds made with nickel-iron one designated "N" melt was found to be
Table 4 show about 64,000 psi tensile clcctrodes. Welded joints on '/*in. thick satisfactory.
strength and 9% elongation for this con- as-cast plate containing 3.5 TC, 2.5 Si, The welding conditions found to give a
dition in metal-arc welds, with some 0.35 Mn, 0.70 Ni and <0.05 P yielded good joint sre listed in Table 9.
individual tests in the latter falling to about 67,000psi tensile strength with 1%
about 60,000psi with i % elongation. elongation in the as-welded condition,
Some tensile data were also obtained and about 61,000psi tensile strength with
8% elongation after a postweld annealing Table 9
oh inert metal-arc welded joints made on
annealed plate of preferred composition hcat treatment. Welded joints on an- Ductile Iron of low-weld hrudenability,
using a 1000" F preheat and a 750" F nealed plate, tested in the as-welded con- 0.10 P max
p t h e a t and slow cool immediately after dition, gave about 62,000 psi tensile Use annealed castings
Filler wire, 25/20 stainlw, 6/m diam
welding. The welds were made on 1/2-in. strength with 7% elongation. Flux,N-melt (proprietary flux)
thick annealed Ductile Iron plate. The The observations on the use of the two Current, 400 amp
average tensile test data obtained with inert arc processes are based on explora- Voltage across arc, 40 v
the nickel-iron filler are shown belon: tory studies and much systematic infor- Polarity, straight
Speed of welding, 20 ipm
mation is obviously needed to obtain a Preheat, RT to 400" F
romprehensive view of the possibilities as Posthest, 850" F-1 H C , app!ied h-
applied to Ductile Iron. , mediately, while weldment is sW1 warm
Table 7-Inert Metal-Arc Welds,. Arc directed more toward ductile iron
More needs to be known as to limita- member.
Nickel-Iron Filler
tions of plate composition, conditions
Elon- under which preheat should or must be
Pos1 YìeM Tensile gation uwd, optimum conditions of welding
WeM, strength strengib, %.in The immediate postheat treatment is
HT (0.2%), psi psi d an. current, shielding gas and mechanical
As-welded 44,750 62,500 5 properties of welded joints, etc. How- considered important to minimize hazards
FHT 42,400 62,700 17 ever, the experience to date does indicate of fueion line cracking. Preheat did not
quite clearly that little difficulty should be seem important in the size of joint made
encountered in obtaining welded joints for laboratory studies, but a moderate
* 1000" F preheat, followed by slow quite resistant to weld and fusion zone preheat of about 400" F would probably
cool from 750" F; annealed plate. cracking using both types of inert arc weld- be useful in fabrication, where welds would
ing, with 60/40nickel-iron filler wire. be subjected to higher streases during
The strength properties arc similar to It is probable that economic ronsidera- welding.
those shown for unpreheated metal-arc tioiis will dictate the use of less expensive Figure 15 shows a typical joint, with
welds in Table 4 and the elongations ap- joining processes in most instances. cross wctions bent with face and root
preciably higher. Of the two.phases of the inert arc process, in tension. The fact that mild steel WBB
-. - _ _ --``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Copyright American Welding Society /'- f

Provided by IHS under license with AWS 1
AWS W C I 85 m 0784265 00070bL O m
11-15 139
line cracking than those in which ductile
iron comprises both members of the weld-
ment.
10. Where msohinabdity is 8 prime
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
requisite, arc-welded jointa should be

fully annealed after welding (1850 +
1275" F Featment).
11. In the aswelded condition, j(nts
on annealed plate are lesa troublesome to
machine than those on wcast plate.
12. Considerable improvement in the
machining reaponse of as-welded joints in
castings of preferred compomtion for weld-
ing can be accomplished by special weld-
ing techniques and by brief torch anneaiing
treatments, though machinability wit1
be inferior to that of fully annealed joints.
13. A 1275"F postweld heat treat ent
(without the i650°F prior treatment)Ly
provide an adequate improvement' in
machining response for some purposes.
Fig. 15 P h o t o s showing srbbmer ed arc webl of Ductile Iron to steel itxing 25-20 14. Tungsten carbide tipped tools offer
8r-NiJiller wire substantial advantages over tool steel
bits where a hard heat-affected zone
one member of the weldment undoubtedly successfully in the as-cast condition with exists.
lessened greatly the problem of avoiding suitable selection of casting composition 15. Low hydrogen-type mild steel
fusion line cracking. and joihing process and procedure. electrodes hold some promise for joining
Preliminary welding tests by the fabri- 3. The lower the levels of those alloy- Ductile Iron, provided a low-alloy, low-
cator interested in thm job, made in ac- ing elements in the casting composition pho;sphorus casting composition is u b d
cordance with the welding procedure of which increase weld hardenability, the and the castings are welded in the fylly
Table 9, were reported to be satisfactory, better is the welding response and the less annealed condition.
but, as far as is known, no commercial important is the need for preheat. 16. Submerged arc studies were con-
scale operations have yet been attempted. 4. Phosphorus has an adverse effect fined to joining of Ductile Iron to mild
While this procesa, as applied to Ductile on weldability. A 0.10% maximum is steel. The process may be useful for
Iron welding bas obvious limitations, it permissible when welding with nickel- special applications but its field appears
offers some possibilities under proper iron electrodes or filler wire. A 0.05% limited on the basis of present knowledge.
conditions. Each potential application maximum should be observed if mild A great deal of systematic study is
should, of course, be explored by trial steel electrodes are employed. needed in all the above fields to evaluate
welding tests, simulating the type of 5. The following nominal composition the advantages and limitations of the
joint involved in the actual job. responded well to welding using several various arc-welding processes, to establish
processes: 3.60 TC, 2.40 Si, 0.30 Mn, preferred casting compositions for maxi-
0.70 Ni, <0.05 P, 0.05-0.08 Mg. mum welding response and to develop im-
SUMMARY
6. Metal arc welding with austenitic proved welding procedures.
An attempt bas been made to review nickel-iron electrodes has been applied However, it is hoped that these observa-
the response of Ductile Iron to a number successfully to a fairly broad range of tions and experiences will serve to demon-
of arc-welding methods, including the casting compositions in both the as-cast strate that Ductile Iron can be welded
metal arc, the hertgas-shielded arc and and annexled conditions, with and without quite readily by several methods and
the submerged-arc welding processes. preheat. will encourage further studies on the weld-
Although not included in the scope of the 7. Inert arc welding with austenitic ing of this new engineering material.
present discussion which relates to arc nickel-iron filler wire offers promise.
welding, reference should be made to the Joints inDuctileIron cast plate of preferred ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
oxy-acetylene welding process. This composition, welded in both the as-cast
method, employing cast ductile iron filler and annealed conditions were readily The authors wish to express their thanks
rod, is being used successfully by several made in plate thicknesses up to 1in. to N. B. Pilling, Director of the Inco
foundries to weld ductile iron castings. 8. Ductile Tron may be joined to such Bayonne Research Laboratory, and to
On the basis of the present study, a few dissimilar metals as mild steel, stainless Dr. W. A. Mudge, Manager of the
broad generalizations seem justified: steel, nickel, Monel and Inconel with Technical Service Section of the Inco
1. Ductile Tron can be welded by most austenitic nickel-iron electrodes. Development and Research Division, for
of the commonly employed fusion welding 9. One of the above joint combina- permission to publish this paper. A
processes. tions, Ductile Iron-to-mild steel, is fre- sincere word of appreciation is also due
2. Ductile Iron should be welded in the quently encountered in field applications. L. C. Minard and C . E. Witherell for their
fully annealed condition for maximum The joint is readily made and, in general, contributions in the preparation of welded
welding response although it can be welded offers fewer hazards with respect to fusion joints and other assistance.

AWS W C I 85 = 03842b5 0007062 2
140 11-16
R.D. Forrest-Senior Foundry Metallurgist, QIT-Fer et Titane GmbH, Frankfurt, Germany.

Approximately 8 miliion tons.of ductile iron castings are pro- ty involved in welding ductile iron castings. Nevertheless, by
duced od a worldwide basis and, in achieving this position, using suitable welding processes and techniques it is quite pos-
ductile iron has taken markets from steel and malleable iron sible to produce ductile iron wcldments with good properties
castings as weil as @eelfabrications. The reasons for these con- which are adequate for many purposes.
versions are several but in most cases it is found that ductile indeed there is an urgent netd for greater attention to be
iron castings meet the property and service requirements de- paid to the available joining techniques for castings since, al-
manded at lower cost to the user. though the casting process is extremely flexible and a single in-
Whereas ductile iron possesses many attractive decisive fea- tricate ductile iron casting is frequently preferable to a fabrica-
tures, one arca where it is at a disadvantage in comparison to tion or assembly, there are situationswhere the joining of duc-
steel and certain grades of malleable iron is the greater difficul- tile iron castings to thanselves, or to components in other ma-
terials, is advantageous. Designers, value engineers and pro-
Weld Motal Carbide8 Martensito duction engineers are becoming increasingly interested in situ-
ations where:
a) to meet certain service requirements a composite com-
ponent of ductile iron and steel is required-particdar-
ly the ability to join ductile iron to conventional
wrought forms such as tubs, bars and angle sections.
b) the design of the component is so intricate or large that
a onepiece casting is either impracticalor uneconomic.
Additionally t h e arc several situadons in the foundry
where the repair of certain casting defects by welding can re-
cover an otherwise scrap casting.
For all of these masons therefore it is necessary for foundry-
men, designers and users of ductile iron castings to become
f8mlliar with the problems, processes, and techniques involved
in the welding of ductile iron.
Metallurgloal Con8lderation8
Fusion welding involves melting of the füler (weid) metai as
weil as an arca of the base metal. Low carbon steels and sur-
face decarburized grades of auIlcable iron do not suffer the
Fb. 1. Typical mlcrostnrotum ot metalarc welded ductile iron problems arising from the formation of hard, brittle constitu-
In the area of the weld metal, weld met8linodularb8Se lunctlon ents on re-solidification. It is the h@ carbon content of grey
and heataffected zones. and ductile cast irons which is the principal cause of their weld-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
- Source: Casting Engineering and Foundry World, Spring

__ 1983 ~

141
ing difficulties.’ As a result of the high carbon content, eutec- Schock’ has reported successful welding of ferritic ductile iron
tic carbide (cementite) as well as martensite and bainite can be using steel electrodes.
found in the weld metal/base metal junction and heat-affected The filler materials which have been mainly emplcfyed there-
zone regions (Fig. 1). The formation of hard and brittle micro- fore are those which are capable of absorbing the carbon and
constituents in ductile irons can cause serious difficulties in retaining it in a form which will not be detrimental to the prop-
machining and can result in internal stressing, distortion and erties of the weld. For this reason, nickel and nickel/iron elec-
cracking. trodes are most widely used. Nickel carbide (NiX) is much less
The problems outlined above are of metallurgical origin and stable than iron carbide (Fe,C) and under most solidification
for satisfactory welds to be achieved, attention in the follow- conditions the carbon separates in the form of graphite.
ing areas is required:
1. Grade and composition of the base ductile iron. Control of thermal conditions
2. Material selection of the welding rod/wire. It is clear from the foregoing discussion that if reasonably con-
3. Control of the thermal history-before, during and after sistent properties are to be obtained from a weldment involv-
welding. ing ductile iron, then some degree of control over the heat in-
put and cooling rate is essential.
Grade and composition of the base ductile iron
Preheating
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Ferritic matrix ductile irons are generally regarded as the most
suitable of the range from the viewpoint of weldability. Clear- Breheating is normally advisable for the following reasons:
ly, a ferrite matrix is the closest approximation to a mild steel a) to prevent cold cracking.
structure and will involve less problems due to hardening in the b) to reduce hardness in the heat-affected zone.
heat-affected zone than will a pearlitic matrix ductile iron. c) to reduce residual stresses.
This is due to the fact that the element which has the greatest d) to reduce distortion.
influence on the temperature at which martensite formation Either the entire part to be welded may be preheated or, if
commences (Ms)is carbon. The Nehrenberg formulae for cal- local preheat is carried out, only the vicinity of the joint is
culating the Ms temperature in ductile iron is given as follows: heated. Almost any type of furnace can be used for preheating
Ms ( O C ) = MO’C -300 (YOC) -33 (YOMn) 22 (% Cr) - provided that the prepared areas of the welds are not contami-
-17(% Ni) -11 (%Si) - 11 (Yo MO) nated by soot or smoke during the heating cycle. If furnaces
where the elements are percentages present in the matrix. are not readily available, castings can often be preheated by
The carbon content of the ferrite matrix is extremely low using town gas or propane burners or an oxy-acetylene torch.
and, with good qualitylhigh purity charge materials, the levels When these methods are employed, it is advisable to surround
of chromium and manganese can also be maintained very low. the castings with firebricks or asbestos wool or board which
The Ms temperature of ferritic ductile iron is higher than in will assist temperature equalizauon throughout the casting.
pearlitic nodular. This is advantageous since it is known that When local preheating techniques are employed, extreme
the volume change associated with the martensite transforma- care is required in the initial stages of applying the heat to the
tion is greater with lower Ms temperatures. Also the hardness casting in order to avoid cracking due to thehal shock. This is
of martensite is directly proportional to the carbon content- particularly valid for complex contour pearlitic ductile iron
again favoring the ferritic grades. castings.
The influence of silicon content is also of importance in con- Correct temperature control is important in preheating. This
sidering the base ductile iron. Silicon is a strong graphitizing is relatively easy to achieve where good control over heating
element, tending to raise the austenite/graphite eutectic tem- furnaces applies but if the castings are preheated by gas burn-
perature and lower the austenite/carbide eutectic temperature. ers or torches then surface contact pyrometers or heat sensitive
Consequently, from the viewpoint of avoiding carbide forma- crayons/paints are suitable.
tion (or rendering any carbides formed less stable at elevated Pearlitic ductile iron should be carefully preheated to about
temperature) the silicon content of the ductile iron should be 320-34O0C.Ferritic grades normally require only mild pre-
as high as the specification and application will allow. heating in the range lûû-ux)°C.
While it is evident that ferritic ductile iron presents less met- In some cases, in order to eliminate problems of carbides, a
allurgical difficulty in welding, it must be stated that satisfac- deposit of weld metal is put down on the prepared weld faces
tory welding of pearlitic grades can and is being achieved as and the piece is then fully annealed or normalized to decom-
will be shown later. pose any carbides. The “coated face” castings are then ready
The diffusion of carbon in austenite at the temperatures infor welding without involving any further fusion of the base
volved in the zones adjacent to the weld is high. Dissolution ductile iron.
and subsequent diffusion of carbon from the graphite nodules
into the austenite continuously occurs in the welding of all Minimizing heat input during welding
grades of ductile iron. This can be approached in different ways depending on pro-
With regard to the graphite nodules present in the structure, cess:
there is growing evidence’ to support the statement that a high a) non-fusion methods-welding or joining can be
nodule count in the base ductile iron is beneficial and reduces achieved by non-fusion techniques, such as “Powder
the danger of carbide formation on re-solidification. Welding”, such that the eutectic temperature is never
exceeded and consequently eutectic carbide does not
Selection of filler material form.
Mild steet filler rodslwires are readily available at relatively b) limiting the time available for the austenite.to take
low cost. In general however, steel filler materials have not graphite (carbon) into solution. This involves welding
been successful with ductile iron due to the rapid absorption of by a process which gives a high ratio of deposition to
carbon resulting in hardening and cracking. Recently however, heat input.

142
AWS WCI ô5 - D38ir2b5 00070bli b M
11-16
Controlled postweld cooling rate tion (whether fabrication or repair), etc.

The rate of cooling immediately after metal-arc welding can be Fig. 2 illustrates typical joint designs which can be recom-
in the order of 300°C per second. In order to achieve thermal mended.
decomposition of carbides which have been formed and avoid in addition to design of the joint itself, it is strongly recom-
the formation of martensite, efforts must be made to slow mended that if a welding operation involvinga casting is envis-
down this rate of cooling or even to transfer the weldment to aged at the original design stage, then the designer should give
an anncaiing furnace if this is possible. consideration to the various factors involved.
clsting section: should g e n d y be not less than $4 in. (6 mm)
Practical Aspects Involved Locating: The two componentsshould locate together as ac-
Weld preparation is a fundamental prerequisite to the produc- curately as possible. Machining is preferred for this purpose.
tion of a sound weld. This aspect cannot be emphasized too The main “joint preparation” can be designed into the cast-
strongly and one of the most frequent causes of an unsatisfac- ing.
tory weld is lack of care and attention to the preparation of the Accesdbiiiîy: The welder must be allowed a clear access to
faces to be joined. the weld and most welds will be conducted from above on to
a horizontal weld.
Surface preparation Lociding on weiö: The designer should take every opportu-
1. The casting skin must be removed in the vicinity of the nity to minimize the service stresses on the weld.
intended weld junction. Distortion: By careful programming of the welding proce-
2. The joint faces must be freshly ground or machined. dure, distortion can be minimized.
3. Any rust, dirt, grease, oil or scale must be removed from
the joint faces. Selwtion of welding process
4. in the case of a defect salvaging repair, the defect must The selection of the welding process, ideally, should take sev-
be removed completely and a clean metal surfacepresent- eral factors into consideration:
ed for welding. a) Service application of the weldment.
These points regardingpreparation should be rechecked imme- b) Equipment available and whether the welding is to be
diately prior to the welding operation. performed in the factory or on site.
c) Number of welds to be made and speed of operation re-
Design of joint quired.
The design of the joint is dependent upon factors such as metal d) Whether positional or overhead welding is required.
thickness, casting geometry, welding process, seMce applica- e) Whether machinability of the weld is required.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
f) Extent of welding defects which can be tolerated and
quality control standards involved.
There is a variety of welding processes available which broadly
fall into two groups:
a) Eiectric welding: The two most important electric weld-
ing methods are 1) manual metal-arc welding using con-
ventional flux covered consumable fider metal elec-
trodes, and 2) automatic and semi-automaticgas shield-
ed welding using thin wire consumable fider materials
(MIG welding).
b) Gas welding: The two most important gas welding pro-
cesses are l) oxy-acetylene gas torch fusion welding us-
ing fîîer rods and welding fluxes, 2) powder welding-
non-fusion, oxygen gas torch, system using fiie pow-
dered alloy as the f i e r .
These processes will now be discussed in detail.
Electric welding
Metal-arc welding
Metal-arc welding is probably the most common welding
Root radius %a- ‘/i method employed. This is particularlytrue of casting reclama-
tion welding in foundries, but also a considerable amount of
miid steel componentsare joined to ductile iron castings under
controlled conditions of metal-arc welding.
The process is basically simple-an electric arc is struck be-
tween the consumable filler electrode and the workpiece, the
resulting heat generation being sufficient to cause fusion. Be-
cause of its basic simplicity and its wide use in steel fabrica-
tion, the approach of welders to metal-arc welding of cast iron
materials is occasionallylacking in care and detailed considera-
d Corner defecl ropair weld tion.
Austenitic grades of ductile cast i r m are susceptible to
Fu. 2. Examples of joint preparations and designs. cracking in the heat-affected zone when metal-arc welded and

AWS WCI 8 5 0784265 0007065 8
11-16 143
because of this the process is not generally recommended for erally preferred when welding nodular cast iron. Nickel-iron
joining austenitic castings to one another or to austenitic electrodes with specially formulated electrode coatings de-
steeL4 This tendency to cracking in austenitic irons is reported' signed to give a soft, non-penetrating arc are commercially
to be greatly influenced by the level of magnesium, silicon and available and the low heat input associated with the use of
phosphorus in Ni-Resist D2 but satisfactory welds are achieved these electrodes is claimed to minimize the formation of hard
when these elements are held below 0.06 percent, 1.5 percent and brittle structures in the heat-affected zone.6
and 0.03 percent respectively. For austenitic ductile iron castings a 20 percent nickel-iron-
Metal-arc electrodes in 55 percent nickel-iron alloy are gen- magnesium electrode, designed to have solidification charac-
l
l
Mschanlcsi properties
I
Yield Tensile aongrltlon, Yo
initial rtructw. strength, strength,
of S.Q. Iron ptates Gonditlon of weidment tonsiln2 tonsfin.' in. 2 in. Position oi fracture
Pearlitic 1 in. thick plates, 18.7 20.2 6 4.5 Weld metal
i
aswelded 22.0 31.0 52 17 Mild steel
- 17.1 30.6 58 17.5 Mild steel I
Ferritic 1 in. thlck plates, 17.0 27.1 6 5 Weld meta1B.G. iron
as-welded 18.5 . 30.2 4 10 Weld meta1iS.G. Iron
18.5 30.3 -6 13.5 S.G. iron
1 18.0 î9.8 9.5 Weld metal I
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 8 5 W 078Y2b5 0007066 T W
144 11-16
Flg. 3. Stub axle (ferritic ductile iron) welded by metal-arc pro- Flg. 5.2-piece (pearlitic ductile iron castings)piston welded by
ceas to mild steel tumbling barre1.O (See text for description.) metal-arc process.O (See text for description.)
teristics exactly matching those of the basic material, is avail- fusion and depositing the fder metal in short runs.
able which is claimed’ to significantly reduce the dangers of The tensile strength and elongation of butt-welds made in
cracking. Meehanite nodular iron using Ni/Fe electrodes were reported
Mechanical properties and examples by Forrest’ to be approximately 60% of base metal strength
The major disadvantage of metal-arc welding for ductile cast for the pearlitic nodular grade, Type SP (increasing to 66% af-
irons is the fact that it is a fusion process involving high local- ter heat treatment at 910OC) and 82% of base metal strength
ized heat input. Despite claims made for certain non-ferrous for the ferritic nodular grade, Type SF (increasing to 86% af-
electrode compositions, the process is usually characterized by ter heat treatment)-ductility reached only 3% elongation in
a well-defined band of carbide at the base metal/weld metal in- both cases. These figures correspond closely with results re-
terface. These carbide regions are invariably associated with ported’ by the American Welding Society where, for a ferritic
regions of martensite and bainite. The extent of these carbides ductile iron, welded with Ni/Fe rods, 76% of average base
and hard regions is minimized by using as low a power input as metal strength was’achieved with severe reductions in elonga-
possible compatible with the maintenance of adequate metal tion value. Typical mechanical property figures for SG iron
Flg. 4. General view of tumbling barrel with welded stub axle Flg. 6. Ductile iron terminal box castings welded to steel
assembly (as Fig. 3 above). frames by metal-arc process.O
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 07842b5 00070b7 L
11-16 145
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 7. Storage stillagesa with metal-arc welded ductile iron Fig. 9. Ductile iron flange welded to centrifugally cast ductile
feet. iron pipe.O (See text for description.)
metal-arc welds were assembled by Morgan' and are given in eral hundred of these assemblies have been made for commer-
Tables 1 & 2. cial use.
Despite the fact that tensile strengths approaching base met- The horizontal air-compressor piston shown in Fig. 5 is a
ai strength can be obtained, the presence of carbides and hard metal-arc welded assembly of two ductile iron pistons. The
transformation products is undesirable in components subject mating surface and weld bevels of the piston haives are ma-
to impact loading or high fluctuating stresses. Examples of chined, bolted together on an arbor and furnace preheated to
metal-arc welds of ductile iron are shown in Figs. 3 to 12. 565 OC.The preheated assembly is then welded by metai-arc us-
The heat-treated ferritic ductile iron stub axles and ductile ing NVFe electrodes and subsequently heat-treated to a pearl-
iron sub-assembly castings, 6 and 20 mm thick, shown in Fig 3 itic matrix structure to meet the tensile requirement of
& 4, are welded to each other and to mild steel by the metai-arc 560N/mm' tensile, 420N/mmz proof strength, 3% elongation
process, to make components for overhead traveling crane lift- and 201-269 Brinell hardness. By casting the pistons in two
ing hoist carriage assemblies and the components are subject haives and later joining them by welding, several production
to dynamic and static stresses. The metai-arc welding is carried problems were minimized. The light-weight piston in ductile
out using 3 and 4 mm diameter pure nickel and Ni/Fe elec- iron with 6 mm wall thickness replaced a heavier grey iron pis--
trodes with nchpreheating or heat treatment after welding. Sev- ton having 16 mm wall thickness to reduce inertia as speeds
Fig. 8. Close-up of welded ductile iron foot. Fig. 10. Ductile iron stub axle assemblies, metal-arc welded to
steel for overhead lifting hoist.8

AWS WCI 85 07ôLi2b5 0 0 0 7 0 b ô 3 W
146 11-16
Fig. 11. Ferritic ductile iron holder and duct castings for a
supercharger welded by metal-arc process. (See text for D.C. A.C.
description.) Electrode
Courtesy: Cooper Eessener Co., Ohio, USA. Size (dia.) (reversed polarity)
Amp Amp
were increased.
Fig. 6 shows ductile iron terminal box castings welded to y in. (3 mm) 80-100 90-110
steel frames by metal-arc process using 55 Ni/Fe electrodes. g2in. (4 mm) 100-120 120-140
For added strength, ductile iron feet are welded to a range of X , in. (5 mrn) 120-150 130-1 60
fabricated steel stillages as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The welding
is carried out by metal-arc welding using Ni/Fe electrodes.
Hundreds of such fabrications have been made for commercial
use.
The centrifugally cast ductile iron pipe shown in Fig. 9 has a
sand-cast ferritic ductile iron flange welded on by the metal-
arc process to produce a pipeline junction. Pipes of varying
sizes from 80-400 mm dia. were welded in this manner using
nickel-coated electrodes. Up to 300 mm dia. no preheating was
applied but above 300 mm dia. the flange was preheated to
about 450°C. No post weld heat treatment was applied and all
welded pipes were tested to u)atmospheres pressure.
Another good example of a metal-arc weld of femtic ductile
iron is shown in Fig. 10. Here, ferritic ductile iron stub axles
and the sub-assembly castings (also ferritic ductile) welded to-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
gether and also to mild steel to produce components for over-

head traveling assemblies. The components were subjected to
both static and dynamic stresses. No preheating or post-weld
Fig. 12. Seme as Fig. 71.

AWS WCI 85 078Li2b5 0 0 0 7 0 b î 5
11-16 147
EXPENDABLES
PO I,,,,] FIL LER
welding results in only discontinuous carbide distribution and

narrower regions of the heat-affected zone. Since there is rela-
tively small base metal dilution with the nickel alloy (Ni 61)
filler wires, the carbides which do form tend to be restricted to
regions surrounding the graphite nodules.
Mechanical properties and examples
Fig. 13. Schematic illustration of short-arc MIG welding Previous assessments’ of short-arc MIG welding of Meehanite
arrangement.‘ nodular irons Types SP and SFF are shown in Table 3 and it
modified to become a low heat input process-short-arc MIG. can be seen that the fully ferritic ductile plates achieved 100%
In short-arc MIG welding, the arc is struck between a rela- of the base metal strength but elongation was reduced from
tively fine gauge filler wire (about 0.03 in. diameter) and the 22.5% to just less than 6%.
workpiece (Fig. 13). The wire is fed continuously on to the Somewhat better results were reported by Morgan‘ as shown
workpiece where it acts as a fuse, melts, and the filler metal in Table 4 where elongation figures of 11%Va in welded ferritic
droplet becomes detached. This is automatically repeated sev- iron plates were obtained.
eral times each second and, consequently, the mode of metal Fig. 14 illustrates a short-arc MIG welded piston for a com-
transfer is termed “dip transfer”. Throughout the process, the pressor. The two machined halves (ferritic ductile iron cast-
wire and the weld pool are shielded with an inert gas (Argon). ings) were heat-treated prior to welding to conform to the
Low currents and voltages are used, e.g., 160 A at 20 V, and specification calling for 40 N / m 2 tensile with 15% elongation
the power source is of a constant voltage type which ensures but no preheating was employed prior to short-arc MIG weld-
that the metal transfer from the filler wire is brought about by ing using 0.8 mm dia. wire (Ni 61) under argon gas shielding.
melting during rapid short circuits between the wire and the Approximately 5000 of these pistons were reported to be in
weld pool. commercial use.
Because of the high ratio of deposition rate to heat input, Manganese steel wear plates were welded on to ferritic/
the weld pool is small in comparison to that produced by con- pearlitic ductile iron railway axle boxes by short-arc MIG
ventional consumable metal-arc processes. Thus welds can be welding as shown in Fig. 15. No preheating or post-weld heat
achieved in all positions and welding stresses and distortion are treatment was applied. Short-arc MIG welding using 0.8 mm
reduced. Also, since there is no need for interpass slag remov- dia. pure nickel wire under argon gas protection was used. Ap-
al, the short-arc process is a fast welding method suited to pro- proximately 25,000 axle boxes with welded-on plates are
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
duction lines. known to be in service.
In comparison with normal metal-arc welding, the high ratio Short-arc welding was again used to attach the ferritic duc-
of weld metal deposition rate to heat input with short-arc MIG tile iron coupling to the steel operating arm of a hydraulic jack

AWS WCI 8 5 0784265 0007070 I
148 11-16
shown in Fig. 16. In this case, short-arc welding was per-

formed under CO, gas using l mm dia. copper-covered carbon
steel filler wire. No pre- or post-welding heat treatment was
performed and several thousand such hydraulic jacks have
been produced successfully.
Fig. 17 shows a mild steel bar welded to a heat-treated fer-
ritidpearlitic ductile iron casting for the operation of a brake.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
The short-arc MIG process was used, using 0.8 mm dia. pure
Ni wire under argon gas shield, without pre- or post-weld heat-
Fig. 14. Two matched halves of a ferritic ductile iron compres- ing.
sor piston welded by short-arc M1G.O (See text for description.) Another example of welding to ductile iron pipe is seen in
Figs, 18 and 19. Annealed ferritic ductile iron pipes (100-
1000 mm dia.) have a self-compensating device incorporating a
welded bead which takes up longitudinal forces resulting from
internal operating pressures up to 4200 N/m2.
Referring to Fig. 19, the weld bead (2) which forms a cir-
cumferential protrusion on the spigot (3) is subjected to a
small shear stress as it comes up against the split ring (4). Be-
cause of the thrust, the split (4)is pushed against the collar ring
( 5 ) and closes around the spigot (1) as the tapered outer surface
of the split ring (4)is pressed against the mating surface of the
collar ring (5).
Clamping bolts (6) transmit the longitudinal force to the
socket (7)of the next pipe.
Fig. 15. Manganese steel wear plates short-arc MIG welded On-site welding is carried out with Ni/Fe coated welding rod
onto ductile iron railway axle boxes8(See text for description.) and in-plant welding by the short-arc MIG welding using 0.8
mm dia. Ni/Fe wire. Over 30,000 m of pipe assemblies have
been laid in lengths varying from 6 m to 7400 m.
Many thousands of the heavy vehicle steering box assem-
blies, shown being short-arc MIG welded in Fig. 20,have been
produced at the rate of 300 units per week. The mild steel col-
umn guide (Fig. 21) is fillet welded to a ferritic ductile iron
steering box using a fully automatic short-arc MIG system us-
ing 1.2 mm dia. pure nickel filler wire.
Recommended process techniques
Equipment required:
a) Specialized equipment: power source constant voltage-
type MIG welding rectifier. Coupled wire fekd mecha-
nism and regulated gas shield to special welding torch.
b) Filler: high nickel content wire. Wire diameter: 0.80
mm. Wire type: nickel 61.
c) PFotective gas shield: Argon
Equipment settings:
Power source settings: 100-150A
Fig. 16. SG iron coupling welded to steel operating arm of hy- 20-22 v
draulic jack bv short-arc MIG weldinam
- .(See text for descrio-
Wire feed speed: 350-450 in/min
tion.) Gas shield flow rate: 27 ft'/h
Recommended technique: Constant weave of the torch from
side to side (width of about !4 in.) throughout each pass is re-
quired. The torch should be kept moving at ail times and no at-
tempt made to build up deposit rapidly in one location. Ideal-
ly, runs should be limited to 3-8 cm at a time in staggered
fashion to minimize the heat input in any one area. Interpass
temperatures should be maintained at below 150°C for fully
ferritic ductile iron if maximum ductility is to be achieved. For
pearlitic ductile iron the workpiece temperature should be
about 250-300"C.
Wherever possible, the root run should be back ground be-
fore proceeding with the f i e r runs so as to remove any voids
or other undesirable regions in this, the most important of the
deposits. While there is no flux deposit to be removed, it is ad-
Fig. 17. Brake housing produced b y short-arc MtG welding fer vised that each run be wire brushed before depositing the next
riticfpearlitic ductile iron casting to steel bar.' run; The number of runs required is not critical but, as a

AWS WCI 8 5 0 7 8 4 2 6 5 0007071 3
11-16 149
Fig. 18. Ductile iron pipe joint with short-arc MIG welded cir-
cumferential bead.
I 3
I
6
I
5 4 2
I I I
1
I
7
I
Fig. 19. Schematic arrangement of pipe joint.8 (See text for

description .)
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Material thickness Rod diameter Acetylene
(maximum) (maximum) consumption Fig. 20. Mild steel column welded to ferritic ductile iron steer-
in. mm In. mm (ftvtl) (mYh) ing box by short-arc MIG process.B
Y* 9 % 6 15-30 0.4 -0.85

%-Y, 9-19 y18 8 30-60 0.85-1.70
over % >19 78 9 60-110 1.70-3.0
Recommended technique. After preparation, the castings
should be uniformly heated to 600°C if using a ductile iron
rod. (If using a low melting point filler rod then preheat to
300-350OC).
Forehand welding technique, with the rod ahead of the ad-
vancing weld is advised, since this enables a better puddling ac-
tion to be obtained with consequent flux scouring of inclusions
and slag. Good fluid fluxing is essential in gas welding to avoid
slag entrapment and maintain nodularity in ductile iron welds.
The base iron joint face should be first heated with the gas
torch until melting commences and then the filler rod melted
by immersion in the pool, not by direct melting off in the
flame. Gentle stirring of the pool is recommended as welding Fig. 21. Same as Fig. 20. (See text for description.)

AWS WCI 8 5 07ôLl265 0 0 0 7 0 7 2 5
150 11-16
PGWOER HOPPER
P I
METERING VALVE
ACETYLENE
Fig. 23. Schematic outline of powder welding torch.‘

“wets” the surface of the casting. Subsequently, the weld is
built up as the preheated powdered alloy continuously melts as
it impinges on the wetted surface.
u‘:
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
The bond thus produced is a diffusion bond and, therefore,

the success of the weld, in terms of strength, is determined by
the effectiveness of the development of this diffusion bond. In
this respect, a critical requirement is the necessity to achieve
complete “wetting” of the base iron surface. No flux is re-
quired, but it is imperative that the surface of the base metal is
completely free of all surface defects, oil, grease, etc.
From a metallurgical viewpoint, the process produces welds
which are free from carbides and, while the metal in the vicin-
ity of the weld has a heat-affected zone, this can be eliminated
by suitable post-weld heat treatment.
Powder welding thus offers the following advantages to the
Fig. 22. Gas fusion weld of pearlitic ductile iron pump flanges.B process selector:
(See text for description.) 1. Low preheat temperatures.
proceeds with the rod being periodically dipped into the flux. 2. Powder welds are relatively easy to machine and are free
After completion of the weld, slow cooling to room tempera- of carbides.
ture is advised. For castings which are required to be ma- 3. Capital equipment costs are low.
chined, an annealing heat treatment is recommended. 4. No flux is required.
Powder welding The process has the disadvantage of being relatively slow
Powder welding is a non-fusion welding technique and may compared with electric arc methods, the powder weld has vir-
simply be regarded as a low heat input gas welding process in tually no ductility and this is, therefore, a limitation with fer-
which filler rods are replaced by powdered metal particles ritic base irons, if this property is required, and, finally, the
which are introduced into the gas stream. The process employs cost of the powdered metal filler is relatively high. Neverthe-
an oxy-acetylene torch of design (Fig. 23) which incorporates a less, there are several applications mainly for defect repair and
metering valve to regulate the flow of the powdered welding other welds on castings where powder welding could be use-
alloy into the oxygen stream flowing through the torch. fully and profitably employed.
As the powdered alloy particles pass through the flame, they A typical example of a powder weld repair to a small ferritic
are progressively heated prior to impinging on the base iron ductile iron diesel engine top plate cover is shown in Fig. 24.
surface. The melting pointmf the deposited alloy is below that Mechanical properties
of the base iron and when the base iron surface temperature In an evaluation’ of the powder welding process with the Mee-
reaches a certain level, the deposited powder coating melts and hanite grades of nodular iron, base metal tensile strength in

AWS WCI 85 m 07842b5 O007073 7 m
11-16 151
powder welded ferritic nodular test plates was achieved but the Fig. 24. Powder weld repair’ of ferritic ductile iron cylinder
elongation was reduced from 12070 to less than 2%. head.
These results are in agreement with other reports4ggwhich
confirm that good tensile properties are achievable with pow- 3. With correct selection of welding process and filier rods/
der welding but ductility, as measured by elongation, is very wires, aii grades of ductile iron-ferritic, pearlitic, austenit-
poor (Tables 5 and 6). ic-are weldable.
Recommended process techniques 4. Of the processes discussed, short-arc MIG welding provides
the best possibilities of achieving satisfactory welds with
Equipment required: good mechanical properties. Nevertheless there are many
Heat source: Oxygen and acetylene. examples where functionally satisfactory welds are regular-
Fifler: Powdered metal alloy-usually high in nickel con- ly achieved with metal arc, gas fusion and powder welding
tent. processes.
Torch or gun: Specially designed oxy-acetylene welding 5. In all cases, successful welds require careful attention to
torch to allow the introduction of the powdered alloy into preparation including cleaning, grinding, joint design, etc.
the flame. 6. No weld can match the base metal in ail respects. Some
Equipment settings: compromise is always involved whether it be in mechanical
Oxygen und acetylene: Employ a slight excess of acetylene in properties, physical properties, color match, etc. The ob-
order to ensure slightly reducing flame condition. ject is to produce a joint or a repair capable of enabling the
Torch tip: If any quantity of powder welding is envisaged, a component or assembly to fulfill its function.
water-cooled torch tip is advised. 7. It is hoped that this paper will serve to encourage foundry-
Recommended technique: A successful powder weld is men, designers and users of ductile iron castings to consider
largely dependent upon control over the preparation of the welding as a means of extending further the usefulness and
surfaces to be welded. Machined surfaces are desirable, entire- application of nodular iron. U
ly free from dirt, grease and oil.
The first layer deposited is most important. The prepared References
faces should be carefully heated to 200-3ûû°C with the welding 1. Forrest, R.D. -
1) Welding of Meehanite Metal parts 1 and 2 Eastbourne (1970)
torch and then rapidly coated with a thin film of powdered Annual Conference of International Meehanite Metal Co. Lid. 2) Welding and
alloy. This initial layer acts as a protection against oxidation Metal Fabrlcation.
during the main build-up of the deposit. The subsequent buiìd-
2. “Introducing Russell Spheriweld”- Welding Brochure produced by S. Russell &
Sons Ltd., Leicester, England.
.ip can then proceed continuously. Only if there is a likelihood 3. Schock. D. - Giesserei, March 1982, pp. 125-127.
of overheating occurring with a heavy deposit should multi- 4. Morgan, H.L. -
“Joining Iron Casting’*paperpresented to Conference organized
by BCIRA on Engineering Properties and Performance of Modern Iron Castings,
pass welding be conducted. University of Loughborough, April 1970.
5. Rldgeway, W.F. - “Welding of SG iron forrepairand fabrication“- C.F.A. Publi-
The weldment should be allowed to cool slowly to room cation. London 1968.
temperature preferably in an oven or in an insulating material. -
6. Baker, J. W. Preprint No. 15 Proceedings of Institute of Welding, Autumn Meet-
ing 1967.
Conclusions 7. American Welding Society - American Foundrymen’s Society Commlttee on
Welding Iron Castings. A. W.S. D 11-1-65. 1965, New York.
1. The welding of ductile iron castings, although presenting 8. “Atlas-Fabrication Welding of spheroidal graphite i-on”. Results of CIATF
greater difficulties than mild steel or certain maileable Commission 7d prepared and published by Instltute of British Foundrymen,
irons, is quite possible. Blrmlngham. England.
9. Westwood C.G. 6 Lamb A.D. - “Powder Welding”, BCIRA report 841.
2. An understanding of the metallurgical factors involved,
particularly those associated with the high carbon content Acknowledgements
of ductile irons, assists in developing and applying the nec- The author wishes to thank the Institute of British Foundrymen for permlssion to
use several of the examples of ductile iron fabrication welds which were the out-
essary process controls to avoid or minimize the dangers of come of CIATF Commission. Additionally, the author wishes to thank OIT-Fer et
carbides, cracking, hard spots, etc. during welding. Titane Inc: for permission to publish this paper.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

152
Weld Quality Grades

Welding of Malleable
Two quality grades are distinguished:*
Cast Iron 1) Quality grade A: The weld has the same properties as the
unwelded material; and,
CIATF Commission 7.2 2) Quality grade B: The weld has different properties as the
Malleable Cast Iron unwelded material, but the weld quality suffices the re-
Chairman: Dipl.-Ing. H. G. Trapp quirements for a special purpose (conditional quality).
Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Secretary: Dipl.-Ing. U. Kieinheyer MALLEABLE CAST IRON
Dusseldorf, Federal Republic of Germany Classification
According to I S 0 DIS 5922, two kinds of malleable cast iron
can be distinguished.
This is the Final Report of the CIATF Malleable Cast Iron Com-
mission 7.2.The ICWis pleased to publish it in an unabridged 1) blackheart (and pearlitic) malleable cast iron of the
English translation. grades B 30-06 to P 80-01; and,
2) whiteheart malleable cast iron of the grades W 35-04 to W
45-07.
INTRODUCTION
Among them W 38-12 has a special place for construction
The broadsheet N 70 of the Verein Deutscher Gies- welding requiring a higher strength in the welding joint.
sereifachleute was taken as a basis for the first part of the re-
port. The examples of applicationswere made available by the Microstructure and Carbon Content
following companies: Bergische Stahlindustrie, Remscheid,
and Georg Fischer AG, Schaffhausen, as well as by the Centre Blackheart malleable cast iron posesses a microstructure
Technique des industrie de la Fonderie, Paris. They were ar- which is in practice not influenced by the section thickness. For
ranged and described by Ing. (grad.) P. Tolke, Schaffhausen. the grades B 30-06 to B 35-10. the microstructure consists of
ferrite and temper carbon; for the grades P 45-06 to P 80-01, it
DEFINïïION consists of a matrix with an increasingcontent in combined car-
bon and temper carbon. The total carbon content lies over 2%
Welding Varieties for this group of materials.
The following weldings of castings are distinguished:' Decarburized (whiteheart) malleable cast iron is character-
ized by the decreasing carbon content from the core to the sur-
1) production welding, which is the welding undertaken by
face of the casting, which results in different microstructures in
the producer of castings in the course of manufacturing
various zones. The core zone consists of pearlite and temper
with the aim in view of the guaranteed properties and to
carbon with a small proportion of ferrite, the intermediate
secure the requisite quality of castings; zone of pearlite and ferrite with a residue of temper carbon,
2) consiruction welding for joining castings mutually or with and the surface zone of ferrite. The total carbon content in the
other structural members; and,
core zone lies over 1.5% C. and in the surface area belowO.l%
3) maintenance welding (repair welding) for the repair of C.
castings, which are damaged during their applications. In
this case the castings are restored to suitable properties Weldable malleable cast iron is intensively decarburized.
and usability by removing defects. Carbon content is one of the main factors which affects the
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Source: AFS International Cast Metals Journal, September 1982 (American Foundrymen's Society)
~ ~~
- _-
AWS WCI 85 M 078Y265 0007075 O M
111-1 153
suitability for wclding. Thc carbon content is restricted to WELDING TECHNOLOGY

0.3%for section thicknesses 5 8 mm (sec paragraph below).
Thc matcrial and quality gradc dcterminc thc necessary wcid-
ing tcchnology.
SUITABILITY FOR WELDING

With regard to thc suitability for welding. two groupsof mallc- Edge Preparation
ablc cast iron can be distinguished.
As far a s possible. only blank metallic siirfaccs, should bc
wcldcd. In construction welding. the skins of castings should
Weldable Malleable Cast Iron bc thoroughly removed so that the impairment o f the welding
process and/or wcld metal ciin be eliminated.
Without additional cxpcnsc hcforc. during o r aftcr welding
with common unalloyed fillcr mctals. quality gradc A can he In production welding. the joint arca must he finished down
obtained. to the sound base matcrial.
The precondition for this is that the carbon content in thc The surfiicc zone of whiteheart and wcldnblc mallcnblc cast
wcld arca does not cxcecd thc approximate value of 0.3'%,. iron .grades consists o f an oxide layer. the so-called tcmpcr
This condition can be reached by an intcnsivc decarburizing skin. The oxides can rcact with carbon in the bnsc metal and/or
annealing up to a section thickness of max. 8 mm. fillcr metal t o form corbon monoxide and produce porcs in the
wcld. This holds truc for d l fusion welding processes. bccaiisc
The chemical composition of mallcablc cast irons is not stan- thc tcmpcr oxidcs casily will come into contact with the wcld
dardized. Weldable mallcablc cast iron is produced with vnri- pool. Thc CO-porcs arc readily ;ivoidcd by removing ii
able chcmical composition: maximum o f 0.3 mm tcmpcr skin in the welding iirca. If this IS
W 38-12 with a composition adjusted for wcldability ( S i s not possible. i. c. thc tcmpcr skin must be wcldcd. the dcrcct
O.SSo/o, S 5 0.15%. Mn approx. 0.8%). formation can be extensively reduced by choosing suitiiblc fil-
Icr mctals (limc-covcrcd clcctrodcs. sufficient dcoxidntion cf-
This gradc of material is suitablc for all welding proccsscs with- fcct). O n a limitcd scalc. dcfcct formation can bc rcduccd by
out restriction and can be used for welding joints which must choosing welding proccsscs (pressure welding with rcinforcc-
meet an acceptance test with an internal prcssurc load. ment) ;IS well as by adjusting the torch.
Materials which were cast with a common chcmical compo- Edgc prcpiiration can bc chosen corrcsponding to the rc-
sition of whiteheart o r blackheart mallcable cast iron havc quircmcnts o f the wclding proccss. ;is in the case o f welding
been proved weldable by mechanized o r automatic wclding steel. In rcsistancc pressure welding and pressure welding. it
processes such as rcsistancc flash welding. friction welding, must bc taken into consideration that the different melting
and gas metal arc welding, as well as manual arc wclding with points in the wclds o f mallcsblc cast iron/stccl results in more
basic electrodes. melting loss and thickcr protrusions.
Quality grade A is also obtainable with normal carburizcd
whiteheart cast iron of y-ades W 35-04. W 40-05and W 45-07.
if the section thickness does not exceed 4 mm and the material Heat Introduction and Heat Treatment
control in respect of weldability is ensured. The wcldability of
In cold wclding without postwcld hcnt trcatmcnt. the wcldnblc
fittings is not guaranteed due t o the decarburization degree
mallcable cast iron within the composition rsngc described
adapted for an optimal machinability.
ahovc produccs quality gradc A. For othcr mellcnhlc cast iron
gradcs. thc quality gradc of the wclds is fixed hy the manner of
Whiteheart and Blackheart Malleable Cast Irons Which hcat introduction hcforc. during and aftcr welding iis wcll a s
Are Conditionally Weldable at Enhanced Expense the typc of postwcld hcrit trcatmcnt. Cold wclding. i. c . wcld-
ing without o r only with a slight prchcating. Ic;ids t o qiiiility
The microstructure of high carbon mallcable cast iron con- gradc B with the normal mallcablc cast iron gradcs. T h e prop-
tains, besides varying proportions of combined carbon, vary- crtics can bc improved hy one o r more stagcs of hcat trcatmcnt
ing proportions of free carbon (temper carbon). Without addi- aftcr wclding, for which a tcmpcring o f martcnsitc is usu;illy
tional expense, welding with dissimilar filler metal produces sufficicnt. A prior graphitizing anncaling normally dcstroys
only quality grade B. If quality grade A is demanded. the wcld- thc Icdcburitc, and thus improvcs the machinnbility, but rc-
ing of whiteheart malleable cast iron with a carbon content of sults in lamellar graphitc products in the arca of Icdchuritc islcs
over 0.3% (in the weld) must be preceeded by a preheating of formed during wclding. which can be associatcd with ii dc-
u p t o a t least 250 t o 4ooC. If the carbon content is so high that, crease of elongation and fatigue strength.
in spite of preheating, ledeburite is formed, then a onc-stagc or
two-stage annealing is required after welding. Blackheart mal- If quality gradc A is dcmandcd on mallcable cast iron grades
leable cast iron demands basically a suitable postwcld heat with highcr carbon contcnts. hot welding with a prc-hcnting to
treatment. According to experiences, the graphitizing prod- tcmpcraturcs in thc rangc of 250 t o 4K)C (according to the
ucts of ledeburite produced by welding lead to propcrtics complcxity of thc casting) must hc applicd. Parts of whitchcort
which d o hot correspond t o that of the unwelded material. The mallcable cast iron which havc hccn dccarburizcd to 2% C.
Ni-martensite zone in the weld of malleable cast iron/fillcr i. c. undcr thc limit for Icdchuritc formation, rcquirc no ;iddi-
wire, being unavoidable in welding with a high nickel filler tional graphitizing hcat trciitmcnt. This graphitizing hcat trcat-
metal, cannot be eliminated even with a high tcmpcraturc hcat ing must bc carricd out, howcvcr, on parts of hlackhcnrt mallc-
treatment. ablc cast iron. Scmi-hot wclding with a localizcd prc'hcating up
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 8 5 m 078q265 0003076 2 m
154 111-1
to 250 to 4í)OCcan rcach quality gradc A for parts of whitchcart Weld Filler Metals for Whiteheart and Blackheart Malleable
mallcablc cast iron which havc no potential for lcdcburitc for- Cast Iron - For whiteheart malleable cast iron grades with
mation (C s 2%). high carbon contcnt and for blackhcart gradcs. both similar
and dissimilar weld filler metals are applied. There are covered
or bare clectrodcs as well as welding rods on the market.' The
Welding Processes classification of covcrcd clcctrodes is bascd o n the chemical
Welding Processes for Weldable Malleable Cast Iron -The composition of the stick. The weld properties depend also on
chcmical composition of W 38-12, being adaptcd for thc bcst the stick composition. mainly on the coating. on the alloying ,
wcldability and combincd with an intcnsivc dccarburization, from the coating and base metal, on the welding process. the
cnablcs production, construction and rcpair wclding of thcsc wclding paramctcrs. and on thc cooling ratc. Uncovcrcd clcc-
mittcrials with all known welding proccsscs and filler metals trodcs and welding rods arc also classified according to their
not rcquiring ii postwcld hcat trcatmcnt, if thc scction thick- cornposition. Thcir application is only rccommcndcd for hot
ness docs not cxcccd approximatcly 8 mm. Rcccnt dcvclop- and scmi-hot wclding. Weld filler metals which produce a weld
mcnts'.' havc shown that mallcablc cast iron gradcs with a with lamcllar graphitc arc not suitablc for the wcldingof mallc-
composition dcviating from gradc W 38-12 (for cxamplc. ablc cast iron.
whitchcart or blackhcart mallcablc cast iron) arc also suitablc
for construction wclding if thc carbon contcnt can bc rcduccd
to I0.3'%,.by an intcnsivc dccarburization. In thc ficld of QUALITY ASSURANCE
quantity production. thcsc matcrials arc prcfcrably wcldcd by
mcchanizcd and automatic wclding proccsscs such as gas Construction Welding
metal-arc welding with carbon dioxidc. argon and gas mixturc, For construction welding. wcldablc malleable cast iron shall
flash wclding, friction wclding. and for small lots mctal-arc have priority, The required actions for quality assurance must
wclding with covcrcd clcctrodcs. Diffusion wclding. plasma- be coordinatcd with safety requirements and the use of the cast
iirc wclding and scam wclding havc bccn also tcstcd with suc- construction.
cess.
Thc implementation of the following quality assurance ac-
Welding Processes for Whiteheart Malleable Cast Iron - tions must be considered accordingly:
Practically all wclding proccsscs arc possiblc. Thc rcquisitc cx- 1) rcquircd proof of the qualifications of the factories;
pcnsc for obtaining a sufficicnt wcld gradc is confincd to the 2) examination of integrity and preparation of the following
application of manual mctal-arc wclding in small lot produc- working papers;
tion. Frcc tcmpcr carbon can result in CO-gas pores even in a) calculation of strength
metal-arc wclding conditions. Thcrcforc. gas wclding should b) Operational drawings
only bc applicd with a reducing flamc. c) guide on the preweld or postweld treatment and exami-
nation
Welding Processes for Blackheart Malleable Cast Iron - If
d) welding instruction, welding scheme
production wclds arc possiblc, thc mctal-arc welding proccss
e) weld testing scheme;
with covcrcd clcctrodcs is prcfcrablc. Thc wcldsshould have a
3) selection of suitable base metals (material permission);
hcat input as low as possiblc. that is to say. clcctrodes with a 4) selection of suitable filler metals and auxiliary materials
small diamctcr. with a welding currcnt as low as possible, in
(permission);
ordcr to rcducc thc hardcning effcct (martcnsitc and Icdcbu-
5 ) corrcct weld construction with regard to load conditions.
ritc). Additionally, hcat input can be reduced by making thin,
material behavior, suitability for welding, finishing condi-
short wcld bcads. Thc Icngth of the wcld bead should not cx-
tions, weld safety;
cccd IO timcs the clcctrodc diamctcr.
6) special actions for welding production:
Undcr dcfincd strain conditions. wclds with thc MAG wcld- a) selection of welding processes (accepted for the applica-
ing proccss arc applicd to P 80-01 gradc mallcable cast iron o n tion purpose)
thc production linc. b) weld edge preparation
c) welding jobs performed by certified welders under
supervised conditions (welding inspection)
Welding Filler Metals d) right selection of operational data, diameter of the filler
Welding Filler Metals for Weldable MalleableCast Iron -For metal, polarity, welding current, weld buildup, welding
wcldablc mallcablc cast iron. unalloycd wcld filler mctals can position, compliance with the welding plan, preheating,
usually bc applicd. Matcrials having a composition within the etc.
rangc of W 38-12 chcmical composition can bc welded either e) appropriate refinishing
with iron orc and rutilc or lime-covered electrodes. 7) Testing procedures in compliance with the requirements
for the test categories (destructive and nondestructive),
For gas wclding of W 38- 12. gas wclding rods or wircs can be including documentation; and,
applied. 8) acceptance test procedure.
Gas mctal-arc wclding of all gradcs of weldable mallcable
ciast irons, as offcrcd on the market, can be done with unal- Production and Repair Welding
loycd or flux corcd wirc. For wcldablc matcrials on a basc of
whitehcitrt or blackhcart mallcablc cast irons (see above), Because of the associated metallurgical factors, namely high
basic covcrcd clcctrodcs should bc applicd in any case. In all carbon content in the matrix and the presence of free graphite
ciiscs, quality gradc A will be obtaincd. under ccrtain circumstances (except for thin sections of
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 m 07BY2b5 0007077 Y m
111-1 155
whiteheart and weldable cast iron), suitable measures for
safeguarding weld quality are demanded.
Production welding for castings requiring a certificate need
the agreement of both client and producer.
Technical Hints
Weiäing Filler Metal -The welding filler metal must match
with the base metal.
Welding Processand Welding Technology Welding process -
and welding technology must be coordinated with the material Fig. 1 . Drive shaft flanges (material: blackheart malleable
microstructure in the joint. cast iron) which are welded to the tubular steel shaft part ofthe
Welders -The welders must receive a sufficient training in the drive shaft. Weight: 0.8 to 1.2 kg.
welding of corresponding materials.
Welding Conditions -For perfect welding performance, the
following factors are necessary: selection of working condi-
tions, size of welding filler metals, polarity, welding current,
weld seam buildup, welding position, heat introduction and
the application of suitable working materials, fixtures and
tools. Fixing these data in a working guide is recommended.
Heat Treatment after Welding - A suitable postweld heat
treatment is required for the welding of castings whose carbon
content exceeds 0.3%.
Testing Methods- For proof of their soundness, welds can be
tested by a suitable testing method, for example, hardness test,
magnetic particle test, selective metallographic test. Re-
member that for the magnetic particle test a false indication
can occur due to hardening in the heat-affected zone or the ap-
plication of Ni-base welding filler metal.
EXAMPLES OF APPLICATIONS Fig. 2. Drive shaft flange of blackheart malleable cast iron
welded to tubular steel drive shaft.
There are many examples of weldments in which one or more
of the parts are malleable iron castings. Because malleable cast
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
iron is a typical mass production material, these examples

often concern mass produced welded joints made by
mechanized or automated welding equipment. Incorporating
the welding process into a machining center does not permit
any pre- or post-heat treatment of the weld region. Due to this,
together with the high strength and safety requirements, the
use of weldable whiteheart malleable cast iron is preferred in
the automotive industry. This is a material which does not re-
quire any additional treatment -neither before, nor during,
nor after welding -and gives class A welds using the normal
unalloyed welding rod.
The pictorial examples are shown in the following order:
Automobile productiodautomotive industry drive system,
steering, axle parts, chassis, exhaust system; plumbing and
heating industry; material transportation industry; agricultural
machine industry; general machinery industry.
Fig. 3. Flange cenfer bearing for the drive shaft of a higher-
Figure 1 shows various designs of drive shaft flanges. As powered automobile. Material: blackheart malleable cast
shown in Fig. 2, they are welded to the tubular steel part of the iron. Weight: 1.24 kg.
drive shaft by friction welding or by the active-gas metal-arc
welding method (MAGC) under a carbon dioxide atmos-
phere. The condition of the drive shaft is very important for a This same reliability is demanded of the weld between the
well-functioning vehicle. Accordingly, the weld quality and flange center bearing and the tubular steel shaft, as in Fig. 3.
weld strength properties must conform to high standards to The flange center bearing belongs to the drive shaft of a higher-
guarantee a highly reliable drive system. powered 3-liter medium price automobile.
AWS W C I 8 5 07842b5 0007078 b
156 111-1
From a technical standpoint, the drive shaft of the lower-
price German automobile in Fig. 4 is noteworthy. The fork and
fork flange are made of P 70-02 malleable cast iron. Integrated
into the normal production process, the material and welding
method (MAGC, carbon dioxide protective gas) give a class B
weld. This means that because the weld is made without pre-
heating, hardened structures (martensite, ledeburite) can
occur in the microstructure. However, this design has been
used in several million automobiles without any known service
failures.
The steering system also has strict reliability requirements.
The steering gear housing of Fig. 5 is welded to the tubular
steel steering column. Naturally, the steering gear housing and
weld must provide the same reliability (material properties,
weldability) required of the safety part.
Axle parts are subjected to extreme loading. Thus, the spe-
cial safety aspects of castings welded to each other to steel must Fig. 4. Automobile drive shaft welded to universal joint.
be considered.
The welded joint of the W 38-12 weldable malleable cast The rear axle control arm, Figs. 8 and 9, of the legendary
iron wheel carrier has proven itself millions of times over. This VW “Beetle” illustrates a special feature of welding technol-
casting is welded to a plate steel assembly and the entire unit ogy. In the region of the welded joint, the W 38-12 weldable
comprises a semi-trailing arm rear axle for high-priced auto- malleable cast iron wheel carrier has a wall thickness of 16mm.
mobiles. Figure 6 shows the design for a mass-produced sedan This is too thick to guarantee a through-decarburization to
and Fig. 7 shows the design for a fast sport car made in small 0.3% maximum retained carbon without uneconomical mal-
series production. Fracture of the weld would have catas- leabilizing times. Thus, a minimum depth of decarburization,
trophic consequences. Accordingly, the semi-trailing arm rear corresponding to MIG weld penetration depth, is specified for
axle is classified as a safety part. the wheel carrier to prevent hardening. In the foundry, the
casting decarburization must be precisely controlled.
The rear axle segment in Fig. 10 is also from the VW “Bee-
tle” and shows the original design. The welded assembly con-
sists of 3 castings and 2 tubular steel segments. ALI five parts
were welded together by means of butt welding. With further
technical development, the castings of this assembly were
changed so that their present-day shape is different than shown
in Fig. 10. However, the welded assembly technique has re-
mained the same.
Fig. 5. Steel steering column tube with steeringgear housing of whiteheart malleable cast iron. (Pref. W 38-12). Weight: 1.15 kg.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
.
AWS W C I 85 W 078Li2b5 0007079 8 W
I11-1 157
Fig. 6. Semi-trailing arm rear axle of W 38-12weldable malle-

able cast iron welded toplate steel. Weight: 3.73kg.
Fig. 9. Rear axle wheel carrier that is welded to control arm Fig. 8. Rear axle control arm.
shown in Fig. 8.
Fig. 7. Semi-trailing arm for a sport car rear axle welded to a bearing body of W 38-12 with a weight of 2.9 kg.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 078Li265 0007080 D
158 111-1
Fig. 14. Shock absorber bracket, 1.97 kg. Material: Weldable Fig. 16. Motorcycle frame spring bracket, various versions.
blackheart malleable iron. Material: W 38-12.
By changing the pattern parting line location, more precision teresting example of a weldable malleable cast iron applica-
at the weld region was achieved. Afîer redesigning, the part tion. This part has many design shapes and is welded by the
was 20% lighter For the changeover from cast steel to carbon dioxide - MIG method or hand arc welded using
whiteheart weldable malleable cast iron, neither the welding coated consumable electrodes.
method nor welding rod analysis had to be changed. Figures
In Fig. 17 the cast hinge bearing (which also serves to fasten
15b and 1% show how the bearing functions.
the truck bed cover) of a platform truck tailgate hinge has re-
The motorcycle frame spring bracket in Fig. 16 is also an in- placed a steel part which required complicated production op-
Fig. 15. Pivot bearing of weldable whiteheart malleable cast iron (1.16 kg) fora dump truck which tips to the back and to the sides; in
the middle and on the right the bearing is under load in a tipped position.
Fig. 17. Three-part tailgate hinge bearing with hoop for fastening down the truck bed cover. Material: W 38-12.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
__
~
-
AWS WCI 85 m 078Y2b5 000708L b m
111-1 159
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 10. Rear axle of the VW “Beetle”(in the late fifties)in-

cluding two bearing bodies (3.9 kg ea.ch) and a torsion spring
bearing (2.6 kg). Material: W 38-12.
Fig. 12. Oil-tight planetary gear housing for a truck with mal-
leable iron carrier of W38-12. Weight: 18 kg.
Fig. 11. Half-axleof an automobile swing axle, each including

two castings of W 38-12. Weight of the forked piece: 5.5 kg.
Almost as classic and, at the time, as revolutionary an exam-

ple, was the swing axle installed in a mass-produced sedan.
This consisted of 4 castings butt welded to tubular steel. Figure
11 shows the half axles.
The truck planetary gear housing of Fig. 12must be oil-tight.
Thus, the MAGC weld must be free of porosity or cracks. The
planetary carrier is made of weldable malleable cast iron.
From the chassis region is a bearing support shown in Fig.
13, and a shock absorber bracket in Fig. 14.
The pivot bearings of a dump truck dumper body, shown in
Fig. 15, are highly-stressed safety parts. These bearings are
welded to the four outriggers of the dumper body frame and
with side dumping (this dump truck can dump to the back or to
the left or right sides) they take up the supporting forces for the
dumper body. These parts, previously made of cast steel, were Fig. 13. Bearing support of weldable whiteheart malleable
redesigned to the requirements of the decarburization process. cast iron for the chassis of a passenger car. Weight:0.46 kg.
AWS W C I 85 m 078Li265 O007082 8 m
160 111-1
Fig. 19. Exhaustmanifolds(1.6and2.4 kg), welded with tubu-

lar steel to an exhaust collectionsystem. Material: whiteheart
malleable cast iron.
Fig. 18. Exhaust system of malleable iron castings welded to

tubular steel connecting pieces. Weight:2.12 kg.
Fig. 20. Exhaust collection consisting of sheet steel and two

pieces of malleable cast iron. Material: whiteheart malleable
cast iron welded together.
erations including stamping, shearing, cold forming and weld-
ing. The hoop is now also cast. The spring steel clamping
sleeve, which cames the hoop, is welded onto the hinge bear-
ing.
The next examples concern exhaust systems. Figure 18
shows the complete exhaust system of a small French auto-
mobile. This consists of three malleable iron castings and four
tubular steel connection pieces. The housings are subjected to
high temperature stresses, as are the elbows in Fig. 19. These
elbows are cast in various shapes and, by combining castings
with tubular steel segments, exhaust collection systems of any
desired size (such as for a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine) can
be constructed. Figures 20 and 21 show examples.
Another interesting example is the forked support in Fig. 22.
This part is cast with a blackheart malleable cast iron analysis
and then decarburized for weldability. During assembly it is
held to the mating structure by three spot welds and then the
main joint is made by brazing. The strong decarburization,
however,’ guarantees that for brazing above the austenite
transformation temperature (Ac,) no sorbitic hardening oc-
cum.
The next examples are from the plumbing and heating indus- Fig. 21. Exhaust system for a six-cylinder engine constructed
try.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
of the same materialsas in Figs. 18, 19 and 20.
AWS W C I 85 m 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007083 T m
111-1 161
Fig. 22. Forked support for an exhaust system. Weight: 0.46

kg. Material: blackheart malleable cast iron.
Fig. 24. Examination of the junction of weld-on valve hous-

ings shown in Fig. 23. Weld-on flange, weld and pipe endure
this large deformation without any crack or fractureoccunng.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 23. Weld-on valve housings up to 2Wmm nominal diam-

eter are constructed of W 38-12. They are licensed in accor-
dance with VdTUV (technical supervision associations) at
temperatures up to 300C (see Fig. 24).
Weld-on valves are made in various sizes, Fig. 23. The high
degree of deformability of the weld, pipe, and weld-on flange
is seen in Fig. 24.
The radiator connection pieces in Fig. 25 are also typical ap-
plications of weldable malleable cast iron.
The casting shown in Fig. 26 is specified for a support for a
Fig. 25. Radiator connection pieces of W 38-12 are produced hot air generator with a 40,000 kcaüh (167,500 kjh) capacity.
in many differentshapes. Weight of 0.2 to O. 9 kg. This heater is used to heat coaches and diesel locomotives of
AWS W C I 8 5 m 0784265 000708Li L m
162 111-1
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 26. Housing for a hot air generator. Material: P 4.54% welded to a steel tube.
Fig. 27. Base for a sheet frame container. Weight: 0.53kg. Fig. 28. Gear rack (material:P45-06)to adjust the height of a
Material: blackheart malleable cast iron. plow. The tooth system is cast wilh high precision and machin-
ing is not required.
Fig. 29. Tractor brake lever bearing. Steel stamping and connectionpiece (B 35-10) welded on to a flatsteel bar.

I
AWS WCI 8 5 0789265 0007085 3
111-1 163
the French Federal Railway (SNCF). A soft stccl pipe with a J- also wcldcd without preheating. The welding electrode con-
mm wall thickness is wcldcd to the P JS-06 pearlitic m:ìllciiblc tains SS-H)'%, nickcl.
cast iron support. I t is wcldcd, without prchcating, with ii
rutile-coated electrode. REFERENCES
The container foot in Fig. 27 comcs from the transportation I . DIN 172-45.
industry. This foot is welded to the shcct steel framc. 2. J . Ruge. "Schwcisscn and Loten von Gusseisen mit Kugcl-
The examples of Figs. 28 and 29 arc from thc agricultural graphite." F;tcb.hhircbrcihc Sr./~~i~cissrcr.hr?il,Verlag fiir
machine industry. Figure 28 shows ii gear rack to adjust the .
Schwc isstcchii i k Ci iiih H DiisseIdorf De ut sclicr IWi( 1.
3 . P. Tolkc. H. Ci. Trapp and H. Wiiltcr. "Tcnipcrgiisswcrkstoffc
height of a plow. This is a P 45-06 mallcabic iron casting and is fiir KoiistriiktionsschwcissiinScii." ATZ 72 (1971) Nr. IO. S. 2501
wcldcd to IO-mm plate steel. It i s wcldcd. without preheating. 365 u. Nr. 1 I . S. 433/-437.
with u 4-mm diameter unalloyed basic-coated electrode. Thc 4. A . Rist. R. Stciiicmiinii lind P. Tiilkc. "Tcmpcrgiisswcrkstoffc
tractor brake Icvcr bcaring in Fig. 29 consists o f a stccl stiimp- fiir KonstriiktioiisschwcissciiScn - Kcihschwcisscn." ATZ 70
ing and a B 3 - 1 0 bliìckhciirt mailcablc cast iron connecting (197-4) Nr. O. S 29-4/39.
piccc. both of which arc wcldcd onto a flat stccl bar. This is 5. DIN 8572. Tcil I und Tcil 2.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 8 5 W 078Li265 000708b 5
164 111-2
Electron Beam Welding

of Pearlitic Malleable Iron
Fusion welding of malleable irons is a subject of interest to both producer and
user hit it presents forir principal problems iohich limit sziccessf u1 applications.
by W. C. Truckenmiller ties.' Cary' has shown a series of successful tech-

Defense Development Manager niques for tlie welding of malleable irons, cautioning
Albion Malleable Iron Co. that each application must be examined by its own
Albion, Mich. merits aiid scrvice requirements need to be evaluated
on tlie basis of incdinnical properties obtainable. Re-
Abstract cent work by the 1 1;illeable Research and Dei.clop-
This paper is a feasibility study of the joining of ineiit Foundation:' lias estiiblislied satisfactory appli-
pearlitic rpalleable iron to pearlitic iiiiillea1)le iron as cation of welding of pmrlitic niallea1)le iron to carbon
well as to three medium carbon steels by electron steel in simulated aitomotive drive train coinponents
beam welding and analysis of resulting niacro and b y careful choice of design of joint aiid iitilizntion of
niicrostructures. This method \\'as found to offcr a autoinated XIIG (incrt gas, coiisiimable metallic elcc-
means of joining which ininiinizcs fusion aiid heat troclc ) welding eqiiipinciit. The rise of low current
treated zones as well as coiiiplicatcd joiiiiiig prcpara- and sin:ill clininctcr rod i-ediicrd the fusion aiid licit-
tioii. However, direct joining of pearlitic iii;illc:il~leto ;ifkctcd arcas. This. combined with proper joint de-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
pearlitic nialleablc by this process is iiiisatisfwtory; sign resiiltcd in \velds cap;iblc of lvithstaiidiiig a coin-
joining of pearlitic inallc~;iblcto plain c;irl>on steels parntivcly high le\.cl of c!dic stress. No postlieat
is not satisfactory either. Eicctroii 1 ) c ~ i n iweldings of trriitmcnt \\xiiiscd.
malleable to SAE 4140 aiid 4340 rcsiilt in joints of
normally acceptable soiindncss. Test Procedure
Tlie feasibility study rcported here is an outgrowth
Introduction of a specific iiivcstigatioii of joining SAE 33-10 steel
USIOX WELDING OF AIALLEABLE IRONS, a subject of to '70003 pcnrlitic innllcable iron. The initial criteria
F interest to both prodiicer and user, prcwnts four
principal problems \vliicli limit siicccssful applications,
of suc'ccss, iiiiiiiniiini Iicat :iffccted zone, miisiiniim
rctciitioii of basc iiiiitcriiil strrictiirc i i i i d , 'or properties
namely 1) an extremely hard hcat-affected zonc, 2) a and Iiigli Icvcl of \v&l soiiiidiicw have h e n rctaiiicd.
white iron structure in the fusion zonc, 3) gas and Tlic pairs of inntrrials joined hnvc I x w i t~spaiidcdto
slag generation during wcMing, and 4 ) inconsistcncy iiicliidc 70003 pearlitic m:illeablc to 1) 70002 pvnrlitic
of results. iiiallcablc, 9 ) SAE 1040 steel, aiid 3) S.4E 4140 stccl
Conventional gas aiid coated or \vashcd clcctrode ;is wcli as thr initial pair of iniiteriiils. Thc only section
manual arc welding with carbori stccl filler rod rc- tliickiicss iiscd for this work w a s 4s in.
suits in rather large fusion and Iicíit-affcctccl zoncs. Electron bcxiii weldiiig wis sclccted as tlic joining
\Veld soundness has bccii frcqucntly less than satis- incthocl 1)ccausc of the prospect of small heat-af-
factory. Howevcr, for conditions of low stress, particu- fccted zone, al>scncc of coiitaininntioii from estcmal
larly in shock or fatigue and ones in whicli wry oc- sources, absciicc of nccd of a filler rod and simplicity
casional failures can be tolcratcrl, the rccord shows of prcparation of mating surfaces. l'lie proccss lins
many successful applications of inaiirial arc wclding. iilrcady provcn itsclf in the joining of a wide variety
Careful preparation and technique, use of low cur- of materials iii :i wick range of section thicknesses.
rent, nickel-base wclding rod, and ratlicr cstcnsivc Stock prcparation consisted of conventional qiicncli-
postheat treatment have bccn shown to prodricc welds ing i 1 d tcmpcriiig of stccl stock with a find tempcr-
in niailcable iron with siil>stantialiiiechanical propcr- iiig tcnipcrntiirc of 950 F (510 C) and qiicnching and
Source: Modern Casting, July 1966

AWS W C I 8 5 m 0789265 0007083 7 m
111-2 165
70002-70002 70002-1040 70002-4140 70002-4340
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
LI
9(r,
k
w
U
W
Q
2
W
I-
W
J
m
8
n
U
Fig. 1 . Typical macro-etched cross-sections of electron beam welds. Acfual thickness of cross-secfion is % in.

AWS W C I 8 5 W 0784265 0007088 9 W
166 111-2
Fig. 2. Pearlitic malleable welded to pearlitic malleable; a ) as-welded, b) tempered at 900 f (482 C), C) doubled of
900 F (482 C). Vickers diamond pyramid hardness values a r e shown a t 0.010 in. intervals.
tempering a 2.50%carbon, 1.50%silicon, arrested an- was niaintaiiicd at 10-‘mm Hg for nll welds. After
neal pcarlitic malleable iron to a final hardness of initial cxpcriincntation, traverse rate was fixed at 40
197-241 Bhn. Machine to 7.á in. thickness, 1 in. width in. per niinutc and Iicnt input ut 6ïM watts. Parts
and approximately 4 in, length was then performed. were clninpcd iii place \vitil mitiiig cnds butted to-
Mating surfaces (% x 1in.) wcrc finished by grinding. gct lier for t he wrlding opcrli t ion.
The actual welding operations w’rc conducted at Onc-third of the s:iiiiplcs were tcinpcred at WO F
Nech-Tronics Corp., Slelrosc Park, Ill. iinder the su- (4S2 C ) for one lioiir, one third were double tempered
pervision of L. ri. AlcNri1)b. Tlic clcctron bcam weld- at F (432 C) for one hour (each treatment) and
ing eqiiipincnt used was cqiiippcd with a 50 A 30 s tlic 1~:11mccrciiiaiiiccl :is wcldcd. Tlic doublc teniprr-
42 in. vacuum chamber. i’nciiiim chamber pressure iiig trcatinciit \viis iiistitutcd specificiilly for the 43-10
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 = 07ôLi265 0007087 D
I11-2 167
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 3. Pearlific malleable welded to SAE 7040 steel; a) as-welded, b) tempered at 900 F (482 Cl, c ) double tempered
at 900 F (482 CI. Vickers diamond pyramid hardness values are shown at 0.010 in. infervals.
to 70002 weld because of the obvious retention of Discussion of Results

substantial austenite on the initial cooling and was Figure 1 illustrates typical cross-sections of the
included for other welds in the interest of providing various pairs of mating materials and treatments.
consistent bases of comparison as well as evidence of Welds between 70002 pearlitic mnlleiible and 1)
any as-welded austenite retention. All samples were 70002 pearlitic malleable and 2 ) SAE 1040 steel
sectioned through the weld area and examined for were chnrnctcristically high in porosity while the
weld soundness. A typical set of these samples were joints betwccn thc pcarlitic mallcnble Lind the two
polished, etched, and subjected to a Vickers micro- alloy steels were just as cliaractcristically sound, with
hardness traverse ( Viekers penetrator, 1 kilogram only an occasioiial sign of porosity. Tlic strong de-
load ) . osidizing rffcct of chroiniuni and molybdcnum in thc

AWS W C I 85 W 078Lî2b5 O007090 7
168 111-2
Fig. 4. Pearlitic malleable welded to SA€ 4140 steel; a ) as-welded, b ) tempered of 900 F (482 C), c) double fempered
at 900 F ( 4 8 2 C). Vickers diamond pyramid hardness values ore shown at 0.010 in. intervals.
41-10 aiid -1.340 stccls is crcclitcd \vit11 this diffcwiicr.

C1iar:ictcristic of a11 welds \\';IS thc w r y narrow
(0.030 to 0.030 iii.) fiision zone. ;i fcbatiirc coiisidcwd
iinpossible with otlicr fiision wclding tcdiniqucs.
Figures 2 and 5 dcpict the general inicrostriictiirc
aiid the Vickers hardness trnvcrsc valucs at 0.010 in.
intcrvals across thc wcld :iiid hcnt affcctcd zoncs for
d i foiir pairs of matrrials witli c:icli of tlic tlircc post-
Iicat trcíitiiiciits. Sííignifiption niny kc dcdiiccrl fioiii
tlic spacing of tlic Iiíirdncss iiidciitntions. Figrirc-s G
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 07842b5 0007091 7
111-2 169
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 5. Pearlitic malleable welded to SA€ 4340 steel; a ) as-welded, b) tempered a i 900 F (482 C), c) double tempered
at 900 F ( 4 8 2 C). Vickers diamond pyramid hardness values are shown at 0.010 in. intervals.
of aiisteiiite iii t l i o initial \ \ ~ l ( lFniliirc~

. of t l i ~tciiiper-
iiig treiitiiwiits to rediice thc. Iiiirdiicss of tlic licnt-
:ifiected zones to tlic lcvcl of l ~ a s cmntcrinl Iinrdncss
is nscri1)cd to tlio low tcvqwriiig tciiipcrntiirc of tlir
post-weld tr(!ntiiiciit ;is coiiipnrcd to the iiiitiiil tcmpcr-
ing tcmlwratiirc of tlic lins<: m:itcrial, 1300 1’ (701 C ) .
Ilo\vcvcr, no trrntinciit sliort of r ( w i i i i r i i l i i i g \voiilcl
Iiave pro(liicc(1 optiiniiin iiiicrostriictiirc! iii tlir wc:ld
zoiic. Significant iiiic.rostriicliir(~s,1):isc i i i i i t v i i n l ;iiid
iicat-affi*ctd ; i i d \vc*ltl ZO~I<’s i i i both :is-\\~c.l<lrd ;iid

170
AWS WCI 85 078Li2b5 0007092 O
111-2
-
Fig, 6. Microstructures of base materials an¿ heat affected zones. Original micros 3 x 3 in. Nifal eich, SOOX.
a machinable level of hardness after tempcring at the ciigiiiecring propcrties of the joint might be satis-
‘300 F(482C). It may be expected from tlie micro- factory and that properties of strength and impact
structures after the post-weld treatment that me- rcsistiiiicc of tlie weld and hcat-aff ected zones should
chanical properties will be satisfactory for normal ap- bc at lcxst coinparable witli the pearlitic malleable
plication. IIo\vever, tlic basic defect of Iieavy porosity base niatcrial. Tlic second tempering operation would
lvhich was indicated carlier disqualifics the joiiit for fiirtlicr eiiliaiice this iiiiitcli o f properties as well as
such use. iiiiprove miicliiiiiil>ility. The islands of white iron
Among tlie pairs of materials wcldcd, the micro- \vliicli ;ippe;ir in tlic- liciit-affcctcd zonc adjacent to the
striicture of thc fusion zone of tlic 70002 to SAE 41-10 \ v c M zoiic iii tlic pearlitic iiidlciible iron in this and
steel is unique (See Fig. 4 and appropriutc inicro- the otlicr wclds arc ccrtaiiily detriiiiental in nature
structures in Fig. 6 and 7. The principal constituent iiltlioiigli to ii iiiiicli lesser dcgrec than an entire weld
is upper bainitc, ruthcr tlian inartcnsitc. Soiiic austen- zone of wliite iron. Fiirtlier evaliiation of this area
ite retention is indicated by the drop in hardness is neccled. The criicli appearing iii the as-welded
after tlic second tempering opcratioii. It niiglit be structrirc is bclic\wì rcliitcd to tlic degree of re-
expccted that nftcr n first tempering operation that straiiit dtiriiig welding and, on adniittcdly mcagcr
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

- -
AWS W C I A5 O ï A Y 2 6 5 0007093 2 W
111-2 171
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 7. Microstructures of as-welded and fempered weld zones. Original micros 3 x 3 in. Nital etch, 500X.
e\Gìence, is not considered characteristic of tlic clcc- Figurc S is il siiinmary of liardiiess traverse values.
tron beam joining of these two materials. for tlic foiir joint coiiibiiiutioiis in tlic three treatment
Figure 5 and associated microstructures in Fig. 6 conditions, indi\-icliial Iiardiiess readings having been
and 7 depict the results of joining 7000.2 pearlitic mal- q i \ m at tlic appropriate locations in Fig. 2 through 5.
leable to SAE 4340 steels. Increase in weld zone hard-
ness after a first tempering operation is indicative of Conclusions
considerable austenite retention in the basically mar- 1) Electron beam wclding offers a inetliod of join-
tensitic structure. Heat-affected zonc rcsponscs are ing wliicli ininiinizes fusion and heat-affected zones
normal with substantial softening after the first temper- n s well us complicated joint preparation.
ing treatment and little if any change after the second. 2 ) Direct joining of pe:irlitic mallcable irons to
The combination of weld soundness and satisfactory pciirlitic inallcable irons by this process is unsatis-
structure and hardness after the second tcmpcr leads factory bccausc of a ) exccwive weld porosity and b )
to the judgment that this joint is satisfactory for most tlic dcwclopincnt of a fiision zone of white cast iron.
engineering purposes. Xíodification of tempering tem- 3 ) Joiniiig of pcarlitic malleable irons to plain car-
peratures may of course be inadc to suit individual h i stccls is iiiisatisfactory bccaiise of excessive weld
circumstances. porosity, altlioiigli acceptable iiiicrocoiistitiients are
It may be sccn, therefore, that electron benin weld- obt aiiicd.
ing offers at least a partial solution t o tlic problcms 4 ) Eicctroii bcaiii uddings of inallcable irons to
of fusion welding of mallcable irons to low alloy stecls SAE 41-10 and 4-10 steels (prol):il>Iybecause of pres-
1) extremely liard licat-aflcctcd zonc, 2 ) wliitc iron cncc of potciit dcosidizcrs ) resiilts in joints of nor-
structure in thc fusion zonc, 3) gas and slag gcncra- iiially ;icccptnl)le soiiiiclncss and with inicrostriictiircs
tion during welding, 4 ) inconsistency of rcsiilts, 5 ) v.*liich iiiiiy 1~ acc.cpLiil)lc ;is-\vc*lclcdor \vitIl 110 morc
large fusion zone and 6) extensive post-weld treat- tliiin pos~-\vc~ld tciiipcriiig opcr;itions.
ment. A Ilricf discussioii of ;i proposcl mctliod of
adaptation of tlic electron beam tccliniqiic~ to mal- Areas of Further Investigation
Icahlc to mallcablc joints appears iindcr tlic siibsc- ’Two arcas of ndditioiial work arc siiggcstccl. First,
qucnt heading “Arras for Furtlicr Invcstigatioii!” cstcwsioii of tlir w r y liiiiitcd iiidiciitioii of thc dcbosi-
'
AWS WCI 85 0784265 0007094 4
111-2
m
h 700 1
700
/ \,ri
I Co
U
Li!
6O0 a
I 600
3
z
Co
500 Y, 500
W
z
n
a:
400 I 400
Co
Y2
300 > JO0
200 200
I O0 I O0
70002 WELD 70002 70002 WELD I040
ui
œ
600
I
3
Z
i i
20 o
I O0 ~~
70002 WELD 4140 70002 WELD 4340

Fig. 8. Vickers diamond pyramid hardness vs. posifion ocross weld. For four moferial combinations. Legend: as-welded
; tempered at 900 F ---- -- ---
-;double tempered at 900 F ---
--- -.
dation effcct of tlic 4 1-10 and 43-10 steels slioiild estal)-

lisli a most c4l'cctiw dcosidmt for this typc of joining.
Scyoncl, arlditioiial work slioiild certiiiiily iiicliidc thc
IISC of a sandwich tccliiiiqiic, i i i \vliicli t\\w picces of
iiiallca1)lc or pcwlitic nidi(~11)lc iron arc joiiicd with an
intervcniiig laycr of O.OlSO.020 iii. of :in :ippropri;ìtc!
coinpitibl(- in;itrrial siicli as a c l i i o i i i i i i i i i - l ~ < . ; i r i ~s it~d .
Fiision of 1)nst: in:itc.riul to s t w l slioiild 1 ~ iiccoi~i-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
.
plislicd oiì bot11 iiitcrfncvs iii ii siiiglv \ v d d p s s . Ji
AWS WCI 85 0784265 0007095 b
IV-1 173
Metal-arc welding of white cast iron

by Clive Cookson, F.Weld. ., L.I.M., A.M. .E.T., Consultant, Eutectic-Castolin, Feltham
Middlesex
Low heat-input technique allows successful repair of white cast-iron components
Problems involved in the metal-arc welding of martensitic and contraction stresses that cannot be absorbed
white cast iron are discussed, together with the results of de- by the brittle casting;
position rests intended to pscertain a suitable weld deposit 2) the contracting weld bead creating high tensile strains
length and electrode diameter. A newly developed weld deposit on the heat-affected zone (HAZ) during pooling.
and build-up technique is described and the results of weld Obviously, hydrogen-induced H A Z cracking must be con-
tests on white cast-iron test-blocks given. sidered, although this effect can be avoided.
Pearlitic grey cast iron, flame-hardened across the surface L o w heat-input welding technique
areas exposed to wear, may be the cheapest abrasion-resistant An experimental weld-repair test was carried out on an alloyed
cast iron. At temperatures above 725°C. disaggregation of whitecast ironmeasuring9 x 6 x 3in(229 x 152 >i 76mm).
the pearlite results along with the transformation of ferrite A defect was cast in the centre (figure I), this measuring 3 in
to austenite, and the following water-quenching operation (76 mm) diameter x [ in ( I 5.9 mm) deep. This experiment
produces structures which are predominantly martensitic. As was prompted by some promising repairs achieved on mart-
temperaturesabove 800°C do not usually occur during heating, ensitic white cast-iron components in the motor industry.
and because the austenization period is short, dissolution of Two metal-arc electrodes were specially produced for these
the free graphite is unlikely, and so the hardened structures tests, and designated as:
probably contain little or no iron carbide. 0422-nickel based, containing a controlled percentage of
Unalloyed white cast irons, when cast iiiider siiitable iron; and
conditions, consist of a pearlitic matrix with a network of 422--alloyed high nickel type.
eutectic carbide. The greater hardness of the hypereutectic Both electrode coatings were formulated for low heat input:
irons is due to the increased volume of eutectic carbide and 0422 was used for the initial layer, and a weld deposit length
the presence of primary cementite but, owing to the brittle of 2 in (19 mm) was adhered to strictly. The electrode dia-
condition of these irons, the hypo-eutectic compositions are meter in all cases was 3.2 mm.
usually employed. There is a number of white cast irons The first deposit (figure 2). was peened using a 21b (0.91 kg)
available to industry, some alloyed with nickel or chroiiiiiim. hall-pane hamnicr, with simultuneoiis air quenching. The
The latter cxhibit an out\tanding re4istancc to ahraion duc air qiicnchiiig tiiiic wiis 4 - b sccoiiils, ?io tlic iictiral rcpiir
to a modification of the structure. The chromium addition progressed rather quickly (figure 3). until the entire area
replaces iron in the carbide phase, increasing the hardness including the outer edge, was clad (figure 4). The overall
to approximately 1200 DPN, while the nickel assists in pro- casting temperature did not rise above 40°C at any time. Aí
ducing martensitic structures by suppressing the austenite-to- this stage of the simulated repair, the base metal was protected
pearlite transformation. from direct contact with the arc by a 3.5 mm layer of weld-
Tests have shown that,, with regard to the problems of metal. However, greater deposit lengths were not used because
cracking during welding, there is little difference between of increased heat-input cracking dangers.
alloyed and unalloyed white cast irons. Metallographic The use of a single alloy only was unsatisfactory for a large
examinations indicate that the alloyed and unalloyed white repair, and so I developed a cross technique, which involved
cast irons are crack-sensitive even when a controlled heat depositing a "cross" using 422 (figure S), and filling in the
input is maintained during welding. As would be expected, intercross areas with 0422 (figure 6). Further crosses were
where high pre-heats are used í > 450"C), the flame-hardened built up at different positions to the underlying crosses, to
cast irons show a better response to welding because of a avoid having a high nickel layer right through the repair.
reduction in the hardness of the martensite due toits de- Because the surface weld-metal niiist exhibit a high resist-
composition. However, high pre-heats on both alloyed and ance to abrasion, achromium-carbidc dcposit wits uscd for lhe
unalloyed white cast irons showed only a marginal reduction two surface capping layers (figure 7). again employing .1
in the propensity to cracking, using conventional welding short deposit technique with air quenching. However, this
techniques. technique promoted fine surface cracks, although present
tests indicate that the effect can be reduced by using a wear-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Probable cause of cracking facing alloy of a different chemistry.

Any non-ductile, crack-sensitive material must be considered
as having a poor response to welding. it would appear that, Results of expedmentai weld repair
during the welding of white cast iron, cracking is due to: The repair on the block of alloyed white cast iron was ex-
1 ) a localised heat input, which exceeds a threshold amined metallurgically. Surface "bleed-outs'' were shown by
value (even with high pre-heats), causing expansion dye-penetrant testing (as expected with the air quenching or
Source: Metal Construction and British Welding Journal,October 1973 (The Welding Institute)
AWS W C I 85 m 07842b5 000707b 8 m
174 IV-I
Fias. 1 to 4 (left to risht). Fis. 1-Defect cast in white cast iron specimen. Fig. 2-The first deposit was peened.
Figs. 3 and A’The reé>aii proGessed quickly.
cold welding technique with a chromium carbide deposit). cracking was prevented where adequate peening had been
Radiological examination. using gamma rays, indicated the managed, while severe cracking occurred where the weld
possibility of three cracks, :-iin (6.4 - 15.9 rnm) long, though bead had been missed; slight cracking resulted from in-
this could not be confirmed. Figure 8 shows a section through sufficient peening.
the block. The small cracks at the weld/base junction could Though this technique can be investigated more scientific-
be due to welding, and not to the susceptibility of the hard ally, i t would appear that cracking may be caused by the con-
irons to scorch cracking, but this could not be confirmed either,tracting weld bead creating strains in the HAZ during a
because of problems associated with cutting through a large phase change (probably the y -+ martensite -. FeC3).
block of hard iron. These strains were mainly eliminated by peening. provided
Thc scction (ligure 8) revcAs etchant-sccp;igc from apparent the time lapse was not exceeded. Tesis showed that in order
cracks ;II tlic iiitcrl;icc. Although íhc ovcriill rcwlt was ex- to acliicvc a soiind weld deposit, the critical timc lapse he-
tremely proniising, doubts as to whether or not the cracks were fore peening was seven seconds.
caused by welding, led io further investigation. Although this technique niay seem fraught with practical
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
difficulties, it was, in fact, readily workable; a weld pad 1 in

Crackmg tests (25.4 mm) square was deposited in five minutes with a
To establish the cause of possible toe-cracking, extensive 2.4 mm diameter electrode. The cracking problems apply
bead-on-plate tests were conducted using different weld- to the clad layer only, after which peening is used merely to
deposit lengths, with both 2.4 mm and 3.2 nini dianieter iediice the contractional stress in the meld-nietal on large
electrodes. Cracking occurred in all cases, even with curtailed fills, and at this stage the electrode diameter and deposit-
deposits (figure 9). Because of difficulties in sectioning the length can be increased.
test runs, the only mode of cracking investigated initially Cracking due to high differential heat input did not occur,
was “toe-cracking”, Le.. removal of the surface weld bead because :
followed by dye-penetrant testing. a ) eiìcli test was conducted on a large section of alloyed
After similar tests, during which peening was carried out, white cast iron:
cracking did not occur (figure 9).This indicated that cracking b) short deposits were made: and
was due to contraction of the weld bead during structural ci air quenching was applied.
transformations in the HAZ, or shortly afterwards when the Quenching of the weld bead after each deposit has proved
contraction in the weld bead reached a peak. To confirm this, conclusively to overcome this danger of cracking.
weld deposits ranging from 60 mm in length were niadc and A xction through a weld bead was seen to ke free of
pcciwd iii1iiicdi;iicly ;ifter tlic wcldiiig o1wr:ititw. Mixed iiiidcviwid crx-king. witli cncellciit fiiaioii to the ~ 1 s iron.
t
results were obtained, probably due to the difficulties of The u-elding piirameters in this instance were:
peening sufficiently close to the weld pool (¡.e.. within 0.3 in. 2.4 mrn electrode diameter,
7.6 mm) under these conditions. The results indicated that travel rate-6 in/rnin ( I 52 mni/min).
Figs. 5 to 7 (left to right). A “cross” technique was developed.

AWS WCI 8 5 D 0784265 O007097 T
IV-1 175
I bhh .ll~lllL*s~in( 0 5 . 0 Jniilc.; ' l ~ l l l l ~ .
~ s l t 0.4 i l l ( IO. I illni).
~ l q ~ ~ Icllgtll t L t i I IK.NA. i 4 i n m t I t C 1 WC)[)i j i inm
7s time lapse prior to peenihg. I
The test results show a high susceptibility to cracking when TRAVEL RATE b i n l m i n LI52 rlrnrnlrninl
using a 3.2 mm diameter electrode, unless a pre-layer is I 3 0 0 0 Joulcslin 1

first achieved with a 3.4 mmdiameter electrode. A 2.4 nini dia-
nieter electrode gave consistently good resiilts. with deposit
lengths of 0.4 in (IO. I nini) and a delay prior t o peening of 7s. w9
The travel rate during the tests (figure 9 ) was ct)nstunt ut ?Lìax&a'
h inimin (152 nim/min), and the heut input was calculated
at 1666 Joulesiin (65.6 Joules/mni) and 3000 Joules/in ( I 18
Joulesímni), using 2.4 nini and 3.3 miii diameter electrodes
us
respectively. áwwwowb
Substantial peening of a nickel-base weld bead is con: e3052d
sidered by some to be detrimental. However, extensive
+owb
tests have shown this opinion to be unfounded. The weld I in 1 2 ~ . 4 r n r n 1 - - ) L C - - ~ i n 1 5 0 ~ 8 r n r n )+
deposit studied in section, was extensively peened. and figure
IO rc\cals :in area from tlic weld surface. v7 = indicotes 7s
o i the arc.
deloy i o p c c n i n g Irom i g n i t i o n
Hardness surveys were carried out using ii 0.5 hg load
on a Zwick lowload hardness tester. The results are given in Y
i indicotes n o peening carried out
Table I . = severe toc c r a c k i n g
\\\\\\\\ = r l t g h t toe cracking
Table 1 Fig. 9. Peening helped obviate cracking.
~ ~ ~~
Hardness values DPN repair of white cast iron in this respect must be considered
i
I
Position ;I Weld-metal , H.A.Z. i Parent metal unsuitable. The repair of a damaged component in an area
subject to low wear rates, or where the three-layer capping
j A '
' 3 7 8 . 365
214 * 350
1
i
558. 838
715
586 . 610 . 513 deposit will suffice, is a viable proposition, and there is a great
i deal of scope in this.
B 241 a 195 I 770 ' 458 552 438 . 400 The choice of a capping electrode depends on the need
1 301 . 402 1 to obtain a deposit having the minimum of fissures. Where
I 526 * 434 1 surfaces fissures are not too important (the nickel-clad
i
c I 350 . 371 545 . 790 508 .532 layer has been shown to halt their propagation), a deposit
' 318. 386 746 552 473 of high hardness may be used.
Figure 10 shows the structure, which is a nickel solid Practical weld test
solution (422) with intergranular carbide. In view of the visually promising results obtaincd i n the
tests, a breaker bar in a rock-crushing machine was repaired.
Repair and reclamation of castings Figure I I shows the four defects, the two in the centre being
The metal-arc welding oí' white cast iron could prolxihly iidjnccnt. Thc dcfcct îaccs wcrc iìrst cliid using 422 ;inil tlic
takc thrcc forms: tccliiiiqiic prcvioiidy tlcscrilwtl. 'Hic two stii:iilcr t1cïcct.i
I ) repair of casting defects;
2) repair of damaged components in service; and
3) the rebuilding of worn surfaces.
The repair of casting defects would only apply when the
defect was in a non-critical area of wear, because of the need
for a substantial layer of relatively soft nickel-bas-d weld-
metal. A numbtr of hard capping layers can be made to
provide a wear resistance equal to the base metal, but the
need for a soft clad layer (ratio of hard : soft = 3 :I ), does
reduce the overall wear efficiency. This obviously applies
more to the repair of worn surfaces and, in my opinion, the
Fig. 8. Section through test block.
Fig. 10. A nickel solid solution with intergranular carbide.

were clad with 422 followed by O432 (figure II), 10 Icavc
sufficient for two layers on t hc wear-facing ;illoy. ï ï i c coni-
pleted repair is shown in figure 13.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Repair of cracks
The repair of cracks in alloyed white cast-iron conipoiients
is c o r e difficult than filling a defect but, ut the s;inie tinie.
AWS WCI 85 W 078Li2h5 0007098 L
176 IV-1
Figs. 11 to 13. Four defects
clad successfully.
tlic crack iiiny ttc in an arca not subject to wear, and so this
oíïers a viable and economical repair proposition.
The crusher roll in figure 14 had failed in service, a crack
extending a considerable way down its length. The crack was
carefully ground out, using a high-speed grinder and tungsten
carbide tools. with the ticoin section “key-holed” to avoid
a notch-sensitive area. I n view of the difficulties involved,
¡.e., the thickness of the section, a modified deposit technique
was employed.
A 2.4 m m diameter 422 was used at a low current, ¡.e.,
d.c. positive 30A. The deposit so produced provides islands
of weld-inetal, the current being too low for a continuous
deposit.
The current was increased to óûA after the entire joint had
Figs. 14 and 15. Repair of crusher roll.
been covered in this way, using the short-deposit quench
technique. The second layer melted partly through the first ConChsions
and filled in the areas, again at a low heat input to The tests shoued that the metal-arc welding of nhite caFt
tlic I>;iw- niC1:iI. iroii ciin he carried out with tlic proinisc o f succes. The
ii,iiigii 3.2 iliiii~~i~iiliclci 0422 ;liitl
‘1 lIc
,oiilI w;14 cOiill,~ctc~~ opiiiiiiiii wcltl-ilcpo\ii Iciigili I ( i I tlic production (il ;I tlcpovt
3.2 mm diameter 422 in alternate layers, because repair free froin base-metal cracking was cstablished, and numeroui,
was not suitable for the “cross” technique. The completed successful repairs carried out-
repair is shown in figure 15 which also illustrates a weld f\cknowl&,ements
build-up on a crushing rib, using a clad laycr of 421 followcd ~l~~~~~~~ arc dile t o M,.. 0. P.J~~~~~( i i l e l a l ~ l i r g i ~ t ~ .
by a two-layer build-up of a chromiuiii carbide deposit. I n ~~~~i~~~~~ f(,,.
~ ~ i I ~ C Ic C;istoliti
t,c rroductioil(,f tile
ail ci~scs,thc short dcposit and peen tcchniqiic was iiscd. i t clccti-,,ties iisc.d this ,,.L,rk.
should bc noted that, its statcil e;irlicr, thc ccoiioiiiics o f
extensive overlaying, such as the hard deposits on the crushing Reference
1. Cookson, C.: “The metal-arc repair welding of cast iron”,
rib, arc doubtful. presented to the Irish Welding Association, January, 1971.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Copyright American Welding Society . . ., ..

,
. PROBLEM HARD COPY
- -
I
i
No reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS I.
Not for Resale
AWS WCI 85 m 07842b5 0007099 3 m
IV-2 177
Weldability of Spheroidal-
graphite-type Ni-Resist Cast
Irons*
By S. N. Anant Narayan, DSc., A. J. Rickard, MSc., FIM,
MIBF. and N. Stephenson, BMet., PhD
Austenitic cast irons with either flake or cast irons irrespective of whether .the graphite be in
spheroidal graphite, and frequently known under the flake ur sphemidal form. These hns, d d b e d
the generic title of Ni-Resist, are finding in detail elscwlhere,' are 'being used i n k a d y in
increasing application for corrosion resistant the marine, desaiinatian, v e r , petroleum and
applications, particularly for pumps and valves chemical indum-ies, especially for casings of pump
and sealing rings required in marine and and val- and for sealing rings, by virtue of their
brackish water environments, the production of oorrosion resistance, particularly in sea and brackish
potable water from the sea, and for the pro- waters. They also have good resistance to heat and
vision of cooling water for the power generatlng, oxidation which makes them suithle f o r #tuho-
petroleum and chemical industries. Additionally, charger casings, diesel engine manifolds and heat
these alloys have good resistance to heat and treatment equipment. Furthermore, by appropriate
oxidation which makes them suitable for turbo- selection d composition, the coefficient of thermal
charger casings, diesel engine manifolds and expansion can be varied mer a wide range making
heat-treatment equipment. Occasionally, it is them compatible for service in conjunction with
necessary for founders and end-users to weld other materials such as aluminium alloys and steels.
these irons to rectify casting defects and Like unalloyed cast imns, most of the Ni-Resist
machining errors. Also, some fabrication may irons can be produced with either flake or sphemidal
be necessary to enable lugs etc. to be aliached. Ni-Resist is the name applied to a family of alloyed
The flake graphite grades can be welded with cast irons in which the presence of between 14 and
little difílculty using 55% nickei/iron/carbon 36% nickel in conjunction with, in some instances,
MMA coated electrodes given adequate pre- capper at the lower nickel contents, has produced a
heat and interpass temperatures, provided the fully austenitic structure and c c m ã d mechanical
sulphur and phosphorus contents are each con- and physical properties unabtainable from ordinary
trolled to o. Mo/^ maximum. Austenitic Irons
having a spheroidal-graphite structure have
been observed to be less weldable and thls
article describes how the problem has been
largely overcome in those grades containing
chromium through compositional control, the
addition of niobium and the use of selected
welding consumabies of the 55% Ni/Fe/C type. * This pa er was uriginakly presented to the Indian I d t u t e of
Wedding, kovanbm 1977. and to the Afro-Asian 0Oniamsc.e on
I t has been shown, furthermore, that pre-heatlng Welding Metais Technology I d a , February 1978. Of the authors,
Is unnecessary and that fabrication Is poten- Dr. Anant Narayan is adchcd to ' Internani4 Nickel S c m k
WK), wit.. and MT.Richrd and DI.Stephenson to I n c ~
tiaiiy practicable. Eurqn. L u n a .
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Source: Fountry Trade Journal, July 5, 1979

AWS WCI 85 0 7 8 q 2 b 5 0007100 b W
170 IV-2
TABLE
1: I S 0 and Related Nationd Specifications of Ni-Resist Austenitic Cast Irons.
I S 0 2892: 1973 (E)
-
Flake grr hitc Ni-Resists
c o m isition
- per cent
-- -- Mesh ¡cal propertis (minimum)
Grade C I Si I Mn Ni Cr Cu P 0.2% T.S. Mean impact value
I I
max proof (Rm)
stress
(RpO.2)
Nlmrn.2 %/mm2
-
max - -- -
L-NiCuCr I5 6 2 3.0 1 0.5- 13.5- 1.0- 5.5- I 70
2 1-5 17.5 2.5 7-5
LNiCuCr I5 6 3 3.0 1 06- 13.5- 2.5- 5.5- 190
2 1-5 17.5 3.5 1.5
L-NiCr 20 2 3.0 I 0.5- 18.0- 1.0- 0.5 170
2 I -5 22.0 2.5 max
L N i C r 20 3 3.0 I 0.5- 18.0- 2.5- 0.5 190
2 1-5 22.0 3.5 rnax
GNiCr 30 3 2.5 I 0.5- 28.0- 25- 0.5 190
2 1-5 32.0 3.5 max
LNiSiCr 30 5 5 2.5 5 0.5- 29.0- 4.5- 0.5 170
6 1.5 32.0 5.5 max
L-Ni35 2-4 1 0.5- 34.0- 0.2 0.5 120
2 1.5 36.0 max rnax
- --
Spheroidal gral ¡te (ductile) Ni-Resists
- - - -
S-NiCr 20 2 3-0 18.0- 0-08 210 370 7
22.0
S N i C r u)3 3.0 18.0- 0.08 210 390 7
220
S N i 22 3.0 21.0- 0.08 I70 370 20
24.0
S-NiMn 23 4 2.6 22.0- 0.08 210 440 25
240
S N i C r 30 1 2.6 28.0- 0.08 210 370 13
32.0
S-NiCr 30 3 2.6 28.0- 0.08 210 370 7
32.0
SNisiCr 30 5 5 2.6 28.0- 0.08 240 390 -
32.0
S-Ni 35 2.4 34.0- 0.08 210 370 20
36.0
S N i C r 35 3 2.4 34.0- 0.08 210 370 7
- -
36-0
-
The BSI specitiution requirements are the .same as those in the IS0 2892 Standard.
DIN 1694 also includes a weldable grade VIZ. GGG-NiCrNb 20 2. Werkstoff Nr. 0.7659.
1 Effect8 of rilicon and magnesium on HAZ cracking in groove Wd&biíity of Spheroidai-graphite-type Ni-Resist
wolds made in low-phoaphorus, niobium-free iron D-2.
Ch5t Irons
D- 2
P< o.w/o graphite, and the latter types have tensile strengths
II Cracks equal to a h u t twice that of the flake graphite
eCliqMcrod
iCliqMcrod equivalents. However, spheroidal graphite cannot be
ON0 c&s produced in the 6-7% copper-bearing grades. Com-
positions and properties of the several grades' of
CRACKS Ni-Resist iron together with details of the related
national and international specifications appear in
I- Table 1.
O Flux-coated, manual metal-arc (MMA) electrodes
of the 55% nickel/ircm/caFbon type, widely used for
the reclamation and repair-welding of unalloyed
grey and s.-g. iron castings are also employed for
similar operations on Ni-Resist irons if the presence
of ferro-magnetic weid metal can be accepted. Mild
steel electrodes cannot be used because, as with
NO CRACKS
-
VI
ordinary grey irons, a brittle weld will result from
1.0 c a r b n pick-up. Moreover, the weld would have
* inferior resistance to corrosion and heat. Oxyacety-
lene welding using a filler metal similar in compo-
sition to the boise metal can be undertaken but is not
9 strongly recommended because of difficulties experi-
enced in controlling casting temperatures and mol-
MAGNESIUM CONTENT O h ing rates and the risk of cracking. The 55% nickel/
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 078Li2b5 0007LOL 8
IV-2 179
TABLE
1 : (continued).
Related specifications
-
--- USA UK France Germany

Grade
ASTM BSI AFNOR DIN 1694 DIN 17007
A436-72 3468(1974)' NF-A 32-301
( 1972) Werkst<fi
TYW Grade Grade Grade Nr
____
L-NiCuCr 15 6 2 1 L-NiCuCr I 5 6 2 1-NUC 15 6 2 GGL-
NiCuCr I5 U 2 0.6655
L-NiCuCr 15 6 3 Ib L-NiCuCr I5 6 3 L-NUC1563 GGL-
NiCuCr I5 6 3 0.6656
1-NiCr 20 2 L L-NiCuCr 20 2 L-NC 20 2 GGL-
NiCr 20 2 0.6660
1-NiCr 20 3 2b L-NiCr 20 3 1-NC 20 3 GGL-
NiCr 20 3 0.666 I
L-NiCr 30 3 3 L-NiCr 30 3 1-NC 30 3 GGL-
NiCr 30 3 0-6676
L-NiSiCr 30 5 5 4 L-NiSiCr 30 5 5 1-NSC 30 5 5 GGL-
NiSiCr 30 5 5 06680
L-Ni 35 5 1-Ni 35 1-N 35 GGL-
Ni 35 0-6683
ASTM A 439-71
TYP
S-NiCr 20 2 D-2 S-NiCr 20 2 S-NC 20 2 GGG-
NiCr 20 2 0.7660
S-NiCr 20 3 D-2B S-NiCr 20 3 S-NC 20 3 GGG-
NiCr U)3 0.7661
S-Ni 22 D-2C S-Ni 22 S-N 22 GGG-
Ni î 2 0.7670
Si-NiMn 23 (ASTM A 571-71 S-NiMn 23 4 S-NM 23 4 GGG-
Type D-2M) NiMn 23 4 0.7673
S-NiCr 30 I D-3A S-NiCr 30 I S-NC 30 I GGG-
NiCr 30 I 0.7677
!%Ni30 3 D-3 !%NiCr30 3 S-NC 30 3 GGG-
NiCr 30 3 0-7676
S-NiSiCr 30 5 5 D-4 S-NiSiCr 30 5 5 S-NSC 30 5 5 GGG-
Ni Si Cr 30 5 5 0.7680
S-Ni 35 D-5 S-Ni 35 S-N 35 GGG-
Ni 35 0.7683
S-NiCr 35 3 D-5B S-NiCr 35 3 S-NC 35 3 GGG-
NiCr 35 3 0-7685
iron/carbon h4hi.A electrode can be used also for weld heat-affected zone and normal to rhe fusion
joining the irons themselves, to mild steel, low alloy ;baundary.
constructional steels, some stainless-steels and to The effects of compositional variations and welding
simple high-nickel alloys.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
procedures on the incidence of the defect, investi-
Given adequate pre-heat (300-350°C) and interpass gated by Inco, led in r e a m years to the finding'
ternperature in the same range, few problems have that the cracking was greatly diminished or elimin-
arisen during simple welding operations on the flake ated by making small additions of nidium tu cast-
graphite grades of Ni-Resist iron which are tougher ings of the above three types. Further work has now
and more ductile than ordinary grey cast irons. been undertaken to d&ne rhe compositional ranges
Furrhemnore, despite their higher expansion CO&- associated with improved weldability of s.-g. Ni-
cients and lower thermal conductivity, the Ni-Resist Resist irons. Additionaliy, in relation to the desirable
irons have proved to be more tolerant to stresses extension of .welding operations to heavy sections,
induced by expansion and contraction during weld- to fabrication, and to automatic processes, all cun-
ing. The austenitic matrix implies less tolerance for ceivably associated with higher design stresses, a
impurity elements such as phosphorus and sulphur number of welding consunables and techniques
and to avoid hot-cracking it is strongly recammen- have been assessed and the mechanical properties of
ded that the amounts af each of these elements wldments evaluated.
present in flake graphite grades of Ni-Resist cast
iron should not exceed 0.04%, preferably less than Effects of Compositional Variations
0.03%. Such limitations restrict the melting of such
irons to furnaces other than the cupola unless desul- The effect of composition on weldability had been
phurisation techniques are used. earlier investigated in Inco laboratories in X-welds
made between cast 25mm. square bars of s.-g. Ni-
The greatly enhanced ductility and toughness of Resist iron placed dge-to-ed'ge. Transverse sections
the s.-g. grades of Ni-Resist might suggest weld- were strained to open up any H A Z cracks present
ability superior to that of the flake graphite grades. to enable rhe quality of the weld to be assesseâ by
Experience has shown that this is not necessarily so, examination under a lower-power microscge ( X is),
ror castings of certain types, notably D-2, D-2C and
D-2MYhave displayed cracks up to 3mm. long in the

AWS WCI 85 = 078Li2b5 0007102 T
180 IV-2
TABLE
2 : Al-weld-metal combositians.
AU-weld-metalcomposiricn ?/.
identity
A
I
+I
B 1.3 O44
I
I
D
E
F
G.
-1
I 3.25
0.88
1.35 I 0-71
0.41
1
7
0.68 0.002 I 0.007 I 0&2 I 0.015 I 0.12 I 0.11
H I 3.25
In a further series of tests, simulated reclamation

welds were made using 4-mm. dia. 55% Ni/Fe/C
M A electrodes, details af which are given in
Table 2. The weld-preparations were 100-mm.long
blind-ended grooves, 22-mm. dia. and 11-mm. deep
milled in cast plates of Ni-Resist Type D-2, 150-
the results being reported as the number d m d c s mm. long, 50-mm. wide and 25-mm. thick. Welding
per section or per unit length of fusion. This had was undertaken without preheat and the i n t m s
shown that c r a h g was aricuituated by increasing temperatures maintained belw 100°C to minimise
the phcmpho~~~ and magnesium contents, and that the width of the carbidic HAZ.
enhanced chromium and manganese contents were
bendiciai; manganese being dbnx~thalf as d a t i v e Examination af several polished sections from each
as chromium. Indeed. cradllzLn could k eliminated test at magnidîcations up to X500 and analysis d the
by increasing the chrómium &tent to greater than ohemations Shawtd that cracking could be eiimin-
3% although that d d not pmvide a unique solu- ated when the phosphorus contents of the castings
tion to the-prcbiem, because-the asmiated loss of were less than O.û25% and the silicon and mag-
nesium contents confoxmed to the restrictive rela-
ductility and toughness and the increased tendency
to micraponwity would not be acoeptable in all
tionship: Si % +
75 M g % L 7.5
instances. Among rhe welding oonsumables used, there was no
TABLE
3 : Effects of section size. restraint. Drior heat-treatment. weheat and Postmeld heat-treatment.
ïhicknas Prior
heat-treatment I Imposeà
restraint I Electrode
(Table2)
I Intapss
I i l t I
1 3 1 x 1
25
25
I None
None
I
D
A
I
I
None
None I <I00
I : I c I 50
50 I " I None
None I " I None
None I <I00
<i00
a X 25 cut None None None < 100
from 100
-
9 X 50 Stabilisation <IO0
10 Y 50 hyiled*** <IO0
-- -
II X 50 cut None 350 350
from 100
- -
12 X 50 None None I None
-~ <IO0
-----
13 X 50 None None None <loo
14 Y 50 None None None < 100
X: =p-0.02%, M@.07./.. Nb-O*lO%, Other elements similar in both 'X' and 'Y' irons.
Y = e . O 4 % , M&W4%,~Nb-0.17%.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 W 07842b5 0007LD3 L
IV-2 181
2 : (continued).
TABLE
HAZ cracking in low-phosphmus, niobium-free Ni-
Resist Type D-2 castings, the relationship being only
slightly modiaied by comparison with that found
previously. Fig. 2, also pertaining to castings low in
A
B
-+ phosphorus, Whilst confirming that small additions
uf niobium extend the tolerance to silicon and mag-
nesium, also shows tolerance to niabium itself is
diminished with increase in silicon and/or magne-
sium contents. The bendicial effect of niobium on
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
tolerance to phosphorus is illustrated in Fig. 3.

D <O.OS 4.05 ~0.05 45.5
From these tests it was possible to select a composi-
tion range for Ni-Resist Type D-2, identified as
E 4.05 C0.05 <0.05 45.9
Type D-2WY which is less prone to weld cracking
F 0.1 43.1 and w'hilst being more closely c o n t d e d than nor-
mal specification requirements, can be ubtained by
O bal. most foundries viz :
H
Ni-Resist Type D-2W: 3.0 max T.C.; 1.7-2.2 Si;
1.0-1.5 Mn; 2.0-2.4 Cr; 18-22 Ni; 0.05 max. Mg;
0.040* max. P; 0.12-0.17 Nb; Bal. Fe.
* Prefer4 phosphorus 0.035% niax
discernalble effect on the extent of HAZ cracking if
the weld metals and castings were sound. However, specification by composition alone may l x
unduly restrictive in that advantage cannot be taken
It was s h n also that greater tolerance for silicon, of the full scope af€o&d by the relationshilps
magnesium and phosphorus was passible if the iron deduced from figs. 1, 2 and 3. To prevent castings
contained a small proportion of niobium. Detailed which are weldaible being unnecessarily rejected, the
analysis of data obtained from 84 similar tests composition should be checked to determine whether
enabled practical compositional ranges for these it meets the requirements of the following relation-
elements to be developed for Ni-Resist Type D-2 ships :
exhibiting superior weidability. The other elements,
nominally constant, were within rhe following
ranges :
a Nib L 0.353-0.032 (Si + 64Mg)
Carbon 2.25-2.95%; c h m i u m 1.7-2.5%; manga- b Nb % 0.0286 (Si + 64Mg - 5.6)' + 8 (P-0.025)$
nese 0.9-1.8%; nickel 18-23%; sulphur less than
0.002-0.012%, and nitrogen 0.002-0.007% $ Ignare this term if L O.
Fig. 1 shows the effect of silicon and magnesium on *$ Addition of niobium is not necessary if both
TABLE
3 : (continued). 04 these terms A O.
I f;",l' I Buttering
I Postweld
heat-treatment I soundness
HAZ I The bendcid effect of chromium on weldability
demonstrated in rhe earlier X-weld tests has been
COIibiRlubd and extended by results obtained from
II i II 3 None
II Stress-relieved.
Stress-relieved
None
II Few cracks
<O.Srnm)
No cracks
Noaacks
II additional reclamation welding trials as is shown in
fig. 4. The data ubtained were insufficient for inclu-
sion in the above analysis and were treated separately
1
5 II
None
None I Stress-relieved
Stress-relieved
Cracks
Slight cracks
to give the following tentative relationship:
c Si + 64Mg 4- 280P - 35Nib - 3.8Cr > 4.3
7
6
None
None
I None
None
I Cracks
Slight cracks
~~
In the above relationships, phosphorus contents

below 0.025% are assumed to be 0.025%, ;because
fig. 3 indicates that decrease klow that level has no
I None I None I furrher bendcia! effect on weldability. Also, the
minimum chromium content which will permit
Stress-reiieved Cracks
Stress-relieved Slight cracks weldability at low levels of silicon and phosphorus
None Stress-relieved Cracks and at the highest permissible level of niobijum has
been tentatively fixed at 1% (fig. 4) because above
this level the volume fraction of chromium cahide
inmases rapidly in rhe parent casting' and a mini-
~ - ~ - p i G G G qStress-relkved
pzJ-~ mum volume fraction of the carbide appears to be

AWS W C I 85 W 0784265 0007L04 3
182 IV-2
weldability of 0.: o , U U I 1
I
Sphidal-graphite-ty pe
Ni-Resht k t Irons P*<
O0 O8
CRACKS
$0.;
I-
O -
P O
6
O
f
mo
O O 0
0
Z
NO CRACKS
CRACKS
( L+O- œ
x
,O
o
'~
,-
necessary for weldsbility. Further, it is assumed that restrictive in that economic and technical advan-
the ,relatiomhips a and b above are valid in conjunc- tages would not be taken of the full scape afforded
tion with c. by the weldability relationship; also weldable cast-
ings could be rejected unnecessarily.
Included. in the tests leading to the construction of Whilst no sitmilar relationships controlling the weld-
fig. 4 were nioibium-containing castings of the s.-g. ability of the chromium-free grades of Ni-Resist,
Ni-Resist D-2B type based on the then estimated viz. types D-ZC and D-2M, have been deduced in
limits of a practical compsitiunal range for weld- support of the earlier work," reasonable success has
ability, and the range finally derived is as follows: teen obtained with a version of Ni-Resist Type
Ni-Resist Type D-2BW: 3.0 max. T.C.;1.5-2.5 Si; D-2W la;ir in chnmiium and phosphorus (composi-
1.0-1.5 Mn; 2.7-3.3 Cr;18.0-22.0 Ni; 0.05 max. Mg; tion E in fig. 4). Although outside the specification
0.040 max. P; 0.12-0.17 Nb; Bal. Fe. for Ni-Resist T y p e D-2CY the iron exhibited satis-
factory mechanical properties, viz :
As wirh Ni-Resist Type D-2WY specifìcation by
means of compositional range alone may be unduly
006
' T I
j
CRACKS
c
80.04
z
- 0 -
5- o
50.03 -
O
U O
NO CRACKS
$-- -o91
o O O
O O0
o. o8 of
O, a I I I .O I 2 It I)
II
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 3 Effect of phosphorus on HAZ cracking

in grozve welds made in niobium-con-
Si +64 Mg-35Nb% taining iron 0-2.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 W 07842b5 0007105 5
IV-2 183
Weldability of Spheroidal-graphite-type Ni-Resist 1
cast Irons 20
1 1 Tensile properties
0.2% proof stress
-
P
/se
/D-2(Nb) NOCRACKS
II Ni-Resist Type D-2C

Composition E
0.5 max.
1.31 1 (N/mm*)
210
231-255
..+-
I o
I
Y'-
Nocrack,groove welds O
Slight cracks,groove welds I
No crack, 'X'-weMs 4
I I am
i
1
.-+
Tensile properties cont.
* I
I UTS
(N/mmz)
440
437-467
I % Elong.
25
22-23
1mpacp;;ghness
(Joules)
24
27-29
O
I) i Si+64Mg+ 28OP-35Nb-3.8Cr
2
CHROMIUM, O/o
4
I ,< 4.3
4 Effect of chromium on weldability. Note: if P(0.025, write

P=0.025, if Cr<l, write Cr=O).
However, it is dmbrfirl whether a practical com-

positional range could be derived that would be been undertaken to determine whether the mechani-
acceptable to the foundries. cal properties both at ambient and elevated tempex-
Earlier Inco research had shown that susceptibility atures will still comply with specification require-
of Ni-Resist cast irons to cracking in rhe weld HAZ ments. Correspondingly, if the a b e assumption is
is independent of the nickel content 6f the casting. valid, it is unlikely that HAZ cracking would be
It is thewfare possible from fig 4 to suggest com- eliminated from the law-chromium grades, Type
positional ranges for improving the weldhility of D-3A and D-5, by the addition d niobium.
the higher nickel-containing grades of s.-g. NbResist Gmmercial production of rhe niobium-containing
iron viz. Types D-3, D-4, D-4A and D-5B assuming Ni-Resist Type D-2W is established in both the
that t.he enhanced nickel contents, and the high UK and Germany and in the latter country a
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
silicon content in some instances, do not influence tentative specification cuvering this grade has been
the relationship governing the maximum amount issued : G a - N i C r N ' b 20 2-Werkstoff Nummer
oif niobium to be added. Readers are warned, 07659. The weldaibllity of Type D-2W castings
howewer, that no welding tests have been undertaken groduced commercially has (been shown to be satis-
with these higher nickel grades nor have any tests factory in reclamation trials, and a sound p i t i o n a l
5 pump *Sing in Ni-Resist Type D-2W

-total weight, 6,400kg.

AWS W C I 85 = 0784265 O007106 7 9
184 IV92
WELDAB~LITY OF SPHKROIDAL-GRAPHITE-TYPE the repair welding of heat-treated castings to extend

NI-RESISTCASTIRONS servicc life may be necessary. Tihe effects of a
number d those varidbles were investigated in trials
during which Wind-ended grooves, 1oOmm. long by
butt-weld has been made with the MMA electrode 23mm. dia. by llmm. deep in cast blocks, 150 by 100
‘D’ (Table 2) to demonstrate potential for assembly by 25mm. and 150 by 100 by 5Omm. and of com-
by welding. e t i o n s ‘X’,and ‘Y’, were filled by welding.
Fig. 5 illustrates a typical pump casing being made b p x i t i o n ‘ X contained P 0.02, Mg 0.07, - -
by a German foundry in Ni-Resist Type D-2W Nlb - O.lO%, and composition ‘Y’contained P 0.04, -
fol ultimate installation in a Saudi Arabian desaiin-
- -
Mg 0.04, Nb 0.17%; in other respects they were
ation plant. The castings comprises two castings, similar. Both were weldable according to the criteria
the upper weighing 2,lûûkg and the lower 4,300kg. previously derived, but only ‘Y’conformed to the
D-2W composition.
Short Cracks
The results of these tests, morded in Table 3, show
that sevmly-restrained, as-cast 25mm. rhick blmk.%
and unlesrrained, as-cast 5Omm. thick blocks
whether post-weld stress-relieved or not, contained
&oit cracks in the weld HAZ, and the effect was
not eliminated by pre-heat or by stabilisation anneal-
ing M m e welding. Castings to cornpaition ‘Y’
suffered less than rhose uf composition ‘X’ which
liad a lower niaibium content. The HAZ in the
unrestrained, as-cast 25mm. block. of cornpsition
‘X’ iron was found to contain a few short cracks
after the weldment had been stress-lelieved, but that
of the correspsnding ‘Y’iron of higher niobium
content was crack-free. The absence of cracks
adjacent to rhe weld in an unrestrained, as-welded,
25mm. thick plate which had been cut from 100mm.
thick as-cast block of cornyosition ‘X’ suggests that
stress accumulation is more impartant in crack
promotion than the microstructural changes associa-
ted with variation in section thickness. “Buttering”
of the weld preparation before filling the groove
provides a palliative because the weld HAZ would
Ixo less heavily stressed during that initial operatiox
Indeed, when “buttering” was employed only a few
identity stamp finish appropriate small cracks were observed in .the HAZ of a stress-
only at this to corrosion relieved weld in a thick block of the casting ‘X’ low
position. testing in nidbium and none was found in the corresponding
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
‘Y’casting. It would seem that ComposiriOns with
6 ‘C’-ring stress corrosion specimen. niabium contents near to the tap of rhe range, i.e.
D - m , are to be preferred when heavily restrained
welds and/or post-weld heat treatment are con-
Etfects of Section Size, Restraint, Prior templated, in which instances the practice of “butter-
Heat-treatment, Preheat and Post-weld ing” is ta be recommended.
Heat-treatment The 55 % nickel/iron/carbon weld metals, designed
originally for use with unalloyed cast irons, have
For same applications, castings are stress-relieved a mean uxfñcient of thermal expansion of approxi-
to prwide adequate dimensional stability for
machining or diminish any tendency to stress
mately 13.5 x lo-‘‘ per “ C over the range 20°C -
650°C, such value being less than .that of Ni-Resist
corrosion cracking in service; also, they may be Type D-2 (circa 18 x 10“ per OC). The weld metal
annealeá to improve ductility and toughness. In p m f stresses generally equal or exceed those of the
those instances, assurance against cracking during parent castings, so that cooling aftex so-called stress
pastweld heat-treatment WOUM lx sought. The relieving in principle could re-im.pose tensile stresses
extent of HAZ cracking during welding and sub- of prod stress magnitude on the weld HAZ. In
sequent heat-treatment would depend on rhe weid practice, no problems have been reported foilawing
stress level as governed by factors such as casting the use d 55% nickel/iron cabon weld metals and
thickness, restraint, preheat and heat input. Metal- the application uf stress relieving or annealing ther-
lurgical features having potential devance to crack- mal treatments.
ing, for example, segregation and cell size, would be
expected to change with section thickness. Further,

AWS WCI 8 5 0 7 8 4 2 6 5 0007LO7 9 9
IV-2
WddabWy of Spheroidd-graphite~typeNi-Resist but, smprisingiy, bearing in mimi the similarity in

CastIrOiis coeíñcienits of expansion uf the weld metal and the
castings, no diminution in HAZ oracking WS found
in niubium-free cast blocks similar in size ruid
compositions to those whkh cracked when welded
wirh a 55% nickel/imn/carlbon electrode.
Effects of Welding Processes and Consunables The qmdbility, weld metal soundness or detailed
buse of the limitations of the 55% nickel/inon/ meJchanid pmperitles a s d a t e d with certain com-
carbon typa of electrodes used for MIMA welding mercial 55% nickel/iron/ra&on MIMA e l e c t d e
of S.S. Ni-Resist irons, i.e. magnetic characteristics, evidently have been of secondary cansideration,
non-mqtahing CoefficienB of thermal expamion etc., owing perhaps to dmlopment origina!ly fm the
alternatives w e sought, attention ;being given also d d n d reclamation and repaiwveldmg of pre-
to the possibility of semi-automatic welding pro- heated grey cast im. Sych features were considemi
d u r e s to facilitate faibrication. to be d greater importance in welding rhe tougher,
Welds deposited in w e d castings fnnn nickel/ more ductile, s.-g. Ni-Resist iron f o r which on-site,
oapper/ca&m (ENiCu-B), bronze and 25-20 stain- positional welding capability withmt high m i x a t
less-steel MMA electrodes cracked in the weld was also sought; amther consideration being &e
metal and/or at the fusion boundary. The Ni/C need to diminish weld metal defe!cts such as angular
(E-Ni) MMA electrodes were not assessed because flux inclusions which had been observed to induce
manufacturers’ data indicated in general that the slight cracks in the adjacent €€JAZwhen the ooh-
weld metal strength or ductiliEy w d d be inadequate. position of the casting indicated marginal weld-
Whereas unalloyed s.-g. iron can be weldeù suwess- ability. Positional “bead on casting“ tests, used
fully by low heat-input MIG techniques’, using low initially to assess rhe operability of a number d
canban nickel filler metals, HIAZ cracks parallel to commercial MMA electrodes 3.251nm. dia., were
the weld fusion boundary are found in s.-g. Ni- followed by horizontal-vertical, upkvard-vartical and
Resist castings even in rhe niubium-lxaring com- ovefhead welds made with selected electrodes in
position, Type D-2W. The high solidi!fication tem- truncated gnwws which had been machined in cast
perature of the nickel weld metal is thought to plates; the weldmats being examined radiographi-
be responsible for the occurrence and configuration cally. Electmde ‘Dy (TaQle 2) exhibited outstanding
of the defect. operability and its deposits contained the least
number d flux inclusions and pores. Additionally,
A crack-fim simulated repair weld was made in in making butt-welds, narrower preparations, 60-70”
a 25mm. thick casting d mnpsitiun similar to included angle, are tolerated by *he electrode ‘D’
that uf Ni-Resist Type D-2W using an Inco-de-
velaped -imental W A electrode ‘ G depositing
weld metal ofs.-g. Ni-Resistcomposition (Table Z),
7 Weld heat-affected zone of niobium-containing ‘Ni-Resist’ D-2; a (left) as welded, x ,500, b (right) annealed, x 400.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 078Li265 0007108 O m
186 IV-2
4 : T m ü e pp.openies of all-weld-metals, weldments and unwelded castings.

TABLE
Tcosile propexties at 20‘C
(wan of two or more tests)
Consumable or Consumable dia Mataial preheat Postweld
casting identity mm heat-treatment
A Weldment AS-WCldCd
stress-relieved
B Weldment AS-welded -
270
~. I 413 I 2
20+100 st-relieved 256 368
Not known As-welded >296
Annealed >310
D 3.25 Wddnlent As-wlded
stress-mueved 258
Annealed 221 412 > 13
A-W-Mt As-welded >330
A-W-M Stress-relieved 280 414
E
P
O
I
I
3.25
4.0
I
I
A-W-Mt
A-W-Mt
Weldmuit
150+150 AS-WCldCd
AS-welded
As-welded
430
331
271
IKI
I I
1
434 4
stress-relieved
Annealed 221
285 IE I 1:
Xi* 3-25 A-W-M ‘low’ I None
None
StreM-relieved
AUUealed
None
StreM-relieved
Annealed
-
I None
t .Consumoble manufacturer’s data. Consumable manufacturer’s data:

Weldmcnt testpicces wm cut trontvenely from double-vcc butt-welds betmen 13- thick cast plates.
Piate cornpasition: Typs ‘X’,for welds.
beneficial sphemidhtmn of graphite; certain aher
elements if similarly m t and in small amounts
might wbilise the advase interden&tic filamentary
mite.
whereas included angles of up to 90” were required
to avoid slag stringers near the weld fusion boudary The impact toughness d the weld metal from
when using some uf orher 55% nickeJ/iron/cadxm electrode ‘Dywhich had shown excellent M i t y
coasumatbles to produce butt-welds without @eat awgs only modierate although pr&a!bly arrccptable
and at lower interpass temperatures. Of course, for many purposes whereas elmrobe ‘E’which is
operability and soundness are also welder-dependent. consiáered to be suitable only for dawnhand welding
operations &ited t o u a e s s values compadie to
Mechanical Properties those q.&fìed for castings in Ni-Resist Type D-2.
The mechanicai prqxrties of Ni-Resist Type D-2 Fracture Toughness
irrni are not advmely affected by the controlled
additions to niobium; indeed, prmf stress may be Fracture t0ughne.s tests have been made cm sampleis
e n h d (Table 4). In general, the weld metals cut from castings made d Ni-Resist Type D-2W
and weldments develop sathfactmy tensile strength, and also from d d l w e e and “K’y-buttwlds made
but, in some instames, weid metal impact toughness dawnhand nbetwieen 150 by 100 by 25mm. plates of
(“Table 5 ) did not match that of rhe unweldud similar composition, ail of which had been stress
xstings, again implying that electrode selectiion is reliered at 650°C. Use was ma& uf the most
iesirable. The toughness of oerPain wield metals promking of the welding mnsumables evaíibated,
Was improved by inmasing the preheat and inteapass namely those identified as ‘D’ and ‘E’in Tabie 2.
t e m p e r a m or by pm-weld anneaiing. Electrode Tfie ~ ~ u l t summarid
s, in Table 6, indicate that
‘B’deposited weld metd relatively high in siliam welds made with consumatde ‘E’ are of satisfactory
and exhibiting law toughness even after annealing, quality whilst phose made using ekctnode ‘D’ m
but comment on the d3x-t~ of mnwsition 011 tougñ- pi?rhaps only maqinally satisfactory w h examined
ness is difficult because the d y t i c a l techniques in conjunction with the lower level af impact p n ~
anl>loyiad were not capable d distinguishing bet- perties obtained. Nevertheless, for many applications,
ween the reactive elements in the fcnm aif d q e d welds made with either consumable m a y be accept-
constituents and rhe same elements prestnt in oxides able.
and small slag inclwions. Traces of magnesium and The loaddeflection m e s , the appearance af rhe
calcium, if sulubie would be expected to promote fractures and the Km,/& ratio obtained during
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 W 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007LOî 2 W
IV-2 187
4 : (continued).
TABLE assuming an operadiunal mtss cd 3SSN per sq.mm.
comprised d the proof strem (as residual stress)
Oonsum- Tensile properties at 209C and a design sttress d about 20% af the tensile
able or (mean of two or more tests)
Casting Fracture strength, rhat the maximum crack ha-length
identity El. on (Am,,), permissible without risking failiw is approxi-
mately 13mm. The presence d buried, isolated
A H A Z cracks of, say, O.Smm. length is thus insi@-
cant. Indeed, imlated angular casting defects d
B subsrantially greater magnitude WOUICI be tolerated
in most castings although if these appeared as
D
E
_--___
F
rhtse tests showed the ‘‘GOD” or general yielding

arpprcwh to the utilisation of this data to be
appmpriate. On this basis it can be calculated
8 Microstructures of castings, x 1,ooO: a (top right) M g B i
phase-rilil Nb; b (below) contiguous Mg/Si and Nb/C phases-
0.1% Nb, and c (bottom right) increase of Nb/C phase-
0.3% Nb.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 M 078q265 0007LLO 7 W
188 IV-2
9. Fracture face, left, In 55Ni/Fe/C weld metal x 6. The dark bands m e s p o n d to grwhite sgtieroidisatim e h m in Ob, rl8ht:
x 200.
welding-slag stringem at the fusion boundWy, they typical welded

and mwelded castint+ 'rh rhe rings
could be signiñcant. under knmm compressive load.
In practice the fracture toughness may ,be altered Unweldeü rings were stressed to the 0.2% proof
unfavourably by section size, carosive environment, stress level and rhe welded rings to 75% d the
service temperatm and mechanical- or t h d - 0.2% proof stress d the composite. The lower apP-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
fatigue conditians. The availability d fractule lied stress for the welded rings was considered
toughness data might allow the use of Ni-Resist advishie because of the residual tensile stresses
Type D-2W where o t h e d s e it w d d be necessary imposed on the weld heat-affected zone, durhg
to seltxt a less-weldable lower c h c d u m grade, suchm l i n g aft= stress relieving, by v i m e d the
as Ni-Resist Type D-2C. difference 'between rhe coefficients a# thermal errpan-
sion of the casting and the weld metal.
The stressed rings weat suspenáed in boiling satura-
Stresscorrosion Characteristics ted common-salt solution under reflux conditions
during which time rhey we^ examined periodidly
Some tests by Inco had shm that Ni-Resist Type for a&, but after 30 days none had been found
D-2 is susceptible to stress-corrcvsicm ctacking in in any d the castings, weld deposits or weld heat-
boiling saturated brine un& d u x conditions and affected zones. Further tests are in progress in -Which
the cracking becomes apparent wirhin 30 days at stressed samples are immersed in an aerated saturated
stresses approximately 0.2% proof stress of the iron. sait solution at 8OOC. So far, uniwelded specimcnS of
These findings contributed to a recommendation D-2 and D-2W have each withstood striesses of one
that castings of Ni-Resist Type D-2 iron should be third and one half their' 0.2% p d stresses over
stress relieved when service in a corrosive environ- half a year, and thene is nothing to suggest that the
ment such as sea water is envisaged. Whilst experi- Wiumcontaining iron i5 more susceptible to stress-
ence has &own that the cracking rarely <TCCUIS id amrosian cracking than the ni&um-fnt matesial.
stress-lelieved Ni-Resist cast h s , it was considered A welded specimen of rhe D-2W ircm continues
prudent to e n s u ~rhat the presence d niobium id uncracked after five months at a quarter dí the prwf
Ni-Resist cast iron did not have a detrimental efFect. stress. Normal design stresses are d one
Fur this purpose a series af C-rings (fig. 6 ) were quarter of rhe proof stress ar one fifth af rheyUTS.
p d u c e d from annular castings having compositions
typical of Ni-Resist Types D-2 and D-2W. AU were In no instances were cracks initiated in the heat-
affected zona of ,welded specimens unless these we-m
initially rough machined, a prupontion d rhe D-2W associated with areas of gross micro-porusity.
type each having a periphd $ e m i - M m groove,
6.4mm. radius, which was filled with SSNi/Fe/C
weld deposit from rhe Mh4A electrode 'E'(Table 2). Metallurgical Observations
Prior to final machining, all the rings we= strrss- Previous investigators have indicated a n u k of
relieved at 650°C. Stressing was effected by bolting írrctors which may h m a bearing the weldability
across the rings diametrically, the gap closure being of s.-g. Ni-Resist cast irons viz:
calibrated against readings from strain gauges located
on the m m highiy stressed part of the periphery of

AWS WCI 85 D 07BLi265 0007LLL o m
IV-2 189
WC s*midal-graph te-type Ni-Resisî ,hatag nai phase (fig. Sa); this mmisting mainly of
CS; magnesium and siliam with a little nitrogen. Carkm
and oxygen were not found. The volume fraction of
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
cubic rridbium-carbide increased with the level of

ni~biumin the casting, some of those -&ides being
contiguous wirh the elongated pha8e (fig. 8b and SC),
a Lack of hot-ductility in rhe heat-affected zone, w i n g prabatbly to a cammon affinity for n i t r o p .
awing to liquation at the cell boundaries, which The presence of b t h phases unmod%d up to the
causes rupture under contraction ses sa^ during weldtusisn boundary, infers low soluibility in rhe
cooling'. Phases rich in phosphorus and/or mag- matrix and high thermd stability. At high nidbium
nesium and which would be expected to have levels, the amount af the elongated phase was much
melting points below i,oOo"C, i.e. significantly diminished which in p r i n c ~ l eincreases the avai-
lower than rhat of the solidus of Ni-Resist cast bility of magnesium ro promote HAZ cracks since
irons have been detected in the cell boundaries. rnicm-proilre andysis of niobium cahide present
b Magnesium and silicon have an adverse e&ct on shows it to contain signscantly less magnesium than
hotductility whereas chromium is bmefìdal'. The the elongated phase. ND orher nidbium-rich phase
amount of chrcnnium-rich ca&ide in s.-g. Ni-Resist was found even at nidbim contents in the regio9
cast irons containing 20% nickel increases rapidly of 0.3%.
as the chromium content is raisad above 1% whilst Precipitate clusteus near the cel-1 boUnd&es in the
there is little change in the chmmium content d weld HAZ were more evident in the weldable
the austenitic matrix when the overall chromium castings contdning niobium, and such regions were
content exceeds 2%. It is k n m that enhanced d l found to be enriched in CryMn and C.The pmence
and interphase surfaces are beneficial in dispersing of these cadide precipitates could affect rhe stremgth
elements s t m h i v e to hot-ductility. Also, theme is arid ductility of rhe cell boundary at high tempera-
the possibility that the solubility of subvasive t m .
elements h l l be greater in the second phase. i t has not been possible hawever to relate fully the
In the preyent work, variations in silicon, magnesium welda!bility of s.-g. Ni-Resist irons to these metal-
and nidbium levels within the ranges invwtigated lographic dbservations and f m h a m k is necessary
did not reveal any change in either rhe mwhblogy to elucidatesthe bendcia1 effect of niidbium.
or the proportion of chromium-rich caMdes present The 5 5 % nickel/imn/cah weld metals from rhe
nor of the cell size in 25- thick, sand-cast Ni- commercial cunsumaibles w i d in their tendency to
Reist Type D-2. Ca&ides in the HAZ spheroidised spheroidisation of graphite. In r h w weld metals
siighrly and rhere was m e tendency for fwther displaying predominantly filmcmtary graphite, thin
carbides to be f m e d in the vicinity of the existing dark bands at the Errature base correspnded to local
graphite spheroids (fig. 7a) which when the wdd- spheroidisatim on =-heat d d n g successive weld
ments were d x q u e n t l y annealed also became runs (fig. 9). The toughness of the weld metals
spheroidised (fig. Tb), so improving the toughaess. increased wirh the exwnt d gmphizt spheroidisation,
N.iobium4ree castings contained an elongated and, given full spheroidisation, improved further
5 : Impact toughness d u e s in castings, weld metals and HAZ.

TABLE
~
I I I
CVN Impact toughnus at W C (Joules)
Consumable or Reheat +interpass Lucation
casting identity "C As welded Stress-relieved Annealed
A m+ 1 0 0 WM 6, 7, 7 6. 7, 8 9. 12. 12
350+350 WM 12. 14 12. 12, 14 14, 15
-
m+ 100 WM 6 6 6 4 4 5 5, 5.10
350+350 WM 7'15 12 li, i 2 12, 14, 14
350+350 HAZ/FB ii. i 1 10,12 15, 15
B m+100 WM 5 5 5 5 5, 5, 5, 5 5. 5.5
+
350 350 WM 5: 6: 6' 5. 5, 5
D 20+100 WM io, 10, 11 IO 11 11,ll
u)+100 HAZIFB 12, 13 12' 13 14, 17
350+350 WM - io: 10 11
E u)+100
150+ 150
WM
A-W-M
-
22 +
14. 14
- 16, 17
-
350+ 350 WM - 1% 14 17. 18
F 20+ 1 0 0 WM - 12.12
u)+c.m A-W-M 11,12+ -
7, 8
-
350+350 WM - 8,9 11.11
G 20+ 100 WM 2, 3. 3 4,4, 5 7. 8, 10
.- H 100oc WM
- 9. 11. 12 11, 12, 9, 10 -
Ni-Rtsist D-2W (low Nb) casting 11, 13, 13 11 11 12 14. 14, 14
NiResist D-2W (high Nb) casting 13 13. 14 13: 15: 15 15, 16, 16
Ni-Resists D-2 casting 12: 12. 12, I4 12. 14, 14, 15

AWS WCI 85 W 07842b5 0007L12 2
IV-2
WELDABILITY OF TABLE6 : Prature Toughness of ‘istress-relieved’7 butt welds in

niobium-modified ‘Ni-Resist’ 0 - 2 .
SPHEROIDALGRAPHITE-TYPE
NI-RESISTGAST IRONS
Fatigue notch MMA
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
location electrode
N. mm212 N. m - 3 1 2
1,960
Parent casting Unwclded so
1.940
(Doubie-vcc
butt-weld) 843 2.123
COD at IÙst “event”.

Welding details: ‘K’ welds - 1S0mm long,45” bcvcls. Vertical face buttered prior to welding.
Butt welds - 1 SOmm 10% 90”included -IC.
All welds - 100°C proheat, Iûû°Cintupass temperature.
with s p e d size. A desirable c o n m & l e would nesium, phosphmus and do&ium contents asid
have the aperability and weld metal soundness practical ranges anre suggested f o r bath grades.
associated th the electrode ‘D’ and would deposit 3 For maintenance uf welddbiiity with increase m
weld metal giving at least the toughness d rhat section size, increased restraint, and/or rhe imposi-
derinred from elecuade ‘E’,without preheat and at tion d post-wgld heat matment, the magnesium
law intezpass tempemures. content uf the miodiîìed inrn should be mhicted and
the niobium content enhanced, as in the suggesteá
bactical range. Also, ‘Ynmering” of the weld pre-
-S paration is recommended.
1 Commercial production of NidResist Type D-2 4 The mechanical w e s uf the niobiinn-modfied
eAdbiting impmved weldability has bcen estabiished, D-2 h m are satisfactmy, and welds made with
its weldability confirmed and Mcatiion potential commercial 55% ni&el-im& consum&les
demonstrated. develop adequate strength’ although amsumable
2 Cumpositions for Ni-Resist Types D-2 and D-2B selection is requkd, to ensure acceptable weld metal
irons exhibiting h p m d weldability have been toughness. The last-mmtioned has been related to
d & d by relationships between the silicon, mag- mid-menai mirrostnicture. Given hm heat input

AWS WCI 8 5 078Li265 0007LL3 4
IV-2 191
TABLE
6 : (continuled).
Fatigue notch
location
COD max
mm I 0.2% P.S.
NImm2 1 Fracture path
Parent casting +I Parent material

Parait material
HAZlfusion Sheared into parent material
(K-butt-weld) Sheared into parent material
Weid-metal 0.292 Ca. 330 Weld metal. Crack ‘led’ by root run
centre-h.
(Double-vee I
butt-weld). Weld metal initially, then deflected partly into

parent material by weld metal defect in root run.
ami d e r a t e weid m a l toughness, the HAZ-fusion and former colleagues who have worked on this
boundary mughness is also sat.i&mry. subject. The paper is based on, and updates, one
previously presented‘ in rhe UK to a dczremcc
5 Electrodes suirable for downhand repair, reclama- organised by the Welding Institute in 1976.
tion and fabrication in mddefate section thicknesses
have been found. F d e r devdwpment is netessary,
however, to provide a weiding oonsumable which
shows an entirely satdfawory combination cd o m - REFERENCES
bility, weld metai toughness and scnurdnm.
’ Inca Europe, Limited, ‘Ni-Resists and ductile Ni-
6 Although attempts haue been made to d a t e the Resis- ’ eering properties’. Publication No. 2574.
w a i t y of NidResist Type D-2 iron to the effects
d campositlan on micro-stniictuiTal changes, huthe ’ Sengupta, P’. K. and Jordan D. E.; ‘Weidability of
elucidation df the bendicial effect of nidium is s.-g. ‘Ni-Resist’ irons’; Giesserei, 1971, Dec., 801-805.
requid. Osman, J. L. and Stephenson, N.; ‘Frirthrr Aspects
d the welding of s.-g. iron’. Second C t n n m o n ~ l t h
Welding Conference, 1965.
Acknowledgments ‘ Stephenson, N.; Improving the Weldabiiity of s.-g.
NidRakt D-2 iron, The Welding institute Conferena
The authors are inddbted .to lac0 E m , luinilited, on the Welding Óf Castings,-Bradford, September
for .permission to piubïisli this paper and t~ present 21-23, 1976.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 8 5 = 0784265 0007LL4 b
v-1
The metal arc welding of aluminium

alloyed-calcium inoculated grey cast iron
a t preheat temperatures lower than 200"C.
by Henk de VRIES, Ing., F. Weld. I. (")
I. - INTRODUCTION - is replaced by the graphitizing element aluminium
The metal arc welding of non-preheated grey cast in combination with calcium as inoculant.
irons has been a controversial subject as the formation The chemical composition varies between :
of a ledeburitic zone at the fusion line could not be
entirely avoided. C 2-4 % Si 0-1 70 S 0-0.05%
The development of special electrodes and welding AI 1-3 % Mn 0-0.7 70 P 0-0.1 7
0
techniques were mainly based on : Aluminium strongly retards ferrite formation upon
a) increasing the ionization in the welding arc by ad- eutectoid transformation. After inoculation, small
dition of strontium, lithium, caesium or barium to amounts of ferrite may be found in contact with the
reduce the total heat input for welding graphite flakes. These graphite flakes are relatively
b) the use of weld deposits having a very low hot short and their distribution is homogeneous. This is
yield strength to absorb all the welding stresses mainly caused by the number of eutectic cells which
c) peening of weld beads to remove tension stresses. is as high as or even more than 2500/cm2.
As a result, the useful range of tensile strengths is
The invention of an aluminium alloyed grey cast
from 30-55 kg/mm2 with an impact modulus from
iron [33 characterized by high mechanical strength and
9-16 k g . cm/cm3. The relation between Brinell hard-
ductility and slight tendency towards ledeburitic solidi-
fication was the starting point of a new investigation
ness and tensile strength is given by HB = i00 +
3.1 TS.
into the weldability of grey cast iron.
As these new Al-cast irons are distinguished from In bending tests on bars of + 2 0 x 400 mm, the
the conventional grades, in which silicon acts as a deflection at rupture is in average 15.7 mm.
graphitizer by an almost complete replacement of By increasing Mn and Cu, the cast iron can be made
silicon by aluminium [4-51, also filler materials based self hardening in the as cast state.
on that principle were used in our welding trials. The extremely low tendency to ledeburite solidifi-
For comparison, commercial available filler materials cation makes this cast iron very suitable for continuous
and a conventional silicon alloyed cast iron base metal casting and gravity die casting in metallic moulds.
were included in the experiments.
111. - WELDABILITY OF ALUMINIUM ALLOYED

II. - BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ALUMINIUM CAST IRON IN COMPARISON TO CONVENTIONAL
ALLOYED-CALCIUM INOCULATED SILICON ALLOYED CAST IRON
CAST IRON (3-4-5)
As the remarkable good properties of aluminium
In order to produce this type of grey irons, silicon alloyed grey cast iron come only into existence when
- the graphitizing element of conven:ional gray irons the iron is inoculated with calcium, remelting only
will deteriorate the material. It is necessary to inoculate
the material by each melting operation.
(e) Research Manager of .the<Bel.gianInstitute of Welding.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Source: Revue de la Soudure, 29(3), 1973 (Belgian Institute of Welding)

AWS WCI 85 W 07BLi2b5 0007225 8 W
v-1 193
Fusion welding processes without the use of filler the coating of an electrode, the core of a wire or in
material or fluxes containing the inoculant will result the welding flux. Moreover, in most electrode coatings
in ledeburtic welds, see Fig. i. For this reason auto- enough calcium is already present as Caco, or CaF,
genous oxyacetylene or TiG welding is very unprac- to ensure inondation.
tical.
However a number of metal arc welding processes In the heat affected zone all good properties still
are very suitable as the inoculant can easily be put into exist as no melting occurs.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
el A l a t iron bl Sl-cast iron
c) Alcast iron + inoculant powder on the s u b al Siuurt iron + inoculant powder on the surface
Fig. 1. - Autogeneous TIG welding trials (Nitd etch, 155 x )

AWS WCI 85 D D7842b5 0007Llb T D
v-1
In welding trials with commercial available filler materials, welding processes and welding parameters
materials no ledeburite could be formed at the fusion but Si-cast iron as base material resulted in a lede-
line and in the heat affected zone by stick electrode buritic zone at the fusion line, see Fig. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
manual electric arc, Cio, and MIG welding, using the Special attention must be drawn to the results ob-
Al-cast iron as base material. Using the same filler tained with CO? welding with a low carbon steel wire.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
a) Atcart iron bl Sicest iron

Fig. 2. - Manual electric arc welding with a basic 19 Oh Cr 10 YO Ni electrode (Nitel a h , 135 X )
a) Al-caet Iron b) Si-cast iron)

Fig. 3. - Manuel electric arc welding with a basic Nickel dOCtrOd0 (Nitil -h. 135 XI

AUS W C I 85 = 078Li265 0007LL7 L
v-1 195
Unless the carbon content of the weld metals were Welding trials to prove the effect of inoculation
increased considerably by dilution with the base metals were also carried out with cast rods of 5 mm diameter
and no extra inoculant was used, still the weld deposits made of 2 . 7 6 % Al-alloyed cast iron with 3'.8
contained no ledeburite. The Si-cast iron showed how- carbon, manual electric arc welded through a layer
ever a considerable amount of ledeburite at the fusion of commercial welding fluxes with and without an
line. The Al-cast iron none at all. inoculant.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
al Al-cast iron b) Si-cast iron
Fig. 4. - MIG welding with a 60/40 NiFe filler wire of 0,8 mm 5 (Nital etch, 135 XI
a) Al-cast iron b) Si-cast iron

Fig. 5. - MIG welding with a 61/23/14 NiCrFe filler wire of 1.0 mm 53 (Nital etch, 135 x )

AWS W C I 8 5 M 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007LL8 3 M
v-1
a] Al-cast iron welded at 20' C bl Si-cast iron welded at 2W C
c) Alcast iron welded at 200' C dl Si-east iron welded at 200" C

Fig. 6. - CO.. welding with low carbon steel wire of 0.8 mm 0 (Nitel etched, 135 XI
The welds made without the addition of an inoculant these cast welding rods, only very short arcing times
to the fluxes showed ledeburitic weld deposits. could be used to prevent overheating of the electrode.
The welds made with the addition of an inoculant For this reason further work was done with a number
showed practically never any ledeburite. of experimental cored wires and normal commercial
Due to the relatively high electrical resistivity of available welding fluxes.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

No reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS % Not for Resale
L
AWS WCI 85 D 078q2b5 0007LLî 5 W
v-1 197
IV. -
SUBMERGED ARC WELDING OF The wires i to 12 were 3.2 mm #, and wire 13 was
GREY CAST IRONS WITH CORED WIRES 2.0 mm Q and the grain size of the powders used in
For reasons of economy the inoculant was only put between 0.1 and 0.3 mm. For the compositions of
into the cored wires and not in the fluxes. In principle the fluxes, see Table I, and for the wires see Table II.
the results are in general the same when the inoculant With all the wire and flux combinations weld runs
is put into the flux. of approximately 100 mm long were deposited using
250-300 Amps at 26-32 Volts and a welding speed
of 20 cm/min.
TABLE I
The weld runs were visually inspected and sectioned
Composition of fluxes
for microscopical examination. The results are given
in Table III in which the following symbols were used:
A = austenite
G = graphite
cio, 3 45
C = carbide particles
A1203 18 2
Ti02 - B = bainite
Mnü - M = martensite (see Fig. 7b)
Ca0 13 L = ledeburite (see Fig. 7c)
Cao, or carbide network (see Fig. ia)
CaF, - U = unacceptable shape
MgO 26 P = pores
Na3AIF6 14 S = cracks
-
K2O
Cr 13 I - in the following order : heat affected zone/weld metal/
weld appearance.
TABLE II
Composition of the cored wires in gr.
-- - - - - --
2 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
- - -
ron 2.55 2.52 2.19 2.01 - - 2.72 - - 9.13 6.80 6.08
Zast iron 6.12 6.06 6.06 6.03 - - 3.40 - - - - -
Graphite - - - - 3.40 2.72 - 6.80 5.10 - - -
Aluminium 1.o2 1.o1 1.o1 1.o0 2.72 2.72 1.o2 2.72 2.72 3.22 3.22 3.22
AVMg 70/30 2.89 2.86 2.86 2.85 5.61 5.61 2.89 5.44 5.44 - - -
- - - - - - -
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
AVMn 50150 1.19 1.18 1.18 1.17 1.19
AI/Ca 50/50 0.34 0.67 1.o1 1.34 0.17 0.1 7 - 0.34 0.34 0.72 - O. 72
AilFe 50150 - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fe/Si/AI/Ca
40/25/20/15 - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fe/Mn/C
5014515 - - - 1.o2 1.o2 - 1.o2 1.o2 - - -
Nickel - - - - - - 2.89 - - - 3.04 3.04
CaF, 16.66 16.49 16.49 16.41 18.36 19.04 16.66 14.96 6.66 17.54 17.54 17.54
CaCO, - - - 1.36 1.36 - 1.36 1.36 - - -
MgO 2.30 2.36 2.36 2.34 1.36 1.36 2.38 1.36 1.36 2.51 2.51 2.51
Potassium
bichromate 0.85 O. 84 0.84 O. 84 - - 0.85 - - 0.89 0.89 0.89
Ratio powder/
strip 0.34 0.34 0.34 O. 34 0.34 0.34 0.34 0.34 0.34 0.34 0.34 0.34
--- - - - -- - - -

AWS W C I 8 5 9 078Li2b5 0007L20 L 9
198 v-1
TABLE 111
Results of welding trials
Welding fluxes
Wire no Base material
A l = l c l D
1 Al-cast-iron M/M/UPS M/AC M/P M/AM/S ML/AM N
si- ML/AC ML/AM/UPS ML/AM L N S ML/ACMNP
2 Al- M/AM/P ML/AMN M/AM/S ML/AM/ü

Si- ML/AC/P ML/ANPS ML/AML/UPS
3 Al- M/M/UP M/AM M/AM /S ML/AM /UP

si- ML/ACM /UPS ML/AM/PS ML/AMNPS MLIAMN
4 Al - M/AM/P MIAMAIPS M/AM/S ML/AM RI

si- ML/M/P ML/AC/UPS ML/ACM /PS MLIAMN
5 Al- M/AM/P M/ACM M/AL/P M/AC/P

si- ML/M/P ML/AC/P ML/ACM/PS ML/AML/UPS
6 Al- ML/AM/ìJP WAC M/S M/AM/ü MIAGL'

si- ML/M/PS ML/AL ML/ACM/PS ML/AML/P
7 Al- M/AM/UP M/AML M/ACNS ML/AMNP

si- ML/ACM/UPS M/AC/PS M/AM/PS ML/B/üP
8 Al- WAL ML/AL ML/AC/P

si- ML/ML/U ML/AC MLRP
9 Al - MIAM ML/AL MIACNPS M/ACMN

si- ML/ML ML/AC ML/ML/P ML/AC/UPS
10 Al- ML/AM/P M/MLA.J M/ACM /S M/GB'

si- ML/AM/P M/ACA.JP M/ACM/PS M/AM
11 Al- M/AMA.JP M/ACM/P M/ACM/PS M/AMA.JP

si- ML/M/P ML/AC ML/AM /US ML/B/P
~
12 Al- M/A/P M/AM/P M/AM/P M/ABM/U

ML/AM/P M/AM/PS ML/ACM/UPS ML/AM
M/GBNP' M/GBL' M/GCB' MLIAMLN

ML/GBNP' ML/ALA.JP ML/AGB/P' ML/AM/UPS
I I I
promising results
** the best result, used for welding a test plate
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 9 078Li2b5 0007L2L 3 9
v-1
Typical examples of the microstructures found are Furthermore most wire/flux combinations tend to
given in Fig. 7. give retained austenite in the weld deposits.
From the results it can be seen that martensite in The wires 6-10-13 showed the most promising re-
the weld deposits gives much more cracking than lede- sults. The combination of wire i3 with flux C welded
burite. on Al-cast iron showed a grey cast iron weld deposit.
This combination was used for welding some test plates.
a] Austenite + carbide network (Nital etch, 500 x) b) Martensite + carbide particles [Nital etch, 500 x)
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
e) Ledeburite (Nital etch, 400 x) d) Austenite + graphite + carbide network (Nital etch,460 x)
Fig. 7. - Typical examples of mlcrostructures

AWS W C I 85 078LiZb5 0007322 5
v-1
V. - WELDING OF TEST PLATES WITH posit comparable to grey cast iron. Depending on the
WIRE 13 AND FLUX C place lamellar or spherical graphite is formed due to
A plate of 300 mm long and 25 mm thickness was reheating of subsequent layers, see Figs. 8c and 8d.
welded with a V weld preparation. During welding
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig.a.- Fusion zone oí submemod arc weld made with ing of aluminium alloyed-calcium inoculated grey cast
wire l3and and A'.«ist base materia'
Iron iron by metal arc processes results in ledeburite free
etch, 500 XI.

AWS W C I 85 078Li265 0007323 7 D
v-1
fusion lines and heat affected zones and with the Guidance and suggestions by Prof. ir. W.Soete and
right combinations of wire and flux or coating in grey Dr. ir. J. Van Eeghem are gratefully acknowledged.
cast irons weld deposits with good mechanical pro-
perties [ 6 ] . LITERATURE
Welding of silicon alloyed cast iron with the alumi- [i] YUGORO Ishii e.a. : Elecboslag welding of cast iron (in
nium and calcium alloyed wire and flux combination Endish). Japan Weldling Soc., Vol. 1, No 2, 1970,
can result in grey cast iron weld deposits but might pp, *105-116.
show some ledeburite at the fusion line due to silicon [z] MEYER, H A . : 5hort arc &ding of noddar cast iron
(in Duits), Fhilips Metdixchni&, 1972J1, pp. 1-5;
taken up from the base material. Lasteahni&, Vol. 38, 1972, no 7, pp. 151-156.
Due to the high amount of aluminium in the ex- -
[3) V A N EEGHEM, J. DEFRANCQ, Ch. : Belgian p a t a t
perimental aluminium and calcium alloyed wires, open 110.679 dd. 13.1.1968. Centre de Rechmhes Suentifi-
arc welding was possible with all the wires but tending ques et Techniques d e IïIndustrie des Fabrications Maal-
liques, rue des Drapiers 21, Bfuxelies.
to give a high amount of retained austenite in the weld
deposits.
-
[ 4 ) DEFRANCQ, @h. - V A N EEGHEM, J. DE SY, A.:
Développement ultérieur de ia fonte à i’aliuminim inom-
iée par de fortes quantités de dauni. Presented at the
VII. - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 40st Internationail Foundry Congress, Moscow, 9-14Sepa.
1973.
The author would like to thank the C.R.I.F. (Centre { 5 ) DEFRANCQ, Gh. - V A N EEGHEM, J. - DE SY,A. :
de Recherches Scientifiques et Techniques de l’Industrie I n d a t i o n d grey cast irons of the Fe-AIX system.
des Fabrications Métalliques) for sponsoring the re- A.P.S. Cast M&ls Research Journal, March 1971,pp. 1-6.
search. 16) DE VRIES, H . : Belgian patent application DB 29-166
dd. 14.10.1970. Centre de Recherches Scientifiques et
Thanks are also due to Mr. J. Clymans for assistance Techniques de l’Industrie des Fabrications Métalliques,
with the experiments. rue des Drapiers 21, Bmxdles.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 W 078Y2b5 0007324 7 =
202 v-2
Considering the importance of gray cast irons as an engi- strate the effectiveness of a simplegrinding and polishing
neering material, relatively little attention has been given technique, developed to obtain the true micro and macro
to studies on the macro and micro characteristics of gray structurai characteristics of gray irons in both the un-
iron and their effects on the physical properties of the etched and etched condition, and to indicate how the ob-
castings. This has been partly due to difficulties arising served structures can be recorded for illustrative pur-
in the development of a preparation technique adequate poses. The report also presents a preliminary study on
for revealing the true unetched and etched structures and the correlation of casting conditions with the tensile
in reproducing these structures for illustrative purposes. properties of Class 50 gray iron and indicates an assoCia-
It is the purpose of this article to outline and demon- tion of certain rather clearly defined macrostructural a p
Fig. 1-Gray iron, polished through No. o00 paper and Fig. 2-The same area as shown in Fig. 1 is illustrated
magnified 200 times. here after final polishing, enlarged 200 diameters.
%
**
* *
. *
Fig. 3-The same area as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, etched Fig. 4-Graphite flake, unetched, and enlarged loo0
in 4 per cent picrol, enlarged 200 diameters; ameters.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Source: Casting Engineering/FoundryWorld, Spring 1981

f Provided by IHS under license with AWS
AUS WCI 85 078Lt2b5 O007325 O 9
v-2 203
pearances of the cast bars with specific tensile proper-

ties.
The sample, cut to convenient size, is ground to a flat
surface on a wheel, then ground successively through a
series of emery papers: 1Ci, 1, O, 00,and then on a oû
paper which has previously been rubbed with cotton to
remove any loose grit. Alcohol may be used to moisten
this o00 paper, prior to rubbing with cotton, but in either
case a dry paper is used for the final grinding operation.
At this stage, the scratches on the specimen should be
very fine and uniform, as illustrated in Fig. 1, at 200 di-
ameters. The graphite flakes are actually covered with a
film of flowed metal which helps to prevent them from
being torn out during subsequent polishing procedures.
Fig. 7-This is the same area as shown in Fig. 6, using
DI9 for plate development at the same magnification.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 5-Shown here are details of graphite flakes, repro- Fig. @-The etched structure of a high carbon iron brake
duction of which is dependent upon the use of antihala- drum after developing the plate in 076C solution. 600 di-
tion panchromatic plates, at 7 0 0 diameters. ameters.
Fig. 6-The etched structure of Meehanite Type GC, ob-

tained after developing in D76C solution, at loo0 magnifi- Fig. 9-This is the same area as shown in Fig. 8, using
cations. DI9 for plate development, 600 diameters.

A W S W C I 85 W 078q265 O007326 2
204 v-2
The actual polish is obtained in several operations us- An etched section of the area shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3
ing a “selvyt” cloth, impregnated with magnesium oxide was obtained by use of the conventional picrol solution.
or “shamva” paste. To prepare the cloth for polishing, it This reagent permits better control of depth and uni-
is placed on the wheel and saturated with water, after formity of etch than the 4 per cent nitol solution. This
which dry “shamva” powder is rubbed into the cloth un- rapid polishing and etching procedure has been utilized
til a pasty condition is obtained. No further addition of in this study on the nature of the graphite flakes ob-
water or powder is necessary or desirable for completely served in ordinary gray irons.
polishing the sample. The paste accumulating on the
edges of the sample, however, should be returned to the Graphite flakes
wheel. During the polishing operation the specimen When a graphite flake is observed under the micro-
should be rotated in a direction opposite to the travel of scope, it is light dove gray in color. However, it has usu-
the wheel. ally been found difficult t o transfer this tone quality to
After final grinding with the No. o00 paper, the speci- the photographic plate and print, and it has become cus-
men is polished on the prepared “selvyt” for a period of tomary to note the presence of black graphite flakes in
‘/2 to 1 min. with moderate pressure. Many laboratories an unetched white matrix or in an etched background of
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
today prefer to charmand paste and Kerosene. It is then pearlite. Perfect reproduction might be approximated if
washed thoroughly, dried with alcohol, and lightly color photography is used instead of panchromatic type
etched by a simple dip in a solution of 4 per cent nitric plates, where tone quality alone must serve to give defin-
acid in alcohol. The specimen is washed, dried, and re- ition.
polished for about 30 sec., to remove the light etch. This Various types of wratten filters were used to try t o im-
light etch and polish procedure is repeated from three to prove the detail and tone quality in the reproduced struc-
five times in order t o obtain a scratch-free unetched sur- ture of gray irons. Although the visual appearance of the
face as illustrated in Fig. 2, which shows typical graphite structure could be slightly improved with certain of these
flake distribution in an ordinary gray iron. The complete filters, this improvement did not show in the photo-
retention of these graphite flakes is readily noted, and micrographs taken. Accordingly, the usual yellow-green
the satisfactory nature of the polish as well as the sharp filter was used throughout in the preparation of illustra-
delineation between graphite and matrix is perhaps more tions for this paper.
clearly revealed in Fig. 4 at loo0 diameters magnifica- Further studies with respect t o photographic plates,
tion. developing solutions, and suitable grade printing papers

v-2 205
YICBII AND MACBO

~ ~
demonstrated that it was practicable to establish condi-

tions which permitted reproduction of structures es-
sentially similar in appearance to those viewed under the
microscope.
Consider first the appearance of an unetched micro-
section at 100 diameters. This magnification is widely
used to indicate the size and distribution of the graphite
flake, and the photomicrograph invariably consists of
black stringers in a white, unetched matrix. All true
quality is lost on the photographic plate. By use of a
backed plate, however, in which halation is largely elim-
inated, the actual visual appearance of the properly pol-
ished specimen can be transferred to the negative. By use
of a suitable paper these qualities can also be transferred Fig. 10-Etched structure of gray iron showing the
simple primary graphite tlakes in a pearlite matrix.
to the photographic print. Fig. 5 demonstrates this fea- 600 diameters
ture rather clearly and it should be evident that the de-
tails observed in the graphite flakes are not dependent on
under-exposure or under-development of the pfint. It
may be noted that the matrix or background of the struc-
ture is gray rather than white, but it is suggested that
this feature in no way detracts from the instructive use-
fulness of the illustration.
In reproducing etched structures of gray irons at high-
er magnifications, it is a simple matter to demonstrate
the importance of plate developing solution. Figs. 6 and
7 were taken from identical areas of an etched structure
at loo0 magnifications using anti-halation Wratten M
plates. The former was developed in D76C solution and
the latter in solution D19. It must be assumed that op-
timum printing conditions were employed in each case.
In Fig. 6 may be noted the clear details of both the pearl-
itic structure and the graphite flakes. A similar contrast
may be drawn between Figs. 8 and 9 at 600 diameters.
These photomicrographs illustrate the same general Fig. 11-Etched structure ot gray iron showing the
features but emphasize more clearly the definition and simple primary graphite tlakes in a pearlite-ferrite
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
detail of all constituents, obtained by using D76C solu- matrix. Also can be observed the tine flake graphite
network at the ferrite ibowndary. Enlargement, lo00
tion. The tone quality of both the graphite flakes and the diameters,
non-metallic inclusions is well brought out along with
the details in the pearlite and the scattered free ce-
mentite. Fig. 9 is typical of many photographic repro-
ductions of etched gray irons which are familiar, but Fig.
8 presents a much better reproduction of the iron as ob-
served under the microscope. The appearance of the
non-metallics in Fig. 8 as contrasted with those in Fig. 9
can also be noted.
The response of this technique to photographic efforts
to reproduce micrographs which permit study of the na-
ture of the graphite flake concomitantly with all other
structural details is discussed more fully in the next sec-
tion of the article.
Now that the method of preparation of gray iron has
been discussed, attention is directed to a study of the true
structural appearance of graphite, especially the flake
type, as observed under the microscope.
Frequent references have been made to primary and
secondary graphite, but terms are so ill-defined that it is Fig. 12- The continuous envelope ol secondary
not clear as to what exact-significance various authors graphite around the primary flake may be observed
in this etched gray iron sample, enlargement loo0
Wish to ascribe to these terms. diameters.
Here, it is believed that it has been possible to distin-

AWS WCI 85 W 0784265 0007L28 b m
206 v-2
guish between flakes that appear to be homogeneous

and which were formed entirely during some definite
stage in the initial cooling of the gray iron, and flakes
that exhibit an apparent two-stage formation.
Examples of the first class are well shown in microsec-
tions taken from Class 50 gray iron castings. Thus, the
continuity of structure of the graphite is well illustrated
in Fig. 10 from a brake drum casting. Similarly, primary
graphite can be found in a gray iron as shown in Fig. 11.
This cast iron sample also exhibits a fine graphite net-
work in the pearlite-ferrite boundary.
An example of what may be termed secondary graph-
ite is illustrated in Fig. 12. On either side of the main or
Fig. 13-An etched gray iron sample showing a fine initial primary graphite flake has been deposited a con-
secondary graphite developing from the primary tinuous regular film or layer of secondary graphite sur-
Ølake. loo0 diameters. rounding and following the general contour of the pri-
mary flake. While it is not the purpose here to attempt to
correlate specifically the stages of graphite formation
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
with the history of cooling of the iron, nevertheless it

seems clear that a differentiation must be made between
the two stages of graphite flake development.
Another form of this secondary graphite is pictured in
Figs. 13, 14, and 15. Figs. 13 and 14 show a combination
of both primary and secondary graphite, while Fig. 15
exhibits an area completely free from primary graphite
flakes but wheresecondary graphite can be seen distrib-
uted among the pearlite grains.
While the science has not been sufficiently developed
to permit a direct correlation between the presence,
amount and nature of distribution of what has been
termed secondary graphite with physical properties,
there appears to be evidence to indicate that melting and
casting conditions which prevent the formation of sec-
ondary graphite also lead to improvement of physical
Fig. 14-Another typical combination of primary properties of the gray irons.
and secondary graphiteh gray iron, enlarged loo0
times. Macrostructures of iron
In an effort to ascertain the reason for the profound
effect of pouring temperature on the tensile strength of
Class 50 iron, studies were made on the changes in mac-
ro-structural appearance of the iron as a possible index
of properties.
At first, attention was directed to graphite distribution
as revealed by low power macroscopy. In these studies it
was soon realized that while visual studies could be made
satisfactorily using various optical equipment, it was a
matter of considerable difficulty to adequately repro-
duce in photographic form the sort of characteristics
that were visually noted. The major problem was found
in attempting to reproduce an area of the specimen at
low magnification of sufficient size to illustrate
significant pattern characteristics and at the same time
demonstrate clearly the pattern detail under consid-
eration.
Fig. 15-Etched gray iron, free from primary flake
The Bausoh and Lamb wide field binocular micro-
but exhibiting fine secondary graphite development. scope, using a wide field lamp, affords an excellent
Enlarged loo0 diameters. means of visual comparison of graphite form and dis-
tribution, but this method is not amenable to photo-
graphic record. The lamp iihminates a very large field

AWS WCI 8 5 W 078Y2b5 0007329 8 m
v-2 207
for visual study and by means of its ellipsoidal reflecting series of belts, grit Nos. 80, 120, 240, and 320, was the
surfaces throws light, into every recess and eliminates all only preparation necessary prior to etching in the follow-
shadows. ing manner:
For photographic reproductions of etched sections at (1) 2.5 gm. (0.088 oz.) of ammonium persulphate in
magnifications within the approximate range of 1 to 10 100 cc. of water, specimen swabbed for 15 min.
diameters, good results have been obtained by use of
suitable Bausch and Lomb micro tessars (6% in., 72
mm., and 48 mm.) with vertical illumination. The illumi-
nation is obtained by interposing a plane glass reflector
between the lens and the specimens to be photographed.
For reproduction of graphite distribution observed in
the unetched samples at about 10 diameters, the opti-
mum condition has been found in utilization of the low
power equipment provided with the Zeiss Neophot me-
tallograph, using vertical illumination.
Three typical photographs illustrating the appearance
of the polished unetched samples of a gray iron taken:
(1) From the rim of a truck brake drum in Fig. 16; (2)
from an ordinary sample of gray iron in the laboratory in
Fig. 17; and (3) from an arbitration bar of Class 50 iron
in Fig. 18. These clearly reveal the difference in graphite
flake size and distribution. Even at the low magnifica- Fig. 76-Polished unetched gray iron section from a
tion of 10 diameters, the “whorl” and “rosette” charac- truck brake drum showing the coarse graphite
teristics of the graphite in Fig. 17 can easily be distin- flakes, under vertical illumination at 10 diameters.
guished from the fine, even, dendritic pattern noted in
the sample in Fig. 18.
In white irons the macro characteristics that can be re-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
vealed so readily on simple etching are generally famil-

iar. In a study of the effect of casting temperature on the
primary microstructure of white cast irons, Norbury
presents some beautiful reproductions of the etched
macrostructures observed at 15 diameters.
In an attempt to make a similar comparison between
pouring temperature and etched macrostructure and to
correlate the characteristic effects of pouring temper-
ature on macropattern with mechanical properties, a
comprehensive study of etching reagents and etching
technique on Class 50 iron was made. This cast alloy Fig. 17-A polished unetched gray iron section,
is essentially free from dendritic cementite so that the showing the typical coarse “rosette” and “whorl”
etching reagents used for white irons are totally inef- graphite formation, vertically illuminated at 10 di-
ameters magnification.
fective for the development of a macropattern.
Jurick made some suggestions in a paper on the pri-
mary etching of gray cast irons, and presented pictorial
reproductions at 40 diameters which approximated to
micro rather than macro details. He suggested the use of
ammonium persulphate for bringing out graphite in
dendritic structures and this reagent served as the found-
ation for the etching procedure subsequently developed
by the present authors. The use of formic acid with con-
centrated sulphuric acid suggested by Jurick has no ap-
parent effect in developing the structure of the irons
studied.
Many other common combinations of etching soLu-
tions were also tried, but they gave results that did not
appear to provide the slightest differentiation between Fig. 78-A polished, unetched Class 50iron section,
the ill-defined structures of the various samples. It was indicating fine graphite distribution associated with
not until the following etching procedure was developed dendritic pattern, under vertical illumination at 1Odi-
ameters magnification.
that the authors were able to begin actual studies on the
Primary structure. A rough grinding operation through a

AWS W C I 85 = 078LiZb5 0007130 9 =
v-2
Fig. TO-The devefopment of primary macrostructure in the Fig. 20-Here may be noted the fine "macrostructureless" fea-
Class 50 iron can be observed here. Using the new etching tech- ture of Class 50 iron, free from any evidence of a dendritic pat-
nique, the coarse, primary, dendritic structure may be noted. tern. Magnification three diameters, and tensile strength
Enlargement was three diameters and the tensile strength of 40,200 Ib. per sq. in.
the piece is 50,OOO Ib. per sq. in.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
(2) I .5 gm. (0.0428 oz.) of potassium iodide added and In Figs. 19 and 20 may be noted the etched structure of
specimen swabbed for 10 min. more. the transverse section of two Class 50 irons of identical
(3) 1.5 gm. (0.0428 oz.) of mercuric chloride added chemical composition, but poured from the ladle at two
and specimen again swabbed for 5 min. different casting temperatures. The effect of pouring
(4) 15 cc. (0.9172 oz.) of sulphuric acid added and temperature is clearly profound.
swabbing continued for 5 min.
The specimen was finally washed in water and dried Tests on sample bars
with alcohol. No doubt some variations in the amounts Four arbitration bars of Class 50 iron were cast from
of reagents added would not seriously modify the results progressively lower pouring temperatures. Tensile test
obtained, but the amounts suggested appeared to pro- specimens were machined according to the A.S.T.M.
vide optimum conditions. The results obtained from this standard specifications for gray iron, 0.505 in. diameter
procedure were very informative and a clear picture of and 1 in. gage length. Transverse strength, deflection,
the primary structure of the cast iron could readily be and Brinell hardness data were also obtained. The results
seen by a visual examination with the unaided eye. recorded on bars poured at 2700, 2530, 2470 and 2390
The method of reproduction available has been dis- deg. F. are shown in Table I.
cussed previously and the etched figures herein presented The transverse etched macrostructures of these four
were recorded at three diameters with the Bausch and bars are illustrated at three diameters in Figs. 21,22,23,
Lomb 72 mm. micro tessar using vertical illumination. and 24. In the first three figures, the presence of primary
Figs. 21 to 24-Effect of pouring temperature on the etched macro pattern of Class 50 gray iron.
Fig. 21-Poured BI Fig. 22-Poured at Fig. 23-Poured at Ho. 24-Poured at

2700deg. F. 2530deg. F. 2470 deg. F. 2md.O. F.

AWS WCI 85 07842b5 0007131 b
v-2 209
dendritic structure is clearly shown. However, it may be 50,000 Ib. per sq. in., whereas that cast at a lower tem-
noted that the casting made from the highest pouring perature and entirely free from macro dendrites showed
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
temperature studied, and exhibiting the highest tensile a tensile of 40,200 Ib. per sq. in. A third cast in this series
strength of the group, shows the persistence of dendrite poured from the highest casting temperature had a ten-
formation to the peripheral parts of the bar. sile strength of 58,200 lb. per sq. in. The macro-picture
In the case of the bar poured at the lowest temper- has not been reproduced but the structure was in general
ature, 2390 deg. E in Fig. 24, a fine “macro structure- similar to that shown in Fig. 19, except that the dendrites
less” feature, free from any evidence of dendritic pat- were slightly coarser.
tern, is obtained. With the bar poured at a slightly higher Further investigations on the correlation between
temperature, 2470 deg. E , it may be noted that the den- macrostructure and tensile strength are likely to reveal
dritic pattern is confined to the center portion of the ar- that the reason for the association of high tensile proper-
bitration bar. ties with coarse macro dendritic growth is dependent on
It is of interest t o point out that in cast materials the the following concept: When conditions of casting are
coarse dendritic patterns observed in Figs. 21 and 22 such as to lead to the formation of a coarse dendritic ap-
have usually been associated with low mechanical pearance on a macro etched section, these conditions
strength, whereas the fine uniform dendrite-free pattern promote the formation of very coarse austenitic den-
obtained with low pouring temperature, shown in Fig. drites during solidification. On cooling through the criti-
24, has been associated with superior mechanical prop- cal, the long dendrites transform to continuous pearlite
erties. colonies which confer strength to the casting. O
Reference to the tabulated data will reveal that in these
castings, high casting temperature gives the most fully
TABLE I
developed dendritic structure and also results in the opti- Results of Tests Mads on I .2-ln. Diameter Arbitration Bars
mum tensile property.
Referring back t o Figs. i9 and 20, which were pre- Pouring Tamperituraa
sented to indicate the development of a macro etching Teil

Wo Ow. F. MTO Ow. F. 1390 OW. F.
technique, it may be stated that a similar correlation was
observed. In this series of arbitration test bars the casting Teniila, Ib. par 4. in. 4â.lOû 47.900 42.800 39.m
iranivarra rirangth. Ib. par
made at the higher temperature and slowing marked M. in. 3.m Ib. 3.000 Ib. 2.950 Ib. 2.860 Ib.
Defle4on 0.430 In. 0.365 in. 0.360 In. 0.365 In.
dendrite formation, shown in Fig. 19, gave a tensile of Brinell h d m 217 217 217 217

AUS W C I 8 5 0784265 0007332 B
21o v-3
c
L
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Source: Casting Engineering/ Foundry World, Spring 1981

AWS WCI 85 07842b5 0007333 T
v-3 211
The Jominy Test and Hardenability be produced on the surface of a simple iron-carbon alloy
When a section of cast iron is hardened by quenching, or of one containing any of several alloying elements is
the extent or depth to which it is hardened is governed dependent wholly on carbon content. This is clearly indi-
by: cated in Figure 1. which shows the maximum hardness in
(1) The hardening capacity of the material to be terms of Rockwell “C” as a function of carbon content.
quenched, and The data were obtained from plain carbon and from
(2) The rate at which the piece cools, which is gov- alloy S.A.E. steels and it may be observed that the hard-
erned by both the size of the casting and by the ness as defined by resistance to deformation of a pene-
type of quenching media-oil or water. trator is independent of the alloy content of the steel.
The potential hardening capacity depends on the type The hardness does depend, however, on the carbon
of metal used and on its chemical composition particu- content of the metal when below about 0.6 percent car-
larly with respect to silicon and manganese content. This bon but with increasing carbon content beyond this
potential hardening capacity is known as the “harden- amount, full hardness can be obtained independent of
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
ability” of a metal. carbon analysis.
On account of the increasing importance of heat treat- The matrix of a gray iron engineering casting should
ing engineering castings for both improvement in tensile always contain not less than about 0.6 percent carbon so
and impact properties as well as for wear resistant pur- that we are not concerned with absolute hardness, and as
poses, this “hardenability” characteristic and the fac- we have observed, alloying elements will not affect this
tors which affect its magnitude must receive increasing absolute hardness to any appreciable degree.
attention. It may be thought that all engineering grades of cast
Several methods have been used to measure this prop- iron should, therefore, give the same Brinell hardness
erty of hardenability. They include the Jominy end- when fully quenched, but it must be remembered that the
quench test, the cone test, the Shepherd fracture test and flake graphite forms an appreciable volume of the struc-’
the etch test on polished round bars of varying diameter. ture. As the amount of graphite is progressively in-
The purpose of all these tests is to determine to what creased from type Class 50 to Class 30 the full hardness
depth the metal will fully harden when quenched in a giv- as measured by resistance to penetration of a Brinell ball
en medium independent of the absolute or surface hard- or other penetrator is progressively decreased since
ness value attained. graphite has little resistance to this type of test.
The maximum or absolute hardness value which can Hardenability, however, is a very different property

AWS W C I 85 07842b5 0007L3Li L =
212 v-3
and is dependent on such factors as: clearly be accomplished only if the cooling rate at the
(1) Grain size. center of the casting exceeds the critical cooling velocity
(2) Alloy content. of the type metal poured.
(3) Rate of cooling as depending on both the As the quenching medium is changed from oil to wa-
quenching medium and the degree of agitation. ter, we increase the severity of quench but with heavy
Whatever these factors may be, it will be readily recog- castings a severe water quench may bk insufficient to
nized that they may be classified into two groups which cause a rate of cooling at the center of the casting, ex-
are concerned with: ceeding the critical cooling velocity. In such instancesthe
A. The inherent hardenability of the metal. casting will have a core showing a pearlite structure after
B. The quenching power of the coolant. quenching.
The factors which are chiefly responsible for changes
Inherent Hardenaûilhy in critical cooling velocity include:
1. Type or class of casting in.
It is well known that when a gray iron casting is heated 2. Time and temperature of holding above the
just above the critical range, the pearlite changes to aus- critical range.
tenite. If the temperature is further raised, some of the 3. Alloy content-the most important €actor.
flake graphite (and any free carbide which may be pres- It will be noted that the size or thickness of the castinp
ent) also tends to pass into solution and thus raise the has no bearing on “critical cooling velocity”. The criti-
carbon content of the austenite. cal cooling velocity, however, is the factor which deter-
Thus at ali temperatures above the critical range, short mines either:
of melting, a simple structure is obtained which consists a. How large a casting can be fully hardened to the
of grains of austenite containing some 0.8 percent or center or
more of dissolved carbon as the matrix, with excess .free b. What depth of hardening will be obtained on
flake graphite or cementite in quantity and distribution castings which are too thick to harden fully to
essentially similar to that observed in the casting at room the center.
temperature. Brief reference should also be directed to the method
When the matrix structure obtained at temperatures of quenching and the quenching medium employed.
above the critical is cooled, it changes either to pearlite Assume that still warm water or that any mineral oil be
or martensite dependent on the rate of cooling. The cool- used instead of rapid agitation in cold water then the rate
ing rate which must be exceeded to prevent the forma- of heat removal from the metal will be markedly de-
tion of pearlite and hence to assure austenitic decompo- creased and the rate of actual cooling at a depth of say
sition to hard martensite is called the “critical cooling 1/8 inch from the surface of the part will be materially
velocity”. decreased. Thus the hardened case of a given casting
Accordingly, any portion of a casting which is cooled may be reduced from 1/8 inch to 1/16 inch since the
at a rate exceeding this “critical cooling velocity” will slower rate of cooling has assured that the critical
show a full martensitichardening from a transformation cooling velocity has now been exceeded only to a depth
occurring at 300 to 400°F. When the cooling rate ap- of 1/16 inch in warm water or minerai oil as compared
proximates !hat of the critical cooling velocity, a mixture with 1/8 inch in agitated cold water. The inherent hard-
of martensite and pearlite will be obtained. enability has not been changed but the depth of hardness
If a casting is to be fully hardened to the center this can obtained for any given iron is clearly a function of
quenching medium or degree of agitation.
From the above discussion, it is manifest that if we de-
sire to examine the inherent hardenability of different
gray iron castings we must standardizeon some specific
and reproducible method of quenching. This has been
accomplished in the following standard specification
which has been developed for testing steel.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
End-Ouench Test for Hardenability

This is the Jominy end-quench test in which a 1 inch
diameter cylinder of the metal is heated to above the cri-
tical and then quenched on one end. The nature of the
O 0.PO au, a60 ado I. O0 test is clearly indicated in Figure 2 which shows a test
Aer, &nt CaFbon sample in the process of end quenching.
After treatment, the side of the specimen is ground
Figure 1-Showlng eiiect of carbon content on maximum
Surtece herdness which a n be obtained on quenching. The flat to about 0.015 inch depth and hardness readings in
data als0 indicates that alloy additions do not matedally terms of Rockweil “C” made on the test specimen in
change the maximum hardness value. steps of 1/16 inch. The plot of hardness as a function of
PROBLEM HARD COPY

AUS W C I A5 W 0784265 0007335 3
v-3 213
the distance from the quenched end provides informa-

tion on:
(1) Maximum hardness obtained.
(2) Depth of hardenability.
It will be noted that such data are dependent entirely
on the characteristics of the test bar. The quenching
procedure is constant and approximates maximumsever-
ity of quench. This merely implies that the end surface of
the bar is immediately reduced to the temperature of the
quench medium and that the cooling rate at increasing
distances from the quenched-end. is progressively but
constantly lower. The constant progressively lower rate
is dependent on the heat conductivity or diffusivity of
the metal which is assumed to be constant for ferrous
base materials.
A typical curve obtailred from data taken from a
standard type “GA” Meehanite meîal casting is repro-
duced in Figure 3. It will be noted that full hardness
Figure 2-Photography showing the Jominy End-Quenchbeing
given to a standard 1 inch diametertm (Rockwell “C” 55 in this case) extends from the
quenched-end of the bar for a distance of 6/.32inches.
The approximate cooling rate at this location is 45°F.
per second. Rockwell “C” 45 is often accepted as a
measure of the depth of hardening. In this case the cast-
ing may be said to fully harden to a depth of 1W32inches
and that the critical cooling velocity of the iron approxi-
mates a cooling rate of 2WF. per second. Any section of
the casting cooled at a slower rate than this will fail to
harden.
It is of interest to examine the etched macrostficture
of Meehanite metal test bars which have been end-
quenched and then seetioned longitudinally through the
center of the bar. Figure 4 illustrates four such sections
from tests conducted on test specimens prepared from
the standard 1.2 inch diameter Meehanite metal arbitra-
tion bars. The white areas have a hard martensite struc-
ture and the dark areas are pearlitic. The relative shallow
hardening of the first three castings as compared with
Figure 3-Plot of hafdness data with typical end-quench hard. the deep hardenability of the fourth casting is readily
ness curve obtained on type “GA” Meehanite metal observed. The transition zone is most clear1y:revealed in
representing a clas6 50 graytiron.
Figure 4-lllustrates the appé

Of polished etched IoRgitUditi
tions cut from Jaminy Bers. i l
white martensitic areas exteni
from thaquenched end to thep
unhardened regions shown dai
the picture.
A-Class 50 8-Class 50 c-Cluss 50 D-Cl8SS 50

with 3.09 C. wfth 3.07 C with 3.15 C. with 2S9 C
1.22 si. 1.26 si. 1.2t SI. 0.93 si.
0.84 M R . 0.86 Mn. 0.8S Mn. 1.21 Mn.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

214
the-second photograph from the left. In these comments, we propose to briefly survey two
With a simple plain carbon steel examination of the specificaspects of the subject.
hardness distance plot will usually show two essentially 1. The diameter of bar which results in complete
horizontal sections; the first at a level of about 60 Rock- hardening and hence in the absence of a soft
well “C”, the second at a low level of perhaps 20 Rock- core;
well “C”. These two sections of the curve are joined by a 2. The effect of different quenching media and
steep section showing a rapid fall in hardness from the their severity of quench.
martensitic “6”60 to the softer pearlite structure where It is common knowledge that a greater depth of hard-
the quenching rate has failed to exceed the critical cool- ening will be obtained with any given iron-carbon alloy,
ing velocity. the less the diameter of the section to be quenched Sim-
In common engineering steels and in Meehanitemel‘al, ilarly, for any given diameter bar, the depth of hard-
and most engineering gray irons the alloy content for de- ening will be greater, the greater the severity of the
ments such as silicon and manganese prevent this sharp quench treatment. A comparison of the quenching pow-
transition. The gradual transition can be accounted for
by the presence of a mixed structure or transition zone
consisting of varying amounts of martensite and fine
pearlite. It may be considered as comparableto the mot-
tled transition zone found in white irons having a gray
structure in the core of the casting.
For this reason, recourse has been made to an “index
of hardenability” by which the hardenability is desig-
nated by a code indicating the distance from the
quenched end of a specimen within which the designated
hardness is obtainable. Thus J,, = 7 listed in a
specification means that a minimum reguirement would
be a Rockwell hardness of ‘IC”45 at a distance of 7/16
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
inches from the quenched end. This idea has been dis-
cussed and illustrated in Figure 3.
Significanceof Hardenabitity Tests

The Jominy end-quench test is now used as a purchase Figure 5-Diagramma tic representation ot the regction. to
specification for steels which are to be‘heat treated and quenching in water 8nd m Oil of round bem. The while 8 1 8 8 ~
indicate martensite or full hardening. The shaded amas indi-
hardened for engineering applications, Since it is not care pearlitic regions which tailed to respond to hardening.
practicable to manufacture steel or any engineering
metal to an exact chemical specification neither is it prac- er of oil and water furnishesan excellent example for the
ticable to manufacture steels or Meehanite orgray iron latter statement.
castings giving a definite Jominy hardenability curve. Both statements are simply and fully epitomized in
Accordingly, resort has been made to specificationsin Figure 5. Thus the diagrams illustrate:
terms of “hardenability band”. This is comparable to 1. Depth of hardening is greater, the more severe
to€erancespermissible in chemical analysis. the quench. Use of water instead of oil.
Such variability in reaction to hardening will always 2. Using a constant quench, depth of hardening be-
be common to Meehanite and gray iron castings so that comes less as the bar size is increased.
Jominy hardenability bands will be necessary to indicate 3. With the milder (oil) quench the diameter of the
the reaction to quenching of different engineering types unhardened core increases more rapidly with in-
of metal. crease in bar diameter than is the case with the
Since recourse is never made to the end-quench proce- more severe (water) quench.
dure for hardening parts to be used in service, it becomes Whatever the quenching medium selected, we arrive at
necessary to examine the significanceof the Jominy data a bar diameter in which the soft core has disappeared
in terms of normal quenching operations. and the bar is just fully hardened to the center, by a pro-
On account of the variety of shapes of fabricated or cess of progressively decreasing the $barsize which is .to
cast parts which are quench hardened, it is impracticable be quenched. This bar diameter has been termed the
to attempt to survey and generalize the many conditions “critical size” for the given metal for the severity of
which may be encountered. quench under consideration.
It has become customary, however, to consider the r e Now this “critical size” will naturally vary for differ-
lation between the extent of Jominy end-quench hard- ent quenching media (see Figure 5) and the maximum
enability and the reaction of round bars of varying dia- size will be obtained only with maximum severity of
meter to depth of hardening (hardenability) in various quench. Such a diameter of bar is then defined as the
quenching media. “ideal critical size”.

215
The dimensional relationship of the hardenability refer to vigorous agitation of the test bar in the quench-
characteristics shown in Figure 5 are given in Figure 6. ing medium. The curve for “still air” approximates the
The unhardened diameter (Du) will always be less than results obtained from a normalizing treatment with deep
the bar diameter unless complete absence of hardened hardening materials.
periphery obtains as is the case of the 2 inch diameter bar The significance of this figure can best be demon-
quenched in oil. strated by taking a specific example. Thus assume that a
A family of curves like AB and CD can be drawn for 1 inch diameter Jominy bar be cut from a given casting
d l varieties of quenching media for the particular steel and that on test it is found that the extent of Jominy
hardening is 8116 inches. We wish to find what maxi-
mum thickness of casting will fully harden when vigor-
ously quenched in oil. From Figure 7, it can be noted
that 8/16” or 1/2“ on the “oil” curve corresponds to ap-
proximately 1% inches diameter for the bar with the
equivalent center cooling rate. Thus a bar cast to 1%
inch and vigorously quenched in oil is the maximum size
which will fully harden to the center.
Figure 6-Characteristic curves depicted in Figure 5. The graph

gives the specific relation of bar diameter (O) to unhardened
core diameter (Du). A bar less than 1 Ví inch diameter will fully
harden to the center when quenched in oil, whereas a bar less
than 1% inch diameter will fully harden when quenched in Figure 7-Relation between Jominy hardenability and
w8 ter. diameter of bar which will fully harden. Thus, a 1 Vi. inch
diameter round bar quenched in oil should fully harden to the
or iron represented in Figure 5 . Similarly a family of center with material which hardens to Y2 inch in the Jominy
curves can be prepared for metals of other compositions endquench test.
and reactions to hardenability.
The sharp transition from hard martensite (white) to Summary On The Use Of Jominy Test
pearlite (shaded) shown in Figure 5 is not obtained on
quenching Meehanite casting since a transition zone The use and meaning of the Jominy end-quench test
usually accompanies the quenching operation. This tran- may be summarized as follows:
sition zone of mixed structures is indicated by the grad- 1. The present investigation relates to “harden-
ual drop in hardness shown in Figure 3 between approxi- ability”, the means of measuring this property
mately 8/32 and 12/32 distance on the Jominy end- and the significance of the measurement regis-
quenched bar. tered.
Finally we should consider the relation of the Jominy 2. The investigation is concerned with martensitic
end-quench data to the round bar hardenability as dis- hardening whether attention is directed to hard-
cussed in-the preceding paragraph. ness,or hardenability.
The most usual method of inter-relating these two 3. The hardness which can be induced by any
quenching methods is to indicate the bar diameter which quenching operation refers only to the maximum
will just harden to the center as a function of harden- hardness value which can be obtained on the sur-
ability found by the Jominy method. Any curve which face of the casting. This maximum hardness can
expresses this relationship must be related also to some be obtained only whenthe “critical cooling velo-
specific intensity or severity of quench. city” of the casting is exceeded at the surface. It
In Figure 7, three different curves have been included. fails to provideany index of the depth below the
Those for water and Por a regular mineral quenching oil surface to which the casting will be hardened.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 m 078Y2b5 0007338 7 m
216 v-3
4. The Hardenability provides the index relative to sidered in Figure 6 for one given metal.
depth of hardening which can be induced by any Thus from the latter figure it may be noted
quenching operation. This hardenability de- that a bar of this steel up to a maximum of 1%
pends both on carbon content and on alloy addi- inch will have zero unhardened core when water
tions. Since alioy additions lower the critical quenched. Obviously, a 1 inch bar will also fully
cooling velocity, an increase in Mn., Cr., Ni., harden to the center. On the other hand, a 4 inch
Va., Mo.,etc. increases the depth of hardened diameter bar of this particular material will have
case of the casting for any constant quenching a 3 inch unhardened core after water quenching.
operation. The potency of these elements, how- The depth of hardened case will therefore be %
ever, differs widely. Similarly for castings with inch.
or without alloy addition the hardenability Accordingly, it is necessatyfor the individual
(depth of hard case) is increased with increase in foundries to establish the relation between the
severity of quench operation (eg. use of water in- Jominy end-quenchindex and the depth of hard-
stead of oil). ening which can be obtained for any group of
castings of similar dimensions.
S. The most common method for measuring the
The Jominy test is then used as a control
hardenability of an iron-carbon base material is method for checking and maintaining a constant
termed the Jominy end-quench test. This neces- reaction to hardenability of the particular type
sitates the preparation of a 1 inch diameter bar of metal under consideration.
about 4 inches long. The bar is heated to 1575 O F .
for Meehanite metal, rapidly placed in a fiiture 7. Simple relationships have been established be-
(Figure 2) and cold water sprayed on one end of tween the Jominy index and full hardening
the bar for a minimum period of 10 minutes. (hardening to the center) of various sized bar
After grinding a flat on the side of bar, Rockwell diameters, when quenched in different media
“C” readings are taken every 1/16 inch from the but under constant conditions for the same
quenched end. The maximum distance trans- quenching medium. This relationship, however,
versed for full hardness (in 1/16 inch units) is provides no data for determining specifically the
termed the Jominy Hardenability index. depth of surface hardening which will be ob-
If a bar prepared from one casting fully tained in bars of greater diameter similarly
hardens to 3/16 inch while a bar prepared from a quenched. The approximate relationships for
second casting fully hardens to 6116 inches in the full hardening of one particular material in wa-
Jominy test, then the second bar has double or ter, oil and still air have been reproduced in
twice the hardenability index of the first bar. Figure 7. For other quenching media other
curves can be constructed to form what may be
6. The importance of this Jominy hardena6ility termed a family of curves. Similarly for each dif-
index lies wholiy in its translation in terms of ferent material there is a different but specific
hardenability of an engineering casting which new family of curves.
may be simple in design or of irregular shape. In From an examination of the curves given in
the Jominy test the severity of quench a p Figure 7, we may state that if a bar of 1 inch dia-
proaches 100percent or the maximum severity of meter is to harden fully to the center when
quench obtainable. Such a quench is rarely used quenched in oil then the Jominy hardenability
In industry. index must be about 8/16 to 9/16. On the other
It is, therefore, necessary to correlate the hand, if the 1 inch diameter casting is to be
results of the Jominy test with each specific cast- quenched in water, full hardening can be ob-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
ing design and with the mode of quenching tained if the Jominy index is not less than 4/16.
operation. This latter includes quenching The Jominy hardenability index clearly indi-
medium and method (still or agitated) of quench cates whether any casting of one engineering
employed. type of metal will harden more deeply than a
The effect of seventy of quench needs no similar casting of a different engineering type of
further emphasis but the effect of design (size metal. The degree of difference in hardness
and shape) requires further comment. depth must be experimentallydetermined and re-
Assume that the Jominy endquench figure is corded by the heat treating department.
8/16 for a type metal. Now assume that two cast- By use of such correlation, the Jominy index is
ings, 1 inch and 4 inches thick respectively, are of value in conventional quench hardening and
quenched in cold water in order to obtain a simi- in flame and induction surface hardening treat-
lar high intensity of quench. The depth of hard- ments. Without this correlation, however, the
ened case in the 4 inch casting bar will be much Jominy end-quench index is still useful as a mea-
less than in tlie 1 inch diameter bar. This has sure of the inherent hardenability of any type of
been typified ‘in Figure 5 and dimensionallycon- metal.

AWS WCI 85 M 0784265 0007139 O M
v-3 217
Jominy End-QuenchCharacteristics of Certain Chart Ill-Effect of Molybdenum on Hardenablllty of Typical

Meehanite Metal Type “GA” with 0.79 Manganese Content
Cast Irons
This report provides a survey of the Jominy end-
quench characteristics of several types of cast iron. The 70
65
data furnish information on:
1. Maximum hardness and IJ 6 0
2. Hardenability-depth of hardness which can be 5 55
obtained on spray water quenching. 50
The relative difference in hardenability indicated on ! Y5
the curves also serves as an index of the relative depth of

hardening under less drastic quenching conditions such
3u yo
35
as are obtained with the use of ordinary quenching oil. 2 30
The effects of single element additions on type “GA” 25
base Meehanite metal castings including molybdenum, u 20
manganese, copper, cobalt, aluminum and chromium a 15
are recorded as well as the effects of some of the ele- IO
ments in combination. 2 Y 6 8 IO 12. I Y 16 18 20 2 2 2 1 26 28 30 32 31 36 38 *O

DISTANCE FROM QUENCHED END O F SPECIMEN IN SIXTEENTHS O F INCH
Chart I-Typical type GA50 Meehanite metal cast in 1.2 inch di-
ameter bar. Chart I V-Effect of Molybdenum on Hardenability
ANA i YSIS ANA LYSIS
A 2.94 c. 1.15Si. 1.02 Mn. -
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
X 3.12 C. 1.49 Si. 0.91 Mn.
Y 3.05 C. 1.48Si. 0.94 Mn. 8 2.94 C. 1.15Si. 1.02 Mn. 0.34Mo.
Z 3.02 C. 1.57 Si. 0.94 Mn. C 2.94 C. 1.15 Si. 1.02Mn. 0.62 Mo.
70
65
j 60
3 55
i3 ::I O
u 35
J 30
Eg 25
20
a 15
10
”i !i l’O li
1’1 I! I; J O i2 i1 i6 ô! O; 2! Y; l
! i 8 O!
DISTANCE FROM Q U C N C W END OF SPECIMEN IN SIXTEENTHS O F INCH DISTANCE FROM Q U E N C M END OF SPECI*<EW IN Yx- or INCH
Chart Il-Effect of Manganese on Hardenability of Typical Chart V-fffect of Copper on Hardenabllity of Typical
Meehanite Metal Type “GA” with O. 79 Manganese Content Meehanite Metal Type “ßA” with O. 79 Manganese Content
APPROXPUTE COOLING RATE, ‘F. PER S E M AT 1300%.
70 70
65 65
j 60 6o
Y
3 55 5
P
55
13 50
15
I O
i 50
u5
10
u 35 u 35
ao .I3 0
$
Y
25 ; 25
g 20 u 20
a 15 15
10 10
.~. .. -- _- -- ._
DISTANCE I R O U QUENCHED END OF SPECIMEN IN SIXTEEN?HS OI INCH DISTANCE TROY WENCHED END OF SPECIMEN IN SIXTEENTHS OF INCH

AWS WCI 85 0784265 0007LLiO 7
218 v-3
Chart VI-Effect of Molybdenum in Combination with Copper Chart IX-The Hardenability Characteristics of Type “GE”
or Nickel on Hardenability of Meehanite Metal Type “GA” Meehanite Metal
ANALYSIS
I A 2.94 c.
IE
2*94 c.
_ _ c.
2.94 -
1.15 Si.
0.34 Mo.
0.32 Mo.
1.02 Mn.
1.35 Cu.
ANALYSIS
U1
#2
U3
I
3.16C.
3.26 c.
3.15C.
1.74 Si.
1.77Si.
1.84 Si.
0.û6 Mn.
0.85 Mn.
0.89 Mn.
I E 2.94 c. O. 15 Mo. 1.27 Ni,
70
?O I5
9 ::
I5
3 ::
1 :: P1:: I O
3u ‘O u
a so
l5
J. ao
’
25
g 25 u 20
u
= 20
I5
IO
I5
IO
2 1 I a I O 12 11 II 1 8 20 2 2 2- 21 2 1 ao az a 1 a# aa 10
’ 2 1 I a 10 12 I I I 8 I I 20 22 2 1 26 2 1 30 32 B I II I8 I O
DISTANCE FROU OUENCHCD END OF SPECIbtEN IN SIXTEENTHS OF INCH
DISTANCE FROM QU~XWIED END OF SPECIMENm px~cumm OF IN-
Chart VI/-The Effect of 1J2 Percent Molybdenum in Combina- Chart X- The Hardenability Characteristics of Meehanite
tion with Chrome-Copper on Hardenability of Meehanite Metal Metal Type “GC”
Tvpe
_ . “GA”
- ANALYSIS I ci-2
3.27 C. 2.39 Si. 0.63 Mn
‘Is I
13.08C. 1.28.9. 0.68 Mn. 1.55 Cu. 0.7Cr.
ANALY-23.08C. 1.28Si. 0.68Mn. 1.65Cu. 0.3Cr. 0.5 Mo.
32.82C. 1.23Si. 0.67 Mn. 1.61 Cu. 0.3Cr. 0.47Mo.
70
3.31 C. 2.35 Si. 0.68 Mn.
65
I: ( 0
2 55
1 50
15
3v ‘O
cl 30
;
v
2s
20
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
15
IO
2 1 s 8 I O I I II 1 6 1 8 20 22 2 1 2 1 18 ao az 31 a6 sa 10
DISTANCE FROM OUENCHED END OF SPECIUCN IN SIXT- Or INCM
Chart XI-Effect of Chromium Additions on the Hardenability

Chart VIII-Effect of Increasing Silicon Content on Harden- Meehanite Metal Type “GA”
ability of Meehanite Metal Type “GA”
I
CBCC 3.07C. 1.57Si. 0.48Mn. 0.53Cu.
CE3 3.07C. 3.04Si. 0.42Mn. 0.58Cu.
ANALYSIS
#I
82
#3
I3.03C.
3.05C.
3.02C.
1.18Si. 1.11 Mn. 0 . 1 2 C ~
1.2OSi. 1.09Mn. 0.24Cr.
1.19Si. 1.09 Mn. 0.44 Cr.
70 70
I5 65
fj?O y 60
2 55
<
n 55
50
2 I O
3u *O
l5
z
v 35
.Iao 30
E 25
u 20
8 2 II
15
IO ID
’ 2 e 6 8 I O I 2 I 1 I 6 I 8 20 22 2 4 26 28 30 32 31 36 30 10
DISTANCE FROM OUCNCHED END OF SPECIMEN IN SIXTEENTHS OF INCH
2 I 6 8 10 12 I I I 6 I 8 20 22 2 1 26 28 JO 82 $1 16 18 10
DISTANCE FROM OUENCHCD END OF SPECIMEN IN SIXTEENTHS OF INCH

AWS WCI 85 m 07842b5 0007L4L 7 m
220 v-4
Tramp Elements
in Cast Iron
Minor elements in iron castings may have consequences far out of
proportion to their amounts. Constant vigilance is needed by the
foundryman, especially today when scrap contamination is often
encountered. This article summarizes the effects of tramp elements
on various members of the cast iron family of alloys.
By CARL R. LOPER JR. /Professor of Metallurgical Engineering,

University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
DURING THE processing of cast Sources-Tramp elements origi-

irons, certain elements may ac- nate from various sources-iron
cumulate unintentionally to levels ore, steel or cast scrap, ferroalloys,
where they exhibit a noticeable ef- ladle or furnace additions, coke, gas-
fect on microstructure and proper- es in melting, fluxes, etc. in general,
ties of castings. When this effect in- control of tramp elements entails
fluences the solidification process control and proper selection of all
and/or the development of the raw materials (and reliability of the
matrix structure detrimentally, suppliers) and a dependably repro-
these elements are referred to as ducible process of melting and han-
tramp elements (also termed sub- dling cast irons in the foundry.
versive or residual elements). Most Pig Irons-In the United States
commonly their influence is ob- and Canada, we are fortunate in
served at very small amounts; the that iron ores, used to produce pig
total of all tramp elements in a given irons and virgin steel, are relatively
cast iron may be less than 0.1%. free of contaminating tramp ele-
RESIDUAL ELEMENTS IN GRAY IRON'

ALUMINUM-Principal Sources: Ferroalloys and also nonferrous materials used as a ladle addition. Typical Amounts Observed: .03-.04%. Significant
entrapped with cast scrap or steel. Typical Amounts Observed: .01-.05%. Eflecfs: Greatly affects chill. P:omotes pearlite in matrix, but not without
Significant Effects: Strong graphitizer. promotes graphite. greatly reduces tendency to promote primary carbides.
chill tendency. Literature notes that ,010-.lo%máy cause pinholes; effect is
more severe as Ti content of iron is increased. Effects may differ in the base COPPER-Principal Sources: Nonferrous material in cast scrap or steel. Also
iron or ladle additions. used as a ladle addition. Typical Amounts Observed: .01-.90%. Significant
Effects: Used primarily as means of insuring pearlitic matrix. Copper may be
ANTIMONY-Principe1Sources:Trampelement incast scrapor steel,vitreous source of other residual elements.
enamel on cast irons or steel; may be included with copper additions. Typical
Amounts Observed: .005%. Signilicant Eltects: Refines graphite somewhat. HYDROGEN-Principal Sources: Exposure to gases in melting and prior to
but said l o produce abnormal structures. About .03-.06% required for fully solidification. Wet furnaces and ladle refractories. Typical Amounts Observed:
pearliticmatrix. No apparent effect on chill. Even with allTypeDgrahile.ferrite .0002-.0015%. Significanf Effects: Said to Dromote increased chill. Also as-
is eliminated with .2% Sb. sociated with pinhole formation
ARSENIC-Principal Sources: Tramp element in cast scrap or steel; may be LEAD-Principal Sources: Nonferrous material entrapped in steel or cast
included with copper additions. Typical Amounts Observed: .01%.Signilicant scrap. Also may enter with fluorspar, copper additions. or terne plate in steels.
Eflects: No significant effect on graphite or chill. About .lo% required for fully Typical Amounts Observed: .003%. Significanf Effects: Chill increased sub-
pearlitic matrix. stantially. Promotes Type D and mesh graphite. Effects somewhat eliminated
by inoculation and cerium treatment. In combination with water vapor pro-
BISMUTH-Principal Sources: Usually a ladle addition. Typical Amounts motes Widmanstaetten graphite.
Observed: .01%.Significant Effects; Increases chill substantially. Promotes
Type D and mesh graphite. Effects reduced by inoculation and Cerium treat- MOLYBDENUM-Principal Sources: As an alloy in steel or cast scrap. Typical
ment. Decreases eutectic cell count. Amounts Observed: -01-1SO%. Significant Etfects: Strong pearlite former,
increases hardenability. Mild carbide-forming tendency.
BORON-Principal Sources: Intentional addition. Present in pig iron, enam-
eled scrap. Typical Amounts Observed: .01-.05%.Significant Effects: Pro- NITROGEN-Principal Sources: Exposure to gas in melting. particularly in arc
motes Type D graphite. Increases cell size. Promotes austenite dendrites. melting. Can be introduced through high N core binders. Typical Amounfs
Observed: .002-.008%. Significant Effects: Mild carbide-forming tendency.
CALCIUM-Principal Sources: Present in ferroalloys. Typical Amounts May contribute to certain porosity problems. Dry nitrogen gas not dissolved
Observed: 04%. Signilicant Effects: Increases cell count. Larger amount inin iron.
creases chill depth. Increases inoculating effect of late FsSi additions.
PHOSPHORUS-Principal Sources: Cerlain pig irons. cast scrap, and steel.
CHROMIUM-Principal Sources: Alloying elements i n cast scrap or steel. Alsa Typical Amounts Observed: Widely variable. .01-.EO%. Significant Effects:
Source: Foundry Management and Technology, October 1977 --``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 8 5 m 07842b5 0007LLi2 O m
v-4 221
ments. Certain imported pig irons,

however, may be produced from RESIDUAL ELEMENTS IN MALLEABLE IRON'
ores not so well selected and thus ALUMINUM- Principal Sources: Ferroalloys. nonferrous entrapped in cast
scrap, residual element i n steel. Typical Amounts Observed: .003-.OZ%.
may introduce harmful effects on Significant Effects: Decreasesnodule number by ,005-.03% materialsaddition.
the structure and properties of cast increases nodule number over .05%. Mottling tendency increased over .05%.
Increases rate of FSG and SSG.? Increases subcritical graphitization over
iron. .01%. Residual of ,00631.decreasesfluid slag and slag reaction gas holes. Does
Many of the investigations car- not produce pinholes unless excess is used (.025%).
ried out overseas of the effects of ANTIMONY-Principal Sources: Tramp elements in cast scrap or steel.
Typical Amounts Observed: .005%. Significant Effects: Slight retarding effect
certain elements in cast irons are on FSG and SSG. No significant effect on mottling. Decreases nodule count
made because of the presence of and raises hardness after annealing when present at . l % level.
those elements in local iron ores ARSENIC-Principal Sources: Tramp element in cast scrap or steel. Typical
Amounts Observed: .01%. Significant Effects: No effect of either increasing or
and, hence, in pig irbns and virgin decreasing mottling in white iron.
steel. It therefore is imperative that
BISMUTH-Principal Sources: Usually a ladle addition, ,002-.01%. Typical
suppliers of pig irons accurately Amounts Observed: ,001-.01%. Significant Eftects: Mottling prevented by ad-
and reliably identify their product ditionsof .O0510 .lO%(dependson sectionsize.silicon content.etc.). Noeffect
on FSG or SSG if nodule count is maintained at 80-1501sq mm. "Spiking"
sources so that foundrymen can be prevented and feeding improved with .01% addition.
aware of possible changes in tramp BORON-Principal Sources: Intentional addition, also present in Certain pig
element contents and can compen- irons. enameled scrap. Typical Amounts Observed: ,0004-,00456.Significant
Effects: Greatly increases nodule number to a maximum until stable carbides
sate for them. are formed (over .01%). Promotes FSG and SSG. Carbides are retained after
The list of tramp elements orig- annealing. Effect of .12% Cr offset by ,00356 B.
inating in pig irons is extensive, but CALCIUM-Principal Sources: Present in ferroalloys. Typical Amounts O b
served: Significant Effects: Not normally present in malleable iron. Pro-
only a few tramp elements com- motes mottling.
monly are encountered. Phospho-
CHROMIUM-PrinCipal Soutces: Alloy cast irons or steel: also as plated steel.
rus in pig iron, steel, or cast scrap Typical Amounts Observed: .02-.lo%. Significant Ellects: Strongly retards
FSG and SSG. Lowers nodule number. Results in retained pearlite first, then
was initially a contaminant in the massive carbides. Effect of CR reduced by high-speed annealing. which per-
iron ore that was not or could not mits graphitization before extensive segregation of Cr to carbides can occur.
be eliminated economically. As a COPPER-Principal Sources: Nonferrous materials mixed with Steel or Cast
result, a residual level of phospho- scrap. TypicalAmounts Observed: .lo--20%.Significant Effects: Increasesrate
of FSG and SSG. also increases nodule number somewhat. Reduces galvaniz-
rus is carried into the iron ore at a ing embrittlement.
level dependent on the source of HyDRoGEN-Principal Sources: Exposure to gases i n melting and prior to
the ore and the methods used to solidification. Typical Amounts Observed: ,0002-.0015%. Significant Effects:
FSG retarded at .0005%. but effect depends on pretreatment and annealing
produce the pig iron. In this coun- atmosphere. Increases spiking damage from interdendritic porosity.
try we are familiar with various LEAD-Principal Sources: Nonferrous materials mixed with steel or Cast
grades of pig iron based on residual scrap: also from fluorspar, possibly. Typical Amounts Observed: .002%.
Significant Effects: Slight effect of retarding FSG and SSG and in reducing
mottling.
MOLYBDENUM-Principal Sources: Steel scrap. Typical Amounts Observed:

.03%. Significant Effects: Increases depth of chill and chill plus mottle. Pre-
vents galvanic embrittlement. No effect on nodule number. Retards FSG and
SSG.
NITROGEN-Principal Sources: Exposure to gases in melting, particularly arc

melting. Typical Amounts Observed: ,002-.O15%. Signilicani Effects: Reduces
Present as steadite. but also dissolved in ferrite to strengthen and harden the nodule number. Retards FSG and SSG in range of .O06 to .016%. Increases
matrix. High levels increase fluidity. but increase brittleness. nodule size. Can cause worming pinholes. Side reactions with AI and Ti can
neutralize effect of N.
SULFUR-Principal Sources: Coke. carbon raisers. cast scrap. Typical
Amounts Observed: .OZ-.18% (or over). Significant Effects: Presence as OXYGEN-PrincipalSources: Gases in melting. oxide slags. Typical Amounts
sulfides-tvw dewnds on Mn-S ratio. Minimum amount appears necessary to Observed: ,002-.005%. Significant Ettects: Oxidizing melting conditions de-
control giaphitization. (.04-.08%). Increased S reduces fluidity somewhat: In- crease nodule number and affect mottling, FSG. and SSG. Difficult to separate
creases cell count and shrinkage. Over .15% has been reported to promote gas effect of oxygen from side reactions and oxide formation.
holes.
TELLURIUM-Principal Sources: Usually present as a ladle addition. but may
TELLURIUM-Principal Sources: Usually a ladle addition. AI% may be present be present in steel or cast scrap. Typical Amounts Observed: .004%.
as alloy in steel or cast scrap. Used in core washes applied to localized areas. Significant Effects: Mottle prevented in heavy sections by ,003to .005% addi-
Typical Amounts Observed: .005%. Significant Effects: Tremendous increase tion (depends on Si content). Decreases nodule number. No retardation of
in chill formation. Promotes Type D and mesh graphite. Effects reduced by FSG and SSG at .O(% Te if nodule count is over 80 to 150k.q mm.
inoculation and cerium treatments.
TIN-Principal Sources: Tramp element in steel or cast scrap. Typical
TIN-Principal Sources: Usually in ladle addition. Typical Amounts Observed: Amounts Observed: ,007-.02%. Significant Effects: Both FSG and SSG are
.lo%. Significant Effects: About .06-.lo%. used to promote pearlite matrix. retarded over .OZ% Sn. but this can be counteracted by an increase in Si. Up to
,0856. no effect on mottle or nodule count, shape, and size. Reduces nodule
TITANIUM-Principal Sources: Present i n pig irons. Typical Amounts
number beyond that level.
Observed: .010.06%. Significant Effects: Graphitizer up to .lo%, increased
chill over .25%. cell counts reduced. Type D graphite promoted. Renders iron TITANIUM-Principal Sources: Present in pig irons. Typical Amounts O b
more responsive to inoculation. however, and .05.04% residual is desirable. served: .01-.OZ%.Significant Efíects: Increases mottling and can raise nodule
Ties up nitrogen. count. Contributes to graphitization because of side reactions with N. O..
ZINC-Principal Sources: Entrapped as nonferrous material in cast scrap or ZINC-Principal Sources: Entrapped as nonferrous material in cast scrap or
steel. Typical Amounts Observed: NOZ. Significant Effects: .No eflect on steel. Typical Amounts Observed: ND.3 Signiticant Effects: Anomalous and
graphite size. shape, or distribution. Tends to promote ferrite in matrix. erratic effects, all of which are slight. It decreases nodule number at .02% and
slightly increases FSG and SSG.
'Effects and amounts referred to are influenced greaiiy by the presence of
other elements. 'ND: Not detected. 'Effects and amounts referred to are influenced greatly by presence of other
elements. 'FSG and SSG: First and Second-Stage Graphitization. JND: Not
detected.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 07842b5 0007LLi3 2
v-4
RESIDUAL ELEMENTS IN DUCTILE IRON'

ALUMINUM-Principal Sources: Residual aluminum in steel, aluminum en- be experienced over .70%. Generally less than .20% for ferritic grades. From
trained in steel or cast scrap, ierroalloys. More likely to cause pinholes if Ti is .50 to 30% added for as-cast pearlitic grades.
present. TypicalAmounts Observed: ,003-.06%.Significant Effects: Aluminum
included in ferroalloys to suppress chill. Greater levels tend to causa short, MOLYBDENUM-frincipal Sources: As an alloy in steel or cast scrap. Typical
stubby graphite flakes to form. Efiect is greater in heavier sections. Literature Amounts Observed: ,0101-.50%. Significant Effects: Increases hardness by
notes that .W% may cause pinholes, but others report .O1 or .lo% used to increasing pearlite forming effect. Mild carbide former, but segregates to cell
eliminate pinholes. Effects may differ in base iron or ladle addilions. boundaries if nodule count is low.
ANTIMONY-frincipal Sources: Tramp element in cast scrap or steel. Typical NITROGEN-Principal Sources: Exposure to gas in melting, particularly arc
Amounts Observed: .005%. Significant Effects: Very little effect on graphite melting. Typical Amounts Observed: .W2-.008%. Significant Effecfs: Mild
spheroids, particularly when rare earths are present Nodule degeneration at carbideforming tendency. May contribute to certain porosity problems. Dry
25% Sb. Without rare earths. .OZ-.03% reported to cause severe loss of nodu- nitrogen gas not dissolved into iron. Amount i n base iron is reduced by Mg
larity. About .05-.1o% required to insure fully pearlitic matrix. treatment.
ARSENIC-frincipal Sources: Tramp element i n cast scrap or steel. Typical OXYGEN-frincipal Sources: Gases i n melting, oxides in slags. Typical
Amounts Observed: .01%. Significant Effects: No effect on nodule quality. Amounts Observed: .W%. Significant Effects: Present, for the most part, as
About .lo% required for fully pearlitic matrix. oxides that could be reduced by carbon lo yield a gaseous product. Amount
soluble. even in melt, is extremely small.
BISMUTH-frincipal Sources: Usually a ladle addition. Typical Amounts
Observed: .01%. Significant Effects: With rare earths absent, Bi promotes PHOSPHORUS-frincipal Sources: Certain pig irons, casi scrap, and steel
flake-like graphite (.05% Bi), but improves nodule count and quality when scrap. Typical Amounts Observed: .05%. Significant Effects: Forms phosphide
sufficient rare earths are present. network. Generally kepl as low as possible (.06%). Raises ductile to brittle
transformation temperature.
BORON-Principal Sources: Certain pig irons, enameled scrap, intentional
addition. Typical Amounts Observed: .0005%. Significant Effects: At about SULFUR-Principal Sources: Coke. carbon raisers, cast scrap. Typical
.005%. carbides form that are extremely resistant to annealing. Amounts Observed: .OZ%. Significant Effects: Reacts preferentially with mag-
nesium or rare earths.
CALCIUM4rincipal Sources: Ferroalloys. Typical Amounts Observed: ND*.
Significant Effects: Optimum addition with postinoculant. Believed to in- TELLURIUM-Principal Sources: Usually as a ladle addition. May be en-
crease nodule count and nodule quality. Excessive amounts promote pri- trapped in steel or cast scrap. Can be present as alloy in some steel scrap.
mary carbides. Typical Amounts Observed: .005%. Significant Effects: Considered a subver-
sive element. causes some graphite degeneration when rare earths are not
CHROMIUM-Principal Sources: Alloy steels and gray irons or as plated ma- present. Has been added t o control pinholes in ductile irons (1-2 g/100 Ib.)
terial in steel or casi scrap. Typical Amounts Observed: .OZ-.13%. Significant
Effects: Very powerful carbide former. Carbides resistant to annealing. Must TIN-frincipal Sources: Usually as a ladle addition. Also may enter through
bebelow.04%foras-castferriteandgenerallynohigherthan .lO%lorpearlite. cast scrap. Typical Amounts Observed: .lo%. Significant Effects: Powerful
effect on pearliteforrnation. Over .10%Sn can result in nonspheroidal graphite
COPPER-Principal Sources: Nonferrous materials mixed with steel or cast in cellular boundaries.
scrap. Also as ladle addition. Typical Amounts Observed: .O1-90%. Significant
Effects: No effect on nodule quality or on primary carbides. Has significant TITANIUM-Principal Sources: Present in pig irons. Typical Amounts 06.
effect on pearlite-forming tendency; about .SO% yields fully pearlitic matrix, served: .07%. Significant EMects: Considered a subversive element, causes
but depends on section size and other alloys present. similar effect to that of aluminum. but stronger. Increased pinhole tendency if
AI is present. Rare earths tend to overcome these eltects.
HYDROGEN-Principal Sources: Exposure to gases i n melting and prior to
solidification. Wet furnaces and ladle refractories. TypicalAmounts Observed: VANADIUM-Principal Sources: Alloying element in steel or cast scrap.
.002-.0015%. Significant Effects; Said to promote inverse chill or centerline Typical Amounts Observed: .04%. Significant Effects: Forms very Stable car-
carbides. Also associated with pinhole formation. bides.
LEAD-Principal Sources: Nonferrous materials mixed with steel or cast ZIRCONIUM-Principal Sources: Present in some ferroalloys. Typical
scrap. Also may be carried in with fluorspar, leaded steels. and copper addi- Amounts Observed: .Ol%.Significant Effects: Promotesflakegraphits. causes
tions. Typical Amounts Observed: .003% Significant Effects: One of most spheroids to be less rounded.
potent subversiveelements. Severe nodule degeneration caused. About .01%
mischmetal has been said to counteract .05% Pb. 'Effects and amounts referred to are influenced greatly by presence of other
elements. In general, effects may be considered additive. For example, when
MANGANESE4rincipal Sources: As an alloy in steel or cast scrap. Typical copper is present, the deleterious effect of Sn occurs at a lower lev81 of Cn.
AmOUntS Obserweú: t o 1.20%. Significant Effects: Intercellular carbides may *ND: Not detected.
phosphorus content. 1. The type of cast scrap gener- pendabilityexperiencedin separat-

Manganese similarly is present in ally but not always dependably i s a ing cast scrap from steel and non-
most foundry-grade pig irons, car- good indicator of the potential ferrous constituents associated
ried over from the iron ore. The tramp elements that may be intro- with it.
amount of manganese present in duced. We have learned to recog- In both of the above instances,
irons, however, usually i s in excess nize that cast iron radiators, for ex- foundrymen must depend upon
of that assignable to pig irons. ample, are commonly produced their scrap processors and monitor
Boron and titanium occur to vari- from high-phosphorus gray irons their effectiveness with regular,
ous extents in iron ores. Depend- because of the improved fluidity routine inspection of incoming
ing upon the amount present in the imparted to the iron by the phos- material.
ore and the techniques used to re- phorus. Engine blocks usually in- Steel ScrabThe source of scrap
fine the ore to pig iron, the levels of volve similar alloy additions. in re- and the proper separation and/or
boron andlor titanium in the iron cent years, however, some man- blendingof scrap by the scrap proc-
will vary. In many instances, boron ufacturers have preferredto use tin essor determine the level of tramp
and/or titanium levels may be re- additions to reduce the level of elements introduced from this
lated to the silicon content of the other pearlite stabilizers. As a re- source. The bulk of all steel used in
pig iron for a given source and sult, categories of cast scrap may this country is still mild steel-se-
composition of the iron ore. vary somewhat in the levels of lected for ease of fabrication, weld-
Cast ScrapFoundrymen should tramp elements introduced. ability, and adequate strength.
keep in mind two factors involved 2. A significant factor affecting Structural steels are changing in
in analyzing cast scrap as a source the tramp element content of cast composition, however, as new
of tramp elements: scrap is the technique used and de- high-strength, low-alloy steels are
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI A5 078Li2b5 0007ltlrlr lr
v-4
used in increasing quantities. Sub- boxed data in this article show lead-containing scrap i s added to a
stantial quantities of these newer typical levels of tramp or residual furnace. In this case the effect oc-
steels are capable of introducing elements in malleable, gray, and curs suddenly, may be assignable
certain tramp elements into cast ductile irons. In some instances, to only one furnace, and, depend-
irons. the amounts observed are spread ing on the type of melting system
it also i s important to recognize over rather broad limits that en- employed, may disappear as
alloy steels-steels designed with compass effects ranging from neg- rapidly as it was noticed. At times,
alloying elements selected to im- ligible to severe. The boxes also in- however, the effect of a tramp ele-
part hardenability and strength. dicate the most common sources of ment may build up gradually and
The scrap processor depends upon these elements and summarize the without notice, until suddenly a
his ability to categorize scrap com- more significant effects they have group of castings is found to be
ponents of alloy steel to prevent on microstructure, properties, and defective-for instance, when the
these materials from entering gen- casting characteristics. titanium builds u p in malleable
eral steel scrap. In the same man- The effects obtained are depend- iron. It is much more difficult to
ner, stainless and high-alloy steels ent on the presence of other ele- identify the cause of problems in
are segregated and distributed to ments in the system. The possibility this case, and doing s o may require
specialty markets. Again, monitor- of interaction between various considerable investigation.
ing of incoming scrap pays divi- elements must be recognized be- Fortunately, if the foundryman is
dends to the foundryman. cause those interactions could aware of the type of raw materials
Other Sources of Tramp Elements worsen or lessen the effect of a he purchases and is cognizant of
-Virtually everything added t o given element. For example, the the problems that can be experi-
cast irons during melting and proc- use of cerium or rare earths to enced in the use of certain grades
essing represents a possible source counteract the effect of certain of scrap, the tramp element prob-
of tramp elements. Ferroalloys are tramp elements such as lead in lem can be controlled adequately.
common sources of aluminum, cal- ductile iron i s well known, yet ce- Microstructural results and trends
cium, zirconium, and titanium. rium in an iron produced from a in mechanical properties often are
While the levels of elements from relatively pure charge material can as effective in identifying a tramp
these sources could reach values itself be detrimental, particularly in element problem as i s chemical
where they might be detrimental, heavy-section castings. analysis, particularly since it i s
the amount of these elements in In some instances anomalous ef- costly and time consuming t o
ferroalloys i s designed to be bene- fects are recorded in the literature analyze for the host of elements
ficial when appropriately used. concerning a given element. What that may prove to be detrimental.
Ladle additions that are not one must keep in mind is that the The specific influence of a given
properly controlled also may con- effect of a given element depends element i s not categorized easily
tribute to tramp element levels. The on the amount of that element in since the effect and the effective
use of substitutes for pure ladle ad- the iron, the possibility of interac- amount of a given element may be
ditions is a common source of diffi- tion with other elements, and the influenced greatly by the presence
culty. Impurities in coke and car- methods used to identify the ef- or absence of other elements in the
bon raisers-particularly sulfur- fects observed. Unfortunately, the iron. Although some of these in-
are well known. Certain fluxes, documentation of data regarding teractions have been identified,
when not properly used and when the effect of a given element is not and guidelines set forth as a result
permitted to decompose thorough- always clear. of carefully monitored tests, many
ly, also may represent a source. What To Watch For-The first other possible interactions (posi-
Melting Methods Employed-The thing to look into when a tramp tive and negative) are possible.
methods used for meltingcast irons element problem i s suspected is to
cannot be ignored in a discussion be certain that other procedural
of tramp elements. Variations in the changes have not caused the ob-
temperatures attained and time at served effect. Carbide formation in
critical temperatures directly affect gray irons, for example, may be in-
the recovery of the more volatile duced by carbon equivalent con-
tramp e leme nts . With suffi c ¡ent trol, metal temperature, inocula-
temperatures and adequate times, tion effectiveness, and/or pouring
many of these tramp elements will rate-factors that often are more
be volatilized or "boiled off." Oxi- subject to change than the pres-
dation during melting also can af- ence of tramp elements.
fect the tramp element level, al- When a real tramp element prob-
though the method of oxidation lem occurs, it more commonly
could introduce certain gaseous represents a sudden and drastic
tramp elements into the system. change from typical operating con-
Typical Tramp Elements-The ditions, such as when a charge of
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0784265 0007l1Li5 b W
224 v-5
Welding of Spheroidal-graphite Iron*

BY D. K. Ttiorrreycroft, B.Sc., A.I.M.
Whilst the main efforts of foundry technology are directed to the
production of sound castings, welding processes are beconhg reason-
ably regarded as legitimate methods for the reclamation of defective
products. m e r e is nothing deprecatory in this for foundry tech-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
nology, as any basic production process wiU face a time-hag in

“catching up,” techaidly speaking, especiaily in conditions of rapid
invasion of wider and more-stringent fields of application. Quaiity
standards although necessary and inevitable, are easier to establish
than the corresponding means of meeting them. The successful
utilization of complementary techniques to achieve satisfactory cast-
ings is therefore sound practice both “ethicaiiy” and economically.
Fabrication of castings by welding is also a growing practice that
extends the purview of the foundry industry. The Author gives
considered attention to the pearlitic, ferritic and austenitic grades of
s.-g. iron and covers, in detail, the appropriate choice of welding
technique, weld preparation, electrode and metallurgical factors that
arise in their use. Bronze welding is considered and the special
problems involved in the welding of acicular s.-g. iron are dealt with.
It is common practice to distinguish between the metal-arc and gas-welding characteristics of which
principal classes of spheroidal-graphite iron by are a riniversal experience.
reference to the metallurgical structure of the
matrix. This classification may be summarized on Application
this basis with the following five main types: Welding processes are becoming increasingly
Pearlitic, femtic, acicular, martensitic, and austen- established in the foundry industry as legitimate
itic s.-g. irons. There are, additionally, appro- methods of reclaiming defective castings, or for the
priate specifications which define the various grades repair of production defects, such as over-machin-
of s.-g. cast iron, in terms of structure, mechanical ing or even damaged castings. Provided faults are
properties and chemical composition. Two recent accessible, and not extensive compared with the
specifications in the United Kingdom are BS 2789: size of the castmg, it may become economical to
1961 “Specifications for Iron Castings with Spher- reclaim a casting by welding. As s.-g. iron castings
oidal or Nodular Graphite” and BS 3468:1%2 are characterized by high strength and toughness,
‘I Specification for Austenitic Cast Iron,” both and certain grades may also have other special
being issued by the British Standards Institution. properties*-*it becomes necessary, therefore, to con-
The bulk of the s.-g. iron produced is of the pearl- sider whether the effects of welding will impair
itic, femtic and austenitic grades, and the greatest service performance of these high-grade materials.
welding interest is with these materials. Consider- Apart from foundry welding to reclaim defective
able attention has been given by metallurgists to or damaged castings, the various s.-g. irons may
their welding metallurgy, and it is now clear that require to be welded to themselves, or to steels, in
the metallurgical factors involved are substantially the production of components or in the fabrication
the same as those encountered with similar flake- of structures. For instance, ferritic s.-g. iron cast-
graphite irons. However, the pearlitic and femtic ings are welded to mild steel and stainless steels,
s.-g. irons offer advantages because of their in- and austenitic s.-g. iron castings to stainless steels,
herently-greater toughness and lower content of employing either the metai-arc or argon-shielded
impurity elements, such as sulphur and phos- tungsten-arc proccsses. However, when welding
phorus. Thus these grades are somewhat easier to leads to the formation of hard zones in the casting,
weld by the metal-arc or oxy-acetylene welding it may be necessary to restrict fabrication to those
processes, because less preheat is required. It must applications which do not involve severe impact
k emphasized that ail except the austenitic grades loading, or high fluctuating stress.
of s.-g. iron are liable to excessive hardening in
the heatafiected zona of welds, notably when arc- Choice of Pmcess
welding proccsses arc employed, and for this The choice of welding processes for s.-g. irons is
reason, the welding response of the irons is nct usually between metal-arc or oxy-acetylene welding
comparable to that of mild steel, the satisfactory or, in some circumstances, is dictated by the avail-
ability of equipment. Metal-arcwelding is the pro-
e s c d OD L I v e given to thc Nt¡Ond congrcar of the Roci<r[ion cess which to date has been most widely applied to
Techmqur de F d m c ¿e Beï&uc last, N w c m k , 8t Ghent Uniysity. the welding of the s.-g. irons, since, with this pro-
The Author ir welding development officer. Intcfnrtioiul Nickel cess, distortion due to the heat of welding is
Chapany (.Mond), Limited, Development and Research Depanment.
Source: Foundry Trade Journal,April 25,1963

AWS W C I 85 m 0784265 0007LLtb 8 m
v-5 225
Uéltlirq of Sphwoidal-grciphite Iron defects are revealed only during final machinin
operations on the casting, it is necessary to remo1
relatively slight and pre-heating is at relatively-low ail unsound material before attempting a repair.
temperatures. However, oxy-acetylene welding is
also used and in special cases argon-shielded weld- Fabrication
ing and even resistance welding have been success- Structurai and component welding often requires
fully employed. The application of resistance weld- precise joint preparation and therefore involves
ing by the flash process has been mainly to pearlitic machining operations. The joint should be de-
or ferritic s.-g. iron pipe for the purpose of making signed so that there is sufficient space to manipu-
pressure-tight butt-joints, and there is scope for late the electrode or filier rod and at the same time
extending the process to other components. Aì- obtain proper fusion of the weld metal with the
though the technique is largely in the development casting. Butt-joints for metal-arc welds are wider
stage, the indications are that hardening and un- than those for mild steel (but similar to those for
desirable structural change can be less marked than flake-graphite irons); the included angle being 60
in metal-arc welds:. Most of the molten cast iron to 75 deg. for V-joints and 20 to 30 deg. for U-
is expelled from the weld interface during the joints-a root-radius of five to seven mm. is prefer-
upset stage of the operation, and in a correctly- able. T o minimize distortion, a double V-joint is
made weld very little of embrittling eutectictar- recommended whenever possible in welding heavy
bide wiii be present. The Swedish Welding Insti- sections. Single V- or double V-joints with an in-
tute have described the application of the process cluded angle of 90 deg.-the more usual preparation
to cast irons in general', and comment favourably / 80 DfG-,
on the technique for such materiais presenting
inherent welding difficulties. There is little appli-
FIG. l.-Come examples of

TF 6o "'"Y 7
preparation and welding pro-
cedure on castings with various
typical defects.
Key: (a) Preparation and procedure for
shallow defect, (b) for deep-seated defect
and (c) for corner defecr. Casting pre-
ferably to be positioned for downhead
welding.
(a)
cation of bronze-welding to the pearlitic or ferritic

s.-g. irons but some aspects of the process are
described later.
Preparation
Irrespective of which welding process is selected
it is vitally important to prepare the casting ade-
quately for the welding operation. This aspect has
been carefully explained in the Codes of Practice
for flake-graphite irons, and the recommendations
made there5a6apply equally to s.-g. iron castings.
Thus removal of such foreign materiais as oils,
greases, paint niarks, rust and sand from the sur-
face in the weld area is essential since these con- (C)
taminants will impair the quality of the weld; the
casting skin must also be removed by grinding or for full-penetration gas-welds-follow the normal
machining. These precautions are equally neces- practice for grey cast irons. In subsequent sections,
sary in preparation for reclamation welding or in the welding characteristics of each class of s.-g. iron
producing welded components. Where rectification is presented in detail.
of a mis-run is involved it is again essential before
depositing weld metal to remove the casting skin PEARLITIC AND FERRITIC S.-G. IRONS
by grinding. Defective material appearing at the The pearlitic and ferritic irons make up the largest
surface must be removed by.grinding to obtain a group of s.-g. irons produced, and, being well-
sound base for welding and, where there is any established engineering materials, their welding
doubt, the extent of the defective area is best found response has received most attention. Whilst little
by radiographic examination. Shallow or deep or no practical guidance on welding procedure has
grooves may be formed as a result of these grinding previously been published, several accounts are
operations, as sketched in Fig. 1. Where defects available of the metallurgical characteristics of welds,
are located in relatively-inaccessible positions, it is particularly of the structural changes produced by
necessary to remove sufficient material to permit a the heat of a welding operation. An excel'ent survey
satisfactory welding operation. Where sub-surface of the subject is given by G. R. Pease in an inter-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 0784265 0007LLi7 T W
226 v-5
Element ... C Si Mn Mg Ti S Fe Mi
Percentage ... 1.3 0-3 0.32 0.01 0.22 0.006 43-8 54.0
(by difference)
Yield Maximum Elongation Reduction Unnotched

strength, strength, on 16 in. of area Hardness Charpy
Condition (tons per (tons per (per cent.). (per cent.). (DPN). impact value
sq. in.). sq. in.). (kg.-m.).
As-deposited ... ... ... 28 376 9 9 180 11
27 36 7 13 - 10
Heat-treated 2 hr. at
850 deg. C. ... 30 35 7 14 - -
Plus 8 hr. at 700 deg. C: ... 274 35 6 9 200 15
pretative report of the American Welding Research tion and a good wash at the sides of a joint. T o
Council'. It is generally observed that the most ensure the latter feature the use of a slight weaving
marked changes in structure are obtained in the technique is recommended, although, when weaving,
heat-affected zone of electric-arc welding, but the the width of the deposit should not exceed three
metal-arc process is often preferred since distortion times the diameter (i.e., core-wire diameter) of the
due to the heat of welding is relatively slight and electrode. Whenever possible the casting should be
preheating is at relatively-low temperatures. positioned for downhand welding since this proce-
Because of the unique mechanical properties of dure facilitates all aspects of the welding operation.
the above s.-g. irons, consideration has had to be Where extra-long welds, or several repair positions
given io the use of electrodes or filler rods in the are involved, it is preferable to stagger the welding
production of welds of similar strength and tough- operation to distribute the heat and to minimize
ness; this requirement has led to the development distortion.
of new welding materials. Many foundrymen will
be familiar with the flux-coated non-ferrous elec- FIG. 2.-Microstructure at the weld junction of a
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
trodes* which are so widely employed for the metal- metal-arc weld in fenitic s.-g. iron-as-welded.
arc welding of flake-graphite grey cast irons. Whilst x 300.
these electrodes can be used to make sound joints
in s.-g. irons the resulting joint strength is not
always adequate and application of a 55-per cent.
nickel/iron electrode is usually recommended, the
strength of the weld metal being comparable with
that of the iron.
Electrodes
Details of weld metal deposited from the 55 per
cent.-nickel/iron electrode are given in Table 1.
Most electrode manufacturers produce a flux-coated
nickel/iron electrode, but it is advisable to check
whether they are suitable for ac or dc operation,
and can be used with the welding equipment avail-
able. A further requirement is that the graphite of
the weld deposit shall be mainly spheroidal in form.
To ensure maximum freedom from porosity in weld
deposits most nickel/iron electrodes should be re-
baked for at least one hour at 250 deg. C. in a well-
ventilated ele& oven and either used immediately
or stored in a similar oven at 120 deg. C. until
required. The choice of lo-, 8- and 6-gauge elec-
trodes wiii usually satisfy most welding require-
ments. The welding current should be kept as low
as possible consistent with obtaining smooth opera-
* Under the proprietary name of Monel, nickelicopper, or plain
nickel.

AWS W C I 8 5 m 0789265 0007198 L m
v-5 227
i ~ Spheroidal-graphite Irorc
I ~ k l d i i of induce a structurai change in the heat-affected zones
Slag of both ferritic and pearlitic grades (in accordance
The nickel/iron electrode usually gives no pro- with the well-known transformation characteristics
blems with slag removal, which can be easily accom- of ferrous materials), and in this respect the s.-g.
plished with a steel chisel or even by wire brushing irons are not different from the flake-graphite irons.
if the weld beads have been laid with a satisfactory Thus even with modest preheat, rates of cooling in
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
profile. It is essential to remove the slag from each HARDNESS Do:!

crater before making a re-strike and to remove it
completely from each weld-run before depositing
the adjacent weld. Further to ensure maximum
!
Pii/Fe W E L D
weld soundness, the forward movement of the elec- METAL 1
trode tip should be accelerated as the end of the
weld-run is approached; this will taper the run
rather than ending it abruptly in a large weld pool.
Pre-heating
Experience with the welding of the pearlitic grade
of s.-g. iron’.” has indicated that it is desirable to
pre-heat the casting to 200 to 250 deg. C . (particu-
larly if high welding stresses are anticipated) to
avoid cracking in the heat-affected zone. Pre-heat
is normally not required for the wholly-ferritic grade
of iron. The method of preheating will be governed
by such factors as size of casting, and availability of
furnaces or of gas-heating appliances. Since s.-g.
iron is strong and relatively ductile, it is often suíñ- 100 1 I I l I
O l 2 3 4
cient to preheat locaily rather than to heat thc com- DISTANCE FROH- W E L D J U N C 1 I O N . a m
plete casting, as would normally be required with FIG. 3.-Hardness surveys across metalac welds
most engineering grades of flake-graphite cast iron. in s.-g. iron with no post-weld heat-treatment.
Small castings or thin sections may need to be
Key: (a) S.-g. pearlitic iron and (6) s.-g. ferritic iron.
heated continually since heat is quickiy lost to the
surroundings, even before a welding operation has
been completed. Because of these moderate pre- the heat-affected zones of a metal-arc weld are suffi-
heating requirements, the pearlitic s.-g. irons are ciently rapid to cause the formation of hard trans-
somewhat easier to weld than the corresponding formation products, notably of eutectic-carbide and
flake-graphite irons. martensite (Fig. 2). These hard products together
form a narrow, brittle zone at the junction between
Cooling weld-metal and casting and its presence is revealed,
To guard further against cracking in the heat- for,instance, by the peak value on a hardness survey
affected zone of the pearlitic grade of materiai it is across the joint; Fig. 3 illustrates two such hardness
generally advisable to cool as slowly as possible surveys, which are typical for as-welded joints in the
after welding although, in most cases, it is sufñcient pearlitic and ferritic grades of s.-g. iron. Neverthe-
merely to cool under a cover of heat-insulating less, such welds are reasonably strong, and moder-
material such as asbestos, sand or ashes. Nterna- ately tough siid ductile. Examules of the tensile
tively, the welded casting may be charged direct to properties oi butt-welds made in 1-in. thick castings
the furnace if a subsequent annealing treatment is to with a 55-per-cent.-nickel/iron electrode are given
be given. in Table 2. The toughness of h r i t i c s.-g. iron is
Provided the temperature of the surroundings is markedly affected in the weld zone by metal-arc
not below 20 deg. C. the ferritic grade of s.-g. iron welding, although post-weld heat-treatment is bene-
is weldable by the metai-arc process without pre- ficial.
heat. However, there would be some risk of crack-
ing when site-welding under wintry conditions, or in Miid-steel/S.-g. Iron
unheated shops during such periods, and in such Welded joints involving mild steels and either the
circumstances a preheat is advised. Localized pre- pearlitic or ferritic grade of s.-g. iron are being en-
heating does ensure that surfaces adjacent to the countered as the potentialities of these high-strength
weld, or to be incorporated in the weld, are free irons are recognized in welded structures. Metal-
from moisture or from voiatile contaminants which arc welding with a nickel or nickel/iron electrode is
will otherwise enter the weld pool and cause poro- the least difficult method of making the joint
sity. This effect is sometimes the cause of lack of between steel and s.-g. iron and the process offers
pressure-tightness on tdting of castings incorporated particular advantages over gas welding when the
by welding into, for instance, hydraulic components mild-steel member of the assembly is used in the
in certain assemblies for welding. cold-worked condition, for the purpose of high
strength, since annealing can be expected in the
Structurai Changes vicinity of a gas-weld. The tensile strength of the
The heat of the metal-arc welding operation will joint is usually greater than that of annealed mild

AWS WCI 85 = 07842b5 00071iLi9 3 =
220 v-5
steel, but some embrittlement is to be expected in

the heat-affected zone of the casting. T h e tough-
ness of the joint is sufficient in applications that do
not involve frequent stressing or high-impact loads,
one such construction is shown in Fig. 4. Mild-
steel arc-welding electrodes are not suitable for use
with the steel s.-g. iron combination because risk of
cracking in that portion of the weld adjacent to the
s.-g. iron is high; similarly the use of aluminium-
bronze welding electrodes is not recommended .
Oxy-acetylene Welding
This process finds application in welding small
and large castings when the weld zone is required
to have mechanical properties and corrosion charac-
teristics matching as closely as possible those of the
component; it is a type of welding that has to date
been employed mainly in the foundry in the recla-
mation of defective castings, using s.-g.-iron filler
rods which for the most part have been experimental
compositions. In general, individual foundries have
tackled the problem of developing a suitable filler
rod of the normal s.-g.-iron composition, using
cerium-* or magnesium-treated iron. However,
welds made with a filler rod of normal s.-g.-iron FIG. 4.-Battery electric tractor with ferritic s.-g.
composition tend to be excessively brittle in small iron frontal casting incorporated in the mild steel
sections, or porous and low in strength in large chassis by metal-arc welding. (Lansing Bagnall,
sections. Limited.)
A filler rod has been developede containing the
following (percentages), 3.75 Cy 2.75 Si, 5 Ni, strength. This rod gives rise to sound, strong,
(0.06 AI and 0.06 Mg (maximum), which largely welds in the pearlitic grade of s.-g. iron which, in
overcomes the problems of porosity and low the as-welded condition, have tensile properties
* Available tiom Sandholrne Iron Company, Limited. comparable with those of the casting; typical data
TABLE
2.-Tensile Properties of Butt-welds made in One-inch-thick Castings with a 55-per-cent. Nickel f
Iron Electrode.
Tensile properties.
~~
Initial Condition of Yield Mean Elongation Reduction Location

structure. the casting. strength, strength, on 2-in. of area of
tons per sq. tons per sq. per cent. per cent. fracture.
in. in.
Pearlitic Unwelded .. 38 40 3 nil -
As-welded . . 34 37 2 4 Weld junction
32 37 1 3 Weld junction
Welded, plus 3 hr., 224 27 7 9 Weld metal
9W deg. C. 224 29 12 15 Casting
~
plus 16 hr., 700
dcg. C.
22 25
~~
6 1 7 Weld metallweld
junction
Ferritic Unwelded 21 304 18 23
As-welded. . 25 280 4 16 Casting
24 280 7 11 Weld metal
Welded, plus 2 hr., 22 4 30 6 3 Weld iunctioniweld
850 deg. C. metái
18 hr., 700 deg. C, 174 30 7
l 5 Weld junction/weld
metal
Unwelded. As-welded. Heat-treated.

Pearlitic casting ... ... ... 10 ft.-lb. 13 ft.-lb. 38 ft.-lb.
Ferritic castings ... ... 100 ft.-lb. 16 ft.-lb. 35 ft.-lb.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 m 078Li265 0007L50 T m
v-5 229 I
Uelding of Spheroidal-graphite Iron

for f-, 1- and 2-in.-thick castings are set out in
Table 3. Furthermore, tests on weld metal
deposited by this filler rod reveal the high strength
(in combination with reasonable ductility) that can
be obtained in the annealed conditions (see
Table 4). The fiiier rod would therefore appear
suitable for making welds in castings which are
intended for use in the annealed condition; in such
circumstances, welding should precede heat- i / I II
treatment.
Gas-weld Procedure
The procedures to be followed in preparing cast-
ings for welding have already been described. It is
also important when gas welding to remove the
defective zone of the casting by grinding to provide
sound metal on which to deposit weld metal; in
many cases this procedure improves access to the 3
0.5
30d
O os O?
area for the welding operation. In controlling the OISTANCE FROM WELD JUNCTION IN Cm.
quality of welds the surface cleanliness of the filler
rod is another important factor. Porous welds will
result from the use of rods which are rusty or are FIG. 5.-Hmdness surveys across metal-arc welds
imperfect due to an excessive casting skin; it is in acicular s.-g. iron.
preferable to grind such rods lightly before use"'. hours;Key: (a) No pre-heat but finally tempered at 350 deg. C . for three
(6)no pre-heat and (cl pre-heat 320 deg. C.
Use of a proprietary brand of gas-welding flux (of
the kind normally used for the flake-graphite grey
cast irons) is acceptable, but the flux should be
applied sparingly in conjunction with a soft, neutral
welding flame. As a rough guide jet size should be
similar to that normally selected for a similar steel
section, but the size of flame should be chosen, after
a trial, to provide just SUflFicient heat to maintain a
molten weld pool in which the filler rod can be
melted by immersion and not by direct contact with
the flame. To ensure maximum freedom from
porosity, turbulence, like that caused by vigorous
puddling or by harsh flames, must be avoided.
The heat-affected zone of an oxy-acetylene weld is
usually wider than that obtained with metal-arc rn
rn
welding. The heating and cooling during and after u
the welding operation has the effect of producing, in
the pearlitic grade of iron, a heat-affected zone with i
a
a structure similar to that of the original casting.
On the other hand, if a ferritic casting is found to
require welding, either at the machining stage subse- ,
05
2001
O 05
___
-1
0.7
quent to heat-treatment, or possibly in component DISTANCE FñûM WELû JUNCTION I N C m .
welding, then both weld deposit and heat-affected
zone will have substantially pearlitic structures; the FIG. 6.-Hardness surveys across oxy-acetylene
fuii ductility characteristic of the ferritic grade can welds (using five-per-cent.-nickel/s.-g. weld metul)
be restored only by a further annealing treatment. in acicular s.-g. iron.
Where a pearlitic casting is to be annealed for ser- Key: (a) Tempered at 350 deg. C . for three hours and (6)as welded.
vice it is desirable to carry out welding operations
on the casting before application of the annealing
treatment. in obtaining consistently, high bond strength at the
joint interface (a requirement which is, of course,
BRONZE WELDING essential because of the high strength of the cast-
The bronze-welding process is a high-temperature ing). Lack of consistent bonding appears to be a
brazing operation which involves no fusion of the problem of wettability, a problem which is partly
base iron and the risk of a marked structural change resolved by the use of special welding fluxes, for
occurring in the heat-atfected zone is consequently instance, in England, that produced by the Suffolk
less. It is well known as a satisfactory procedure Iron-Foundry (1920), Limited, is sufficiently aggres-
for the repair-welding of the relatively-brittle flake- sive to aid wetting. A definite advantage in joint
graphite grey cast irons, but, when applied to the strength is to be gained by the use of nickel bronze
joining of s.-g. irons some. difficulty is encountered welding rods; one specification is (percentages) 41
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 m 0789265 0007L5L L m
v-5
to 45 Cu, 14 to 16 Ni. 0.2 to O S Si, 1.0 Sn (maxi- at the edge of the weld and in the heat-affected zone
mum), balance Zn. of the casting.
Variations in hardness encountered in experi-
Preparatioo mental welds produced using the 55-per-cent.-
Experience indicates that graphite must be nickel/iron electrode for metai-arc welding, and the
removed from the face exposed for brazing, and five-per-cent. nickel s.-g. iron filler rod for oxy-
treatment of the machined or ground surfaces by acetylene welding are shown in Figs. 5 and 6. It
vapour-blasting procedures using h e grit (70 mesh) can be seen that :he thermal cycles accompanying
or by swabbing with a cold 10 per cent. solution of welding markedly affect the original condition of
sulphuric acid appear to be effective. Whilst an the casting. The most prominent feature, the
aggressive gas-welding flux alone will remove presence of a narrow band of eutectiferous carbide
graphite spheroids from the interface of the joint, at the weld interface in both the metal-arc and oxy-
these are then entrapped in the weld pool and acetylene welds, causes the peak hardening observed
gaseous reaction products involving carbon are in the hardness surveys. N o reasonable conditions
formed with the result that the welds are porous of preheat are found to reduce hardening in the
and consequently lack strength. The maximum weld zones, but the metal-arc welds are somewhat
strength obtainable with reasonably sound and well- softer after a tempering treatment at 350 deg. C.,
bonded joints is approximately 30 tons per sq. in. although this treatment does not decompose the
in pearlitic or ferritic s.-g. iron. narrow carbide band at the weld interface. The
tests have indicated that cracks are prone to develop
ACICULAR S.-G. IRON in the heat-affected zone of the casting during metal-
arc welding and, on the whole, the oxy-acetylene
Acicular spheroidal-graphite iron constitutes a welding process is the more suitable technique.
relatively small tonnage of the total s.-g.-iron pro-
duction; the composition of these special irons is
carefully balanced (by the presence of 1.S to 2 per AUSTENITIC CAST IRONS
cent. nickel and 0.7 to 1 per cent. molybdenum) to The heat- and corrosion-resistant cast irons are
obtain transformation characteristics in the matrix finding increasingly wide application and welding
which lead to the development of relatively hard, procedures are required both for reclamation work
but desirable, structures (bainite) during cooling in in the foundry, and for fabrication purposes. Refer-
the mould. The hardness of such material is ence will be made primarily to the s.-g. Ni-
usu@ly in the range 280 to 350 BHN, but in cast- Resist series. Full details of this series will be
ings welded by the metal-arc or the oxy-acetylene found in a recent survey" from which the compo-
processes, zones of even higher hardness are formed sitional limit!: are given in Table S. The Ni-Resist
Thickness of Size of Field Strength Maximum Elongation Location

casting Type of tensile (tons per Strength on 5Omm. of
(in.). weld test-piece sq. in.). (tons per (per cent.). Fracture.
(in.). sq. in.).
1 ... ... Single-V (in- 1 \*: 0.45 334 461 24 centre of weld
cluded angle 40 464 24 centre of weld
90deg.) 38 424 2 weld junction
I... ... ... Double-V(in- 1 Y 0.875 36 374 2 weld junction
cluded angle 31 37 24 weld junction
90deg.) 37 40 24 weld junction
2... ... ... asabove ... 1 x 1 - 1 - 38 3 centre of weld
(axis of joint)
0-505 dia. 36 42 1- centre of weld
(surface of %
joint) 354 41 14 centre of weld

--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Five per cent. nickel/s.-g.-iron weld metal Elastic Maximum Elongation Hardness
annealed three hr. at 9Oûdeg. C. plus 16 limit strength. on one inch DPN.
hr. at 7ûOdeg. C. tons per sq. in. tons per sq. in. (per cent.).
364 39 84 230
36 41 12 230

AWS WCI 85 m 078q2b5 0007352 3 m
v-5 231
Kklding of Spheroidal-graphite Iron Argon-mc

Argon-shielded tungsten-arc welding has been
cast irons embrace a wide range of nickel con- successfully described in an application in the air-
tents, and with additions of chromium, man- craft industry’-, and this process is likely to be most
ganese and silicon, present a variety of composi- suitable for the joining of thin-walled castings, or
tions. A comprehensive study of the welding re- of such castings to sheet of wrought alloys. A
sponse of these irons has probably never been nickel-iron filier wire (for instance, Nilo 55 pro-
attempted, and published information on welding duced by Henry Wiggin & Company, Limited,
characteristics is confined to experiences with Ni- Hereford, England: produced satisfactory welds
Resist Type D2 and Type D2C. Whilst the between type D2 Ni-Resist and a variety of
concern of this paper is with s.-g. irons, the form wrought alloys, including 13 per cent. Cr steel,
of the graphite in the Ni-Resist series, i.e., 25Crl2ONi stainless steel and Nimonic 75.
whether flake or spheroidal, does not appear to
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Filler rods of composition matching that of the

have a direct influence on welding response. How- casting are unsatisfactory because of weld metal
ever, sulphur and phosphorus are elements known cracking, although preheat at 600 dgg. C. will
to impair welding response, and maximum con- eliminate this feature.
tents of 0.015 per cent. S and 0.05 per cent. P
are recommended to reduce welding difficulties. Oxy-acetylene
A n excess of magnesium may impair welding re- Oxy-acetylene welding is not widely used, partly
sponse, and ii would seem desirable to restrict the because of distortion in thick sections, but addi-
residual content to the range 0.05 to 0.08 per cent. tionally, cracking at the weld interface is a prob-
to achieve optimum graphite form and weldability. lem, which is currently being investigated on Ni-
Manganese is apparently beneficial, approximately Resist type D2 and î y p e y 2 C castings, using
two per cent. is desirable; some of the Ni-Resist filier rods of modified compbsition. The results
irons have a relatively-high manganese content. obtained to date suggest that the process may be
suitable for the reclamation of castings. Porosity
Welding Practice in weld deposits was substantially eliminated by
the use of a reducing flame, no marked advantage
Limited information on welding practice reveals was o‘otained from the use of fluxes.
the following situation. Special welding electrodes
are not commercially available fw the Ni-Resist Cracking
series of austenitic cast irons and metal-arc welding The major problem encountered when welding
with the 55 per cent. nickel-iron electrode (i.e. the Ni-Resist cast irons has been cracking at the
type of electrode nonnally employed when welding weld junction and in the heat-affected zone adjacent
pearlitic and ferritic s.-g. irons) is the procedure to the weld. Such cracking apparently occurs at
most widely used; but it is necessary to preheat high temperatures during the thermal cycle of the
the casting (see below). The weld metal from this welding operation. Apart from the suggestion made
electrode is tough at room-temperature, would be earlier, to control the level of the impurity ele-
expected to be tough at wb-zero temperatures, but ments, sulphur and phosphorus, some benefit may
is magnetic. The weld metal is not heat-resistant, be obtained from preheat, when metal-arc welding.
and therefore does not compare with the heat- Preheating to at least 350 deg. C. is recommended
resistant, chromium-bearing Ni-Resist irons. More for castings of thick-section. The high-ewansion
heat-resistant weld metals are those deposited Ni-Resist cast irons (for instance, type D2 and
from 25Cr/20Ni austenitic stainless-steel electrodes, D2C) would be expected to show more distortion
and from high-nickel-chromium/iron welding during heating and welding than the low-expansion
electrodes such as Inco-Weld “A” or Inconel 182. Ni-Resist irem, containing 36 per cent. nickel,
T h e non-magnetic grades of Ni-Resist (type D2 but there is insufficient practical experience to indi-
and D2C) have been welded with the austenitic cate the relative welding respocse of rkx *.m,riaus
electrode to obtain non-magnetic weld zones. grades. Preheat will tend to reduce thermal
TABLE
5-Compositional Limits for Various Grades of S.-g. Ni-Resist Cast Iron.
Approximate equivalent grades in BS 3469 are, for 1 and 2-AUS 202; for %AUS 203, and G A U S 205.
Grade of
I Normal Composition, per cent.
S.-g. Ni-Resist. C
Maximum
Si Mn
I ’ I N i I Cr I Mg
*1. TypeD2 ... 3.0 1.7-3.0 0-7-1 -0 0.01 0.05 18-22 1 -7-2.5 O -08
*2. Type D2B ... 3-0 1-7-3.0 0-7-1.0 0-01 0.05 18-22 2 7 -4 * O 0.08
+5. TypeD2C ... 2.9 2.0-3.0 I. -8-2-4 0.01 0.05 21-24 0-5ma^. 0-08
*4. TypeD3 ... 2.6 1.5-2.8 0.5 ma^; 0.01 0.05 28-32 2.5-3.5 0.08
Type D3A ... ... 2.6 1 5-2 - 0 0.5 ma^. 0.01 0-05 28-32 1 -0-1 -5 0.08
Type D4 ... ... 2.6 5.0-6-0 0.5 ma^. 0.01 0.05 29-32 4.5-5.5 0.08
Type D5 ... ... 2.4 1 3-2-75 0.5 max. 0.01 0.05 34-36 0 - 1 max. 0.08
Type D5B ... 2.4 1.3-2.75 0.5 WX. 0.01 0.05 34-36 2.0-3.0 0-08
I I

232
AWS WCI 65 - 078Li265 0007353 5
v-5
a
gradients, and wherever possible, residual welding 5Code of Practice for the Repair and Reclamation of
stresses should be removed by applying a post- Grey-iron Castings by Welding and Allied Methods.”
weld stress-relief heat-treatment; usually by heat- Report of Sub-committee T.S.23 of the Technical
Council, Proc. Inst. Brit. Foundrymen, 1950, 43, A114
ing in the range 620 to 680 deg. C. A122, disc. A135-A143.
Acknowledgment Recommended Practices for Salvaging Automotive
Grey-iron Castings by Welding,” A.W.S. Designation
The Author is indebted to the International D8.3-50T.
Nickel Company (Mond), Limited, for permission ‘Pease, G. R., “ T h e Welding of Ductile Iron,”
to publish this paper. Weldìng Jnl., 1960, 39, 1s-9s.
u Baii, F. A., and Thorneycroft, D. R., ‘‘ Metallic-arc
REFERENCES Welding of Spheroidal-graphite Cast Iron,” Proc. Inst.
‘‘ S.-g. Iron, Properties and Applications ”; Publ. No. Brit. Foundrymen, 1954,47,A118-A133; disc. A133-A136.
54814 International Nickel Company (Mond), Limited, Dixon, R. H.T., and Thorncycroft, D. R., ‘‘ Filler-
London. rod for the Gas-welding of S.-g. Iron,” FOUNDRY TRADE
Ni-Resist Austenitic Cast Iron: Properties and
((
JOURNAL, 1960,108,583 to 589.
Applications ” ; Publ. No. 2574. International Nickel ‘‘ Avoidance of Blowholes when Welding Cast Iron,”
Company (Mond), Limited, London Ibid., 1953, 94, 245 to 246.
Skul‘skii Yu. V., ‘‘ Cast-iron Pipes Resistance Everest, A. B., and Nickel, O., “ Spheroidal-graphite
Welded,” Avromaricheskaya Svarko, 1960, Jan., 85-86, Types of Ni-Resist Austenitic Cast Iron,” FOUNDRY TRADE
Auzomarìc Welding, 1960, 13, Jan., 112-113. JOURNAL, 1960, 108,515 to 522.
Bylin, E., ‘‘ Solution for some Diíñcult Applications
J
Sohn, J. Benn, W., and Fisk, H., ‘‘ Arc Welding of
of Flashwelding,” WeldìngJnl., 1961, 40,229s-240s. Ferritic and Austenitic Nodular Cast Iron,” Welding 3nI.
1963,32,823 to 833.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

.AWS WCI 85 = 0784265 0007354 7
V-6 233
Maintenance and Repair Welding

by A. M. Horsfieid and Jorgen Strbmberg, ESAB, Göteborg, Sweden
1, HARDFACING
Introduction
In a previous issue of Svetsaren No. 3, deforming a surface, eventually dis- ment, operating conditions, tempera-
1977, pp 8-1 1, a paper was'published placing slivers or chips from it to pro- ture and pressure etc.
which attempted to describe the duce wear debris. This type of wear
scope of Arc Welding Surfacing Tech- occurs when rock, sand or other hard Erosive Wear
niques in the maintenance and repair substances slide under pressure Erosive wear is a form of abrasive
of worn components. At the same across a surface. Thus ploughs, cul- wear caused by fluid containing solid
time the writer made a plea for a new tivators and bulldozer blades which particles flowing over a surface. Rela-
design concept in which components make contact with soil, sand and tive motion between the surface and
subjected to wear should be designed stones are subject to abrasive wear. the fluid causes loss of surface mater-
in such a way that the worn parts Machines for crushing ore and grind- ial.
could be resurfaced economically ing minerals are also subject to abra-
after a predetermined amount of wear sive wear. During abrasion a metal If the fluid flows along the surface so
had taken place. Thus the initial man- becomes work hardened and the that motion of the solid particles is
ufacturing process could make use of hardness of the abrasive particles parallel to it, the term abrasive erosion
relatively cheap base materialwith the must exceed that of the work har- is used. If the motion of the particles
areas exposed to wear being clad with dened metal surface if cutting is to is normal to the surface, impingement
a more expensive wear resistant sur- occur. If the surface work hardens to a erosion is obtained.
face by one of the arc welding pro- value equal to or exceeding that of the
cesses, the materials being chosen to abrasive particles the latter become Fretting
give optimum wear resistance com- blunted and tend to deform the sur- Fretting is the name given to the wear
patible with reasonable weldability face rather than cut it. In general hard produced when two surfaces in con-
and the possibility of renewing the surfaces resist abrasion better than tact have an oscillatory motion relative
welded surfaces several times. Such soft ones, but if the abrasive particles to each other, the amplitude being
a procedure would save time, money are not too coarse and the surface is small. The motion disrupts any protec-
and strategic raw materials such as fairly soft, it can happen that the abra- tive oxide film formed on the surface
chromium, molybdenum, nickel, sive particles become embedded in and the resulting debris can act as an
cobalt and tungsten. In order to be the surface thus increasing its wear abrasive and make the situation
successful the correct materials must resistance particularly in the case of worse. This is typical of the type of
be selected and since for a particular sliding abrasion. Increasing surface wear which can best be combated by
wear situation there'will be one mater- hardness in such circumstances can changing the environment such as
ial or group of materials that will give make things worse since it may pre- eliminating the source of vibrations,
optimum performance, it is important vent the abrasive particles becoming ensuring adequate lubrication etc.
to identify the type of wear as accu- embedded in the surface.
rately as possible. Corrosive Wear
Adhesive Wear (Metal to Metai wear) Corrosive wear (also called chemical
Wear Mechanisms Adhesive wear is a wear process wear) occurs in situations where slid-
The types of wear encountered in which arises from the relative move- ing or abrasive wear takes place in an
industry can be divided up as fol- ment between two conforming metal environment which reacts chemically
lows:' surfaces. Seizure, galling, scuffing with the wearing surfaces. The pres-
etc. are terms commonly used to ence of an aggressive environment
Abrasive 50% describe adhesive wear. All surfaces, can greatly accelerate wear rate and it
Adhesive 15% even polished ones, have projections is often cheaper to try to improve the
Erosive 8% or asperities when examined in cross environment rather than change the
Fretting 8% section a t high magnification. When nature of the surfaces.
Corrosive 5% the surfaces are in contact and rela-
tive movement occurs very high local This brief introduction to the d,ifferent
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Often two or more types of wear are pressures occur causing the tips of types of wear gives a very simplified
involved simultaneously or one type the asperities to deform and bonding picture of a very complex subject. A
may change into another as wear pro- to take place. These bonds are broken particular wear situation may not fit
ceeds. by the sliding forces so material is torn comfortably into any of the classes
from one surface and transferred to just presented or it may be a combina-
Abrasive Wear (Grinding and Gouging another. In extreme cases welding tion of two or more. In some situa-
wear) can occur which prevents further tions it will be cheaper and more
Abrasive wear is caused by hard prot- movement (seizure).Adhesive wear is effective to change the environment
rusions or particles penetrating and very much a function of the environ- or design rather than the material. For
Source: Svetsaren, A Welding Review, No. 3,1978 (ESAB)

234
AWS W C I 85
example if the blades of an air extrac-

tion fan wear out too quickly and
- 078q265 0007155 9 W
V-6
investigation shows that this is due to

the presence of sharp gritty particles
in the air, it will probably be better to
place a filter over the air intake to the
fan rather than try to find a harder,
more wear-resistant material for the
blades.
In other situations the best solution

may be to apply a surface coating to
the areas where wear is occurring.
Although there are many types of sur-
face layer and many ways of applying
them, this paper is only concerned
with the relatively thick layers applied
by an arc welding process.
The factors governing the choice of

welding process have been dealt- Fig. 1 Gouging our crack in cast-iron
hwith in a previous article*, so the rest
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
of this paper will concentrate on the an appreciable degree of control over being modified in the light of practical
selection of suitable filler material the heat input, penetration, bead experience.
compositions for a variety of common sequence, etc All of these help to
wear situations. prevent cracks appearing in or near Adhesive Wear
the welded joint. In situations where resistance to
adhesive wear, sometimes combined
Electrodes for Manual Metal-Arc with impact strength, is required a low
Welding Since damp electrodes can cause
carbon martensitic alloy steel giving a
The coated manual metal-arc welding cracking in a weld and also in the hardness of 3û-35 Rockwell C is usu-
electrode offers the widest choice of heat-affected zone it is important that ally adequate.
weld metal compositions because of repair electrodes should be packed in
the possibility of alloying via the coat- some form of moisture-proof con- Typical Applications: Hardfacing cast
ing. For certain materials, such as grey tainer or box. From this point of view, steel cog wheels, brake shoes, track
cast-iron, manual metal-arc welding is good quality plastic boxes have links and rollers, crane wheels, rails
in practice the only solution because proved very satisfactory. In addition, etc.
of the low heat input. they have high mechanical strength,
and prevent damage to electrodes. The same weld metal can also be
In repair work it is often necessary to used for building up worn parts prior
weld 'in-position', particularly in the As already pointed out wear is not a to hardfacing the surface. Their resis-
case of large objects, such as simple material property but also tance to plastic deformation under
excavator buckets or other heavy depends upon such factors as lubrica- impact and to flowing under com-
components which cannot be tion, speed of movement, tempera- pressive loads make the low carbon
positioned for welding in a flat posi- ture of the environment etc. These low alloy martensitic steels particu-
tion. Again, manual metal-arc welding recommendations should therefore larly suitable as a support for a harder
offers the best solution. be used as a guide, the final choice but less ductile surface layer.
Obviously, if the workpiece is of a
suitable shape and there are many
similar pieces to be welded, e.g. trac- Recommended Electrodes for adhesive wear
tor tracks, some form of mechanized
welding should be used. Weld metal composition YO Hardness
HRC
Before beginning a repair weld all
C si Cr
defective material must be removed. OK Selectrode 83.28 o. 1 0.5 3.2 30-34

No attempt should be made to weld OK Selectrode 83.29 0.1 0.5 3.2 30-34
over cracks since these will only prop-
agate when the part is put back in ser- The weld metal is machinable without
vice. A convenient way of removing prior heat treatment.
cracks and preparing for the repair
weld is to use a cutting and gouging
electrode such as OK 21.03, Fig. 7. Abrasive Wear
(a) low stress scratching abrasion Typical applications: Ploughs, forestry
Repair welding often has to be carried equipment, loading buckets for coal,
out on material which was not origi- For this type of application high sur- sand, soil etc., loaders, mixers, road-
nally selected for its good weldability. face hardness is essential and in many making machines and other objects
Again, manual metal-arc welding is cases a martensitic low alloy steel will subjected to mineral-to-metal wear.
often the only answer to such a.prob- give good results. A hardness of
lem, for the hand welding welder has 55-60 Rockwell C is desirable.

AWS WCI 85 07ôLi2b5 0007156 O
V-6
t should be remembered that until
he weld metal has been heavily cold
vorked its hardness and hence its
ibrasion resistance is very low TO
ichieve initial surface hardness in the
ibsence of heavy cold deformation, a
jyer of OK 83 65 or OK 84 78 can be
leposited prior to putting the material
n service
ibrasive Wear with Corrosion

-o combat a combination of abrasive
year and corrosion the 13% Cr mar-
ensitic stainless steels are useful
-hey are also oxidation resistant up to
ibout 500°C and are thus used for
iardfacing steel mill rolls where metal
o metal abrasion resistance a t temp-
Iratures around 500°C is required
3esistance to combined abrasion and
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig 2 Part o f powder grinder hardfaced with OK Selectrode 84 78
:orrosion depends very much on the
Recommended Electrodes :ircumstances
Designation Weid metal composition YO Hardness

SI Mn Cr Mo HRc
f the protective layer of chromium
C
OK Selectrode 83 50 O4 04 O7 6 O6 55-58 Ixide is continually removed the cor-
OK Selectrode 83 65 07 4 04 2 - 58-63 osion resistance will be very much
OK Selectrode 84 58 O7 05 07 105 - 55-58 educed
(b) high stress abrasion n situations where high corrocion

esistance is essential an austenitic
parts, mixer blades, excavator blades, ;tainlecc steel may give a longer ser-
For extreme abrasion resistance such lice life since in addition to its corro-
as occurs in the mineral and ore- chutes, screw conveyors and brick-
making dies are typical applications. ;ion resisting properties it also work
mining industry and in brick making iardens
equipment Details in earth-moving
'or extremely difficult conditions
Suitable Electrodes for high stress abrasion nvolving abrasion, corrosion and heat,
Typical Composition % Hardness
C Cr HRc t may be necessary to go to the
OK Selectrode 84 78 4 33 55-60 :obalt and nickel based alloys.
Cast of tubular rods containing a high proportion
of carbides
When very high resistance to grinding ness and impact strength demands
abrasion is required, deposits rich in toughness.
tungsten carbide are used A typical
example is OK SP 350 which consists Since high hardness and high tough-
of tungsteri carbide particles in a mild ness are mutually incompatible some
steel tube The electrode has a thin compromise must be accepted ir
covering of flux and gives a weld practice.
metal having a hardness of 55-58
Rockwell C The weld metal consists
Fortunately austenitic manganese
of tungsten carbide particles in a hard
steel matrix steel fulfils many of the requirements
In the as-welded condition it has 2
Abrasive Wear with High Impact hardness of about 180 Brinell, but cok
Abrasion resistance demands hard- works rapidly to about 45 Rockwell C
Suitable Electrodes for abrasive wear with impact

Weid metal composition O?' Hardness
C Mn NI As-welded
OK Selectrode 86.08 1.1 13 - 160-180 HB
OK Selectrode 86.28 8 14 3.5 Cold Worked
45 HRc
This type of metal is used extensively Excavator bucket lips and teeth, stonc
on earth moving equipment where and ore crusher rolls and plates, bull
gritty abrasion is combined with high dozer blades, crusher jaws etc. are a Fig. 3 Hardfacing cone crusher with
impact. typical applications. OK Selectrode 86.08

AWS WCI 85 = 07842b5 0007357 2
236 V-6
i r 4 mm diameter are used with weld-
ng currents of 250-500A for 3 mm
Suggested Electrodes
Weld Metal Composition % Hardness ind 40û-600 A for 4 m m diameter
Resistant to abrasion and corrosion c si Mn Cr HRc rubrodur.
OK Selectrode 84.58 0.7 0.5 0.7 10.5 5558
OK Selectrode 84.42 0.12 0.5 0.3 13 44-49 3nce the alloying takes place mainly
OK Selectrode 84.52 0.25 0.5 0.3 13 51-56
'rom 'the powder core, the chemistry
Resistant to heat and abrasion C Co W Nb Cr md hardness of the deposit will be
OK Selectrode 85.58 0.4 2 8 0.8 1.5 47-52 ittle affected by variations in current
ind voltage settings. The tubular
Resistant to high temperature oxidation. extremely resistant to wear and impact at high :ross-section of Tubrodur gives a
temperatures
Weld Metal Composition Hardness smoother arc with less penetration
C Ni Cr Mo Fe W Co % HRc :han with solid wire. This is an advan-
OK Selectrode 92.35 0.05 rest 15 1 6 5 4 - 40 Work :age when hardfacing because of the
Hardened
- _ 5 60 4045
jecreased dilution.
OK Selectrode 93.06 1 - 29
As-welded
hbmerged arc hardfacing with Tub-
odur is carried out on direct current
The electrode coupled to the negative
OK Selectrode 92.35 gives a nickel- to abrasion. corrosion and oxidation in ,ole (i e straight polarity) gives a
based weld metal which does not sof- the temperature range 700-900°C -iigher melting rate and less base
ten even after long periods at high Typical applications are hardfacing of naterial dilution With the electrode
temperature. The tensile strength a t valve seatings, edges of hot forming :onnected to the positive pole
800°C is above 400 Nlmm2 which is cutting tools reverse polarity) the bead appearance
several times higher than iron based JeComes slightly better
alloys at the same temperature. Typi- Rebuilding high speed tools
cal applications are hardfacing hot For rebuilding high speed tools a Gas-Shielded Metal Arc Welding
forming tools, hot shearing tools, deposit which maintains its cutting rubrodur can also be used for semi-
extrusion dies etc. edge during metal to metal wear is wtomatic or automatic gas-shielded
required For milling cutters, turning netal arc welding, and can be used on
OK Selectrode 93.06 gives a cobalt tools, punching and stdmping dies iearly all standard machines which
based weld metal of the Stellite 6 etc a molybdenum bearing high lave a DC power source Standard
type. It combines excellent resistance speed tool steel is recommended jiameter is 2 4 m m but some of the
Nires are produced in the diameter
16mm
In gas-shielded arc welding the elec-

RecommendedElectrode for rebuildinghigh speed tools trode is connected to the positive pole
Weld metal composition % Hardness :reverse polarity) and the free wire
C Cr Mo W V HRc
2 1.5 60-65
rxtension (stick-out) is kept short dur-
OK Selectrode 85.65 0.9 4.5 7.5
ng welding ( 2 0 4 0 mm).
The weld metal has a hardness of a range of consumables for automatic

about 60 Rockwell C in the as- hardfacing with submerged arc or
deposired condition. A higher hard- with gas-shielded welding which they
ness and longer life is obtained if the market under the name of Tubrodur.
weld metal is double tempered by
heating to 525"C, holding for 1 hour, These are flux-cored tubular wires
followed by air cooling and repeating made up from steel strips and then
the tempering once more. filled with flux and alloying powders.
This method makes it possible to hold
Automatic and Semi-automatic very strict chemical compositions, and
Hardfacing gives better weldability than with solid
As can be observed in the previous alloyed wires. Alloyed solid wires with
paragraphs to this article, even if a high carbon content are difficult to
manual welding with coated elec- draw down during production into
trodes is still the dominant process for welding wire.
repair and maintenance, there can be
situations for the use of automatic Submerged Arc Welding
welding processes. This is especially Submerged arc hardfacing with Tub-
the case where large volumes of rodur is carried out using submerged
metal have to be deposited and when arc welding machines. Standard weld-
the geometrical form of the part, or ing fluxes of fused or agglomerated
parts, lends itself to automatic weld- types are used to cover the arc, and,
ing. Typical parts are for example steel depending on the type of alloy, these
mill rolls, tractor rollers, and other are of the neutral or alloying type. Fig. 4
cylindrical parts. ESAB has developed Normally, Tubrodur flux cored wires 3 Automatic welding of a press roller
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 W 07842b5 0007358 4 W
V-6 237
Normal currents in this instance are High Impact with Moderate 2.4 mm dia. wire. OK Tubrodur 15.50
about 250-300 A for 1.6 mm dia. Tub- Abrasion is also available in 1.6 mm dia.
rodur and around 325-425 A for the OK Tubrodur 15.60 HV 250 work
2.4 mm diameter. hardness to 45 HRC C 1 - Mn 13 Friction and Corrosion
OK Tubrodur 15.70' HRC 32 C 0.06 -
Turbrodur wires designed for a shield- This wire is recommendedfor rebuild- Cr 13
ing gas of CO2 or mixed 80% Ar + ing of worn parts of cast 13% man- OK Tubrodur 15.73 HRC 50 C 0.3 - Cr
20% Con, however Tubrodur 15.60 ganese steels, such as hammer 13
can be used without any shielding gas crushers, jaw crushers, shovels, OK Tubrodur 15.74* HRC 50 C 0.3 -
(¡.e. open arc). The tubular cross- dredger pumps. The austenitic weld Cr 13
section is combined with the flux con- metal is very tough and impact resis-
stituents in the core and gives a tant. Here the wire is available in 1.6 These wires are used for surfacing
smooth arc with low penetration and 2.4 mm dia. for gas metal arc and hardfacing of parts subject to both
when compared with solid wire weld- welding with COZ or for 'open-arc' corrosion and wear, even at elevated
ing. welding. temperatures. Examples are valve
seats, pump parts, etc.
Filler material for: High Abrasion with Moderate
Impact The deposit of OK Tubrodur 15.70 can
Building-up OK Tubrodur 15.50 HRC 55 C 0.3 - Cr be machined as-welded. OK Tubrodur
OKTubrodur 15.40 HRC 35 C 0.1 -Cr 5-MO 1.0 15.73 and OK Tubrodur 15.74 both
3.5 OK Tubrodur 15.83 HRC 55 C 0.7 - Cr give a weld deposit with the same
OK Tubrodur 15.42 HRC 42 C 0.2 - Cr 4.5- MO 3 - W 4 analysis but OK Tubrodur 15.73 is
4.5 - Ni 0.5 - MO0.5 designed to operate at its best on
These wires are used for hardfacing of positive electrode polarity using
These wires are used for the rebuild- carbon and low alloy steel parts, sub- submerged-arc with OK Flux 10.91
ing of carbon and low alloy steels ject to abrasive wear. Mixers, feeder and also Coz-welding. Note that OK
used on tractor rollers, crane wheels, screws, dredger pump parts, etc. are Tubrodur 15.74 is designed to operate
shafts, gears. They also give an excel- typical examples. at its best on negative electrode polar-
lent base for hardfacing with harder ity.
weld metals. The deposit is easily It is recommended in these cases to
machineable. preheat the part to be welded to about 'only for submerged arc welding with OK Flux
10.91.
200°C and to allow slow cooling. N.B.
For submerged arc welding ESAB OK The deposit is not machinable. References
Flux 10.40 or OK Flux 10.80 and 3 or 4 1. Eyre. T. S.
mm dia. wire or 4 mm wire should be For submerged arc welding use OK Wear Characteristics of Metals
used. With OK Flux 10.80 hardness Flux 10.40 with OK Tubrodur 15.50 Tribology International. Oct. 1976, pp.
203-212
will be somewhat higher. and OK Flux 10.61 with OK Tubrodur
15.83 in 3 or 4 mm dia. 2. Horsfield, A. M.
For gas-shielded metal arc welding Arc Welding Surfacing Techniques
use Coa-gas and a 2.4 mm dia. Tub- For gas-shielded metal arc welding Welding and Metal Fabrication Vol. 45 No. 8
rodur. Oct 1977 pp. 507-510.
CO2 is used as the shielding gas and
2. WELDING OF CAST IRON
The welding of grey cast iron and duc-

tile iron is not as simple as the weld-
ing of ordinary steel, but tough crack-
The following table indicates typical
:hemistry and mechanical properties I for these types of cast iron compared
to cast steel.
free welds can be obtained when

using the correct procedure and con- Ductile iron Grey cast iron Malleable iron Cast steel
sumables. Chemical
Analysis % C 3.3-3.8 224.8 2.2-3.4 0.2-0.4
The welding of cast iron covers the si 1.5-2.8 1.7-2.8 0.4-1.6 0.3-0.5
following: Mn 0.1-0.3 0.2-0.8 0.2-0.5 0.45-13
P 60.01 ~0.3 0.07-0.25 0.035
s 60.01 <o. 12 so.1 0.035
(a) Constructional welding of cast Mg 0.03-0.08 - - -
iron to itself or to steel
(b) Repair welding of casting defects Brinell Hardness
(c) Repair welding of damaged or HB (kplrnmz) 130-320 150-280 150-270 150-320
worn parts Tensile Strength
ikplmm2i 35- 70 25 35- 70 38- 70
Main Cast Iron Types
(a) Grey cast iron (flake graphite) Yield Strength
(b) Ductile iron (spheroidalgraphite) (kpimm2) 22- 50 - 20- 55 19- 42
(c) White iron
(d) Malleable iron
Elongation&YO 2- 25 - 2- 12 12- 25
(e) Alloyed cast iron.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 D 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0003159 b
All cast irons are characterized by an

excess carbon content (34%) which
V-6
-
while solidifying separates in the mat-
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
rix metal and, depending upon the

shape and form of this carbon, the
microstructure. Thus the cast iron
properties are determined.
Grey cast iron has graphite in the form

of flakes. fig. 5.
By using special inoculants, such as

Mg, the graphite can be obtained as
spheres. This cast iron is referred to
as ductile iron or alternatively spheroi-
dal graphite iron. fig. 6.
Rapid cooling will not permit the for-

mation of graphite. Instead hard and
brittle iron carbide (or cementite) is
obtained, thus giving a white iron.
Fig. 5 Grey cast-iron (flake graphite)
High alloy irons contain additions of
nickel, chromium, molybdenum, etc.
to increase corrosion or wear resis-
tance.
Examples are Ni-hard with about 5%

Ni and Ni-Resist with 10-30% Ni and
1-5% Cr.
The matrix (surrounding the graphite)

properties can be treated to give a
soft ferritic structure or a harder perli-
tic structure.
Sulphur and phosphorous are very low

in ductile iron but grey cast iron may
contain between O. 1 and 1 .O% P to
improve fluidity and the casting of thin
walled parts or to increase hardness
and consequently wear resistance.
'ig. 6 Ductile Iron (spheroidal graphite)

Cold Welding of Cast Iron
Cold welding is the name for the arc
welding of cast irons using nickel-
based welding electrodes. The nickel
deposit gives a ductile machinable
weld even when welding at ambient
temperature. Because of its simplicity
this is the widespread method for the
welding of cast iron. During the weld-
ing process part of the cast iron mater-
ial will be melted and mixed with the
deposited electrode metal. This part is
referred to as the fusion zone. The
nickel weld metal can dissolve high
levels of carbon and iron from the
base material without becoming hard
and brittle even under rapid cooling
conditions. The nickel base weld
metal also has a coefficient of thermal
expansion very close to that of cast
iron, which is a further advantage in
reducing the welding stresses. If
normal mild steel weld metal was
used, it would become extremely 'is. 7 (a) Micrograph OK Selectrode 92.58 weld metal Ductile Iron base
hard and brittle because the carbon metal.

AWS WCI 85 m 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007Lb0 2
V-6 239
content from the dilution would result the excessively hard zone by using a The softest and consequently the
in martensite and iron carbide form>- low heat input. Fig. 7. Evenpreheating easiest machinable wgld metal is
tions during solidification. will not stop the formation of a hard obtained by using the almost pure
zone but may reduce the peak hard- nickel electrode OK Selectrode 92.18.
The partial fused and heat affected ness because of a decreased cooling OK Selectrode 92.18 should therefore
zone is the part in the base material rate. This can thus improve machina- be used where this property is consi-
adjacent to the fusion zone where the bility after welding. dered to be the most important. The
heating has resulted in partial melting tensile strength of weld metal may be
or at least in transformation of the In multipass welds the heat from sub- too low for some ductile iron materi-
micro-structure. It is here that the sequent runs on top of the previous als. The nickel-iron electrode OK
highest hardness in a weld in cast iron welds can be utilized to anneal and Selectrode 92.58 is then recom-
will be found, since the rapid cooling soften the heat affected zones. mended for materials when high
cycle under welding will not allow strength is required.
graphite formation but instead mar- Cold Welding Nickel Electrodes
tensite and white iron will be formed. Special nickel-basedelectrodes with a OK Selectrode 92.58 may also be
basic-graphitic flux coating on a used for welding of grey cast iron.
The heat affected zone hardness is a nickel-type core wire have been Due to the higher hot crack resistance
function of the base material compos- developed for cast iron welding. of the nickelliron weld metal, it is
ition and the heating and cooling con- recommended for phosphorous con-
ditions. A ferritic base cast iron will These electrodes have been designed taining grades.
result in lower hardness than a perlitic to weld on low currents and can be
grade. welded with both AC and DC, in all The copperlnickel weld metal of OK
positions. The chemistv for alloying Selectrode 92.78 gives an intermedi-
The principle behind cold welding is to additions and trace elements is com- ate strength between what is
reduce the amount of hard con- posed to give a ductile weld metal obtained with the former electrodes.
stituents and to minimize the width of able to give sound crack-free welds. Generally the colour matching with
the cast iron is best when it is weld
metal from OK Selectrode 92.78.
Standard Electrodes: The chemical corrosion resistance of

nickellcopperweld metal may also be
Main Classification 3f use with high alloy austenitic cast-
composition YO UTS Nlrnrnz HV
ings.
OK Selectrode 92.18 C = 1.0 Ni = 95 AWS €Ni-CI 390 170
DIN 8573
ENiG2
Welding Procedure
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
OK Selectrode 92.58 C = 0.7 Ni = 55 AWS ENiFe-CI 550 190
FE = 43 DIN 8573 In order to obtain a satisfactory weld,
ENiFeG2 the work-piece must be carefully pre-
pared before welding.
OK Selectrode 92.78 C = 0.5 Ni = 66 AWS ENiCu-B 450 180
CU = 36 DIN 8573
ENiCuG2 Grey cast iron which has been used
for a long time can often be impre-
gnated with oil or grease and must be
cleaned before welding. The most
"41 efficient way is to use a high pressure
steam cleaning operation. The casting
should also be cleaned in a solvent.
SM
Castings that have been used at very
high temperatures and become
'burnt' should not be welded; this is
LOO
also true for heavily steam-oxidized
Weld Metal Base Metal cast-iron.
Nicke 1/Iron Ductile Iron
OK Selectrode Prior to welding on new castings the
92 58 casting skin and sand inclusions must
300
be removed from the surface to be
joined especially in the area of weld-
ing.
200 Butt joints in cast iron are wider than

those for mild steel. The angle is 613-
75" for V-joints and 2 0 3 0 " for
U-joints.
100
- lmm
Whenever possible in heavy sections

a double V-joint or double U-joint is
preferred to minimize distortion and
Fig. 7 (bl Micro-hardness /HV, 1 Kg load) across metal welding stresses.

AWS WCI 8 5 m 0 7 8 9 2 b 5 0007161 m
240 V-6
It is essential to remove all sharp cor-
ners to avoid local spots of high dilu-
tion when welding.
Joints can be prepared by machining,

grinding or arc-gouging. The gouging
electrode OK Selectrode 21.O3is very
efficient in joint preparation. See Fig.
7. In particular in gouging out cracks
and defects. Care must be taken to
remove any remaining slag after the
gouging operation.
Before making a weld repair the dam-

aged area should be checked with a
penetrant dye to locate the extent of
possible small cracks which may be
invisible to the naked eye.
To prevent cracks from propagating

further it is recommended that a hole Fig. 8 Repaired exhaust manifold on Volvo-Penta motor
be drilled at the end of the crack
before welding is begun.
electrode. Whenever possible the arc hardenable cast steels which have a
The proper welding electrode has should be struck on top of a previous high carbon content or a high sulphur
been selected according to the run and the arc must never be content. Examples are free cutting
requirements of the weld and with directed at a corner or an edge. steels in shafts and worn parts which
regard to the type of cast iron to be have to be welded to carbon steels. A
welded. If possible the workpiece Welding with a Steel Electrode greai many solutions have been put
should always be positioned so that Mild steel is the least expensive filler forward to solve problems such as
welding can be carried out in the flat material and special mild steel elec- these, e.g. the use of extra hard dried
position. basic covered electrodes or overal-
trodes may be used for some cast iron
loyed’ stainless electrodes. During
welding applications. recent years interest has been con-
The first welding passes are most crit-
ical and should be made with a ~~~
centrated on electrodes giving a 29%
2.5 mm diameter electrode or for Electrode Weld metal Classification Chromiuml9Yo Nickel weld metal
heavier sections with a 3.25 mm analysis whose composition ensures that a
diameter electrode; the lowest poss- very crack resistant weld metal is
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
OK Selectrode Mild steel AWS Est formed even when diluted with high
ible current should be used. This 91.58 DIN 8573
means that dilution of the base mater- EFeS2 carbon steel.
ial and the size of the heat affected
zone will be minimized. The stainless weld metal holds any
The weld metal will pick up carbon hydrogen in solution thus minimizing
from the cast iron and become har- the risk of cold cracking in the weld
Generally only stringer beads should dened an unmachinable.
be applied; however a slight weaving and heat affected zone. As is in the
(less than twice the electrode diame- The use of a steel electrode is there- case of welding of cast iron (see para-
ter) can be used to obtain good wash fore limited to the repair of smaller graphs which follow) dilution should
at the sides of a joint. In order to defects and to welds where there is be kept to a minimum and heat input
reduce stresses and heat input all less demand for weld metal tough- kept low. Because of this, the eiec-
weld passes should be made in short ness. trode diameters selected are small
runs of 25 mm max. and preferably compared with those used on mild
shorter or, thin material. steel of the same thickness when
After using OK Selectrode 91.58, production welding. Welding current
welds can be chromium plated or
Immediately after deposition, all runs enamelled and have excellent colour is kept low and a planned bead sequ-
should be peened with a ball pointed which matches with the cast iron. ence is used (N.B. Weaving should
hammer to deform the bead and This electrode also may be used on normally be avoided since it increases
obtain compression stresses which dirty oil impregnated cast iron and on heat input).
are preferable to tension stresses on burnt or oxidized castings, due to its
the weld. Examples for the use.of this type of
special flux coating. Fig. 8. electrode is the repair of cracks in
After the sides have been surfaced, steel castings and the building up of
the center should be gradually filled in. 3. WELDING DIFFICULT worn shafts. When hardfacing with
These latter passes will anneal the STEELS electrodes giving a very hard deposit,
heat affected zone. a buffer layer deposited with a 29 Cr-9
When making repairs one is often Ni electrode is recommended. This
Between each pass all slag residues faced with the problem of welding evens out the welding stresses.
must be carefully removed. It is very steels which are either of unknown Because of its high chromium content
important to fill in the crater end composition or which have a compos- the weld metal has very good corro-
before the arc is extinguished. This is ition which makes them difficult to sion resistance and a yield stress in
done by’a slight back move of the weld without cracking. They are often excess of 70 kg/mm2.

AWS WCI 8 5 07842b5 0 0 0 7 L b 2 b
V-6 241
Electrodes for Welding ûifficulr Steels steels with CO, gas is also hardly
worthwhile just for an occasional
Hardness Weld Cornposition Properties - Applications
weld. Cheaper is covered aluminium
OK Selectrode 67 45 190 HV Cr = 18 Ni = 9 Mn = 6 For butt welding austenitic electrodes which can be used in all
OK Selectrode 67 52 190 HV Cr = 18 Ni = 9 Mn = 6 manganese steel and for positions but a DC power source is
stainless cladding then essential. Welding speed is rela-
Tensile strength 690 Nlmm2 tively high and accuracy in joint prep-
OK Selectrode 68.81 240 HV Cr = 29 Ni = 9 For welding 'difficult' steels. aration is not particularly important.
Tensile strength 800 Nlmrnz Here the formation of oxide films is
the most difficult problem to over-
come and the joints should, as far as it
is practicable, be welded in one run.
Preheat of the parent plate makes
welding easier and leads to better
4. WELDING ALUMINIUM quality weld metal. Two main types of
electrodes are available, one contain-
Cast aluminium alloys such as Silumin aluminium IS infrequent, it IS not ing 11YO silicon which welds most of
which contain about 11YO silicon are economic to purchase expensive the cast alloys and a large number of
used for gearbox housings and cylin- semi-automatic or automatic the wrought types; the other which
der heads and for parts where it is machines. Also converting existing contains 1.25% manganese is for
necessary to keep the weight as low equipment used for the welding of welding rolled plates.
as possible. The aluminium has gen-
erally been rolled or extruded. For
many years gas welding and arc weld-
ing with covered electrodes were the Electrodes for Welding Aluminium
processes for welding aluminium and
its alloys, but today inert gas shielded Weld Metal Tensile Strength Properties -
Composition N/mm2 Applications
methods, such as MIG and TIG, are
dominant in this field. In spite of this OK Selectrode 96 20 M n = 1 3 Rest AI 100 General purpose of electrode
there is still a place for welding with for welding wrought AI, AIMn
covered electrodes because of its par- and AIMgSi alloys.
ticular advantages for on-site welding OK Selectrode 96.50 Si = 11 Rest. AI 170 For welding cast aluminium
alloy (Silumin) and certain
along with the inexpensive and simple rolled alloys.
handwelding equipment required. If
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 W 078Li265 0007Lb3 PI W
242 v-7
Repairing Cast Iron by Welding

. . . it isn’t easy, but knowing how puts the odds in your favor
By RUDOLPH MOHLER, Welding Instructor-Technician and Technical Writer
Hobart School of Welding Technology, Troy, OH
AST IRON IS A TERM applied to a number of if the decision is favorable, the plant engineer must
C iron compositions distinguished from other iron
alloys by their high carbon content and from each
decide on the cleaning procedure, welding method,
type of electrode, and joint design, and must deter-
other primarily by the pattern of distribution of carbon mine the need for preheating.
in the microstructure of each. The carbon content of The welding method chosen will depend in part on
cast irons varies from 1.7 to 4.5 percent, but the most the alloy to be welded. Cast iron can be joined by the
common types fall within the 2.5 to 3.5-percent range. oxyacetylene, gas metal-arc (GMAW), and shielded
The metallurgical structure of the alloys is more signif- metal-arc (SMAW) processes. Oxyacetylene braze
icant in determining their mechanical properties than welding with bronze rods is the preferred process for
the absolute level of carbon in their compositions. certain malleable casting repairs; GMAW is consid-
Types of Cast Iron-All alloys lumped under this ered more suitable for seam welds in malleable and
name are difficult to weld because of their high carbon ductile irons than for repair of gray iron castings.
content. There is a tendency for massive carbide de- SMAW is probably the best repair process for most
posits to form in the area adjacent to the weld, and for purposes. It permits all-position welding, sometimes
high-carbon martensite to form in the remainder of the eliminates the need for preheating, and may permit a
heat-affected zone. Both these materials are brittle and better color match than other processes. It is also
may crack under load or spontaneously. Nevertheless, widely known and used. and may therefore be the only
it is useful for the plant engineer to be able to distin- method available.
guish between the various alloys. Preliniinnry trearn?ent of the casting is much the
White cast iron maintains its carbon in combined same for all the alloys. The graphite “skin” and all
form. Its name derives from the silvery-white appear- surface contamination must be eliminated by sanding,
ance of a fractured surface-an appearance that re- grinding, or some other means. Grease and oil must be
sults from the absence of graphitic carbon. It is ex- totally removed. and all unsound metal must be ground
tremely hard (up to 600 BHN); but because it is also away from the joint area.
brittle, it is not widely used. Oil that has seeped into the casting is a common
Malleable cast iron is the result of heat treatment contaminant. An easy method for removing it is to
that disperses the carbon as tempered carbon in a fer- heat the entire casting to 700 or 800 F for 30 or 40
rite matrix. It is more ductile than white cast iron and minutes. Either an oven or a torch can be used. If the
has greater tensile strength. in castings, the surface heating is done with a torch, the part should be
structure differs from the core. brushed occasionally and the process continued until
Nodrrlar cast iron, which is similar to malleable cast no more oil appears on the surface.
iron in its mechanical properties, is produced by add- Porous welds on a clean casting usually indicate that
ing alioying elements that cause the carbon to disperse the cast metal contains an excess of trapped hydrogen.
in tiny balls, or nodules. It is also called ductile iron. It can usually be eliminated by heating the casting to a
Gray cast iron-so called because the carbon flakes dull red for a few minutes. i n some cases it will not be
that cover its fractured surfaces give them a gray possible to heat the casting before welding; a sound
appearance-is the most common of the cast irons. It repair can still be made by running a bead, grinding
is the addition of 1 to 3 percent silicon, combined with away the porous areas. and repeating the procedure
slow cooling, that produces the characteristic precipi- until a good weld is achieved.
tation of carbon as flakes of graphite in the microstruc- Joint design for cast iron generally calls for wider
ture. Welding gray cast iron may be complicated by the bevels than ;ire needed for joints in steel. Bevels can be
presence of alloying elements, such as nickel. cut by grinding, chipping, and arc-air gouging, or made
Preparaüons for Welding-Although the results with SMAW grooving electrodes; hut if either arc
from welding cast iron are somewhat unpredictable, method is used, the oxidized metal must be ground
experience can greatly reduce the failure rate. The away.
plant engineer should first consider whether the casting A single V groove, Fig. I , is usually adequate for
is, in fact, repairable and worth repairing, keeping in metal up to YH in. thick. The bevels on each side of the
mind the type of cast iron involved, the service condi- joint should be 40 degrees or a little greater. for an
tions the casting must endure, thc severity of contami- included angle of 80 to 90 degrees. The root face
nation of the weld area. the size of the casting, the wall should be approximately 1.: c, in.
thickness, and whether the welds will have to be made Thicker castings require a double-\, groove, Fig. 2.
in difficult positions. with the same bevel and root-face specifications. The
Source: Plant Engineering, November 10,1977

--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85
"Preheating is unnecessary unless the casting i s crack sensitive."

- 078q2b5 0007Lb4 T
v-7 243
surface should always be ground at least Y2 in. back machinable, blit have better than average strength. Soft
from the bevel. If the section is very thick, but can be steel electrodes are especially usefui for repairing en-
grooved on only one side, a modified U joint will gine blocks, grounds-maintenance implements, and
reduce the amount of filler metal needed. similar items. They are also useful for making tie-in
The best way to ensure a full-penetration weld is to layers for replacing broken gear teeth, and in other
grind the underside of the bead and run another pass repair operations in which it is necessary to build up
on the back. if full penetration at the root is essential, an arca with an electrode normally used for mild steel.
but only one side o f the joint is accessible, it is possible A 100-percent-nickel electrode is useful for joining
t o grind the joint with a I { , ; to '/x-in. root pap; this thin, hard-to-weld sections when machinability is nec-
practice ensures full penetration. but alignment is
much mare diffcult. Jigging o r clamping the parts is
often necessary, and strong tack welds at each end of
the joint are a good precaution.
ELECTRODE SIZES FOR REPAIR WELDS IN CAST IRON
Corrted i4cc.tr.oclr.s of several kinds are available for ~ -~
joining cast iron. T h e optimum choice will depend o n Section thickness, in. Electrode size, in.
the material and condition of the casting, and the O to 3/16 3/32
service i-ecluired of the part. Soft steel electrodes with 3/16to 314 118
special low-current flux coatings provide ;in economi- 314 to 1 112 5/32
cal option. Welds made with these electrodes are not 1 1/2 or thicker 3/16
Fig. 1. A simple V groove is usually satisfactory for welding Fig. 2. A double-\/ groove is usually desirable when thick
cast iron no thicker than YE in. The bottom of the V should castings must be welded, because it requires the deposition
be about i/,* in. from the lower surface of the stock. of less weld metal.
Fig. 3. Skillful preheating not only opens the fracture for Fig. 4. Cracks in the spokes of handwheels, flywheels, and
better welding, but also puts the weld in compression when gears can be opened by heating the hub and the rim t o the
the workpiece has cooled. left and right of the damaged spoke.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I A5 m 07842b5 O007165 L =
244 v-7
essary but high strength is not. The weld metal is soft, able internal stress, preheating to between 800 and 900
ductile, and, when properly applied, free of porosity. F is indicated. After being welded, the casting should
The arc is very smooth. Preheating is unnecessary remain covered until it is cool.
unless the casting is exceptionally crack sensitive. Cyl- Localized heating of various parts of the casting is a
inder heads and pump housings are good examples of valuable technique for neutralizing areas of special
the type of part that can be repaired with these elec- stress. It can also be used to expand areas stressed by
trodes. heat in the weld area, and careful application of heat
Nickel-iron electrodes are usually preferred for can put the weld under a slight compressive stress
heavy sections and applications requiring high when it cools, Fig. 3.
strength. They are useful for repairing very badly Cast gears and flywheels present special problems;
cracked engine blocks and cylinder heads, heavy-duty the procedure should be carefully planned before a
pump housings, and high-phosphorus, ductile-iron, torch is put to the metal. It is usually better not to
and nickel-alloy cast-iron castings. Machining the preheat the entire casting unless it is without spokes-
welds is difficult but not impossible. otherwise, unequal stresses may develop on cooling.
Low-hydrogen electrodes, although not specifically In flywheels with spokes ( a very common design),
intended for welding cast iron, are useful for repairing the fracture usually occurs in one or more spokes.
new castings when color match and economy are im- Moderate heat at the hub and at two points on the rim,
portant. They can also be employed to repair broken Fig. 4, will open the crack slightly, making it easier to
castings, provided the welding can be done in the flat weld. If the rim itself is cracked, heating the spokes on
position. E701 8 electrodes are the most commonly each side of the break will have a similar effect.
used type. All low-hydrogen rods must be kept abso- Good welding practice forbids trying to infuse too
lutely dry, or their effectiveness will be greatly reduced. much weld metal at one time. Weaving should be
Making the Weld-Alternating current and direct avoided. Techniques that limit heat input-such as the
current with the electrode positive give the best results use of stringer beads-should be used. The metal adja-
on cast iron. The electrode diameter should be the cent to the weid area should never be permitted to
same as that used for a similar joint in steel, or one size become cherry red. Beads should be kept short-as
smaller. (The smaller size helps hold the heat input short as 3 in. on some small castings. Larger castings
down, which can be especially helpful when small or can tolerate greater bead length, and the experienced
thin castings must be welded.) Although almost ali welder soon learns to judge the maximum bead length
thicknesses could, in a pinch, be welded with a %-in. he can use on a particular job.
electrode, the sizes listed in the table will give optimum Tlie skip rechnique is used on long joints to mini-
results. mize stress buildup and distortion. A bead is run at
Welding current should be held at the lowest level each end of the joint, then in the middle, after which
that will produce a smooth arc and an even flow of the space between these beads is filled with short beads
molten metal. Alternately, a higher current can be used placed alternately at the left and right ends of the joint.
with a faster-than-normal travel rate. Slightly more If the joint requires more than one pass, the welder
current is needed for a-c than for d-c electrodes of the should continue the same procedure, taking care
same size, and steel and nickel-steel electrodes require not to break the arc over a spot where it was broken
somewhat higher currents than do 100-percent-nickel previously.
rods. Preheated castings will take somewhat less cur- The backstep technique is especially useful for weld-
rent than cold ones. When possible, test welds should ing shallow V joints. The beads are run in the opposite
be made on a piece of scrap cast iron similar to the direction to the weld so that each new bead ends at the
piece to be welded to establish the correct current and point where the previous bead began.
the best welding technique. Travel should be at a speed that deposits a bead
Preheating provides a number of benefits, although about two electrode diameters wide, no matter which
certain electrodes and procedures do not demand it. technique is used. To prevent hairline cracks, fill the
These benefits include good amalgamation of the-base crater before breaking the arc.
metal with the filler metal, preventiun of the formation Slug reinoval should proceed from the starting point
of chilled metal at the line of fusion, accommodation of the bead to the stopping point. to avoid hammering
of expansion in the casting, and the elimination of gas slag into soft metal. When the bead is clear of slag,
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
pockets. Thus, despite its being an extra step in the peening can be begun at the point where the arc was
repair process, judicious preheating can be used to broken. It should proceed toward the starting point.
advantage when it is necessary to produce a strong, Only the bead should be peened, and excessive peening
ductile, and machinable weld joint. It is axiomatic should be avoided-10 to 1.5 blows an inch are suffi-
that castings that are known to be crack sensitive cient. Peening the sides of the joint will increase the
should be preheated. hardness of the metal in the heat-affected zone.
Unless the casting is very large, the usual practice is Teniperatrrre should be checked after each pass by
to heat the entire piece to between SO0 and 600 F and touching the weld area with the bare hand. i f the metal
cover it except for the area to be welded. i f it is known is too hot for prolonged contact, additional cooling time
that the casting is exceptionally hard or has consider- should be allowcd before the next pass is begun. (co,,’t.)

AWS W C I 85 W 0 7 8 V 2 6 5 0 0 0 7 L b b 3 m
v-7 245
"The preparation of a malleable casting for welding is the same a s
the preparation of a gray-iron one."
Mulieahle cí.,sting.s offer a special challenge because

of their heat sensitivity. Their malleable nature results
from long annealing under controlled conditions, not
from their metallurgy; and welding heat can return the
metal in the weld zone to its original white iron state.
Oxyacetylene braze welding with bronze rods avoids
the difficulty, but cannot always be used. Arc braze
welding with coated phosphor-bronze electrodes ( o r
with specially formulated steel electrodes) is a con-
venient alternative, but the nature of the arc process
makes some melting of the base metal unavoidable. If
it is essential that the metal in the weld area retain its
malleable characteristics, the heat treatment that pro-
duced them originally must be repeated.
T h e preparation of a malleable casting for welding is
Fig. 5. Countersunk holes at the ends of a block crack pre-
the same as the preparation of a gray-iron one, but it is
vent later stress concentration there. A %-in. drill should even more important that the casting be kept cool
be used t o make a pilot hole. during welding. T h e arc should never be permitted to
bring the base metal to red heat.
Examples-An examination of some common re-
pair jobs will show how the principles described in this
article are applied.
Welding crucked engine blocks is a typical mainte-
nance shop assignment. ( T h e procedure is the same for
cylinder heads.) The first step is to clean the area
around the crack thoroughly. Next, the casting should
be heated just enough to open the crack slightly. A
punch mark should be made at the ends of the crack,
o r a very short distance beyond them, to facilitate
starting a IA-in. drill. The hole should go completely
through the metal. A considerably larger drill should
Fig. 6. Badly damaged cast-iron gear teeth should be re-
placed, not repaired. The rim below the old tooth's root thcn be used t o countcrsink the holes to within YR in. of
must be deeply ground to provide a good foundation for the the bottom. Fig. S. Next. the crack should be V'd out
new one. with a chisel o r a grinding disc. T h e bottom of the V
should be at the same depth as the bottoms of the
countersunk holes. The crack can then be welded using
Fig. 7. The foundation beads of the new tooth should be a soft steel electrode and the backstep technique.
laid with a high-strength rod. The beads from which i t will
be machined can be of a more easily worked alloy.
Replacing broken gear reeili is another common
repair. The first step is the complete removal of the
broken tooth, and the grinding of the base area to a
deep oval, Fig. 6. Foundation beads should be depos-
ited with either a low-hydrogen electrode o r a mild-
steel electrode with a special coating for welding cast
iron. The use of these electrodes will ensure a strong
foundation for the new tooth. After the foundation is
in place. the metal from which the new tooth will be
machined can be deposited with an ordinary mild steel
electrode, Fig. 7.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 078Li2b5 Dû07167 5
v-a
THE TECHNOLOGICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF METHODS OF WELDING CAST IRON
V.G. IVANOV, V.I. LEVCHENKOVanâ F.N. TERSKII

VNIILITMASI,
SY~OPSIS for the preheating of small. medium and large com-

ponents made it possible to increase considerably
Welding with preheating occupies a leading position in the welding and technological parameters of the hot
the repair of iron castings. In the repair of com- welding-processes.
ponents worn in service the principal requirements The hot gas welding of cast iron with natural
usually concern the strength properties. Welding (supply Iine) gas, using single-flame nozzles with
without preheating can be used in these cases. cumulative action, and also multi-flame wire gauze
nozzles, replaced acetylene welding, thus reducing
The large volume of welding jobs in the repair, manu- welding costs.
facture and service of iron castings and components Low-temperature braze welding (without melting
requires a continuous improvement of welding methods of the parent metal) with cast iron, brass brazing
and welding consumables used for this purpose. As alloys and powdered alloys (type NPCh), and also
a result of demands from industry, a large number methods of gas powder surfacing, make it possible to
of scientific and research studies have been carried solve efficiently the problems associated with the
out to find highly efficient methods for the manual repair of defects on machined surfaces of components.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
and mechanised welding and surfaces of cast iron. A significant contribution to the increase in the
Improved welding consumables have also been developed. cold welding processes for cast iron has been the
At the current level of the technology of welding development of a wide range of electrodes based on
cast iron, welding operations involved in the repair iron, nickel and copper, and alloys of these metals.
of defects include general or partial preheating to These electrodes include thin, self-fluxing, nickel-
600-65WC (hot welding) - cast iron forms in the and copper-base wires; and the semi-automatic weld-
deposit (joint); with low-temperature preheating to 150- ing of thin-wailed cast iron components with these
400oC or without preheating (cold welding) - this consumable is characterised by high technological
technique results in the formation of alloys (not cast parameters.
iron) in the deposit (joint), which can be machined by Thus, by selecting welding methods and corres-
cutting. ponding welding consumables it is possible to produce
Welding and surfacing processes are manual or various deposited metals, e.g. caet iron with the
mechanised, and they can be carried out with melting required properties, or alloys, which correspond with
of the parent metal (welding) or with the formation of the working features of components. On the basis of
a large volume pool. the properties of deposited metal, all the welding of
The most efficient methods or repairing defects cast iron can be divided into two groups. The first
are given in the Table, together with their application group includes the deposited metal, consisting of
areas. The hot arc mechanised welding of cast iron cast iron; the second group is represented by the
with a flux-cored wire using specialised single- and deposited metal, consisting of various alloys with good
three-wire semi-automatic equipment, and also semi-
automatic welding with ceramic rods, are the most
progressive methods of welding cast iron. In addition,
the application of special heating furnaces and devices
m'Ih -ic mi führ
Fig.1. CWfkation of nrekiing methods pmdudng cart iron in âeposided Fig.2.

mew. deposiaed metal.
Source: Svarochnoe Prozvodstvo (Welding Production), 213( 1i), 1976 (Translation published by the British Library)
I/ Copyright American Welding Society
AWS WCI 8 5 0784265 00071i68 7
V-8 247
Requirements on deposited metal and

Treatment of cast iron Characteristics of the defect to be repaired welded joint (the type of deposited metal
Deposited metal (cast iron) with prescribed properties*

Hot gas welding, with cast iron filler Small and medium-sized defects on machined Good machinability and density, similarity
surfaces of castings subjected, or not sub- with parent metal in structure, hardness,
jected, to surface hardening strength and colour
Gas low-temperature braze welding, Small blind defects on machined working Good machinability and density, similarity
with cast iron filler surfaces with parent metai i n structure, hardness,
strength and colour
Hot a r c welding, the pool technique: Large defects on surfaces being machined Good machinability and density, similarity
manual with cast iron electrodes and on surfaces after machining; surfaces with parent metal in structure, hardness,
mechanised with flux-cored wire subjected, and not subjected, to hardening strength and colour
mechanised, with flux-cored wire Small and medium-sized defects on machined Good machinability and density, similarity
with ceramic rod surfaces not subjected to surface hardening with parent metal in structure, hardness,
strength and colour
Deposlted metal (not cast iron) with requirements on machinability
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Cold a r c welding, with beads: Small and medium blind defects on surfaces Good machinability, density and strength
with electrodes based on copper being machined and on surfaces after (copper-nickel alloy)
and nickel machining. In some cases short, through
defects
with electrodes based on iron Small and medium defects on various Good machinability, high strength and
and nickel surfaces of castings and components density parameters (iron-nickel alloy)
with electrodes based on low Small blind defects on machined surfaces The hardness of the parent and the
carbon steel with special coating deposited metal must be identical (high-
alloy steel)
with electrodes based on copper Through defects on unmachined surfaces High strength and density (copper-steel
and steel of castings and wails of containers alloy\
With thin wires based on nickel Through defects in thin walls of components Good machinability, density and strength
ot copper (multi-layer) (nickel o r copper alloy)
Gas flame low-temperature (without Small blind defects on machined surfaces Sufficient density and hardness 170-190HB
melting of parent metair braze welding: (alloy of type LOMNA)
with filler materials of copper alloys
with self-fluxing powder alloys Small and medlum blind defects revealed The hardness of the parent metal and the
during the machining of castings deposited metal must be identical (nickel-
boron-silicon alloy)
Metallislng Porosity on machined surfaces, seaiing of (Alloys b a e d on Mo, Zn, etc.)

leaking areas
Deposited metal (not cast iron) without requirements on machinability

Cold manual arc weiding with steel Blind defects on unmachined surfaces of Good machinability (carbon steel at
electrodes or semi-automatic welding castings increased cooling rate)
with a steel wire
Mechanical seals (plugs, inserts)** Blind defects on machined surfaces separate (Cast iron)
-with plugs, groups of defects - with inserts)
Filling up Blind defects, surface asperities, mainly on (Hardening polymers)

unmachined surfaces
Dipping (sealing) Leaks in walls of castings (Various substances)
* The prescribed properties of cast iron (ferritic-pearlitic. pearlltic, with spheroidai graphite) a r e obtained by using appropriate
welding consumables
**These are used when welding cannot be employed

__.-

AWS WCI 85 W 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0 0 0 7 L b î 7 W
248 v-a
machinability (with high nickel and copper contents, technical requirements imposed on the quality of
high-alloy steels). In addition, defects in cast iron mm- reconditioned cast iron components. In these case
ponents are repaired by mechanical seals (inserts, the cold welding methods could play a leading role,
plugs, etc .) , by filling up with hardening polymers, because they enable production problems to be solve-,
and by treatment with thickeners. but, taking into account the specific properties of cast
There are also a number of methods that can be iron, these methods do not make it possible to pro-
employed in exceptional cases (resistance-powder, duce joints of the required quality. The fact is that
electroslag, strip surfacing, soldering with zinc alloy in the arc welding and surfacing of cast iron without
T s at a temperature of 350oC; and also brazing with preheating, local thermal effects, occurring during
chemical copper plating at 2009. the melting and solidification of cast iron, cause
The technological effectiveness of the method pronounced phase changes in zones adjacent to the
used plays an important role in the assessment of the welding zone. In this case the phase changes may
suitability of application of specific methods of welding be metastable, and this facilitates the formation of
of cast iron taking into account stringent requirements ledeburitic and martensitic structures, which are
on quality, reliability and economic effectiveness. associated with the accelerated cooling of molten metal.
The characteristics of technological effictiveness The formation of ledeburitic structures and the
a r e usually assessed by comparing the qualitative occurrence of martensitic transformations in the weld-
parameters of the welded joint (produced by a specific ing of cast iron can be prevented by the slow cooling
welding method) with technical requirements on the of castings and components, heated in the first case
quality of cast iron components. to 600-65WC and to 150-4OOOC in the other case.
Welding i s used most extensively in the repair These conditions are difficult to fulfil in the cold
of defects in iron castings before and after machining. welding of cast iron because the conditions of heat
In this case welding is regarded as an integral part exchange are unfavourable, and this results in the
of casting technology. formation of hardened interlayers in the weld zone
Necessary industrial bases have been constructed and in stress concentrations in the heat affected zone
for welding; t h e s e a r e equipp. with means of heating (HAZ). But these shortcomings a r e eliminated by
cast iron components of various dimensions, and with the application of hot welding, which i s already being
equipment for manual and mechanised processes. The used on a wide scale.
required range of welding consumable is available.
Work is carried out by qualified welders. CONCLUSIONS
In plants with such bases the qualitative para-
meters of repaired castings and components meet the 1. Welding with preheating (and, in some cases,
requirements of the technical conditions. with accompanying heating) occupies a leading
The fact that welding production is distributed position in the repair of iron castings in casting
over many plants that produce and repair cast iron production.
castings and components, and in many cases do not 2. In the reconditioning of worn components, the
have specialised departments, forces industrial workers principal requirements usually concern the
to find compromise solutions between the need to strength parameters. Welding without preheating
recondition cast iron castings and components and the can be applied in these cases.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 8 5 m 07892b5 0007L70 5 m
v-9 249
Welding cast irons
By E.N. Gregory, FIM, FWekll, and S.B. Jones, BSc, PhD
An outline is given of the solidification and solid state transformations

possible in cast irons, and the metallurgical factors that underlie a
successful approach to cast iron welding a r e established. The choice
of welding process and consumables is discussed.
INTRODUCTION a matrix which is commonly pearlite, ferrite,

The term 'cast iron' covers a large range of or a mixture of the two, Fig.1.
iron/carbon alloys with widely differing struc- Bs 1452 : 1961* contains seven grades of
tures and properties. These materials a r e of grey iron, classified by tensile strength. Typi-
considerable industrial importance, annual UK cal properties of these grades are shown in
production being second only to steel. Now- Table l a .
adays, cast irons a r e finding applications in
competition with other materials such as steel Spheroidal graphite (SG) iron
castings or forgings. This has been made pos- The mechanical properties of grey irons may
sible by improvements in alloy design, foundry be greatly improved if the graphite shape is
techniques, and heat treatments, coupled with modified to eliminate planes of weakness caused
the inherent flexibility of the casting process. by continuous flakes. Such a modification is
ki parallel with this development there is a possible if molten iron having a composition in
growing demand for cast iron welding, whether the range 3.2-4.596C and 1.8-2.8Wi is treated
for repair or fabrication, in all branches of with Mg or Ce additions and inoculated with Si
engineering. As most welding processes involve before casting. This produces castings with
localised heating and fusion, the solidification graphite in spheroidal form instead of flakes,
and solid state transformation behaviour of cast Fig.2, and these are known as nodular, SG,
irons provides the key to their weldability. An or ductile irons (Bs 2789 : 1961**).
understanding of these factors is therefore From their introduction in the late 1940s
essential in a rational approach to cast iron SG irons have become increasingly important,
welding. finding demanding applications in competition
with steel forgings or other types of cast iron.
VARIETIES OF CAST IRON SG irons a r e available with pearlite, ferrite,
Cast irons may be divided into two main clas- or pearlite/ferrite matrices (austenitic irons
ses: those which contain graphite, and white will not be considered), which offer a range
irons. of these, the graphite-bearing irons of ductilities and tensile strengths, Table l b ,
a r e of the greatest commercial importance and considerably better than those of grey irons.
include flake graphite, spheroidal graphite (duc- The characteristics of SG irons are given
tile irons), and malleable irons. below.
Grey cart irons Pearlitic SG iron

Grey irons form a series containing 2.0-4.5W The pearlitic condition is the normal state of
and 1.0-3. OWi. Their structures consist of ordinary as-cast SG iron in sections of up to
branched and interconnected graphite flakes in about 50mm. Much of the carbon is present
M r Gregory, Head of Production Welding, and * Bs 1452 : 1961 'Grey iron castings'
D r Jones, Senior Welding Engineer, are both ** BS 2789: 1961 'Iron castings with sphe-
at The Welding institute. roidal or nodular graphite'.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Source: Weldinuf Castings, The Welding Institute, 1977

..
AWS WCI 85 m 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 O007171 7 m
250 v-9
Table 1 Typical mechanical properties of cast irons
Min. tensile O. 5% proof Elongation,

Grade
strength, N/mm2 stress, N/mm2 %
(a) Grey iron 10 155

BS 1452 : 1961 12 186
14 217
17 263
20 31 O
23 356
26 400
@) Nodular iron SNG 24/17 371 232 17

BS 2789 : 1961 27/12 418 279 12
32/7 495 340 7
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
37/2 572 387 2
42/2 650 433 2
47/2 730 464 2
(c) Whiteheart malleable iron W410/4 41 O 250 4

BS 309 :1972 340/3 340 - 3
(d) Blackheart malleable iron B340/12 340 200 12

BS 310:1972 310/10 31 O 190 10
290/6 290 170 6
~ ~~~
(e) Pearlitic malleable iron P690/2 690 540 2

BS 3333 :1972 57 0/3 57 O 420 3
540/5 540 340 5
510/4 51O 31 O 4
440/7 440 270 7
in the combined form and the microstructure Material having a ferritic or predominantly fer-
consists of intimately mixed ferrite and cemen- ritic matrix is covered by BS 2789, SNG 24/17
tite with spheroids of graphite, giving rise to and 27/12. The matrix structure and pro-
a hard, strong iron with about twice the strength duction heat treatment of the above types of
of ordinary grey cast iron. The type corre- SG iron a r e shown in Table 2.
sponds to BS 2789, SNG 32/7, SNG 37/2.
The mechanical properties of as-cast SG Malleable irons
iron are improved by normalising, that is, by All malleable irons are produced by heat treat-
first heating the castings to a supercritical ment of white iron castings. The eutectic car-
temperature, holding for a sufficient time, and bide of the white iron is decomposed to give
then allowing them to cool freely in air. Com- carbon aggregates dispersed in a matrix which
plex castings, and parts where maximum dimen- may be ferritic or pearlitic, Fig.3. Malleable
sional stability is required, also benefit from iron may be divided into two main classes:
stress relief heat treatment at 55OoC, whether whitehear t and blackheart .
or not this is preceded by the normalising
treatment. Whiteheart malleable iron
Whiteheart malleable castings are annealed in
Ferritic SG iron a decarburising medium. Carbon is removed
When pearlitic SG iron is annealed the matrix at the casting surface, the loss being only
structure becomes ferritic; the combined carbon partly compensated by diffusion of carbon from
is broken down and is deposited on to the the interior. After this treatment, whiteheart
graphite spheroids in the ferritic matrix. in castings a r e inhomogeneous with a decarburised
this condition the iron exhibits maximum tough- surface skin and a higher carbon core. The
ness and ductility, with increased elongation. degree of surface decarburisation depends on

AWS W C I 8 5 W 0 7 8 Y 2 6 5 0007372 9 W
v-9 251
Table 2 Structures and production heat treatment of SG iron
~
BS grade Matrix structure Production heat treatment
24/17 Ferrite with traces -

Austenitised at 9OO0C slow cool
27 /12 of pearlite -
to 7OO0C soak -
furnace cool
32/7 Pearlite and May be as-cast or heat treated
37 /2 ferrite depending on production conditions
47 /2 Pearlite Austenitised at 9OO0C followecl by
42/2 cooling in still air
section size: regions below 5mm thick may be welding will markedly reduce component per-
almost totally carbon free. formance. Its formation must therefore be
Whiteheart malleable irons are covered by kept to a minimum.
BS 309 : 1972.* Typical properties are shown
in Table IC. (b) Solid state transformations
Brittle structures such as bainite and martensite
Blackheart malleable iron in cast iron HAZs may cause underbead crack-
Blackheart irons (BS 310 : 1972**) are produced ing if these regions a r e subjected to contraction
by annealing white iron castings without decar- stresses as the weld cools. The extent and
burisation. The resulting structure, which hardness of these structures must therefore be
consists of carbon in a ferritic matrix, is limited.
homogeneous irrespective of section size. Mech-
anical properties are generally superior to (c) Weld metal dilution
whiteheart irons as shown in Table Id. Black- Fusion welding will result in mixing of molten
heart irons are, however, more difficult to cast iron with the filler metal. Consumables
cast as the white iron used to produce them must be chosen to be compatible with the dilution
usually has a lower carbon content than white- levels encountered with each welding process.
heart castings.
Control of fusion and solidification
Pearlitic malleable iron in the foundry, cast iron solidification is con-
This type of malleable iron may be produced trolled through alloy composition, inoculation
either by conventional blackheart annealing, but to influence nucleation, and physical factors
using a white iron which has been treated with such as pouring temperature and choice of
carbide stabilisers, or by a further heat treat- mould material. The scope for solidification
ment of ferritic blackheart malleable iron. control during welding is much more limited
Pearlitic malleable castings (BS 3333 : 1972***) because of the rapid and localised nature of
have increased strength but lower ductility than the heating and cooling cycles. Even with
ferritic blackheart malleable irons, Table IC. high preheats and correctly chosen filler alloy,
white iron formation can seldom be completely
WELDING AND CAST IRON METALLURGY avoided if welding causes fusion of graphite-
Although there a r e many varieties of cast iron bearing material. The structure of the white
with wide ranging compositions and mechanical iron is usually acicular, indicating high cooling
properties, they share certain metallurgical rates through the solidification range, Fig. 4.
features which must be controlled if they are in view of this, cast iron a r c welding
to be welded successfully. techniques use low heat inputs, thus limiting
the extent of parent metal fusion and consequent
(a) Solidification difficulty with weld metal dilution and brittle
The formation of white iron eutectic during white iron zones. The aim of low heat inputs
in fusion welding is to produce discontinuous
* BS 309 : 1972 'Whiteheart malleable iron white iron colonies in the fusion zone, thus
castings ' lessening their weakening effect on the weld-
** BS 310 : 1972 'Blackheart malleable iron ment, Fig.5. An alternative approach to the
castings ' solidification problem is to avoid parent
*** BS 3333 : 1972 'Pearlitic malleable iron metal fusion altogether as in the bronze
castings ' welding or powder welding techniques.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 W 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007373 O
252 v-9
Table 3 Typical preheat levels for welding cast irons
GaS Powder
Material Cast iron type MMA, OC MIG, OC
fusion, OC welding, OC
Flake 300 300 600 300

Nodular RT-150 RT-150 6O 0 200
Whiteheart RT RT 6 O0 200
Ferritic malleable (20OoC if high C core
involved)
Blackheart RT-150 RT-150 6 O0 200
malleable
Flake 300-330 300-330 6 O0 350
Pearlitic Nodular 200-330 200-330 6 O0 300
Malleable 300-330 300-330 600 300
Control of HAZ properties calcium as an inoculant. This type of cast

The formation of hard and brittle HAZ struc- iron is claimedl to have good weldability with-
tures may lead to cracking during cooling or out the formation of iron carbides in the HAZ.
in service, and can cause problems if com-
ponents have to be machined after welding, or Pottweld heat treatment
if the welded joint has to comply with the duc- Weldments containing white iron and martensite
tility requirements of a standard specification in their fusion and HAZs will have properties
or code which is determined by means of a which are considerably inferior to similar com-
transverse bend test, e.g. welds in SG iron ponents with homogeneous structures. The
pipes. Limitation of welding heat inputs reduction in component properties caused by
reduces'the extent of the HAZ formed, but may welding is unacceptable in many instances, even
not always be enough to ensure satisfactory when components are designed with welding in
properties. HAZ hardness may be reduced by mind. In such situations it may be possible
preheating followed by slow cooling after weld- to improve the properties of the welded joint
ing. Preheating lowers the cooling rate both by postweld heat treatment. White iron can be
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
in the weld and HAZ during and after austenite decomposed by heating for a minimum of 3hr
transformation, reducing martensite formation at 900°-950°C, but it will be appreciated that
to a minimum and limiting the hardness of any high temperature heat treatments will add con-
which does form. siderably to overall welding costs, and may be
Cracking resulting from unequal expansion impractical owing to problems with component
may occur during the preheating or complex size o r distortion. If annealing is not carried
castings, or when preheat is confined to small out HAZ properties may be improved by stress
areas of large components. A general scheme relief at 62OoC immediately after welding, fol-
of preheat levels is shown in Table 3. lowed by furnace cooling to 35OoC. This treat-
Ferritic SG iron castings up to about ment decomposes martensite and gives a softer
15mm thick can be welded without preheat. structure while reducing residual stresses in
The general niles of preheating are not fol- the component.
lowed in the 'quench welding' technique for
repairing iron castings. in this method the Buttering techniques for CO ;rol of dilution and
weld is made without preheat by depositing a metallurgical quality
series of small stringer beads. These weld Euttering involves thf preparation of a joint
beads are peened to relieve shrinkage stresses, for welding by depobiting one or more layers
and the weld area is quenched with an air blast of weld metal on the joint edges, using a low
or damp cloth with the object of limiting stress heat input technique under closely controlled
buildup and reducing HAZ size. conditions. The buttered surface is more
Recently at the University of Ghent alu- weldable than the raw casting, and the cast
minium alloyed/calcium inoculated cast iron iron is shielded from the immediate thermal
has been developed in which silicon, the shock of the welding process used to complete
graphitising element of conventional grey irons, the joint. Fusion and HAZ problems a r e there-
is replaced by aluminium in combination with fore restricted to the buttering runs, which

AWS W C I 85 D 0 7 8 4 2 6 5 0007374 2
V-9
may be made with compatible but expensive welding, it is a very slow process and there-
filler materiais followed where necessary by fore largely unsuitable for production welding.
annealing to remove carbides. Less expensive Its use is restricted to the repair of complex
filler and higher heat inputs may then be used castings.
to complete the weld, often without preheating.
Buttering can be applied to SG iron in the Bronze welding
foundry before the production heat treatment. Bronze welding is a nonfusion process in which
Since the subsequent final welding operations the parent metal is not melted and a brass fil-
affect only the overlay deposits, no massive ler rod is used. This process is referred to
carbide is formed in the fusion zones and no as braze welding in the USA. The parent metal
postweld heat treatment is required to obtain is preheated either locally or throughout the
maximum ductility. It is reported that satis- casting to 4OO0C and the region of the joint is
factory ductility is obtained2 when a combination coated with flux. The part at which welding
of stainless steel buttering and basic coated is to commence is then preheated with the oxy-
ferritic steel filler is used for welding SG iron. acetylene flame to a temperature of approxi-
mately 85OOC. The filler rod is warmed with
CHOICE OF CONSUMABLES the flame, dipped in the flux, and then applied
Several factors must be considered when choosing to the heated casting when it should immediately
filler materials for cast iron welding. The melt and wet the surface of the casting. Further
requirements for an ideal filler material may filler metal is added as welding proceeds until
be mutually exclusive in any particular instance the prepared groove is filled. Bronze welding
but the following factors must be considered: gives a machinable joint that is suitable for
service up to 25OoC, at which temperature the
1 cost strength starts to fall.
2 Matching strength There is no colour match but this is often
3 Tolerance to dilution by parent metal not important and the reduced heat input com-
4 Machinability pared with full fusion welding with the oxy-
5 Tolerance to high cooling rates acetylene process may in certain situations be
6 Weldability at low heat inputs useful in avoiding distortion. A s with correctly
7 C o l a r matching applied oxyacetylene fusion welding, the bronze
8 Ductility to absorb welding strains welding process produces a soft HAZ free from
carbides and martensite.
Common filler metals for welding cast iron
include SG iron, nickel-base alloys, and copper- Powder welding
base alloys. These a r e described in detail in Powder welding is a low heat input gas welding
the next Section. process somewhat akin to bronze welding in
respect of parent metal temperatures but utilis-
ing a number of proprietary filler metals in
CHOICE OF WELDING PROCESS
powder form contained in a closed hopper
Oxyacetylene welding mouiited on the specially designed oxyacetylene
Oxyacetylene welding produces very low pen- welding torch. The finely divided powder is
etration and dilution, and, to melt the surface fed through a metering valve into the oxygen
of the cast iron with an oxyacetylene gas flame, stream so that it passes through the gas flame
it is general practice to preheat the iron to before it impinges on the surface of the work-
600°-650°C. Although this high heat input piece where surface alloying occurs. The
results in a wide HAZ, the very slow cooling presence of silicon and boron in the powder
rate after welding causes the HAZ to transform alloys lowers the melting point and produces
to soft microstructures without any risk of a self-fluxing action which facilitates wetting
martensite formation. of the cast iron parent metal. As with bronze
Filler materials generally available for welding, the parent metal is not melted by the
oxyacetylene welding include SG cast iron rods3 oxyacetylene flame and therefore carbide for-
having high contents of carbon and silicon mation is suppressed. Provided that the cool-
which promote graphitisation of the weld metal ing rate after welding is controlled a soft HAZ
as it solidifies and cools, with consequent good will be obtained.
machinability. For higher duty castings , higher The advantage of powder welding over
strength filler rods are available containing alloy- bronze welding is that higher strength weld
ing elements such as nickel and molybdenum. metals a r e available whose use is not restricted
Despite the above advantages of oxyacetylene to service temperatures below 25OoC. Many
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

254
different powder alloys are available, most of machinable weld deposit is obtained. The weld
them being based on nickel with additions of metal is ductile even when welding without pre-
iron, chromium, and cobalt which produce weld heat because no transformation takes place
deposits having a range of hardnesses and such as occurs in a ferritic deposit. Rapid
structures giving different degrees of wear cooling rates, therefore, do not have a deleteri-
resistance. These filler metals are suitable ous effect on the weld metal. One disadvantage
for a variety of applications and can be used of nickel weld metal is its susceptibility to
to give high strength welds in grey, SG, or solidification cracking from pickup of phosphorus
malleable irons; some of them can be used for or sulphur from a cast iron containing high per-
wear-resistant weld deposits. centages of these elements. Spheroidal graphite
A useful technique is to use powder weld- irons are normally low in these elements and
ing for buttering the edges of a joint, so that this problem does not occur.
a soft HAZ is obtained, followed by the use of Nickel electrodes for welding cast iron
a faster process such as manual metal-arc classified as ENi-CI by AWS A5.15.69 have a
(MMA) welding to complete the joint. graphite-based covering which produces a soft
shallow penetrating a r c enabling the electrode
MMA welding to be used for low current welding with either
Manual metal-arc welding with covered elec- AC or DC. Although the nickel weld deposit
trodes has been applied to the repair of cast is not affected, preheat can influence HAZ
iron for many years and is also used for properties, as discussed in 'Control of HAZ
welded fabrications incorporating cast iron. properties'. Such electrodes may be econ-
The development of suitable electrodes has omically used for the deposition of buttering
been influenced by the metallurgical charac- layers.
teristics of cast iron and also by the particular
features of the welding process. Whereas with NickeViron electrodes
gas welding processes some degree of preheat These electrodes, classified as ENiFe-CI by
is essential to raise the temperature of the AWS A5.15.69, contain approximately 55% nickel
joint faces so that the oxyacetylene flame can and 45% iron. They are cheaper than pure
melt the surface more easily, the act of strik- nickel electrodes and are less susceptible to
ing an arc on cast iron causes a small molten solidification cracking caused by phosphorus or
pool to form immediately, whether preheat is sulphur. The weld metal hardness is higher
used or not, and however thick the casting. than that of pure nickel and because it is
The penetration or amount of parent metal increased by dilution this must be controlled
melted is much greater with MMA welding than to obtain reasonable machinability of the weld.
with the gas welding process and this molten Preheating to 150'-300°C will reduce the cool-
cast iron becomes mixed with the filler metal ing rate of the weld and will improve machin-
deposited from the electrode. Depending on the ability.
type of electrode and the welding current the These electrodes produce stronger weld
amount of dilution by parent metal can be up metal than nickel electrodes and are widely
to 30% and thi8 has influenced the development used for high strength welds in SG irons and
of electrodes. For example, if a normal mild high duty irons and also for welding cast iron
steel electrode is used on cast iron the weld to steel. They can also be used for buttering
deposit will contain about 1%carbon and, at joint faces as described for nickel electrodes.
the comparatively rapid cooling rates of arc The mechanical properties of butt welds
welds, the deposit will transform to martensite made in pearlitic and ferritic SG irons with
which, because of its inherent brittleness, is nickel-iron electrodes are compiled in Table 4
almost certain to crack under the action of published by the British SG Iron Producers
contraction stresses. This quench cracking is Association Ltd.4 These results are based on
likely to occur even when using a basic covered the work of several investigators and are
electrode which has been properly dried at tem- typical of the mechanical properties which can
peratures of 450°-500°C before welding. be expected when joining SG iron castings in
the pearlitic and ferritic grades to one another.
Nickel electrodes They indicate that reasonably strong and mod-
The most satisfactory solution to the problem erately tough and ductile welds can be obtained
of weld metal dilution by carbon from the by metal-arc welding.
parent metal is the use of a nickel or nickel From the Table it is also evident that
alloy consumable. The carbon separates in the ductility is improved by postweld annealing
form of finely divided graphite and a readily heat treatment which eliminates carbides and
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 rn 078q265 0007L7b b rn
v-9
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AWS WCI 85 - 078Y2bS 00071i77 8
v-9
martensite from the HAZ. Any improve-
5II:
(d
U 2 2
alal
ment in ductility tends, however, to be
limited by the distribution of the graphite
N 3 3 found from the breakdown of carbides and
I
w
O id
X E E0
O martensite .
II:&
a Nickelhopper electrodes
al
Y c;l These electrodes of the ENiCu-A and
al I R i
4
a ENiCu-B types are often referred to under
the trade name of Monel.* The covering
.
h
d is similar to that of nickel or a nickel/iron
electrode and is based on graphite to give
low penetration and hence decreased
o
id
=: djlution. This is particularly important
Fi
k for a Monel filler metal because nickel/
2 copper alloys a r e susceptible to cracking
‘o when diluted by iron.
s
,o (3 O 0 Copper-base electrodes
*: I
4
b rl Ad; These electrodes classified under AWS
td A5.15.69 as ECuSn and ECuAl-A2 consist
al
a
of tin bronze (copper/tin) or aluminium
.o
.FI bronze (copper/aluminium) alloys. They
9 were developed many years ago for welding
m
N
8 tin bronzes, aluminium bronzes, or brasses
and it was subsequently found that they
could be used for welding cast iron without
M
the problems associated with cast iron or
Ei
al steel electrodes. These electrodes have
been largely superseded by the nickel and
3E nickel/iron types.
MIG-welding
in recent years MIG-welding with nonferrous
filler wires and an argon gas shield has
s
i
been applied to the welding of cast irons.
The low heat input dip transfer or short
aD %u;
(3 (3m
circuiting a r c process generally produces
less iron carbide in the HAZ than MMA
I 2 welding. Another advantage of MïG-welding
is that it can be mechanised and is there-
I w
O
m
fore ideal for repetition work on welding
3 cast iron components. Once the optimum
5 welding conditions have been determined
g.
k
work should proceed without trouble, pro-
a vided the composition of the cast iron does
l
al b not vary to an unacceptable degree.
, I
8
al
There a r e no specifications for filler
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
l
Y wires for MïG-welding cast iron but satis-
factory results have been obtained with
Nickel 61 and Monel 60 wires (developed
by the International Nickel Company) which
are covered by BS 2901 : FJt 5 : 1970 and
AWS A5.14.69. The compositions of these
wires are given in Table 5. Nickel/iron
al
4
c>
al * Monel is a registered ‘trade mark of the
pi International Nickel Company Inc.

AWS W C I 85
v-9 257
Q)
III
wires similar in composition to
i
rl
O
o,
El
O
!i
B
ENiFe-CI in Table 1 have been
used successfully for MIG-
0 E I I l-l welding but these are not readily
available.
The application of MIG-
welding to SG iron with nickel-
base fillers and argon shielding
v) was first described by Osman
N
O
and Stephenson who found that
the low heat input produced a
discontinuous network of carbide
O v)
which was restricted to discrete
!iE (D t-
areas surrounding the graphite
VJ B v) O
nodules. Good tensile properties
k E 4 (D I
O matching those of the parent
metal could be achieved without
annealing when Nickel 61 filler
wire was used, Table 6 . The
1
v)
rl
data given in Table 6 show that
elongations of 11.5% can be
ò achieved in as-welded ferritic
SG iron.
E Copper-based filler metals
i !i ! i O
such as the tin and aluminium
O
O
1 E7
iiiI
4
E
m
O
O
m
O
O
E l-l
l-l
O
Q,
bronzes, Table 7, and also the
manganese aluminium bronze
l-l
Superston 40 (ES 2901 : Pt 3 :
1970, C22) (developed by Stone
Manganese Marine Ltd) can be
M used for MIG-welding cast iron.
!i .s The nickel- and copper-based
E 21al filler wires can be deposited
O
v) B by either the dip transfer pro-
rl
B cess or by the more recently
developed pulsed a r c method.
Fi
e k .B .B .i Both these welding processes
al E E
m
E
O B E2
O
?
m N
O restrict dilution to the region
u)
b u Q, Q,
u)
a0 of 10% and the low controlled
E3 B heat input produces a minimum
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
I
FJ Fi
o, of brittle iron carbides.
E! in certain circumstances
a ferritic filler wire can be
Oi 8
a
k
used; for example, when welding
a whiteheart malleable iron in
rl which the low penetration of
i$
o l-l m
the dip transfer or pulsed arc
process does not penetrate the
c
O ferritic skin of the casting.
B
E
m
Ei
.r<
For dip transfer welding
Q, a with a ferritic filler wire, CO2
8 shielding gas could be used in
E"
O
place of argon and thus offer an
u economic advantage. Procedural
l-l
u) E-
tests would be necessary to
d determine the preheat required
4
.rl
i which could vary from zero to
a E 2OO0C depending on whether

AWS W C I 85 078Li265 0007179 I
258 v-9
the HAZ included the high carbon core of the REFERENCES

casting. DEVRIES, H. 'The metal-arc welding of
A flux-cored electrode for gas-shielded aluminium alloyed calcium inoculated grey
welding has been developed recently which cast iron at preheat temperatures lower
deposits weld metal having a composition simi- than 2OOOC'. Rev. de la Soudure, 2 (4),
lar to that of the ENiFe-CI covered electrode. 1973, 157-66.
This new flux-cored electrode, NI-ROD* FC55, BATES, R.C. and MORLEY, F.J. Jnr.
was designed for the high speed production 'Welding nodular iron without postweld
welding of cast irons and it is reported5 that it annealing'. Weld. J., 2 (9), 1961,
can be used without shielding gas, with C o z or 4178-22s.
COz/argon shielding, or with a submerged-arc DMON, R.H.T. and THORNYCROFT, D.R.
flux. 'Filler rod for the gas welding of SG
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
It is likely that, because of the precise con- iron'. Foundry Trade J., 108 (2266).
trol of the heat input possible with MIG-welding, 12 May 1960, 583-9.
particularly when mechanised, the process will 'The joining and fabrication of SG iron
be applied more extensively in the future for the castings by welding'. British SG Iron
production welding of cast irons. Producers Association Limited.
BISHEL, R.A. 'Flux-cored electrode for
* NI-ROD is a registered trade mark of the cast iron welding'. Weld. J., 52 (6).
International Nickel Company Inc. 1973, 372-81.

AWS WCI 85 07842b5 0007180 8
v-9 259
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
1 Pearlitic gmy iron x 2 0 0
2 Nodular iron x 200

AWS WCI 85 038Li2b5 0003l18lI T
260 v-9
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0 7 8 q 2 b 5 0007382 3
v-I o 261
The Development of a SMAW

Procedure for Cast Iron
Implant test results lead to recommendation of E-NiCrFe-2

electrode and 700O F preheat and postheat
BY B. APPELT AND R. E. LONG
Introduction An implant test was used as a means to eter cast iron threaded National Coarse.
gather information indicative of an 2. Low carbon steel plates.
This project entailed the development acceptable welding procedure for cast 3. E-NiCrFe2 and E-Ni-I electrodes.
of a procedure for SMAW under field iron by the SMAW process under field 4. A heat source capable of preheat-
conditions of cast iron. The quantitative conditions. This test was originally devel- ing and WHT of assemblies as required
results provided an insight to SMAW oped by Cranjon of France, and later in the range of 500°F (260°C) to 700°F
procedures for cast iron. Variables of modified by Sawhill and others of the (371OC).
electrodes, preheats, and postheats were USA (Savage, 1976). A further modifica- 5 . Nuts of 0.750 in. (19 mm) National
observed. The procedure was evaluated tion was made by the authors whereby Coarse.
by the use of a test which was a modifi- torque, rather than direct tension was 6. A torque wrench.
cation of the implant test (Granjon, 1979) used for pulling the implant from the 7. A welding power supply with amp
whereby threaded cast iron was welded specimens. For this study a threaded and volt meters.
to carbon steel plate. Each implant was piece of cast iron was welded to a low 8. Temperature indicating crayons to
tested by placing a nut on the threaded carbon steel base metal - Fig. 1. measure preheats and postheats.
cast iron and using a torque wrench to Variables consisting of filler metals,
determine the energy required to break preheats, and postheats were studied.
the implant from the weld. Evaluation
The electrodes used in this study were
The problem was to determine what E-NiCrFe-2 and E-Ni-I. The chemistry for Each weld was evaluated using the
procedure would produce welds in cast these electrodes is stated in AWS A5.14 foot-pounds (joules) of energy that each
iron with the highest strength when and is given in Table 1. The preheats used individual implant absorbed before crack-
welded with the SMAW process under in this investigation were 500°F (260"C), ing free of the plate. Comparisons were
field conditions. This procedure was 600°F (315"C), and 700°F (371°C). The made between the welds to determine
developed in a welding laboratory, but postweld heat treatments (PWHT) used the most suitable filler metal, preheat and
used only equipment applicable to field were also 500°F (260"C), 600°F (315"C), postheat for a field weld of cast iron.
welding conditions. No furnaces were and 700°F (371°C). No attempt was made to analyze the
to be used with this process. Field All welding was done with an arc type of failure or preliminary microcrack-
conditions were to be a welding truck voltage of 18-20 volts (V) and 90-100 ing. The evaluation was the complete
equipped with an engine-driven welding amperes (A) direct current reverse polari- energy level required to remove the
unit and oxyacetylene equipment. ty using % in. (3.2 mm) diameter elec- implant of cast iron from the weld. The
trodes. After welding the samples were strength of the cast iron was determined
Objectives of the Project air-cooled and tested as welded or by machining a special implant specimen
PWHT and tested. The evaluation test (Fig. 3) with a flange on one end similar to
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
This study, dealing with the develop- was accomplished by placing a nut on the a bolt head. This specimen was tested
ment of an optimum SMAW procedure, threaded cast iron and using a torque and found to require 170 ft-lb (230.5
had the following objectives:
1. Determine a standard for cast iron
wrench on the nut to determine the -
joules) of energy to break Fig. 4.
amount of energy required to remove
when tested in this manner. each implant from its weld-Fig. 2.
2. Determine suitable filler metals.
3. Determine suitable preheats and Table l-lhemkal Compos¡t¡ons of
postheats. Equipment and Mater¡als Electrodes Used in Study, %
Equipment and materials used in- E-NiCrFe-2 E-Ni-I

cluded:
I.Implants of 0.750 in. (19 mm) diam- C o.1 o. 1
Mn 1.0-3.5 0.75
Fe 12 0.75
P 0.03 0.03
S 0.02 0.02
Paper to be presented on the Professional si 0.75 1.25
Program of the 63rd Annual A WS Convention Cu 0.5 0.25
in Kansas City, Missouri, during April 25-30, Ni 62 min. 92 min.
1982. Cr 13-17
Cb 0.5-3.0 -
B. APPELT is with Bob's Welding Co., HOMS) MQ 0.5-3.0 -.
Fig. i-Implant test as modified by the New Mexico#and R. .E. LONG is an Associate AI - 1.o
authors Professor, Utah State University, Logan, Utah.
Source: Welding Journal, 61 (4), April 1982

AWS W C I A5 07ALi2bS 0007183 3 W
262 v-I o
Table 2-implant Test Results
Temperature of Specimen when

welded E-NiCrFe-2 E-Ni-I
75°F (24°C) 30 ft-lb (40.68 joules) 48 ft-lb (65 joules)

Preheat dnly to 500°F (260°C) 38 ft-lb (51.5 joules) 57 ft-lb (77.3 joules)
Preheat and PWHT to 500°F (260°C) 102 ft-lb (138.3 joules) 63 ft-lb (85.4 joules)
Preheat only to 600°F (315°C) 83 ft-lb (112.5 joules) 60 ft-lb (81.4 joules)
Preheat and PWHT to 600°F (315°C) 122 ft-lb (165.4 joules) 98 ft-lb (132.9 joules)
Preheat only to 700°F (371°C) 92 ft-lb (124.7 joules) 57 ft-lb (77.3 joules)
Fig. 2 -Determining the energy required to Preheat and PWHT to 700°F (371OC) 138 ft-lb (187 joules) 92 ft-lb (124.7 joules)
remove implant from its weld Strength of unwelded implant was 170 ft-lb (230.5 jouies)
150
140
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
130
ia0
t 10
1W
90
ao
Fig. 3 -Implant test specimen E-Ni-1 @7S°F
70
E-NiCrFe-2 @ 7S°F
80
E-NiCrFe-2 P r e & post
SO
E-NiCrFe-2 Preheat
40 E-Ni-1 Pre & post
50
E-Ni-1 preheat
Fi/lb# I
.r 100 1w $00 400 XQ 600 100
Fig. 5- The effects of various preheats and PWHT's on two electrodes
150
150
Fig. 4 -Fractured implant test specimen 140
140
Results
130 / 150
120
120
The variables and results are presented
in tabular form for simplicity, and all 110
110
numbers are stated in foot-pounds and

Joules. The strengths of all the various
welds are presented in Table 2. The data
90
are also presented graphically in Fig. 5 90
where the superiority of E-NiCrFe-2 with 80

10
a 7OOoF (371°C) pre- and postheat may
be seen. 70
The effect of pre and postheat on
E-NiCrFe-2 is more easily seen in Fig. 6. ao
The effect is an increase from 30 ft-lb
sa
(40.68 joules) to 138 ft-lb (187 Joules). 50
This is an increase of 460% from welding 40

40
at 75OF (24°C). A weld made with E-
NiCrFe-2 and using a 700°F (371°C) pre 30 30
and postheat develops 81.17% of the r=O. 99
base metal. The correlation coefficient Ft/lk I I
W4.i I
for these tests was 0.99973, indicating

strong correlation. .r mo 500
100 m ma 700
The use of preheat only produced the Fig. 6 - E i i w of increasingpreheat and PWHT fig. 7-Effect of increasing preheat on E-
results illustrated in Fig. 7. This shows that on E-NiCrFe-2 NiCrFe-2

AWS WCI 85 07811265 00071811 5 W
v-1o 263
150 150 150
140 140
140
1'30 130
tio
110 tao
120
110 110
110
lo< 1M
1W
9( 91
sa
SO C
I
60
7( 71
70
6a SO
SO
5< 51
50
40
u 41
31 31
30
C1/Ib Ct/lb I
I
Fl/lbl I
9 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 O? 100 200 300 400 500 6W 700
9 wo a00 am 400 sw 600 700
Fig 8-Etfect of preheat vs preheat and Fig Y - Eftetl of increasing preheat on E-Ni-I fig. IO-fiiect ot increasing preheat and
PWHT on E-NiCrFe-2 PWHT On E-NI-1
there was little advantage to a 500°F 600°F (315°C) pre and postheat. This is for cast iron under field conditions devel-
(260°C) preheat alone, but 700°F similar to the situation for preheat only. oping the greatest torque value on an
(371°C) preheat did produce a strength implant test has three primary variables:
of 92 ft-lb (124.7 Joules). Conclusion 1. The electrode is E-NiCrFe-2.
The results of using preheat and post- 2. The preheat is 700°F (371°C).
heat with E-NiCrFe-2 are presented in Fig. The data indicate that the strongest 3. The weld is postheated to 700°F
8. The 500°F (260°C) postheat caused a weld on the basis of torque required for (371°C).
charge from 38 ft-lb (51.5 Joules)to 102 fracture was made with preheat and
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
ft-lb (138.3 Joules). This is a charge of postheat using E-NiCrFe-2. An interesting
approximately 268%, but only 60% of the point is that with increasing temperature References
base metal strength. there is an increase in torque strength of
The effect of preheat only on E-Ni-I is the specimens made with the E-NiCrFe-2. 1. American Welding Society. 1976. Specifi-
shown in Fig. 9. Note that the strength of Further tests are needed to determine the cation for nickel and nickel alloy covered
ultimate strength of welds made with this welding electrodes. AWS A5.11-76. Miami.
a weld with this filler metal is less at 700°F
2. Cranjon, H. 1979. Survey of cracking
(371°C) than when welded with a 600°F electrode. There is an indication that the
tests, Dec. IIW-583-79. Welding in the World
(315°C) preheat. welds made with E-Ni-I develop their 17 (3/4) : 81-89.
The effect of preheat and postheat on ultimate strength when postweld heat 3. Savage, W. F.; Nippes, E. F.; and Sawhill,
E-Ni-I is shown in Fig. 10. The weld made treated to 600°F (315°C). J. M., Ir. 1976. Hydrogen induced cracking
with 700°F (371°C) pre and postheat has Based upon the data collected during during implant testing of alloy steels. Welding
a lower strength than that made with this investigation, the welding procedure lourna155 (12) : 400-5 to 407-s.

AWS W C I 8 5 =,078i.i265 0007185 7
264 v-11
APPLICATION T O CAST-IRONS OF VERTICAL

WELDING UNDER SLAG (*I
A. MICHEL
( I n s t i t u t e o f Welding)
I. INTRODUCTION
T h e r e a r e c u r r e n t l y two methods u s e d i n t h e few c a s e s o f t h e

a p p l i c a t i o n of w e l d i n g t o t h e r e p a i r and c o n s t r u c t i o n o f c a s t -
iron parts:
- The s o - c a l l e d " h o t t h e r m a l c o n d i t i o n " o r homogeneous w e l d i n g

met hod..
T h i s t e c h n i q u e c o n s i s t s o f p r e - h e a t i n g t h e p a r t t o a h i g h temper-
a t u r e (500°C approx.) which on t h e one hand g i v e s t h e m a t e r i a l
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
s u f f i c i e n t p l a s t i c i t y t o f r e e i t from t h e r m a l s t r e s s e s and which
on t h e o t h e r hand a l l o w s t h e c o o l i n g s p e e d t o be r e d u c e d , i n o r d e r
t o produce a s t r u c t u r e f r e e o f brittle m e t a s t a b l e components.
- The s o - c a l l e d " c o l d t h e r m a l c o n d i t i o n t 1 or h e t e r o g e n e o u s w e l d i n g
method.
By c o n t r a s t w i t h t h e p r e v i o u s method, t h i s t e c h n i q u e c o n s i s t s o f
u s i n g a s m a l l amount o f e n e r g y t o a p p l y m u l t i p l e d e p o s i t s i n o r d e r
t o l i m i t t h e a r e a a f f e c t e d by t h e t h e r m a l c y c l e t o t h e minimum
s t r i c t l y n e c e s s a r y , t h e a p p e a r a n c e of brittle m e t a s t a b l e components
being i n e v i t a b l e w i t h i n t h i s a r e a ,
Xn v i e w of t h e l a c k of r e l i a b l e and e a s i l y applied p r o c e s s e s , we
u n d e r t o o k t h e s t u d y whose r e s u l t s are g i v e n below, w i t h i n t h e frame-
work of a c o n t r a c t from t h e M . I . R .
( * ) P a p e r p r e s e n t e d t o t h e S o c i e t y of iu'elding E n g i n e e r s i n P a r i s
on 1 5 t h November 1979.
Source: Soudage et Techniques Connexes, November-December 1979 (GKN Translation No. 12,029)
~

AWS W C I 85 O i 8 Y 2 6 5 0007LBb 7
v-11 265
Vertical welding under slag offers certain peculiarities which

should be mentioned at the outset, These are a s follows:
- Very high energy input: the low speed of movement o f the heat
source produces a flattened thermal gradient with considerable
natural pre-heating by conduction. This characteristic naturally
classifies the process among the hot thermal condition welding
methods ,
- Creation of a considerably diluted massive molten area, insensitive

t o hot fissuring, because o f the special orientation of t h e
solidification,
- Favourable shape factor; absence o f geometrical notching at the

joint, associated with a n area of extensive and homogeneoua
residual stresses,
- Symmetrical energy distribution around .the centre o f the weld

and final solidification dt the c o r e .
II. DIRECTION OF THE STUDY
2.1 Objective
The main objective o f the study was to obtain i n the as welded
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
state, welded joints suitably free from porosity and capable of being
machined by machine-tools,
2.2 Grade and characteristics of the test plates.
Two non-alloy haematite cast-irons for fabrication were chosen:

. Lamellar graphite cast-iron F
T 25 D (NF A 32-101).
\
. Spheriod graphite cast-iron F GS 50.7 (NF A 32-201).
The chemical analysis of each grade is given i n table I.
F o r each grade, test plates were supplied to thicknesses o f 12, 20

40 mm, in a 600 x 250 mm rectangular format, which allowed:
- either the preparation of short samples, for t h e preliminary tests,
technological development and study o f structures;
- or the preparation of long samples, allowing the creation of a
significant thermal gradient.

266
2.3 Techniques studied
Two separate techniques were studied:
2.3.1 Welding with cast-iron rectangular filler metal rods
This technique consists of moving at a suitable speed a prismatic

electrode r o d of sufficient length and of section suitable for the
thickness of the parts, in order to obtain a molten area of the
same composition.
2.3.2 Welding with fusible wire-guide
This technique, which offers great simplicity of application,

allows the use of various combinations of wires and wire-guides to
be studied:
- solid wire of steel and wire-guide of cast-iron;

- coated wire depositing a cast-iron and wire-guide of cast-iron
or steel.
In this manner, and a s a function of the relative section o f the

wire-guide, the composition of the molten area can be adjusted to
the required value.
Procuct analysis
a% Si% S% P% Mg%
0.85 2.85 0.016 0.040 -
0.35 2.80 0.012 0.035 0.04
TABLE II
Ref. CaF2 Ca0 MgO MnO Fe0 AlsOs Tio2 SiO2 Basicity
A 20 14 14 6 - 17 - 28 Neutral, weakly
basic
B 45 12 2 2 2 20 5 6 Basic
C 16 i9 10 6 - 1.5 33 Neutral, weakly
acid
2.4 Equipment used
T h e various tests were performed w i t h a view to using conventional

equipment and consumables; thus:
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 W 078Li2b5 0007388 2 W
v-11 267
the welding current generator w a s a transformer-rectifier with

flat voltage characteristic capable of supplying a current of
600 A in continuous service;
o the electrode wires supplied were of conventional grades;

- the electrode i o d s and fusible wire-guides were machined from
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
the 12 mm test plates.
2.5 Slags studied

T h e research and development of a slag offering certain physical
characteristics suitable f o r the welding of cast-irons w a s outside
the scope of the study and was therefore not undertaken.
Consequently, three slags o f different compositions and used for

the welding of steels, were chosen,
The mean chemical weight analysis of each s l a g i s given i n table II.
III. WELDING W I T H RECTANGULAR ROD
3.1 Preliminary technical problema
Among the problems inherent in the use of this technique is that

o f the guidance and movement of the prismatic rod.
Figure 1 illustrates the r i g studied and prepared by US. This rig,
adaptable to the basic motor-reeler, permits the vertical movement
of a square section rod of 12 m m sides at a speed adJustable from
O t o 35 cm/min.
Moreover, spark butt-welding was found particularly suitable for

the preparation of r o d s in lengths of 1200, i800 and 2400 mm.

AWS W C I 8 5 W 078i4265 0007189
v-11
Fig. 1
a: top t r a n s v e r s e guide r o l l e r
b: p r i s m a t i c rad ( 1 2 x 1 2 )
c: t o p s i d e g u i d e and d r i v i n g r o l l e r s
d: e l e c t r i c a l c o n t a c t pad
e: bottom t r a n s v e r s e g u i d e r o l l e r
f : bottom s i d e g u i d e r o l l e r s
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
3.2 Welding t e s t w i t h m i l d s t e e l rectangular rod
A f t e r s e v e r a l encouraging t e s t s performed on t e s t - p i e c e s of 20 mm
gauge E 24.1 s t e e l , d u r i n g which t h e t h r e e s l a g s ( A , B and C ) were
s u c c e s s i v e l y u s e d , a t r a n s i t i o n a l t e s t w a s performed i n o r d e r t o
s t u d y t h e behaviour of t h e l i q u i d s l a g r e f . A i n t h e p r e s e n c e of
cast-iron F
T 25.
From the porosity and weld metal inclusion standyoint, the result obtained was
satisfactory.
However, t h e molten a r e a o f f e r s a s t r u c t u r e o f h y p e r - e u t e c t o i d
composition whose e x c e s s i v e h a r d n e s s (380 t o 400 Hv) p r e v e n t s i t s
machining by machine-tools.

AWS W C I 85 07842b5 0007L70 O =
v-11 269
3.3 Welding tests with cast-iron rectangular rod
3.3.1 Preliminary tests
The choice of filler metal grade fell upon cast-iron F GS 5 0 whose

low Mn content offers advantages from the graphitisation standpoint.
The first experiments conducted with slag A and cooled copper pads
were disappointing from the point of view o f the soundness of the
joints. The visual examination in fact showed the presence of
quasi-continuous slag inclusions whose scarfing started shortly
after the fusion of the cast-iron rod.
The cross-sectional macrographic examination revealed a hetero-

geneity of the structure of the malten area (figures 2a and 2b).
The graphitic regions, of low hardness (190 to 230 Hv) revealed
a fine interdendritic superfusion lamellar graphite of type I)
(micrograph in figure 3).
By contrast, the hardness of the carburized areas was excessive,

(450 to 560 Hv).
Finally, the presence of spheriodal metal particles could be
observed i n the slag.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 2 Fig. 3
25. g = 20 mm. Slag A.
FT Rod FGSSO

AWS W C I 85 m 078Li265 0007LîL 2 m
270 v-11
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
3.3.2 Complementary t e s t s
The l a t e n t fault in weld metal soundness observed during the preliminary t e s t s

l e d u s t o s t u d y t h e a c t i o n of c e r t a i n p a r a m e t e r s upon t h e b e h a v i o u r
o f s l a g A:
. I n c r e a s e o f t h e welding energy:
- u s e of r e f r a c t o r y g r a p h i t e p a d s ;
- i n c r e a s e i n c r o s s - s e c t i o n and alumina pads.
. L i m i t a t i o n of t h e q u a n t i t y o f s l a g .
. S l a g enrichment w i t h c a l c i u m f l u o r i d e .
Other p a r a m e t e r s were a l s o s t u d i e d :
. Behaviour of t h e t y p e B and C s l a g s .
. I n f l u e n c e o f t h e FT 25 f i l l e r m a t e r i a l on s l a g A.
None of t h e a c t i o n s t a k e n p r o v i d e d any remedy a g a i n s t t h e f o r m a t i o n

of t h e i n c l u s i o n s which remai$just a s dense.
The i n c r e a s e d energy r e s u l t e d i n l o c a l f u s i o n o f t h e edges and t h e

c r e a t i o n of a s i z e a b l e molten a r e a more or l e s s s e p a r a t e d f r o m t h e
l a t t e r by i n c l u s i o n s of s l a g .
With s l a g C , t h e weld even gave t h e a p p e a r a n c e o f a n a c t u a l i n g o t

i s o l a t e d f r o m t h e edges by a t h i n l a y e r of s l a g .
The u s e o f FT 25 l a m e l l a r g r a p h i t e c a s t - i r o n a s the f i l l e r material

w a s a d d i t i o n a l l y c h a r a c t e r i s e d by c o n s i d e r a b l e i n s t a b i l i t y o f t h e
e l e c t r i c a l parameters.
3.3.3 F i n a l t e s t w i t h composite r o d
The behaviour d i f f e r e n c e s found between s t e e l and c a s t - i r o n electrode

r o d s l e d u s t o s u s p e c t t h e g r a p h i t i c carbon. Consequently, a
d e c r e a s e i n t h e g r a p h i t e c o n c e n t r a t i o n of t h e e l e c t r o d e r o d s h o u l d
make i t p o s s i b l e t o lower t h e r e a c t i v i t y of t h e c a r b o n
w i t h t h e o x i d e s o f t h e slag.
The t e s t performed a l o n g t h e s e l i n e s made use of a r o d c o n s i s t i n g of

a F GS 50 c a s t - i r o n c o r e of r e c t a n g u l a r s e c t i o n ( 9 x 12 mm), plated
on t w o s i d e s w i t h a 1.5 mm t h i c k r i b b o n of e x t r a - m i l d s t e e l .

AWS WCI 8 5 m 078Li2b5 0007L72 9 m
v-11 271
Fig. 4
~ ~ 2 5g .= 20 INU. s l a g A.
Composite r o d FGS50
p l a t e d w i t h mild s t e e l .
Fig. 5 (opposite).
The r e s u l t o b t a i n e d w a s f i n a l l y crowned w i t h s u c c e s s .
D e s p i t e t n e modest w e l d i n g energy v a l u e , no weld defects were

a b l e t o be d e t e c t e d between t h e molten a r e a and t h e b a s e m e t a l .
The macrographic examination showed a mixed s t r u c t u r e , g r a p h i t i c

a t t h e h e a r t and cementic a t t h e edges o f t h e c o o l e d pads ( f i . g 4 ) .
The m i c r o g r a p h i c examination o f t h e COY^ again revealed a fine

i n t e r d e n d r i t i c lamellar graphite with a high proportion of p e r l i t e
r e s u l t i n g from t h e primary a u s t e n i t e ( f i g . 5). The h a r d n e s s of
such a s t r u c t u r e i s modest ( 2 9 0 H v ) .
IV. WELDING WITH FUSIBLE CAST-IRON WIRE-GUIDE

4.1 Problems posed by t h e u s e o f w i r e - g u i d e s
Wire-guides a r e simply p r e p a r e d from two rectangular e l e m e n t s of

e q u a l l e n g t h , whose p r o f i l e s when p l a c e d s y m m e t r i c a l l y t o g e t h e r
form a r e c t a n g u l a r s e c t i o n having a c e n t r a l c h a n n e l o b t a i n e d by
machining ( f i g . 6a).
W i t h a s o l i d w i r e of mild s t e e l , t h e s e c t i o n of t h e w i r e - g u i d e must
s a t i s f y &wo opposing r e q u i r e m e n t s :
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 m 0784265 0007373 b m
272 v-11
- it must be a s large as possible i n order to limit the loss o f
carbon nd silicon from the molten area;
- it must remain sufficiently small to ensure:

suitable electrical insulation,
the introduction of the slag and inoculant alloys,
. the evacuation of gaseous reaction products.
Figure 6c which represents the theoretical variation of the carbon

concentration a s a function o f the relative width (1
e
o f the wire- -
guide, shows that:
- the carbon saturation index (SC) is limited to a modest value;

- the increased concentration i s not sufficient to justify the
use of large section wire-guides.
As far a s the grade of t h e filler wire i s concerned, various

solutions are open. However, the solid wires used for the welding
of non-alloy steels are o f a n unfortunate composition (low carbon,
at'on
high manganese and low silicon) a s far a s the graphitis? o f t h e
molten area is concerned.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
//////////////////////////////
CO
t Se = Q S
& =O7
fòntes hypoeutectiguer
-
Hypo eut ec t ic c as t irons
t
I I
Aciers hypereutectoi'des
Hypereutectoid st eels
1 I I I I I
q5
Fig. s. - sc =
4,3
C
-0,3 Si

AWS W C I 8 5 m 078i.iZb5 00071194 8 m
v-11 273
4.2 Preliminary tests with solid steel wire
Several tests were conducted under different operating conditions,

in order t o observe the behaviour of t h e slag with the fusible
cast-iron wire-guide technique .
The filler material wire used for this series o f tests comprised
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
176 M n and 0.2046 Si. The support pads were of water-cooled copper,
F r o m the point of view of the soundness of the joints, all the

results obtained were high satisfactory. No inclusion was
detectable between the molten area and the base metal.
A s far a s the structure of the molten area was concerned, the 20 mm

gauge plates i n each case showed a white texture of redhibitory
hardness ( 3 5 0 to 480 Hv) principally consisting of perlite and
ledeburite (fig. 7).
On the thickar plates o f FT25 cast-iron, the molten area had a
mixed structure whose core hardness did not exceed 360 Hv (fig. 8 ) .
no. 7. Re&
4.3 Use of a coated wire depositing a SG cast-iron
The use of a coated wire depositing a spheroidal graphite cast-

iron i n gas-protected welding seemed appropriate from the standpoint
of the graphitisation of the molten area.
Two tests were conducted on these lines, with a coated wire con-
taining a powdery mixture of graphite and o f ferro-silicon.

AWS W C I 85 0784265 0007375 T D
274 v-11
Each test resulted in failure. The operating conditions become

very unstable as soon a s the coated wire melts and considerable
effervescence is observed i n the slag with the practically continu-
ous occurrence of stray arcing.
The molten area then offers the appearance o f a n irregular ingot

separated from the base material by large inclusions of slag.
4.4 Welding tests with graphitising inoculation
The inoculation technique, frequently used i n the foundry

industry, needed looking into in order to examine its influence
on the structure of the molten area.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
However, vertical welding under slag does not allow, a s f a r as the

inoculation is concerned, the freedom of action available i n the
foundry; in particular:
- the temperature of the liquid is fixed by that o f the slag;

- the inoculant,which has to be introduced a s t h e molten area
progresses, is in contact with a reasent slag.
Several inoculant alloys were used during this series of tests

(table III). Certain products, which were insufficiently dense or
considered too reactive a s far as the slag was concerned, were
deliberately rejected.
The alloys were first crushed t o a suitable granulometry, then

gravity-fed during the welding, using a vibrating bowl distributor.
Water-cooled copper support-pads were again used, in order t o main-

tain thermal conditions similar to those observed during the
previous tests.
TABLE III
-
Ref. Standard composition Density Granulometry (mm)
IGI F e Si45 4.4 Powder 0.1-0.4
IG2 Fe Si75 Al Ca 2.9 Grains ,< 1.6
II Il
IG3 Fe Si65 Ba A l Ca 3.7 It II
IG4 Fe Si75 Zr Ca A l 3.0
II It
IG5 Fe si65 M n Zr Al 3.4 Il It
1 ~ 6 F e si65 ca30 C 2.5

AWS W C I 85 0784265 0007L7b 1
v-11 275
The results obtained proved conclusive. The perfection of the
graphitisation of the molten area nevertheless seems to be linked
to the quantity and to the homogeneity o f the inoculant alloy
filler material.
At the edges, the forced cooling of the pads is however accompanied
by a cementiticborder which cannot be eliminated despite a n abundant
inoculation of ferro-silicon (fig.9).
The central part of the molten area has a perlite-ferritic atructure

with fine interdendritic graphite of type D (fig.10).
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
mg. o.
F+. O =i 20 mm. Laitier A. Inoculant IQl, : 4.5 Yo.
Fig, 9
ne Io.
FT25. g = 20 mm. Slag A.
Inoculant I G l , rate:4.5%
4.5 Use of refractory pads

The use of a refractory material for the support pads is doubly
advantageous from the graphitic solidification standpoint:
- decrease in the cooling speed of the molten area, following the

increase in welding energy;
- increase in the dilution rate and consequently, i n the carbon
and silicon content of the molten area.
Several refractory substances were used (table IV), Each of the

two pads is placed between two lateral coolers whose purpose is
to stabilise the thermal conditions (fig.11).

AWS WCI 85 W 0784265 0007377 3
276 v-11
TABLE IV
Ref . Refractory mat erial

R1 Graphited alumina (75%)
R2 Amorphous carbon
R3 Graphite
R4 Mullite ( 3 A120J, 2Si02)
R5 Sintered silica
In general, considerable savings are obtained in the welding

energy and the rate of dilution.
During the welding, the behaviour of the refractories differs

according to the substance used:
despite prior stoving because of their porous structure,

silica, graphited alumina and mullite release considerable
quantities of gas which makes the heat transfer somewhat
unstable ;
the amorphous carbon suffers moderate erosion leading t o a

local carbon enrichment of the molten area, but also a heat
cycle sensitivity which causes the pads to crack;
. the graphite offers excellent thermal shock resistance and

the erosion of its surface remains negligible if the latter
has a machining ttpolishlt .
A s far a s the structure of the molten areas is concerned, the
results were fairly disappointing i n the main. In particular,
the spheriodal graphite cast-iron, even for the thicker plates,
showed carburic solidification similar to that observed during
the preliminary tests. The lamellar graphite cast-iron, however,
offers a mixed structure whose graphitisation appears to b e
favoured by the use of amorphous carbon pads.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
4.6 Welding with refractory pads and inoculation
The simultaneous use o f these two techniques enabled us to

achieve very satisfactory results.
In addition to gravity inoculation, two other techniques were

studied during this series of tests:
- ccating of the wire-guide with inoculant alloy granules;

AWS WCI 85 = 0789265 0007398 5
v-11 277
- feeding of the inoculant powder through the electrode-wire.
Moreover, several operating variables were examined; these

involvedin particular:
- the use of a small section wire-guide;
- the influence of t h e nature and granulornetry of the inoculant
alloy,
Finally, a wire with a lower Mn content (0.4%) was used, with

support pads either of graphite or o f amorphous carbon.
From t h e point of view of the inoculation technique, it appears
that:
- coating of the wire-guide offers a suitable homogeneity and
rate of inoculation;
- the feeding of the powder through the wires does not allow
a sufficient rate of inoculation to b e obtained;
- gravity inoculation remains somewhat imprecise and requires
prior calibration of the feed device.
From the standpoint of the graphitisation efficiency, the nature

and granulornetry of the inoculant alloy cause no major difference
t o appear.
A large amount o f inoculation (3%) moreover ensures sufficient

graphitisation of a little diluted molten area, obtained using
a small section wire-guide.
By contrast, even massive inoculation does not allow the local

carburic hardening t o be eliminated,which appears o n thin
plates (12 and 20 mm) in the areas beneath the lateral coolers.
In general, graphitisation is favoured by increasing t h e thickness

of the plates. Figure 12, for a 40 mm thick FT25 plate, shows
abundant lamellar graphite and a high proportion of ferrite. The
hardness of such a structure is modest.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AUS WCI A5 m 07BLi265 O007377 7 m
278 v-11
mg. 11.
a : amiante : b : rrfroidlaaour cuivre.
a: asbestos; b: copper cooler.
Figures l3a and l3b are a schematic representation of the

structures of the molten areas observed for each of the grades
and thicknesses studied.
4.7 Attempts t o nodularîse the graphite of the molten area
The positive results obtained at the outcome of the preceding

tests naturally led us t o study t h e possibility of nodularising
the graphite of the molten area of the plates o f F GS 50 cast-iron.
Two channels were explored:

- use of a coated wire comprising a ferro-silico-mischmetal powder;
- gravity inoculation with magnesium alloys.
Despite stable operating conditions, each of t h e tests performed
produced more or less abundant inclusions of slag in the molten
area.
From the metallography standpoint, the object appears partially

achieved by the coated wire technique; the central part of the
molten area i n fact shows a nodular graphite of small dimensions,
with a halo of ferrite and finely divided i n a perlitic structure
( f i g . 14).
By contrast, and despite the massive introduction of magnesium

alloys, the nodularisinginoculation proves totally inaffective.
There are grounds for thinking that the magnesium introduced
reacts with certain oxides o f the slag. --``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 D 0 7 8 q 2 b 5 O007200 T D
v-11 279
F65 50
@
O P C C 190%
~ P c < 5GU %
P+6t(fl>SOX
P+GtF=./OOX
io0
200
roo
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 14
FGS.50. g = 20mm. C o a t e d w i r e
Fe-Si-Ce
AWS WCI 85 0 7 8 q 2 b 5 0007201 I W
280 v-11
V. STUDY OF THE BEEWVIOUR OF THE SLAG
T h e tests described above show profound differences in t h e behaviour

o f the slag. Various examinations were conducted on the residual
slags and on the inclusions observed during certain tests.
.
5 1 Welding with cast-iron rectangular r o d
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
One of the inclusions observed w a s subjected t o a metallographic
examination using a longitudinal section taken from t h e initiation
area, The welding sample used f o r this examination comprised a n
FT25 cast-iron plate and a n E24-1 mild steel plate (fig, l5A).
The micrograph i n fig. 15B shows local carburization of t h e edge

o f the steel plate and the presence of a n intermetallic compound
(Fe-Si-Mn-C) between the slag and the previously carburized area.
These observations are the result of the presence in the slag of
carburized campounds (CO, CSi, CsCa, F e C) caused by the oxido-
3
reduction reactions at the rod-slag interface between the graphite
and the various oxides (fig. 16). The effervescence resulting from
these reactions causes fluctuation of the electrical contact with
a corresponding drop in the rms current and i n the temperature of
the layer of slag. The electrical oscillograms in figures 17
illustrate the effervescence phenomena observed; the marked
instability visible i n figure 17b reveals an intense formation of
CO as a result of the low dissolution speed o f the lamellar graphite,
A s the viscosity and surface tension are considerably influenced by
the temperature, one may imagAne the formation o f a viscous layer
which works against the bonding of the deposited metal.

AWS WCI 85 - 078Li2b5 0007202 3
v-11 281
Fig. 15
15 A (left)
15 B (above)
a : carburized area
b: intermetallic compound
c: s l a g
i-
a: cast-iron rod
b: case-hardenïng
c: intermetallic compound
d: slag
e: viscous layer
&
no16.
a : barra font..
b : cim.mrtlon.
c : mmm6 inteim6tillique.
d : laitlor.
O : couch. Vi#WUao.
F e O + C ~ F e + C O7
hin0 C & Mn+ CO + 7
sio, 2c + SI 2CO 2 +
si0 +
3c & CSI + 2co 7
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AUS WCI 85 078Li2bS 0007203 5
202 v-11
I . I * 1 - 4
ßlg l?.
17a : bane FGS. b i t i r A : 1% : b8ïm Fe.LiitiW A.
Fig. 17
17a : FGS rod. Slag A ;
l7b: FTS5 rod. S l a g A.
5.2 Welding w i t h c a s t - i r o n w i r e g u i d e and mild s t e e l w i r e
The p e n e t r a t i o n of t h e w i r e i n t o t h e slag e n s u r e s a r e g u l a r
e l e c t r i c a l c o n t a c t free of i n t e r m i t t e n t e f f e r v e s c e n c e r e a c t i o n s
(fig. 18). Moreover, t h e c a r b u r i z e d p a r t i c l e s a r e r a p i d l y brought
t o t h e s u r f a c e of t h e w i r e by t h e c o n v e c t i o n movements and c a s e -
harden the l a t t e r .
5.3 Welding w i t h c o a t e d w i r e d e p o s i t i n g a c a s t - i r o n
Because of t h e h i g h speed o f t h e w i r e , a c o n s i d e r a b l e p a r t of t h e
g r a p h i t e is i n c o n t a c t with t h e s l a g and t h i s r e s u l t s i n abundant
e f f e r v e s c e n c e which a c t s a s a n e l e c t r i c a l s c r e e n .
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 W 07842b5 00072OY 7 W
v-11
VI STUDY OF STRUCTURES
I 6.1 Structure of the heat affected zone and of the bonding zone
(figure 19)
Below solidification temperature (approx. 1 1 8 0 ~ ~FT25

) lamellar
graphite and spheriodal graphite cast-irons behave in a n identical
manner, Transformation occurs at around 74OoC, and fragmentation
o f the perlite is observed following the local austenitisation.
With the rise i n temperature, the carbon concentration o f the

austenitic matrix increases under the effect of the diffusion of
the secondary graphite. Because o f t h e l o w cooling speed, th8
perlitic transformation is assured, and the local diffusion of t h e
carbon results in the formation of rings of ferrite around t h e
initial graphite lamella.
Vithin the fusion interval (1180-1230°C), the two grades behave

differently. While the F 25 cast-iron causes a perlite-ferritic
T
structure to appear with fine graphite lamella, the residual
magnesium of the F GS 50 cast-iron causes a carburic solidification
accompanied by further nodulari cation.
Fig. 19 a.
Fig. 19 b.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 078Ll265 0007205 7 =
v-11
6.2 Structures of the molten zones
Certain parameters o n which the structure of a n as-solidified cast-

iron depends are determined by the welding operation. Thus:
- the chemical composition o f the molten vtbathlt

depends in the
first place upon that of the basic cast-iron because of the
dilution,and in the second place upon the nature of the slag;
- the cooling speed depends upon the welding energy used, which
in turn depends upon the thickness of the parts;
- the temperature o f the molten "bath" is determined by that o f the
layer of slag.
6.2.1 Graphitisation - Graphitisation potential
At the eutectic temperature, the graphitisation reaction: Fe C

3
+
FeSi+CSi + 4 F e d 3 Fe + FeSi + C (graphite), i s governed by
three basic factors:
- cooling speed of the liquid;

-.temperature difference of the eutectic levels of the Fe-graphite
and Fe-Fe 3C systems;
- presence of crystallisation grains i n the liquid.
T h e latter two factors can each be expressed i n the form of a

function of the carbon and silicon concentration:
The graphitisation potential can thus b e defined by PG = al.

which gives us a n equation of the type:
-
Si(C - 2.03 + 0.15 Si)
G' - 2.27 - 0.15 Si
60 .2. In luence of inoculation

Chemical analysis of the molten zones allows us to show in a
diagram (C, Si) the dots representing the structures observed
during the various tests (fig. 20).
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0784265 000720b O
v-11
- 285
I 1 5
U
I I
20
I
50
Si
*
Flg. ZL - Font. F35. Epilruw 20 mm.
Fig. 20 - FT25 Cast-iron. Thickness 20 mm
Ref . Structure Components Approximate

concentration
A White Perlite + cementite P + C > 90%
B Perlite + cementite +
Nixed
graphite (spots) P + G < 50%
C Perlite + graphite (D
or E) + cementite (spots) P + G > 5 0 %
D Black or Perlite + graphite (I)
grey or E) + (ferrite) P + G + (F) = 100%
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
E : inoculated tests.
In the absence of inoculation, the dots are roughly aligned in a

straight line Whose slight shift compared with that joining the

AWS WCI 85 W 07842b5 0007207 2
286 v-1 1
origin to the base composition, reveals a loss o f Si. In the case
of a 20 mm thick FT25 cast-iron, suitable graphitisation would
require a P of at least 0.8, which i n practice rules out the
G
fusible wire-guide and mild steel wire technique.
O n the other hand, inoculation allows the use of this technique,

by lowering the graphitisation threshold.
6.2.3. Influence of energy and of t h e grads
Figures 21a and 21b represent, a s a function of the welding energy

and of the graphitisation potential, the structure and hardness
observed i n the centre o f the molten zone for each of the two grades
studied with the fusible wire-guide technique.
By contrast with grade FT25, for which the component elements and
hardness develop progressively in the non-inoculation and inoculation
areas, the F GS 50 cast-iron causes two distinct structures to
appear separated by a n insufficient inoculation area where carburic
and graphitic solidifications Co-exist.
The particular sensitivity of GS cast-iron to metastable hardening

must be attributed t o the residual M g whose "whitening" power i s
well known.
6.2.4. Heterogeneity of the molten zones
An example of prismatic rod welding i s particularly well represented

by the macrograph i n figure 2b, where carburic areas lie alongside
highly ferritic graphitic areas, despite the absence of specific
inoculation.
There is reason to believe that the molten cast-iron receives a

--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
local contribution of carburised particles deposited in clusters

as a result of the convection movements, tnus ensuring a n involun-
tary heterogeneous inoculation.
With the exception o f the local hardening caused by the unfortunately

necessary presence o f the lateral coolers, wire-guide welding is
generally characterised by a sufficient homogeneity of the molten
zone. However, despite massive inoculation, F GS 50 cast-iron
causes the appearance of spots whose structure is identical to that
observed in the bonding zones (fig. 22a). The longitudinal
fractography in figure 2 2 b shows that these are i n fact ltscraps'to f

AWS W C I 85 W 0784265 0007208 4
v-11
230 243
250266 216 258
FcP c t
228
O 1 6 0 4 4
lou Con<entr.L,~P. 21.
I 1 : hibib cancantntioh 21. : FT25 : 21b ' FOSSO.
P : wrlitb : 0 : graphita : C : cbmentib : F hrritb.
non-miscible base metal formed by the mechanism illustrated in
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
figure 22c. The lack of miscibility observed is the result of the
alteration caused by t h e M g O to the surface tension of the liquid
GS cast-iron.
E#. 22 A
F GS50

A W S WCI 8 5 W 0 7 B q 2 b 5 0007209 b
288 v-11
VI1 CONCLUSIONS
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
The main objective of the study has been achieved on general lines;
thus, after steel fabrication, followed by light alloy fabrication,
vertical welding techniques under slag can n o w b e extended t o cast-
iron fabrication.
From the operating method standpoint, it seems useful to insist

upon the simplicity o f the fusible wire-guide technique. Moreover,
the extension of the welding heat cycle allows the user t o dispense
with the delicate and troublesome pre-heating operation, which i s
essential with the traditional so-called "hot thermal condition1*
processes.
From the metallurgical angle the results obkained differ consider-

ably according to the grade o f cast-iron.
- Lamellar graphite cast-iron in the end offers excellent weldability;

the mechanical strength of the joints formed is greater than that of
the base metal, while remaining perfectly machinable.
- For its part, spheroidal graphite cast-iron is characterised by

carburic hardening o f the bonding area, which may present problems
in the rough-welded state, as far as further machining is concerned,
together with risks o f transverse cracking. Moreover, the lamellar
graphitisation of the molten zone does not give the joint the good
mechanical characteristics of the base material and the spheroidisa-
tion of the graphite in the molten zone remains a problem.
SUN3IARY OF THE DISCUSSION FOLLOWING bí. MICHEL'S LECTURE
Pl. Granjon: aefore putting a question to M. liichel, I would like to

point out, because I f e e l myself somewhat responsible, that >i. Michellz
work involved a n exceptional number of failures before satisfactory
results were finally obtained, and that lie overcame a series of
obstacles rarely encountered in research work.
Having said this, I shall n o w put two questions to Il. Nichel:

AWS W C I 85 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 00032LO 2
v-11 289
I note that the problem of welding lamellar graphite cast-iron has
practically been solved, which is not the case with spheroidal
graphite cast-irons. However, you have only studied rough welds;
would it not b e interesting to carry out referritisation treatments
upon the spheriodal graphite cast-irons and even upon the lamellar
graphite cast-irons?
M. Michel: Yes, it would b e interesting to study this parameter.
M. Granjon: In your conclusion, you said that your process would

make it possible to weld iron castings and moreover that it was
possible to carry out heterogenous welds such a s steel to cast-iron;
this latter point seems t o m e to be a n interesting development.
What do y o u tnink?
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Pi. Michel: The heterogeneous welding of steel to cast-iron is indeed

possible and w e then find ourselves faced with a cnoice of structure
of the molten zone: either mild steel or cast-iron. I think that
the latter would be preferable.
Pl. Margerie: I think that indeed for spheriodal graphite cast-iron,

particularly where it has remained carburic, annealing should make
it possible to quickly and easily return to a compact graphite
structure; if lamellar graphite has already been precipitated, it
will remain and it will not be possible to have very high ductility
characteristics; as far as hypereutectoid steel is concerned, this
is not my speciality and I believe that it is fairly difficult t o
graphitise by heat treatment.
M. Lieger: Are the mechanical and structural characteristics of the

cast-iron better in the case. of welding of thicker parts, 100 mm
for example?
M. Michel: As you will have seen, the thicker the cast-iron, the
better the results, because the cooling speed is lower and graphiti-
sation is that much easier. iv’e limited ourselves to thickness of
12 to 40 m m , because o u r test equipment did not allow u s to study
greater tnicknesses.
31. Lieger: \Ve the users and workshop people are not a s optimistic as
you; some of the applications seem relatively tricky,
31. Michel: Clearly vertical welding under slag only applies t o

rectilinear welds and to gradual thickness variations.

AWS W C I 85 = 0789265 00072LL 9 W
290 v-11
M. Decrop: I n view o f t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e i n o c u l a t i o n t r e a t m e n t ,
a c c o r d i n g t o t h e t e s t s which you have done, on t h e v e r y marked
s t r u c t u r a l changes o b t a i n e d , one may ask i f i n t h e c a s e o f s p h e r i o d a l
graphite cast-irons, which a p p e a r e d t h e most d i f f i c u l t , i t would n o t
be b e s t t o improve t h e e f f e c t i v e n e s s of t h e i n o c u l a t i o n t r e a t m e n t
by a l t e r i n g t h e q u a n t i t y or q u a l i t y ; you always used 7556 f e r r o -
s i l i c o n , b u t a d d i t i v e s can be added t o t h i s p r o d u c t s u c h as aluminium,
calcium o r barium, f o r example.
M. Michel: I do n o t b e l i e v e t h a t s t u d y i n g o t h e r i n o c u l a n t p r o d u c t s
would e n a b l e us t o e l i m i n a t e t h e c a r b u r i c s o l i d i f i c a t i o n wnich
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
o c c u r s i n t h e bonding zone; t h i s i s a zone wnich i s u n a f f e c t e d by
t h e i n o c u l a t i o n , and i n any c a s e we would be l e f t w i t h l o c a l
c a r b u r i c h a r d e n i n g f o r which n o t h i n g a p a r t f r o m f u r t h e r h e a t t r e a t -
ment c o u l d be done.
M. Decrop: S i n c e t h i s zone assumes a c a r b u r i c s t r u c t u r e , t h i s

means t h a t i t h a s p a s s e d t h r o u g h t h e l i q u i d s t a t e , and t h e r e f o r e
could be s u j e c t e d t o i n o c u l a t i o n .
M. Michel: No - a c c o r d i n g t o t h e h e t e r o g e n i t y s t u d y , t h e r e would be
a m i s c i b i l i t y gap.
M , Decrop: The t e m p e r a t u r e would be t o o low f o r t h e d i l u t i o n o f

t h e i n o c u l a n t t o occur.
M. Dejieux: You have o f t e n s a i d t h a t when welding w i t h p r i s m a t i c

r o d s t h e g r a p h i t e i s a problem; d i d you e v e r t r y u s i n g w h i t e i r o n
rods?
EI. Michel: Yes - we thought about t h i s s o l u t i o n . It i s t r u e t h a t

i n t h i s way t h e e f f e r v e s c e n c e r e a c t i o n s would n o t have o c c u r r e d a t
t h e rod/slag i n t e r f a c e , b u t u n f o r t u n a t e l y we found t h a t i t would b e
v e r y d i f f i c u l t t e c h n i c a l l y t o produce w h i t e i r o n r o d s which were
s u f f i c i e n t l y accurate in size and straight; however I a m convinced t h a t
t h i s s o l u t i o n would have g i v e n good r e s u l t s ,
M. Margerie: Coming back t o M. Decrop's i d e a of i n c r e a s i n g t h e

e f f e c t i v e n e s s of t h e i n o c u l a t i o n , we might t h i n k a b o u t g r a p h i t e
inoculants; w h i l e i t i s c l e a r f r o m w h a t you have s a i d t h a t t h i s
t y p e of i n o c u l a n t i s r u l e d o u t because o f t h e r e a c t i o n s which may
t a k e p l a c e w i t h t h e slag, f o r t h e o t h e r s p e c i a l i n o c u l a n t s w i t h
barium, s t r o n t i u m and zirconium on w n i c h I b e l i e v e you have c a r r i e d
o u t a number of t e s t s , a r e t h e d i f f e r e n c e s g r e a t ?
AWS WCI 85 = 078Li2b5 0007232 b
v-11 291
M. Michel: Calcium and g r a p h i t e - b a s e d i n o c u l a n t s were a u t o m a t i c a l l y
r u l e d o u t , and we had problems w i t h a calcium f e r r o s i l i c o n ; the
p r e s e n c e o f calcium a l t e r e d c e r t a i n p h y s i c a l p r o p e r t i e s o f t h e s l a g
and caused i n c l u s i o n s , The b e s t r e s u l t s were o b t a i n e d w i t h f e r r o -
s i l i c o n w i t h a h i g h s i l i c o n c o n t e n t and p o s s i b l y barium and aluminium
a d d it i v e s ,
M. Decrop: You b r i e f l y a l l u d e d to t h e mechanical c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s

of t h e welded samples; c a n you g i v e us a few i n d i c a t i o n s ?
M. Michel: We c a r r i e d o u t t r a n s v e r s e rectangular t e n s i l e t e s t s on
j o i n t s 40 mm t h i c k , on t h e one hand i n t h e c a s e of a l a m e l l a r c a s t -
d
i r o n ( F t 25) and on @ne t h e o t h e r hand i n t h e c a s e o f , s p h e r i o d a l
graphite cast-iron (FGS 5 0 ) ; i n t h e f i r s t c a s e , r u p t u r e o c c u r r e d
o u t s i d e t h e weld f o r a b r e a k i n g l o a d c o r r e s p o n d i n g t o t h a t of t h e
b a s e m e t a l , and i n t h e c a s e of t h e s p h e r i o d a l g r a p h i t e - c a s t - i r o n
t h e r u p t u r e o c c u r r e d i n t h e w e l d , t h e s t r e n g t h o f t h e molten zone
b e i n g lower t h a n t h a t of t h e b a s e m e t a l ,
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 8 5 m 0781r2b5 0007213 8 m
v-12
Current from these transforniers goes to the contact electrodes

Flash Butt Welding of Cast to the surfaces to be ueldcd. which also form part of tlieelectric
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
circuit. The energy finds the greatcst resistance to its flow at the
Irons to Other Metals contact point of the two metallic surfaces. which areeither face-
to-face o r leaning (abutting) one against the other, and heats
them by ohmic resistance in such a manner that they are quickly
A. Rege brought to the preheated (sub-fusion) state. The heat given off in
Uniiversitj- of TrieSie the welding zone or through the electrodes is expressed in
Trieste, Iialr kilocalories by the formula:
I
This paper was originally presented at l h e 44th Q =-(I'RT)
International Foundry Congress in Florence, Italy in J
September. 1977 and is translated and reprinted here in
where I is the current intensity in A. R is the sum of electrical
contact resistances between tlie stirkices t o he welded (measured
between the electrodes). T is the time of passage o f the current.
ABSTRACT espressed in sec. aiid .I is the incch;inic:il cquiwlcni of the
calorie. I c;il = 4.18 s IO' .l. Thc autoinatic :ipplic;ition o f
This paper describes the flash butt welding process as it is used to sufficient pressure to tlie electrodes during or ;ifter the time o f
join cast irons to other ferrous and nonferrous nietals. including current flow insures ;I good \veld junction.
steels. copper, brass and aluminum. Post-welding heat
treatments and the metallurgical characteristics o f the welds are Butt welding takes place on the entire frontal surf-ice o f the
parts to he \\elded. which ;ire placed face-to-fiice ;irid syuccrcd
discussed. Particular applications of this welding technique to
a t high pressure bciween the current-carrying , i n w s o f the
industrial production are considered.
welding m;icliinc (Fig. 1 ). These j;iws arc of ;I nictnl wliicli is ;i
Introduction good electrical conductor Lind the stirkices of the parts in contact
with the ,iow slioiild be clciin and bright. not »?tidired. t o insure
Electric resistance welding is u mcthod of autogenous welding the best possible condiictive path f o r the current. The \vclding
by pressure and without adding metal. where the heat necessary cycle is shown scliciii;itically iii Fig. 2. I n tlie case o í f l x l i hiitt
to bring about local preheating of thc surfrtccs to be welded is welding. one of the t\\'o j ; i w is fised. the other iiio\;ibIc: this
supplied by electrical resistance by passing u current across the latter advances toward tlic fornicr in such ;i w i y tli;it the t w o
surfaces which are in contact at the \veld zone. This proccdure frices t o be \veldcd ;ippro;icli c;icli other. touching ;it the tips of
requires a n electric current a t w r y low voltage. on the order of4 their rough surfaces. making it unnecessary for these surfaces to
to 8 volts. for most applications. or from I t o 30 volts when it is be ground down o r prirallel.
desired to cover the entire range of possibilities, but a t un
Upon applying the current. the siii;ill points in light coiit;ict
extremely high current intcnsity. usii;illy on the order of scvcral
with e x l i other niclt. and the droplets o f iiictal explode aiid ;ire
hundred amperes. but which can evcn rc;icli more than 100.000
prci.i<ctcd oiit\vard. Thus. bct\vccti the coiitnct suríiiccs. siii;ill
A when dealing with very hcavy welds. 'I'hc value of the current
electric ;ires :ire fornicd which prop;ig;ite o\'cr tlicciitirc width o f
intensity varies according to the type ofinet;il to be welded. the
welding time and the pressure used. All tlicsc piirnmctcrs are the siirkices aiid cover the siirfwxs tliciiisclvcs with ;i f i l i i i of
liquid metal. When ;i siifficicnt tciiipcr;ittirc is ;itt:iiiicd, ;I strong
controlled by means of spccialelcctroniccoiitrols on tlie welding
machines. siiddcn prcssiirc is ;iiitoiii;ttic;illy iipplicd t o the p;irts ;iiid.;it tlic
s;iiiic tiiiic. the current isciit oil'. I n t h i s w y . tlic liquid filin.\vitli
Elcctricnl current oí the correct tiltage aiid ;iiiipcr;ipc is ;ill tlic iiiipiiritics it corii;iiiis. is qiicc/cd o i i t ;iiitl tlic \veld coiiics
siipplicd hy tr;indormcrh hiiilt into tlic \\cliliiig iiiiicliinc. ;ihoiit hy rccr'st;illii;itioii.
Source: AFS International Cast Metais Journal, June 1979 (American Foundrymen's Society)
AWS WCI 85 07842b5 000'7234 T
v-12 293
i
7
Fig. 1. Test apparatus.

Ai
/ AI
Flg. 2. The two parts to be welded, A l and A2, are held by two
This welding procedure is widely used for joining steel and electrodes cooled by water, E l and E2. These stick out from the
nonferrous metals and their alloys. Automatic machines are part a certain predetermined distance, a l and a2. One of the
available which. in spite of their high purchase price, use electrodes is movable.
relatively little energy and are well suited to mass production in
such industries as automotive and aircraft manufacture.
transport vehicles. electrical kitchen equipment. hardware. the latter of all traces of oxides, inclusions and graphite
cooking utensils, metal furniture, and in the joining of rails and segregation.
water and gas mains. 5) The cast metal. rich in heterogeneous nonmetallic
materials. is entirely squeezed out of the joint during the
compression phase and it solidifies on the outside in the
Flash Welding of Cast Iron form of a bead. As a consequence. the welded metal is
Cast iron. especially gray cast iron. is considered ;I difficult metal which has not been superheated above the melting
material to weld in the strict sense which is given to this term temperature, thereby reducing the possibility of forming
when comapred with soft steels. Actually. all types of cast iron hard, fragile carbide structures in the weld zone.
constitute ;I category of metals which is not easy to weld because 6) During welding. and precisely during the flashing phase,
of their high carbon content. whether free or combined, in the the stratum of liquid metal :it the surface is highly
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
form of graphite having different morphologies. the presence of superheated. with the consequent combustion of carbon
which assures that the metal has ii very low capacity for and decarburization of the surfaces which are face-to-face
supporting thermal shocksand iseasy to break. Thecnpacity for for welding, as well as the contiguous zones, therefore
enduring the thermal shocks which take pliicc during the favoring carbon diffusion and partial diffusion of the
welding cycle is considerably affected by the morphological segregated graphite..
structure of segregated grnphitc ;ind. in gcnernl. nodular On the other hand. the difficultyencountered in ílash welding
graphite irons and flocculor griiphite irons (ductile and of cast iron is caused by the low ductility of the inctnl. Cast iron
malleable irons) withstand these shocks better than flake has. actually, a very low capacity for hot dcformiition. This is
graphite irons (gray irons in general). why the squeezing phase should be ciirricd out with the greatest
The first tests for fl;ish welding of c;ist iron were c;irricd out in care. in such a way that :ill the molten m;itcrinlsnrc squeezed out
Russin in 1936 and they were extended in the following years. of the weld zone. but in such a way thnt the base mctnl situated
especially at the Paton Institute of Kiev which. in 1958. behind the joint 7onc is not deformed. bcc;iusc this ciin ciiuse
announced the good results which could he achieved with this cracks.
system of welding and the considerable ;idvontiigcs it presented Metallurgy of the Welded Joint
with respect to other welding systems.
In the course of the welding cycle. as it has been briefly described
These advantages are: above, the parts to be joined are heated to various temperatures
I ) Heiiting is uniform lind simultiineous throughout ;ill which gradually decrease. starting from the zone of thejoint and
sections to be welded. the area of surface c o n t x t , where the melting tempcrature of the
2) Welding is cnrried out very rapidly. s o thnt the inllucnce of metal is reached. down to tempcriitures slightly higher thiiñ
temperature on the base metal is very limited Lind the risk ambient at the back of the jaw clamps.
of residual stresses is reduced. However. ;i certain increase in temperature is observed
3) Ikcausc of the presence of free graphite segregation. the throughout the entire welded part. but only iis ii consequence of
cast irons should be classed iiniong inctnls clioractcrized the thermal conductivity of the metal. Consequently. even if thc
by poor miscibility in the solid state. The procedure using different 7ones of the welded part ;ire submitted to thcsc thcriniil
kish wclding is. in thnt C;ISC. the most suitiiblc. since it ¡sa influences for extremely brief times. struflurcil triinsformntions
method of welding without ;idding lecd inct;ii. The take pliicc within the mctiil. The tr;insform;itions ;ire linked to
welding is performed by forced intcrpcnctriition o f iiictnl carbon diffusion phcnonicn;i iind these depend on the level of
atoms from the surfiicc t o be welded brought to the plnstic tcmpcr;itiirc rciiclicd i n the different zones. on the time these
s t a k by prchcating, while mniiit;iiniiig iibsoliite continuity tcmpcr:itiircs arc m;iintiiincd. and on the spccd o f cooling which
of the metal. follows.
4) The extremely numerous electric ;ires which form during
thc flash welding philse. hy ciirrying ii certain Iiiycr of The di;igr;im of Fig. 3 is ii schciiiiitic representation of the
miitcriiil from the siirfiicc. iiccoiiiplish perfect cleaning of possible striicturiil v;irintions noted over the length of cast iron

AWS WCI 85 07842b5 0007235 I =
294 v-12
At thc same tinic. the iinioiint 0 1 free ferrite is lowered and.
when thc c«oling is p;irticuliirl!~ rapid. siii;ill quantities of
tcdcburitc appear. c i e n ;it the liirthcriiiost Iiiycrs of the piirts. At
;i short distance from the neldcd siirliice. there ;ire even
martensite formations.
To form gray iron with graphite requires ;in elevated
tcmperiitiirc and ;I certain period of tiiiie. This can be
;iccomplishcd in ;i limitcd nic;isurc only during the welding
cycle. However. when thc silicon (Si)content of'thc cast iron is
especially high. this f;icilit;ites. in the hot ph;ise. the solution o f
carbon in tlieriustcnitcand. i n thc following cold phase. it ;itlows
separation of graphite surrounded by ferrite formations. On the
contrary. in the presence of ;I ION Si content. one may always
observe the solution of graphite during heating of the parts.
V
0 .".t..ll.
During cooling though. there is no observation of strong
graphite segregation and tlic niatris will be constituted of fine
0 :
:SE pearlite flakes (sorbite-troostite) in the presence of miirtensite
Fig. 3. Structural and Crystallographic Modifications.
formations. the formation of these being ;I function of the
cooling rate. In conclusion. the final structures are II functionof
-
Part -Zone Modification the chemical composition of the mctol and tlic thermal cycle to
which the base metal has been sub.jccted.
c-1 Superheat Total or partial solution of graphite in
zone austenite. It is possible to avoid the formation of hard structures,
1-2 Melt Austenite and graphite not dissolved. whether of carbides or quenched structures. by ;lrtiîicially
zone The dimension of the austenitic grain reducing the cooling rate of the joint iiftercnrryingout the weld,
increases as a function of increasing for example. by means of ii post-treatment which can be
temperature and the dimensions of the performed o n the welding machine itself. This increases the
undissolved graphite particles working time and consequently reduces the production ciipaci-
decrease as a function of increasing
temperature. The dimensions of the
tY.
graphite particles precipitatedfrom the The presence of stc;iditc (iron phosphidc eutectic) in the base
austenite during cooling are more iron does not invo1i.c a n y inconvenience. sincc it hns ;I melting
significant than those of the original temperature about 200°C (360" F) lower than that o f t h c metal.
graphite particles.
and i s thus squewed oui oftlie joint bcforc solidific;ition. s o that
3-4 Transition Austenite, ferrite and graphite. A part the presence of stendite in the .¡oint is less iinport;int than the
zone of the matrix is transformed into composition of the bnsc mctol.
austenite, another part remains un-
transformed. The original pearlite is Test Welds Between Ferrous Base Metals
austenitized and the austenite Welds between homogeneous cast irons
envelops the graphite particles at the
same time that these graphite particles 1) Flake graphite gray iron type G 20 - U N I 15007/69
are combining with the iron to give rise 2) Malleable iron type G M X 35 U N I 3779i69
to austenite. 3) Malleable iron type G M S 45 UNI 3779:69
4-5 Zone of Original ferrite, graphite and pearlite. 4) Malleable iron type G M S 65 U N I 3779i69
base metal Spheroidization is possible if the 5) Ductile iron type GS 55,5 U N I 4554
thermally pearlite is artificially aged. 6)Ductile alloy iron resistant to corrosion
unaffected
Welds between heterogeneous ferrous metals
parts during the welding cycle. in which the cooling curve for a I ) Flake graphite gray iron type G 20 with:
cast iron of hypoeutectic composition is compared with tlie a ) Ductile iron type G S 55
curve for the temperaturesdevclopcd o \ w the length of the part. b) Malleable iron type G M N 35
On the x-axis. corresponding to the longitiidinnl section of the c ) Steel type Fe45 UNI 3596
part. can be seen the progression of striicturcs which may be
formed during flash welding under routine conditions. starting 2) Ductile iron type GS 55 with:
from the joint zone down to the bnsc inct;il. a ) M;illenble iron type G M N 35
b) ,Steel type Fe45
The diagram is completed by ;i brief cominentiiry on tlic
above-mentioned structures rcliitivc to ;i 1l;ikc griiphitc iron. 3) Malleable iron type G M N 35 with:
a ) Steel type Fe45
As for the final structure. o n t must olw;iys take into ;lecount
the cooling rate after wclding. which lias ;I considcrnble The specimens siibiiiittcd t o r \wid testiiigwcrc ohtaincd in the
influence on its formation. following manner:
Observation of the di;igr;iiii shows 1li;it diiriiig the welding ;i) For the gr;iy iron witti I1;ikc gr;iphitc. cyliiidric;il test h;irs
cycle the matrix in the thcrm;illy-iiifliicii~cd zone consists of of 30 f 2 niiii di;iiiictcr were c;ist in ;i hoiidcd s;iiid iiiold
pearlite und ;I certain amount of fcri.¡tc. besides gr;iphite. aiid with dinicnsions ;is slio\\ II in Fig. 4.
eventually stciidite ;iccording to tlic type of cast iroii. which is
more o r less entirely trnnsformcd into ;iiistciiitc. When f'ollowcd b) For diiciilc iron xiid iii;illc;ibls iron. tlic test b;irs were
by a n especially rapid cooling. this gives rise to ;i pearlitic ohtaincd froiii spcciiiiciis ciist Iiiiviiig the s1i:ipc siiotvii i i i
structure more o r less fine. or even to ;i sorhitic o r troostitic Fig. 5.
structure which is then harder and stronger th;iii thnt o f the c) For stccl tlic test h m were dr;i\vii Irciiii rolled h;ir stoch
original base metal. with ;in ;is-rolled diiiiiictcr o f 30 niiii.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 W 078Li2b5 0 0 0 7 2 3 b 3 W
v-12 295
--
Fig. S. Test bar dimensions.
"f-
- =?FI
+i
Fig. 6. Positioning and preparation of parts for welding.
'The paramctcrs which were controlled in the diffcrcnt u.clds

;ire the following: sqiicc7e pressure. weld time. Iced stress. that
is. secondary stress. :irid p r c p x x t i o n of test bars.
Fig. 4. Dimensions of mold for casting test bars. Figure 6 shows the positioning and preparation of the test
bars. which were the same for all ferrous metals.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
T h e diflerciicc hctwccn the e1cctric;il p;iriinictcrs for the
The cast specimens shown in Fig. 4 aiid 5 were retouched o n different types o f cast iron is not iniport;int. A slight dillcrciicc
the Inthe to obtain cylindrical test bars 25 nim in di;iriictcr which w a s noted during welding. cspeci;rlly during fl;ish¡ng. which
were butt welded to metals of the s;iiiic type aiid of diffcrcnt incrcmcd f o r C;ISI iroii with fl;ikc griipliitc ;I little more thLin t'or
types by the flash welding proccdiirc. O I I the ;iiitoiii:itic wcldiiig the other types: on the other 1i:iiid. the progrcssi\c r;itc,
machine shown in Fig. I . which h:is the following especially toward tlic end of Ilwhing. should be sliglitly higher
charactcrist ics: than tlic p:ir:imeters iisiinlly adopted for welding stccl. In the
mnximum welding c;ip;icily of O00 nini' c;isc o f welds hctwcen diffcrciii types ofc:ist i r o i i with siccl. the
welding time: 2 to 3 scc cxtcnsion of the steel test bar with respect t o tlicj;iw (Fig. h) lias
0 nominal power at 509i:: 140 k V A been modified SO ;ISt o even iip the tcriipcr;itiircs ot'tlic t\vo parts
0 maximum distance bctwccn .laws before welding: 40 mm. o f the dificrcnt mnteriiils t o he joined.
This is ;I production-type machine x t i i ; i l l y designed for I-ïgiirc 7 shows the welding cycle aiid lists tlic p;ir;iiiictcrs
another kind of work: wcldiiip o f ;iliiiiiiiiiiiii piiris on r;idi;itors which coiiiprisc i t .
f o r t he r m o si phons.
I>ost-'ïrcatnient of Welded Test ßars, Ferrous Rase Rletals
The welding p;ir:imctcrs were :itl:ipictl. cacti in i t s turn. to the
type of metal welded. dcpciidiiig on wlicihci- t h i s involved In order t o verify ttic striictur;iI ti';iiisforiii;itioiis ;tiid the
welding hctwccji t w o íerroiis iiict;ils alone. 01- hctwccii non- c o nscq iicnt niod i fica t ion o f iiiccli;in ic;i I p ropcrt ¡es r c h t cd t o t lie
fer ro us meta Is. iIicrin;il cycle t o which the test bars arc siibiiiittcd during aiid

AWS W C I 85 0 7 8 q 2 b 5 00072117 5
296 v-12
I- 80 l Y!
I
1
gray iron
Fig. 7. Welding cycle. t = welding time in sec. I l =primary current

in amp. Gray iron parts. Squeezing lorce of 7 kg/cm2.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
after welding. the c;ist iron test bars t l i c i n s c l \ c s were subjected to

different cooling cycles Lifter \\cldiiig. Sonic test k i r s \vere
allowed to cool in Liir on t l i c iii:ichitic: others \\ere rciiio\cd hot
from the machine t o ;ilioiv them t o cool iiiorc slo\vl! o n ; i hcd of
ashes; still others. after cooling in air. wert rclic;iicd hy clcctric;il
resistance on the niachine itself. hy mcaiis of current i i i i p i i l v s .
up to n temperature of 600 t o 65Oc' ( I I I2 to 170?1-) l'or ;i malleable iron
duration of 50 t o 60 sec and then the!. \vere ;illin\cd to cool.
lests on Welded Bars of Ferrous Base Metals

Four types of tests \\ere ni:ide on the \\cldcd test hiii-s 01 Icri.oiis
base metais to determine t l i c fcillo\viiig:
tensile strength
impact strength
hardness
metallographic ch;ir:ictcristics.
Figure X slio\is tlic diiiiciisioiis 0 1 \ \ c l d c d tesi bar3 01'
homoyeiicoiis gr;iy. iii:illc;ihlc aiid d u c t i l e iroii. II i l i c iiict;ih
tieldcd together \vere dissiiiiil:ir. te51 b;irs i t l i ;I IO iiiiii
diameter. iiscliil length o f 2 0 0 i i i i i i a i i d t o t ; i l lciigtli 01 2 5 0 i i i i i i
were used. Elongation of thcsc h;irs \\:is iiic;iwrcd o \ c I ;i lciisth
equal 10 fi\.c times the diaineter.
LI
In all c;iscs. c;irc t i a s txkcii to iii\urc t l i ; i t 111s\\clci /one \\:IS
locatcd c\cnly \rith respect t o t h e iiiciii:iii l i n e o1 tlic siii;illcsi ductile iron
diameter. in the c;isc olgr:i> iroii. ;iiiJ i i i i h r ' u\cíuI Iciigili 01 the
k i r for the other tKpc5 o ! ciist iron 01- othci- i i i i \ c d iiiciiils. Fig. 8. Dimensions 01 welded test bars.
For tests of impact strength. notclicd ;iiid iirinotchcd test h;ir\

were produced in such ii u a y t h a t tor the notched h;irs the n o t c h
is located in the \veld zone. For ihis tcbt. :i pciitluluiii quite ;I hit
smaller than the usual ch;irpy h;iiiiriicr!ic;id \\;is iisccí ;inil ihy
values arc indicated spcci;illy in kg ciii- instexd ol in-kg ciii-.
these latter units bcing used only ¡ti the case 01. p;irticiii:irl!, high
results.
Hardness tcsts w'crc conducted hy either t h e roch\vcll or
brincll method. ;iccording i o t h e 1i;irdricss 01 t h e iiict:ils tcstcd.
I»ngitudin:illy lip thc test h;ir Iroiii oiic side t i ) t h e oilier 01' i l i c
metals ivcldcd. starting from ihc Iones o ! uii;iltcrcd hase iiict;il
and p;issing through the \\cld /one.
Mct;illogr;ipliic c u i i i i i i ~ i t i o i i \ \ ; I \ c:ii-i.icd oiii ( I I I ;III \ \ c i d
sections 5t;iriiiig l'rom t l i c h;isc iiictiil. \\hich \\:I\ I I I , I i l i c l m ; i l l !
influenced. iind goiiis i i c r o ~ siiic u c l d /one i o iiic otlici. side
consisting o f the s:iiiic or dil'lcrciit ~ i i ~ ~ i c r i, ; ~i \ci.ich
l, 01'
phoioiilicrogr~iphs\\;is i;ihcii 01 15 I i i c l i . i n i l i i s p;ipcI. oiily tlic
most sisniîïc:int ones ai-c she\\ II.

AWS W C I 85 078Li265 00072LB 7
v-12 297
Tablel. Tensile Strength and Impact Strength of Flake Graphite Gray Cast Iron Welded Test Bars
Bar No.
Cooling Condition I 1 3 4 5 6 1 a 9
After Welding in air beneath aches annealed -
-10 - -
-- - 19.9
Dimensions a
b
d 19.8 19.9
c 8 --
19.9 19.9
- 10
8
20
-
- -- 10
a
S e c i i o n j i mm' 3û7.9 311 ô0 311 311 u) 314 311 80
Useful P a r t , mm UM UNI 4 UNI UNI 40 UNI UNI 40

T o t a l strength, kg 5600 MU) 4700 5900 - 6700 6650 -
Unit strength, kg/mm2 11.1 1S.l 19 - 21.1 21.4 -
Impact strength, kg/cm2 - - 19 - - 2s
20 2s
for hardness tests a n d for microscopicexamination of structure.

As stated earlier, the series of test bars was subjected, after
welding. t o different cooling cycles already described. The / \
mechanical properties obtained from the tensile and impact test
/ \
bars are reported in Table I .
Figure 9 shows a macrograph o f the longitudinal section of a
weld joint and the superimposed diagram rcprescnts the
development of Rockwell B hardness at I ; 16-100 kg. 1)evelop-
ment of the hardness in a similar fashion was found in all the test
bars.
Upon exnminntion of the experimental results. we ciin state
that:
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
the tensile and impact strength o f t h e welded joints reached
values very close t o those of the base cast iron, which
implies that there is no drop in strength of the metal
following welding.
the values of tcnsilc and impact strength undergo :i grxliial
improvement. qiiitc clearly. oii xloptiiig ;i slower cooling
rate after ivclding. still hcttcr upon pcrloriiiiiig ;in :inneal-
ing heat trc;itmcnt after tlic welding
u hcrcas the strength o f wcldcd tyst bars cooled iii ;tir ( I and
3). Table I . isaround I X kg iiiiii-. that olaiiiic;ilcd test bars
( 7 and X) reaches higher \.;iltics of 2 I kg iiiiii' aiid it is also
the some for impact ,strength which ¡inpro\'c\ f r o i i i 17- I X
5:
kg cm- t o 25 k g ) c m - l o r the ;iniic;ilcd test hnrs. Fig. 9. Hardness values for a weld between homogeneous cast
irons (G 20 UNI 15007/69).
the hardness v;ilucs. which in the hase iiietd arc on the
order o f 83-88 H RH. increase gr;idu;iIly in thc tlicriii;illy
iniliienccd ï o n c until they reach ;i iii;ixiiiiiini \,:iltic ol IOX- The weld ,iiiiiction and the iitoiiiic iiitcrpciictrntioii bct\vccn
I I 2 H R B in the contact ïonc of the junction.
tlie two joined siirliices p r o w t o he coriiplcic and such ;is to
The thermally influcnccd ïonc. shown i n the iiiacrogriiph. has insiire ;I good aiid uniforiii coiitiiiiiity of iiictal.
a limited extension. a n d the differences in 1i;irdiicss \;iliicsaloiig
l'lie structure o f tlie iiict;illic iii;itris iii ttic coiit;ict mnc and
the length ofthe test b;ir~irecxtrcmcl~siii~iII.so that i t is thought
the weld junctioii presents íi clcar iictwirk o f cciiiciititc, which
thnt ihc form;ition o f very hard elciiiciits docs iiot t;ikc pl;icc.
follo\vs the s h p c of tlic prioi.:iiistciiitc g'.;iiiis. 'l'tic plienoiiicnoii
The differences in hiirdncss hctwccri tlic diflcrciit test bars. ;is
is cxp1;iincd clearly upon studying tlic skctcli ol'l'ig. 3. Actu;iIIy.
distinguished by thc cooling conditions. arc very iiiodcst, even il
following the high teniperatiirc. which is pr:ic!ic;illy tli;it of tlic
thcrc exists. in the weld ïonc. ;I 1i;irdiicss slightly g i u t c r iii tlic
iiioltcii iiictd, r c x h e d ;it t1i;it poiiit. tlic f i w c;irbon o r p x p h i t c
test bars cooled only in air. ;rscoiiip;ircd w i i l i thew iiiiiiicdin\cly
wliich hiis i i o t hccn cspcllcd diiriiip tlic l h s h welding is ;iliiiost
suh.icctcd t o ;in ;inne;iliiig Iiciit trciitiiiciit.
entirely dissolved in tlic ;iiistciiitc by dilliisioii i n ilic solid aiid
Figure 10 (;iaiid b)shoustlic structure ciftlic \vclci,io¡iit oltcst scnii-liquid states ;it tciiipcr;itiircs bctwecii 900;iiid I2OOC( 1652
hor No. I . iinctchcd iiiid with Sital ctcli. ;II SOOX. I-roiii thcsc :ind 3107F). Followiiig r;ipid cooling. thcrc is tio tiiiic f o r it t o
photomicrogriiplis wc ciin st;itc t h a i i i i tlic,iiiiictioii aiid coiitiict isolate ;is ;,Igr;ipliitc sliapc i i i i d i t rciiiaiiis iii the coiiibiiicd st;itc
ïone hctwccii tlic two wcldcd siirkiccs the segregations o l f l ; i k c ;IS ccmciititc. wliicli parti;illy scprcgiitcs ;it tlic iiiiirpiiis of tlic
griip hi t e Ii:ivc ciit ircly LIis;ippc;irctl. hciiig sq iicc/cd o i i t diiriiig aiisiciiitc crystals. while the rciii:iiiiiiip coiiihiiicd c;irboii gives
the il;i\hing. a n d ihcrc only rciiiiiiii glohiilcs of gr;iphitc iii ;i rise t o ;I iii;itris tli:ii is entirely ;inti finely sorhiiic. pr;ictic;illy frcc
nearly splicroid;il form. lroiii scgrcg:iticiiis of lrcc pr;ipliitc.

AWS W C I 85 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007219 7
298 v-12
(a) Unetched.
(b) Nital etch.
Weld Zone x200
Fig. 10. Structure of the weld zone between two samples of gray iron G 20 UNI 15007/69 (200X).
Fig. 11. Structure of the weld zone between two samples of gray iron G 20 UNI 15007/69 afler annealing treatment on the
welding machine (200X). Nital etch.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 078Li265 0 0 0 7 2 2 0 5 W
v-12 299
Table2. Tensile Strength and Impact Strength of GMN 35 Malleable Iron Welded Test Bars
Bar No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Cooling Condition
After Welding in air beneath ashes annealed
--12 - --I2 --
12 -10
frinicnsions mm
d
a
5
--12 c
10
I
10
I 8
Scciion mma 113 Io II3 10 113 II3 u)
36 40 36 40 36 36 40
Useful part, MM
Total strength, kg 3950 3850 - 3350 3.660 -
Unit strength, kg/mm2 34 - 34 - 29.6 31.I -
Elongation,% on 5 D 2.8
3.3 - 1.1 2.2 -
Impact strength,kg/cm2 - 22 - 22 - - Io
Observations: A l l bars broke outside the useful portion and out-

side of the weld
Bar No. 1 2 -I 4 5 6
Cooling Condition in air beneath ashes annealed
After Welding
-
- u
-
--
d 12
Dimcnrion mrn b
a
-- 10
8
-12
-
12
10
J
Section rnma JI3 80 113 JI3 10
Useful part, mm M 40 36 M «I
Total strength, kg 4050 - 4550 1600 -

- -
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Unít strength, kg/mm2 35.8 40.2 10.6
Elongation, % on 5 D I.6 - 2.2 2.5 -

Impact str ength, kg/cm2 - 36 - 25 - 29
Observations - -- broken outside the useful part and outside

the weld. 4,5,6: broke outside the weld
Test Bar No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Cooling Conditions In air beneath ashes annealed
After Welding
- -
~~
-- --
12 12
10 10
I a
II3
36
Total strength, kg 7000 - 6650 - 5650
' Unit strength, kg/mm2 62 - 58.1 - 49.8
Elongation,% on 5 D 2.2 - 3.O - I .7

-
~
Impact strength,kg/cm2 - 34 - I4
Observa tions : broke outside broke outside

the weld the weld

A W S W C I 85 078Li265 O007223 7
v-12
-I A
L
.... ... ."......
Fig. 12. Hardness values through longitudinal sections of test
bars of G M N 35 iron, different cooling methods and heat
treatment.
On moving away from the junction zone. the structure in the

........ I
.I* . I .
........ I
bars of G M N 45 iron, different cooling methods and heat

treatment.
I

'1
........ J
thermally influenced zone passes griidually from sorbitic to

pearlitic in the furthest zones. where the base iron hiis not been
subject to any thermal influence.
.iI
The photomicrograph of Fig. I I shows the structure of the
same zone shown in Fig. I O of a test bar which has been
submitted to annealing heat treatment on the welding machine,
after which it was allowed to cool naturally. One may observe a
clear beneficial influence, even though the treatment time is
extremely limited. since the destruction of hardened structure
from cementite formations observed in Fig. IO can be seen, and
the formation of a very fine uniform pciirlite structure. to which
are linked improved mechanical properties. L
........
L
........ ........ J

Results of Test Welds ofMalleable Irons GMN UNI3779169 - bars of G M N 65 Iron, diflerent cooling methods and heat
The blackheart malleable irons listed in the UNI 3779169 table treatment.
are characterized respectively by a metallic matrix structure
consisting of ferrite, pearlite and ferrite. and globular pearlite,
which correspond to the minimum breaking strengths of 35-45
and 65 kgimm'; minimum elastic limit strengths of 22-26-39
kglmm' and minimum elongation of 14-7-39; on 5 diameters
and brine11 hardness of 1201 160-15Ot210-210'250 HIIH for the
three types of cast iron which we have subjected to testing.
namely G M N 35. G M N 45 and G M N 65.
In these cases. the welding experiments were carried out on 25
mm diameter cylindrical test specimens generated by turning the
parts as indicated in Fig. 5 .
The smallest diameter of the weld specimens. in relation to
those of gray iron, affects theconditions under which the weld is
made, especially the time and the level of heating. the surface
area of the zone that is thermally influenced iind subject to
structural transformations. and the speed of cooling.
Even for these types of cast iron. some test bars were allowed
to cool naturally in the air after welding. while others were
cooled in a bed of ashes, and still others were subjected to an
annealing heat trcatment as described previously.
Tables 2. 3. and 4 show the mechanical properties obtained
from tensile and impact strength test bars. and Fig. 12. 13. and Fig. 15. Structure of cast iron G M N 35 in thcrmally unaffected
14 show the hardness diagrams along the length of thc tcst bars, zone (200X). Nital etch.
from the three types of cast iron testcù; G M N 35. CiMN 45 and
G M N 65. Tlic eloiig;itioii iiie;isiirciiiciits ;ire sigiiilïc;iiitly lo\vci' tIi;in the
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiis prescribed by ilic I J NI tiihlc. l'lie rcdiictioii ol'tlicse
Note that in almost every case the rupturc point is outside of V;iIlics is ;ils0 diic to the l';let tli;it tlic \\Cld ï 0 l l C iiiid tl1c tllcrl~i;llly
the head area, that is. completely within the base metal, which iiifliiciiccd ïoiic. \vliicii ;ire stroiigcr t1i;iii tlic base iiictal. c;\iiiiot
demonstrates that the welded zones and the zones thcrniiilly be dcl'oriiicd.
influenced by welding have a higher strength than that of the
respective base cast irons. This is why the strength vslucs iigrcc 'l'lic tIicriii;illy iiil'liiciiccd Ioiics arc l'oiiiitl t o he coiisidcr;ihly
with those that are typical for each type of cast iron. inorc cstciisivc tli;iii tiiosc obsciwd i i i Iioiiiogciicoiis gI;iy eilst
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AUS WCI 85 0 7 8 V 2 6 5 0007222 7
v-12 301
Fig. 16. Structure o1 cast iron GMN 35 in thermally influenced Fig. 18. Structure of cast iron GMN 65 in thermally unaffected
zone (200X). Nital etch. zone (200X). Nital etch.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig.17. Structure of cast iron GMN 35 in zone of maximum Fig.lg.).tructure of cast iron GMN 65 in weld zone (200X). Nital
temperature (200X). Nital etch. etch.
Fig.20. Longitudinal structure of welded test bar, GMN 65 cast iron (200X). Nital etch.
-__
302 v-12
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Ia
Q
T
& I
I
I
i
Fig. 22. Structure of corrosive resistant ductile iron (û50X). Nital
etch.
Fig. 21. Hardness through longitudinal section of test bar, GMN
65 cast iron.
iron. This can be explained by the smaller diameter of the tcst Figure 19 shows the structure of this same cast iron (at 200X.
specimens subjected to welding. but especially due to thc fact Nital etch) in the junction zone, which is found to be practically
that these types of cast iron, because of their typical structure. destitute of graphite flakes and which consists oftroostitc and of
are characterized by a thermal conductivity significnntly higher pearlite with an improved appearance in every way an;il«gous to
than that of gray iron with flake graphite. which rcsults in an those ofthe thermally affected zonc and very similar to those of
extension by conduction of the heated surface in a given unit of the base cast iron. Microscopic cxaminiition ofthcdiffcrciii tcst
time. For this reason. it was not possiblc to make continuous bars allows us to state that thcrc arc no substantin1 differcnces
photomicrographs for the entire length of the structurally between the welded test bars which have been coolcd in air and
transformed zone. On the other hand. mc1aiiogr;iphic cxnminii- test bars cooled in ashes and annealed.
tion hasestablished that the zoneofthejunction and those zoncs Results of Test Welds of Ductile Iron Type GS 5515 UNI
thermally affected by the welding show, for ;ill types of 4554 - The ductile iron used for our tests has the following
malleable cast iron. a practically identical structurc. which is composition: 3.43% C, 1.65% Si. 0.45%Mn,O.O59% P, 0.0135
equally confirmed by the measurement of hardncss values from S . 0.66% Ni and 0.082% Mg and the following mechanical
the various test bars. This is why wc think that it is not ncccssary properties:
to describeall of the typesoftest barstcstcd. Wcnrct;ikiiigc;ire.
Rupture strength = 43.6 kglmm'
however, to illustrate the most significiint structures of ihc tcst
Elongation on 5 diameters = 5%
bars of two extreme types of mnllc;iblc cast iron. thiit is. GMN
Brinell hardness, H R B 10/3000/30 = 235.
35 and GMN 65. Thc photomicrograph of Fig. 15 shows the
structure of cast iron GMN 35 in thc unaffcctcd zonc. ctchcd in The metal structurc i s comprised of well-shapcd iiodul;ir
Nital. at 2ûûX. consisting of tem,per carbon. flnkcs. aiid nodules graphite. ofthc type O A UNI 3775. well-distributed i n ;i niatris
in an entirely ferritic matrix. consisting of wide fcrritc zones mixcd with those of pcnrlitc.
Figure 16 shows the structure of thc samc test bar wcldcd in In this case. having cst;iblislicd thnt tlicrc is no siihstiiiiti;il
the thermaily influenced zonc (at 200X and ctchcd in Nital). diffcrcnce bctwccn tcst bars whether coolcd in air. in aslies. or
Beyond the characteristics produccd by the welding cycle. the annealed. wc confinc ourselves to rcporting the rcsults olilic tcst
graphite flakes (nodules) are partially taken into solution in the bars which were wcldcd and iiiiiiciilcd.
y iron, and in the following phase of cooling. a troostitic- Figure 20 shows thc structurc of one of tlicsc test bars starting
pearlitic structure forms in the zoncs near the residual grëphite from the non-nffcctcd zone and progressing lor tlic ciiiirc ~ c l d
flakes. zonc. magnificd 200X and prcpiircd with ii Nital etch. W e ciin
The phenomcnon of graphitic carbon going int« solution iind sce thnt thc junction and tlic iiiicrpciictr;itioii of\vcldcd surfxcs
the form;ition oftroostite-sorbite structures (stronger than thnt are perfect. In contrast with graphite flakes. the spheroids of
of the original biisc metal) cxtcnds and gradu;illy bccomcs graphite are equally present in the weld 7.one but with thcir
complctc upon ;ipproaching the coni;ict ïonc for the wcld dimensions somewhat reduced. Nonetheless. here also they are
junction. where the miiximuni tcmpcr;iturcs arc rcaclicd Lind partially dissolved in the iron during the hottest phase of the
where (Fig. 17 - 200X. Nital ctch) the dis;ippc;ir;incc ofgr;iphitc weld cycle which causes carbon enrichment of the surrounding
flakes is complete and the matrix structurc is entirely troostitic- metii.llic matrix. As a conscquencc, in the following pliase of
sorbitic, with traces of a dispersed cemcntite network which cooling. this favors Formation of a very finc pciirlitic structure.
follows the edges of the prior austenite grains. whcrc thc following anncal brings about cliiiiiiiiition of the frw
free carbidcs which were fornicd duringthc rapid cooling ph;isc.
Figure 18 shows at 200X. Nital etch. thcstructureofGMN 65
cast iron in the zonc which is not thcrmally aîîectcd. This Figure 21 shows thc photoniicrogr;ipli and IIic corresponding
displays graphite flakes in a metallic matrix consistingoftypiciil d i n g r m of hardncss along thc length of the section. I n coiitr;ist
fine pearlite in the quenched and tempered state. with that obscrvcd for other types of cast iron. Iicrc there csists

303
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig.23. Structure of weld along its length (200X). Nital etch.
Table5 Mechanical Properties of Welded Test Bars of Ductile

an almost complete uniformity of hardness for the length of the Iron
entire test bar.
Cooling Conditions Annealed
In Tahle 5 the meclinnicnl properties o f test hars ohtnincd After Welding
froin the welded test spcciincns arc reported.
Concerning tliese rcsiilts. tu! iiia!. coiicliidc t l i i i t the weld
Dimensions d
junction is perfectly siicccssfiil aiid illiistr;itcs good iiiccli;iniciil
aiid striictiiriil properties. IS m m
b
R~~.sìtl/.ï ' o/' c í J ï ï l ) . S ; í l l i - /2<*.ï~.\I(/tlI:I II0 i.<'lI / ) i i í . ! ; I í ~
II'lJI<I,S
í ? /Tí,.ïr Scciion mml 116.7 mm3
/wit The espcriiiiciits \\.crc,cstciidcd \\¡th ;i type of diictilc
-
iron alloyed \vitIl Xi-Cr-Si-Cii aiid icsist;iiit to specific corrosive Useful part, mm 75 mm
en\.iroiiniciits. Overall strength, kg 'Ooo kg
The composition o f this i r o i i is ;is f'ollo\vs: 2.72'; C.4.72"; Si. Unît strength,kg/mm* kmni
39.6
0.35"i Mil. 0.9X''i Ci- 14.67'; Si ;itid 0 . 7 6 . ; Cil. Elongation, % om
The structiirc of the cast i r o i i . rc\ciilcd by ctcliiiig ;id ;it Impact strength (0 kgfcm
X50.Y. sh0a.n in Fig. 77. c o n s i s t s oí' \vclI-sli;ipcd graphite
spheroids siirroiiiided by Iiirgc iiiiirtciisitc iiccdles iii ;in aiistcii- Remarks: It was not po,sible to ex-
titc i i i i i t r i x .
tend the experiments with this type
Figiirc 23 sliotvs ilic striictiirc ol'tlic \veldcd .joint iiloiig ;ill its of cast iron advantageously, for
Icnptli starting \vitli the iiii;iltcrcd hiisc cast i i o i i (;it 700N. Ski1 lack of material.
etch). Upon ohscrt.ing it. \\;e c;iii ht;itc th;it:
In the thermally affected zone. the needles of niiirtensite
disappear little by little. being redissolved diiring the hot which is carhiiriiiiig aiid ;it the same tiiiic lcrriti/ing.
phase of the weld cycle. I t is cvidciit thal the presence ofc;irhidcs aiid ferrite right
The griipliitc spheroids rcriiiiiti iiii;iII'cctcd in ;ill the hcsidc the alistenitic iiiid iiiiirtciisitic striictiircs coiistitiitcs
thcriii;illy iiifliicnccd /otic iiiid even iii the trcld /otic. c \ c n ;i distinct collection of striictiircs which gives rise t o ;i
though tlicii tliiiicnsioiis ;iiw rctliiccd \\ itli respect to the dctcricmtioii of the corrosicm resistiince properties aiid. ;is
origiti;il diniciisioiis. \\ Iiicli coiil iriiis thai this I'oriii of iiiorc ;I coiiscqiiciicc. it noiild he iicccss;iry to carry o i i t ;I lollo\v-
coiiip:ict griipliirc resists soliitioii iii the ;iiistciiitc hcttcr iip cxpcriiiiciit to find ;i siiitablc heat trcatiiiciit after
than the I1;ike ; i d llocciil;ir sliapcs. wcldiiig which is iiiorc siiitcd to rccoiistitiitiiig ;i iiiiil'orin
The line o f ilic \veld iiiiictioii. \vlicrc the iiicltiiig ;ind a Iiciniogciicoiis st riictiirc.
rcnipcr:itiirc h;is hccii rc;iclicd. li;ih hccii dcliiiciitctl hy ;I Tlic pli«toiiiicrogr;ipli of Fig. 24 ;iiid the j o i i i t diiigraiii oí
ccintiiiiiciiis liiic 01' c;irhitlch. \rliicli arc isol;itcd diiriiig the hardness vnliics ;ilong the Iciigtli of the \veldcd test h;ir coiifiriii
cooling and whose foriii:iticiii \\';is prohiihly I';i\.orcd hy tlic
perfectly wli;it has hccn ohscr\ul for the striictiircs aiid pcriiiits
presciicc of C r ¡ti the ;illoy. Cr hciiig ;I notorious 11s to iiiiikc the following ohscrvatioiis:
carbiiriiiiig clciiiciit.
In the thcriii;iliy ;iI'fcctcd miic iiiiiiicdiiitcly iicst t o the \veld The extension of the thcriiially :il'fcctcd miic is. ¡ri coiitr;ist
aiid the line ofciirhidcs. the striictiiic ol'tlic iiici;illic i i i i i t r i s to tli;it \vli¡ch Iiiis hccii iioictl for fl;ikc griipliitc c;ist iroiis
iippc;iIs to have i;ikcii o 1 1 ;I clc;irly I'crritic iispcci. 'l'lie :inci. cspcci;illy. f o r the iii;illc;ihlc c;ist iroiis. cstrciiicl!:
Iiiriii;itioii oí' lciritc hy cliiiiiii;itioii ol'c;irhoii i n the f oriii of lin1iicd. pr;icticoIIy rcdiiccd l 0 ; i t l i i i i line \\.¡Ili respect to tlic
c;irbidch ;incl tlic rcdis.vil\.iiig o f i1i;irtciisitc iicctllcs coiild coiitiict siirliiccs of the weld ,ioiiit. This ci111 he cspliiiiicd hy
hiive hccii I~ivorcd by the high Si coiitciit. ;in clciiiciit iiotiiig th;it the ihcïiìì;il coiidiicti\ity 0 1 ;iiisiciiitc. cspcci;iI-
1i;iviiig ;i po\vcrl iil fcrïiii/iiig ;ictioii. iintl hy C'r. i111clciiiciit Iy il' this 1;ittc.r is iilloycd \\¡th Ni iiiid \vitIl Cr. is

AWS W C I 85 m 078Y2b5 0007225 Y m
304 v-12
IH
tu
R
\
Fig. 24. Hardness through longitudinal section of iest bar. Gray Table6. Mechanical Properties of Welded Test Bars of
iron on left, ductile iron on right. Corrosion-Resistant Alloyed Ductile Iron
Cooling Conditions Anne a led

After Welding
d
Dimensions b
a
--12 10
8
Section rnm1 113 80
Useful part, mm M 40
Overall strength, kg 1950
Unit strength,kg/mm2 173

Elongation, % - > 110
Observations: With Not

defects Broken
considernbly less than thiit of the other cspcriiiicrit;il is iindcrstood the diflcrciit qii;ilitics oí' c;ist iroii aiid oí' stccl,
structures. slioiild gi\c rise t o cíficiciit \vcldjiiiictioiis ch;ir;ictcri/cd by good
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
In contriist to \vh;it has been observed in t h e \veld joints of strength. coiiip;ir;ibIc to those o f the base iiictal
other types of cast iron. the ni;isiiiiiiiii 1i;irdricss v;ilucs ;ire c1ior:ictcristics oí' the iiict;ils c;in inlliiciicc the wcldiiig tccliniquc
found in the base c;ist iron. that is. corresponding to the a n d the final ch;ir;ictcristics o f ihc weld , i o i i i t \.cry little.
;tustcnite-rn;irtensitc structure. At tlic \wltl junction liiic.
that is. in the zone of c;irbidc sc2rcg;itioii. ilic 1i;irdiicss is The nicltiiig points and the corresponding tcnipcr;ititrcs of
loiver rind the minirnuiii hardness is í'oiiiid i n tlic in- softening of the difl'crciit c;ist irons ;ire the sanie. s o tii;it the
tcrrncdiatc thcrrnally dfcctcd /ones. \vlicrc wc have compression oí' p;irts rccliiircs siiiii1;ir prcssiircs. Oii the other
observed the prcscncc o f ferrite. Iiniid. in the c;tsc oístccl. the syuccïc tciiipcr;itiirc is Iii~licrt1i;iii
that o í cast iron. s o tli;it it i i i t t s t 1i;ivc ;I dil'lcrciit positioii iii the
Table h shows tlie mcch;tnic;il propcriics obtaiiicd l'roiii tcst j;iws of the \\elding iii;icliiiic ;IS slioivti in Fig. 6 .
biirs produced í'roni the ucldcd test spcciiiiciis of this type olc;ist
iron recalling. ho\vcvcr. th;it in tlie C;ISC 0 1 tensile strciigtli tcst The elcdtrical and therrnnl conductivity of tlie different types
bars with many defects. it has not hccii possible to dctcrriiiiic the of cast iron prcscnt few dillcrciiccs. but it is necessary to tnkc this
e w c t v;iliic of the breaking strength. Il'soiiic dcl'ect liad not hccn into ; m o u n t when beginning tlic flash phase and dctcrniininp
prcscnt. this v;iiiic would 1i;ivc hccri Iiiglici-. ;IS predicted by the the amount of compression to use. Thc noticcable dill'crcncc in
extremely .high iinpiict strength v;iluc wlicrc tlic tcst hiti. hciit elongation bctwccn gray cast iron iiith llakc griipliitc aiid the
without breaking. rn;illc;ihlc cast irons. particii1;irIy ductile iroii. aiid even niorc
stccl. ciin be the c;iusc of í'r;ictiircs ;it the weld joiiit iirilcss
;ipproprintc iiic;isurcs arc t;ikcii. The lrcc c;irhoii dil'i'iisioii
p1icnonicii;i. most cspcci;illy in tlic c:isc of welding cast iroiis
Results of Test Welds Hetween Ileiero~rncoiisk'crrous Mrlsls
with stccl. c;in signific;iiitly niodily the properties o f the \veld
Flesh welding of ferrous rnct:ils ofdiil'crciii iiatiircs, ;itit1 by this joint.

AWS W C I 8 5 W 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 000722b b W
v-12 305
Table7. Tensile Strength and impact Strength of Test Bars of Gray Iron Welded to Various Ferrous Metals
Dimensions
d
a
-
10
b I
Section mms 10
Useful p a r t , mm 40
T o t a l s t r e n g t h , kg -
Unit s t r e n g t h , kg/mm2 -
E l o n g a t i o n , %' on 5 D -
Impact s t r e n g t h , kg/cm2 23.23.8
Observations : A l l specimens broke beneath t h e head on t h e c a s t

gray i r o n s i d e
HR5 l / f b ' - JO0
720
IIO
H7(
\
\
91
Ø
60
70
L5l
5C
$0 40
3
\\\
I I
gray ductile gray malleable gray steel

Fig. 25. Hardness through longitudinal sections oi test bars.
Results of hlechanical Tests T h e riiptiire of iiiip:ict strength test bars. sonic o f thcm
Tnhlc 7 shotvs the rcsiilts ohtaincd in t h e tciisilc ;tiid iiiipnct notched a n d others iinnotclicd. i i l w i y s t o o k pl;icc in t l i c ucld
strength tests on wcldcd tcst hars iiiiidc of gi-iiy iron ;ind section. aiid the \.;iltics oht;iincd :ire '\cry significant.
specimens o f othcr fcrroiis metals. Fig ti re 25 s h o w t he phot o ni ic rogr;i p hs (if 1 o rig it iid i i i i i I
W e observe thnt in X I I the tests the \veldcd jiiiiction ï o n c
sections oí \veldcd joirits and the superimposed di;igranis
gr;rphic;illy represent the rockwell H R B hardness 1 , 16 100.
resisted the tensile stress perl'cctly aiid that the riiptiirc t o o k
pl;icc beneath the tic;id o l the test h;irs on the gray iron side. ;it ;i starting from the unaffected base m e i d and crossing the weld
i o i i i t . Froin these di;igrniiis. it tiiriis » t i t tli;it ilie hardness cil the
hrciiking strength equal t o thiit ( 1 1 ilic nicial.
wcldcd ïonc is ; i I w y s the highest. which p r o w s tli;it it h;is the
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
T h e wcldcd joints d o n o t show tlic slightest trace ol'crwkiiig greater resistance t o brciikiiig. O n hotli sides. tlic limiiicsses
and thcrcf'orc they dciiionstr;itc ;I strciigtli iiot;ihly superior t o diminish iintil they ;ire tlic s;inic ;it ;I distance olnroiiiid 10 iiini
that of' the wcakcr of the t w o iiict;ils .joined. from tlic weld j o i n t . ;IS tlic typical Ii;irdiicss wliics of thc h;ise
iiici ;i I.
'I'he test bars show n o c1ong;itiori.even i n ihc cast of welding
with steel. hcc;iiiw they break in the gray iron part ;it ;i breaking T h e photomicroprophs of Fig. 26 (a ; i d b) show the structiire
strength b e l o n the cl:isiic liiiiit ol ilic otlicr iiict;il, which has not in the joints of the wcldcd test bar heiwccii the iliikc graphite ciist
even bcgiiii to dcloriii. iron and the diictilc iron. :it ;i iii:igriific;itioii oí' ZOOX.

AWS WCI 8 5 9 078Li265 0007227 8
306 v-I 2
Unetched.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Nital etch.
gray iron ductile iron
Fig.26. Structure in the weld zone between flake graphite cast iron and ductile iron (2OOX).
Structural observation completely pro\es o i i t \ h i t \ve liave

already seen previously in the case of \wldiiig viirioiis t ! p s of
cast irons with themselves. thnt is:
In the zone of the joint. thc free gr~ipliitcscgrcpatioiish:ivc

practically disappeared. cspccially those o f Ikikc graphite
squeezed out by the electric iircs during fl:ish¡ng. and
partially dissolved in the :iiistcnitc below tlic nicltiiig
temperature. Thc junction and the a t o m i c iiitcrpcnctr:iiioii
of the surfaces of t\vo different kinds o f c ; i h t i r o i i appc;irs t o
be extremely close. such ;is to insiiic the most complete aiid
uniform continuity between the iiict;ils joined.
During the following phase of rapid cooliiig. in t h e joint
zone, a structure forms which is cli;iriictcri/ed by ;i
cementite network distributcd along the ctlgcs of prior
austenite grains. cncloscd within ;I iii;itris structure of
sorbite without any trace of frcc graphitic carbon.
O n iiioviiig ;i\v:iy I'roiii ilic joint /otic o11 both sides. i i i i l i c
thcriii;ill!~ affected ïonc o f boili types 01' c;isi ¡ i - o i l . tI1c
soliition o f lliikc gr;iphiic. i o the left. ;iiitl 01' 5piici.oid;it
graphite. ;i' the righi. :ippc;ii-s to g I ~ I i i ; i I l ydccrc;ihc. .I Iic
carbon t h u s dissolved. hcc;iiisc .,.)Itlic \ c r y i-:ipid cooliiig
\vhich 10llows. d o c s i i i i i h:i\c tiiiic to scp;iï;itc froiii ilic
austcnitc in the forni o1 cciiiciitiic. h i i t rciii;i¡iis rr;ippcd i l l
thc alpha i r o n iind give.; rise i o Ioc;ili/ccl i1i;irtsiisitic
shapes.

AWS WCI 85 m 078q2b5 0007228 T
v-12 307
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
(b) Nital etch.
gray iron weld zone malleable iron
Fig. 27. Structure in the weld zone between flake graphite cast iron and malleable iron with floccular graphite (200X).
IiiCli
i\ J l l h t i l i e s tI1c strciigtii propci-lie.;. \\~lliclldo i i o t I'iiid
tlicir liiilii csccpt ;it tl?c tciisilc sttciiytli Ic\.cl cifilic\\c;ikcht
i1ict;il. tl1;it is.o f I l l e gl;l!' ii-oii.
"ic hll-iICtIIre O l l t h e ciist iron sidc is ciltircl! pc;ii-litc-
t r o o h i i t c . s o t1i;it t l i k t o t h i - hiid i o he stibjccicd I O ;in
~ l l l l i cl~i ili y Iic;it 1rc;ItIlIcII1 ;1I'tcr \\ cld i il?.
'l'lie 5triictiirc o11tlic steel side isciitircly l'crriiic. iii kccpiiig
nith t l i c n a t i i r e 01 steel \ \ i r l i ;i lo\\ ciirhoii coritciit.
Table 8 giws the values obtiiiiicd o11 tlic tensile ;itid inip;ict
strength test bars produced l'roiii welded test speciiiicns bctivccii
c;ist iroii \\¡th diictilc ;ind iii:illc:iblc i r o n aiid s o l i steel. aiid
bctivccii ili;ii o1 iii~illc;iblccast iroii ;iiid steel.
Figiirc 29 sliows the macrograph o í tlic 1ongitiidiri;il joint
sections \vcldcd. l ' t i c siipcriiiiposcd din2r;iiiis gr;iphicnlly rcpre-
hent tlic rock\vcll IiIIB ti;irdiics>. I 16 100. along the Icngtli of
t l i c . i o i i i t . ht:irtiiig\vitIi i t i c t \ v o typcsofiiii;iItcred c;ist iron. in ihc
thrcc types o í tests described ;ibove.
Froin ;in es;iiiiiii:itioii o f tlic results. u'c c;in concliidc t h a t

riipturc ol'tlic tciisilc strength test bar. Ilmh hutt \veldcd hct\rccn
;I test spcciiiicii o f diictilc iron Lind ;i test spcciiiicii of iii;iIlc;iblc
i r o n . t o o k pl:icc iiiiiiicdi;itcIy belo\\ the Iiciid of ilic test b;irs.
oiitsidc o ï t tic liseíiil ïonc. on t h e ni;illc:ihlc iron sidc. :it :I io;id of
32.5 k p iiiiii'. cqii:iI to tli;it of iii:illc:iblc iron t!yc <;MN 35.
\\ Iiicli prmc.5 tli;ii tlic j o i i i t \vitIistood :i lo;id grenier tti:iri tlic
riiptiirc strciigtli oí tlic \vc:ikcr iiici;il. \liai is. thc iiiallc;ihIc iron.
Kiiptiirc t o o k p h c c :it ;in cloiig;itioii 012"; 011 tlic iii;illcahlc i r o n

AWS WCI 8 5 m OiôL.iZb5 0007227 L m
308 v-12
Unetched.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Nital etch.
gray iron steel

weld zone
Fig. 28. Structure of the weld between flake graphite gray iron and soft steel (200X).
side and had passed the elastic limit bcfore breaking. ;is ductile iron and 9 5 in the steel. The rupture took place at a
compared with the ductile iron which. having a strcnpth and a n distancc of 2 or 3 mm from thc contact section and the weld on
elastic limit clearly greater than those of the iii;illcablc iron. did the ductile iron side. th:it is. in thc thermally affected zone.
not exhibit any deformation. The impnct test bar broke under a which is the wc;ikcst because of thc prcsciicc of hard. fragile
load of 1.2 m-kg cm' (not kilograms). which equally confirms structural formations. Thc elongations may be considcrcd
the great toughness of the weld junction betwecn the two types typical for the two metals joined.
of cast iron.
Thc impact strength vnlucs arc also very high. All of this is
The photomicrographs. Fig. 30 (a and b). unctchcd and w i t h cvidcnce of the cxccilcnt properties of the \veldcd joint.
Sital etch. enlarged 200X, show the structurc of thc joint
between the two types of cast iron. Contrast this with tcst bars Thc pliotoriiicrcifi.;iplis o f Fig. 3 I (:i ;ilid b) s l i o n the structure
showing joints where flakc graphite pray cast iron is prcscnt. In in the junction 7onc between diictilc i r o n aiid stccl. iiiictchcd aiid
this case. the presence of frcegrliphitc is obscrvcd lor the cntirc \ \ ¡ I l l Nitnl clch. cnl;irgcd N O N .
length of the section examined. only its dimcnsions arc smaller
and its form is intermediate, bctween thc nodular and Iloccular I n this c;isc also. the bonding aiid the coiiiplctc iiitcrpciietra-
(flake) shapes. This confirms the observation ;ilrcady miide that tioii of the t\vo \veldcd siirl;iccs is csccllciit. with the iiiost
these two types of graphitc support thc thcrmiil stresses of the oitfstxnding plicnoiiicnoii bciiig ili:it 01' c:irboii diftiisioii l r o m
weld cyclc better than praphitc of the flukc type. the niorc c;ii-biiri/cd mct;iI ((is) 10ihc less c;iïiiiiïiïcd one (stccl).
Also. thc continuity and intcrpcnctration between the two At tlic contact siir1;icc o11 the cast i r o n side. t h e priipliitc
metals appears perfcctly uniform aiid honiopencous. ï'hc nodiilcs Ii;ivc tlis;ippc;iicd ;ilid ;i d:ii.k /olle is lornicll ci,iisisting
structurc of the metallic matrix ;it the joint is entirely troostitc- oí' ;I íïiiciy ilivitlcd iii;irtciisific :tiid ixiriitic struetitre. u Iiicti is
pearlite. i t changes gradually a s wc move away froin the weld dilliiscd i n t o tlic ferritic iii;iirix o f ilic stccl.
zone. until i t takes on the originnl structure of the two types of
cast iron at a distance of IO t o 15 mm from the weld line. on the l1;irdiicss1li:lpr;~tliof Fig. 2 0 . \ve scc IIi:it t l i c lil;iuiiiiilili
;iIiiiig the \vlicilc Iciigtli of tlic coiit;ict siirf;icc
1i;irdiicss is rc;iclicd
The test bar welded hctycen ductilc iron :ind. stccl broke aiid the weld o f the nict:ils. H i c 1i;irdiicssc~d r o p o l l progi.cshi\c-
under a load of 45.3 kg'mm-. with a n elongation of 4.50.i,
in the Iy O l l both sides of this Siii~1;icci i i i t il llic'. rc.;tcli tlic iiiiiiiiiiiiiii

AUS WCI 85 0784265 0007230 8
v-12 309
Table8. Tensile Strength and Impact Strength of Test Bars of Various Heterogeneous Ferrous Metals
Ductile Iron Welded With: Malleable Iron With:

2a )Malleable Iron 2b Steel 3a)Steel
Tensile Impact Tensile Impact Tensile Impact
Dimensions
d
b -1s --1s L
10 --I5
a 8
Section mm* 176,7 176.7 60 176.5
Useful part, mm 75 75 40 7s
Total strength, kg 51150 Mxx) - 5900
Unit str eng th , kg/mm2 32.5 455 - 356
Elongation, $ on 5 D 2 CYN 4.5 cs - 5 CAIN

.steel
teel 1.8
-
*09s
Impact strength,kg/cm* - 6-93 -

Observations Broke under Broke at 2-3 mm Broke at 8.5 mm
the head on from the weld on from the point of
GMN side Ductile I r o n side the useful part
on the GMN side
HRO 56'- / O 0
126
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
70.. 70.-
60.. 60..
5-0.- 50-
Fig. 29. Longitudinal sections showing rockwell hardness.

AWS WCI 85 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 00072311 T
31O v-12
Unetched.
lital etch.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
malleable iron weld zone ductile iron
Fig. 30. Structure of the weld between malleable iron and ductile iron (200X).
Welds Between Nonferrous Base Metals With Ferrous To 1iicrc;isc the tticriiiiil grdient whcii iiictals characicrimi
Metals by ;I high tlicriiiiil conductivity arc prescrit. it is possihlc t o viir!
thrcc p;ir;iiiictcrs, iianicly the speed of I'lasli ucldiiig. tlic dcptli
The considerable difference between the physical and ol' fhstiiiig ( t h a t is. the consiiiiiption oi nietal). aiid the f i i i i i l
mechanical properties of nonferrous met;ils. such a s copper dist;incc of tlic jxws. This final distiiiicc tins ;in iiilliicncc
(Cu). brass. or iiluminiim (AI). aiid those o f í'crroiis inct;ils hiich iiivcrscly proportion;il to the tcii1per;iturc grxiiciit.
;is the cast irons a n d steel. were studied w i t h the oh.jcctivc of
recording ihc tvclding p;ir;iineters and cst:ihlisliiiì~the nicthods The tlicriii;il pxdicrit incrc;iscs w i t h the speed of l1;isIi
of ciirrying out the opcrotioii itself in the iiiost satisl'yiiig i1i;iiiiicr \\elding. since ;it high spccds the xcuiiiiil~itioiiot' I x i t is iiiorc
possi hle. sigliific;liit.
An optimum choice of welding p;ir:iiiietcrs. since they d o not W i t li siii;i I I metal coiisii ni pt ion. ;i II t lie ( i t Iicr piir;i iiict ci's hciiig
corrwpond to the distinctly dilícrcnt cli;iriictcristics of t l i c cqii;il. ;I systciii;itic (Icgiilar) sitii;itioii c;iiiiiot he ;itt;iiiicd since.
different mctiils. is cstrcnicly difficult. since it is iicccssiiry to duc to the high lhci'l11:~lcoiicIiicii\ il!.. ;i11 csccssi\c loxs ot' 1ic;it
satisfy ;it thc s;iiiic time diflcrcnt rcquitciiiciits. takes pl;ice. I3cc;iusc o f this. in order to pcriiiit ;i siifficiciit
conccntr;ition o f hcíit s o ;IS t o produce tlic weld iiiiion. tlic
The diffcrcncc in iiicltiiig points is coiisidcr:ihlc hctwecii Cu. overharig o1 nonferrous iiictal with respect t o tlic wcldiiig
and cspeciolly between brass ;incl AI. aiid ttic ícrroiis;iIIliys(c;ist iiixhinc jnw should he grctitcr than tti:it of tlic ferrous mct;il.
iron and stccl). In the coiirsc of 11;i\Ii \\cltliiig, ihc coiixiiiiiptioii
of ;i nonferrous iiict;il is greater tli;iii t1i;it oí' ;I I'ciriiiis iiictiil. 1iiI~;ihlcY ;ire rcportctl soiiicg~oiiictricwri;ihlcs witti relation
10 tlic tli;iiiictcr r i t ' test spcciiiiciis iiscd tliii'iiig tI1c \\clding (i1
'I hc thermal conductivity o l ; i Icrrí)iis iiict;iI is iihoiii I 7 tli;it viirioiis iiict;ils.
o f Cu and abolit I 3 t h a t ol'hrxxs. \villi ; i n iiitcriiictli;itc \;iIiic íor
AI. 'I'hc high thermal coiidiicti\.iiy 01' iioiil'crrciiis iiici;ils. Over ;inil ;iI>o\c ;III apiiropriiitc prcssiirc on tlic , j a w . i t is
especially Cu and AI. niakcx it dill'iciilt t o coiicciitr;itc tlic heat cqtl:llly iicccss;ir'' I O c1i;iiigc ; i l l I l i C ClCcilic;il ; i l i d lllccll~lllic~ll
within ;i r c l a t i v c l ~n:irrow /one. w i t h the cciiiscqiiciit cstciisioii p;ir;iiiictci-s of Ilic \\cldillg IC s o ;is t i i ; i t t ; i i i i ;i hiit't'iciciii
of thc injurious cííccts produced hy thc tlicriii;il cycle iii tlic p;itt. concclili';itiiiii 0 1 . I1c;it \ \ i l l l ~ i l l t C ; l l l h i l l g ;i11 c\ccxei\-c coIlslIIIlp-

AUS W C I 85 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007232 L D
v-12 311
(a) Unetched.
(b) Nital etch.
ductile iron weld zone steel

Fig.31. Structure of the weld between ductile iron and steel (200X).
Table9. Dimensional Changes in Welded Parts
High carbon s t e e l La = 0.6d + Lb

Low carbon s t e e l La = 1.9d + Lb
Brass La = 1.kd + Lb
Copper La = 0.75d + Lb
High carbon s t e e l welded with:
S t e e l w i t h low carbon % La = 0.6d + Lb = 1.5d
Steel w i t h low carbon $ welded with: * La = 0.8d + Lb = 3.5d
Copper * La = d + Lb = 3d
La = d i s t a n c e of each i n d i v i d u a l p i e c e b e f o r e welding
Lb = d i s t a n c e of each i n d i v i d u a l p i e c e b e f o r e welding *
d = d i a n c t e r of p i e c e s t o be welded
* Trans. N o t e : These t h r e e e n t r i e s seem t o have e r r o r s . The t h i r d r e p e a t s

t h e l i n e above i t , b u t should probably r e a d " a f t e r welding".
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AUS WCI 85 0784265 0007233 3 =
312 v-12
(a) Unetched.
Uital e!tch.
malleable Iron weld zone steel
Fig. 32. Structure of the weld between malleable Iron and steel (200X).
tion of metal. AI U N I 4507 \veldcd with:

Flake gr;ipliite gray cast iron
The hot mechanical properties. which vary grc;itly iiniong the 1)uctilc iron
different metals. require control of the squccying force as a Malle;ible c;ist iron
function of the limiting mechanical strciigth of the softer Steel
nonferrous metal. This brings about ;i light forging of the
ferrous metal and. as a consequence. the interpenctration Cu Type Cu DHI'
between the nonferrous met;il and the iron. rather than steel. can
The work w;is c;irried out with ;i commercial Cu. type Cu 13 '.
be foreseen. because of the diffcrencc in plnsticity between the
with ;i Cu content in csccss o f 99.80Ci.. deosidilcd with
two types of ferrous metals ;it the working tcnipcrature. Some
results have been obtained in welding ferrous metals to phosphorus. with ;i phosphorus content of 0.013 to 0.050Ci.
rolled into rods 30 min in diameter and having the following
nonferrous metals by using very high sqiiccx prcssures. with
mec ha nical propcrt its:
preparation of the test barns shown in Fig. 33. with welding time
and feed stresses :ippropri;ite to the ii;iturc ;ind properties of the Rupture strciigth = 20-24 kg' nini'
nonferrous metals ;is shown in Tablc 10. Yield strength, 0.2% = 4 - h kg/inm'
Elongation, Yb on 5 diameters = 45 - 50
The flash butt welding tests bctwccn fcrrous and nonferrous
Brinell hardness HB IO/ 1000/30 = 45 - 50.
metals wcre carried out bctwecn the following nietal types:
Cu type C u D H P wcldcd with: 7'he cod'í'iciciits of tlicriii;il cxp;iiisioii ;ire sliglitly dillcreiit for
Flake graphite gray cast iron type G 20 U N I 15007ih9 the Cu-steel weld. while tlic diflcrciice is sigiiiCic;iiit lor the Cii-
Ductile iron type G S 5 5 / 5 UNI 4554 c:ist iroii w i d ; s o th;it i n cooling. iiitci.n;il stresses might arise
Malleable cast iron type G M N 35 U N I 3779/69 which. il they ;ire not iiiiiiicdi;itcly controlled. could c;iusc
Steel type Fe45 U N I 3596 riiptiirc of t h e weld ;iiid reduce the properties oí' tlic junction.
Brass type 60 40 U N I 4892 wcldcd with: The solubility o f Cii ¡ri iron ;it temperatures ~ i h o w9IOC
Flake graphite gray iron (lh70F). that is. in the ;iustciiitic pli;isc. c;in rc;icli 9"i. Cu in tlic
Ductile iron iron. while below tlicsc tciiipcr;itiirc v;iliics i t is cstrciiicly
Malleable cast iron limited ;inci c;in give rise to globular Cu iiicliisioiis in the lcrroiis
Steel iiictiil. l'lie solubility oí c'ii in iron is pr;ictic;illy nil iii tlic solid
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 078Li2b5 000723Y 5
v-12 313
state. for hich rcnson ;it t~niper:itiireshclnw YOOC (1652F) the Table10. Voltage, Pressure and Time Values Used in Welding
I\\« metals should he considered entirely imniisciblc. A i this Nonferrous to Ferrous Metals
tcniperntiirc they form two clearly distinct phases withnut the
I'orni:ition of 7nncs ot intcriiicdintc composition or solid Weld
solutions. so t h a t the soundness of' the wcld will he determined Feed Pressye Time
predominantly hy the ninnncr in which ttl'icieiit squeezing takes Voltage kg/cm Seco
place iiiid by cutensi\e ;irid iinil'orni interpenetration.
+ GG - IS
There are severiil w;iys to iiicrcasc tlie thermal gradient: by
increasing tlie amperiige. by using ;I higher welding speed. nr by
prepiiring the parts a s shown iii Fig. 33. Using ;I higher welding
Cu
Cu
Cu
+ GS
+ GMN
380 V
300 v
380 V
P = 8
P = 8
P = 8
I
I -
= IO
IO- IS
= IO - IS
speed \vil1 incrense the consumption o f metal during the nosh I
cycle. T:ihle I I reports the nicclionicnl properties obtained in Brass+CS 380 V P = 7 I = 10-1s
tests ciirried out on tlie test h;irs welded hetween C u and the
metals indicated ahove. The test hors ;ill broke along the length Brass+G U N 320 v P = 7 I æ 10-1s
of the \veld surface a t ;i ruptiire sfrength ;i!w;iys weaker than that Brass+Fe 4s 320 V P = 8.3 t = 30
of Cu. from about 10 to 17 m-kg.'min-. Nevertheless. this is Cu + Fe I S 320 V P = IO t-30
greater than the permanent delormation limit of Cu. which
permits elongations of 2 to IOC;. over li;ilf of thc test bar on the
Cu side.
L o w r elongations were also nhscrved in the halves of the test
h;irs on the ferrous metal side. riiiiging from 0.6 to I.Y)b for the
ductile iron aiid mnlle;ihlc iron and tip to 4C,;, for steel. which
demonstrates some degree of toughness in the weld. A strong
weld i s also confirmed hy the high i m p x i strength valucs and is
porticiiliirly noticeable in the wclds between Cu aiid inallcable
iron and Cu-steel. which leads us to think that the weld is
stronger if it is made between Cu and fcrrniis metals with ;i
predoniinantly ferritic structiirc. instead o f with I'crroiis metals
having ;I high percentage of coinhincd carhori.
The fracture cross section shows :i gray hackground with
round spots having the appearance of flakes (nodules) of Fig. 33. Arrangement for welding nonferrous metals to iron using
copper. which denotes poor iinif»rmity. very high squeeze pressures.
The hardness diagrams taken Iniigitiidinally to tlic joint ;ire

shown in Fig. 34. An increase of hardness is found I C I correspond
to the weld zones. On the one hand. hardness drops o f f rapidly a
short distance from the weld liiic. There is ;I progressive decrease The structures formed in thecontact zone between copper a n d
in hardness until thc niinimiirii v;ilue f o r each ferrous hase mct;il the different types of cast iron arc very similnr. Figure 35 s h o w s
is reached. The hardness v;iltics. in the case ofcnst iroii.;it i niiii thewcld 70nc between C u a n d fl;ikcgr;iphitccrist iron. Nitaleich
from the weld. ;ire coiiipnrablc \vit11 the s;iiiic iiic;isiiremcnts ;it 200X. In the contact zone hetween Cu and the dii'fcrcnt types
made on test bars of these riict:ils w l d c d hctwccii tliciiisclvcs. of cast iron. :I dccnrhiiriied layer is formed. A cniisidcr;ihlc
diffusion of Cu droplets w i s noted in the hody iiiiitrix of cast
The soft steel does not shov a n y increase in hiirdiicss in the iron which. in the hlnck a n d white phototnicrogr;ipli. ;:ppcarsas
zone close to the weld. which coiil'iriiis that tlicrc is rio I'oriii;ition round o r oval glnbiiles with a uniform gray color. while in rciility
of linrd structures. they have ;I hright coppcr-red color.
Tablell. Mechanical Properties of Test Bars of DHP Copper Welded to Various Ferrous Metals
Gr ay Ductile Malleable
Iron Iron Iron Steel
- - -10 -
-- --
d 1s 15 15 15
Dimensions b
1
10
8
-
176.7
10
8 :
-- 10
8
Section mm' 176.7 80 7s 80 176.7 80 176 80
Useful part, mm 75 40 1700 40 75 40 75 40

Total strength, kg 1800 - 9.6 - 2sso - 1100 -
Unit strength, kg/mm2 10.4 - - 14.4 - 175 -
Elongation, $ on 5 D I .2 - 1.8 Cu - 4.2 Cu
1.3 G M N
- 10.1 Cu -
0.6 GS
steel
Impact strength, kg/cm2 - U5
175
--
31.9
18.7
- 81
137
- 156
Observations: All specimens broke in the weld/
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 = 0784265 0007235 7 W
v-12
Table 12. Tensile Strength and Impact Strength of Test Bars of Brass Welded to Various Ferrous Metals
Gray Ductile Malleable

Ir on Ir on Iron Steel
1s -
Dimensions
d
8 -6 -- IO
6
b
Seciion mml 28.3 176.5 80
U s e f u l p a r t , mm __ 176.5 40
T o t a l s t r e n g t h , kg 500
5650 -
32
Unit strength,*kg/mm* L
E l o n g a t i o n , $ on 5 D
-
Impact s t r e n g t h , k g / c m -2 28.5
30
- - m
28.1
- 35
31.4
O b s e r v a t i o n s : Rupture took p l a c e d i r e c t l y on t h e weld l i n e i n a l l c a s e s .
O n the Cu side. immcdi;itely ;ifter the c o n t x t siirfxc. no The mec1ianic;il properties of brass ;it clc\nted temperatures
transform;ition of any kind \viis »bser\.cd. On the cast iron side. ;ire not ;is good ;is those ol stccl and cast iron. s o that the
in tlie 7one close to the contact s u r f x c . tlierc M';IS no graphite squceïing prcssiircs should he rcgtil;itcd in such ;I ivay a s t o
segregation rind the formation of di\crsified structures o r avoid cracks and significant dcl'orrii;itions in tlie weaker iiiet:il.
considernbly altered structures t o o k pl;icc over ;I long tinic. As \ve have seen. Cu Iios priicticdly no solubility in iron. On thc
t'ollowed by ledeburite structures aiid by cstcnsi\,c cciiientite contrary. ïinc in the brass ;ittoy h m ;I significant solubility in Q
formations. pr«hably duc to ii high rate o f cooling. This Ic;ids us iron ;it high tcmpcraturc which. however. diininishcs rapidly
to believe t h a t Lifter the welding pliiisc. the close cont;ict of the \vith temperature. As can he deduced from :in examination o f
cast iron with Cu. \\hich is ;in cuccllciit lieat conductor. lias the Fe-Zn phase d i a g a i n . ;it lo\\ tcnipcr;itiircs ;i Iioriiogcncous
accelerated the cooling of the welded pari. thus sin~pliíyingthe solution of (Y iron and zinc is in equilibrium with an intermediate
formation of unstiihlc hard structures. phase of intermetallic composition. FeZni. This compound,
which is hard and brittle. giws the Fe-Zn alloy poor mechanical
The photomicrograph of Fig. 36 shows the structure of the properties.
welded metals, Cu and steel. 1ongitudin;illy to the weld 7one.
re\'ealed by Nital etch at 20OX. We niiist ;ilso take into ;iccoiint the fiici tli;it iiiic. nhich is
found i n brass alloys in ;i percentage lowcr than t h a t of Cu. is
There is no diffusion b e t w e n tlic t\vo nict;iIs joined and the sub.icct to ;i certain loss during the flash welding cycle. because
line of separation h c t n w n tlicm i n qiiitc clc;ir. ;itso hcc;iiisc of of i t s great v o h t i l i t y ;it clc\;itcd tcnipcr;iturcs. As ;i conse-
the absence of free c;irboii. T l i c r c ;ire no tr;iiisloriii;itioiis in the quciicc. its ditfusion into the iron niIl be liinited by thisand also
steel structure. which rcmaiiis entirely I'crritic: this i s equally because of the low concentration gradient. Table 12 siimmarizes
confirmed by the dcwlopiiicnt 0 1 the hardncsh. M liicli rcniiiiiis the results obtained in the tcnsile and impact strength tests on
constant from the weld s i i r f x c for tlie ciitirc Icngtli of the steel flash butt welded b;irs between brass and ferrous metals.
side. I t shows only ;i modest cnl;irgciiient in the diiiicnsions of
the ferrite grains. 0nfortun;itcly. the iii:itcri:il ;iv:iil:iblc did riot pcriiiit tis t o
obtain for sonic tests any otlicr t l i ; i i i test spcciiiiciis of w r y
reduced diiiiciisioiis. with 1% Iiich it \\;IS ncvcrtliclcss possible to
dctcrniinc tlic tcnsilc strength.
Brass Type 60-40 ('NI 4XY2
I<iipturc of tlic welded test bars :iIw:iys t o o k pl;icc the Iciigtli
The niechanical properties of hr;ihs 60-40 (!SI4892 ;ire ;is o í t h e wcldcd siirí'icc. with ;I lr;ictiire oí ycllou color. sliglitly
follo\\s: arid uni f o r nil y gr;i iiii kir.
I<uptiirc strength = 7h-3X kg min; The riiptiirc. strength in the diffcrciit tests i5 iiot;ibl!, superior
Yield strength. 0 . 2 5 = 14 kg mm- t o thnt o f tciisilc strength tests on test hiirs \\.cldcd hct\\ccn the
Elongation. Ci on 5 diameters = 45-50 corresponding lcrroiis nictals aiid copper. I I rcaclicd tlic
Brinell hardness. H ß IO' 1000 30 = 75 - 80 strength v;iliic of hr;iss i n tlic test b;irs \vcltlcd hctwccii brass.
This type of br:iss is charactcriied by ;I i\vo-pli;isc htructiirc, (I ni:illc:iblc iron and stccl. wliilc the test bar \veldcd witti gr:!! iron
+ p and it i s av;iilablc coninicrc¡;illy
i n tlie loriii o i sciiiil'iiiislicd broke ;it ;i Iwid close to tli;it 01' tlic latter nictiil,
products such ;is tuheh. hiirs. sheets. aiid wire. Illoiiyiiioii of ;i low valtic t o o k pliice oiilv in tlic wcldcd tcst
The welding o f brass to lcrroiis iiict;ils c;iiiscs problems bar hctwccii brass a i i d stccl.
similar to those of Cu. ;iltlioiigli in ;I sni;illcr nic;isiirc. so t1i;it
T I i C \.;i1tics oí the ir1ip;ict test \\ere good.
becatise of its coiidcr;ihl!. lowcr tIicriii;il coiidiictivity íaroiiiid
half that of Cu). the brwh presents ;I greater opporiiiiiiiv t o I.'igiirc 37 s h o w sclieiii;itic;illy tlic li;irdiicss v;iIiics
concentrate the heat in the w d d m n c . Coiiiitcr;ictiiig this ilic \veld line Iroiii one t o tlic otlicr bmc iiict;iI. I i i
loiipitiit1iii;il to
positivc aspect. it hiis ;i melting point lowcr than tliiit of Cu. 'Hic contriist \Vit li t lie c;isc prc.\~il~iisly cs:iniiiicJ. 1 lie I11;lsilllllIll
large difference hetwecn the inclting points o1 brass and those of 1i;irdiicss viiiiics were n o t f o i i i i t l oppiisitc the \\-cid line. in tlic
the ferrous metals should be compciis;itcd lor by ;i grciter lcrroiis nict ;iI. hiii ;it wine iiii I linict crs tl ist:)n t I ' r i m I Iic \\ cld.
consumption of brass during the flash welding. 'I'his /one is cli;ir;ictcri/cil by tlic prcwiicc (il ;I iii:irtcii4tic
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 8 5 078Li2b5 O007236 7
v-12 315
120 t
110.
la0
90-
EO..
70 .
60
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 34. Hardness diagrams of welds between copper and various ferrous metals.
- - .-- - .- - .-
gray iron copper

weld zone
Fig. 35. Weld zone between Cu and flake graphite cast iron (200X). Nital etch.
On t h e whole. coiisidcr;ihlc penetration oí' the hrosc into t h e

ICrroiis nietiils wiis noted in ttic f o r m of large :ind siii:ill d r o p s
:tiid Iiirgc blades of brass cstcndcd deeply into the m o t r i s o l t h e
cast iron. In o r d e r t o cspliiin the coiisidcr:iblc dispersion of t h e
brass, H'C c;i t i t li i nk of iiitc rgruiiii Iíi r dilfiisicin p hcnoiiicnn
siriiihr to tliosc which take pl;icc iii brwiiig tcctiiiiyiics l o r
l'cri-oiis iiictiilh w i t h hríiss. Actiially. it is w l l k n o w n that l o r t h e
b r w i n g oí' stccl parts ;ind ~ ~ 1 iron.
s t Cii is iiscd ;IS \\.ell ;IS h i s s .
We ciin tlicn \ isii;iliic ii conricctioii by iiitcrpciictríitioii of liquid
hr;i\s into ilic miss 01' í'crroiis nietal.

AUS W C I 85 D 0 7 8 ~ 2 b 50007237 O
316 v-12
Fig. 36. Longitudinal section showing the structure of the weld

between Cu and steel (200X). Nital etch.
HR8 646 - 400
RO
lid
IA
Y1
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
brass steel brass malleable brass ductile
Fig. 37. Hardness values of welds between 60-40 UNI 4892 brass and various ferrous metals.

AWS W C I 85 = 07842b5 0007238 2
v-12 317
ductile iron interface brass
Fig.38. Structure of weld zone between brass and ductile iron (200X). Nital etch.
steel weld zone brass
Fig. 39. Structure of weld zone between brass and steel (200X). Nital etch on steel, NH3-H202
etch on brass.
csaminxtion. sincc the \veldcd test spcciniciia o1 a n y signific;iiit Al -i

flnkc graphite cast iron 0.75 kg:cn1~
scction s i x a l \ v ; i y hrokc in tlic wcldcd wctioii on sinipl! falling Al +
ni;illc;ihlc iron 0.75 kg cni;
to thc floor o r during m;icliining l o r prcp;ir:itioii 01 the test AI i-
diictilc iron 0.70 kg cni:
spccimcn. +
AI stcel 0.65 kg em-
Figiirc 40 shows the hardness di:igr:iiii Iongitiidiii;il to tlic
\velds \\hich. in ;I \v:i! simikir to ;ill tlic c;iscs stiidicd prcvioiisly. ~ \veld ïoiic bct\\,ccii ,Al ;ilid
Figiii'c 41 slio\vs the a t ï i ~ ~ t iini ïthe
presents ni;isiniiiiii 1i;irdiicsh points iii the t1icrni:illy iiil'liiciiced diictilc iron with Nital etch ;it 7 5 0 5 . Wide. clc;ir /ones ;ire
7oncs oí' tlic fcrroiis iiict;iIs iic;ir tlic siirí'xc 01' tlic weld. 'I hcsc rc\c;ilc<l \~hicll1c;id :i\\;iy li.Oi11 the Al iiid pciictr;itc t h e dIictilc
diiiiinidi t l o w i to the iypic;il \.;iIiic lor c;icli ícri-(ius iiici;il. while i r o n . hiii iii spite 01' the deep ititcr.pciicti.~itioiiolîlic i \ \ o iiiciiih
on tlic Al side the 1i;ii'diicss drops oll'iiiiiiicdi;itcly to t l i c ~ ; i l u c s wliicli w r c joined. tlic sti'ciigtli oí' the w l d ia entirely
cliar;ictcristic o f t l i i h n i e t a l . iiiconsistcnt.
'i lie iiicoiiAtcncy oí' thew \velds is shown cclii;iIly by tlic Around the globules of graphite tlicrc is the iisu:il partial
iiiiiiiiiiurii w l i i c s 0 1 iiiip;ict s t r e n g t h ivliich i t W;IS possihlc i o solution of free carbon and its diffusion into the surrounding
c;irr!' 0111 on sonic tc4i bars \vli¡cli \ve siicccctlcd i n iii;icliiiiiiig. IonCs. with forniation of ;i martensitic structiire iii thc m n e ncst
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

A W S W C I 85 W 078Li265 0007239 Li W
v-12
h
4 1
110
?/?6"-100
'r-
I c
copper malleable iron aluminum ductile iron aluminum malleable iron

a b C
Fig.40. Hardness values of welds between Cu, Al and various irons.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 m 0789265 00072LiO O W
v-12 319
metal and. as ;i consequence. all t l i e types of cast iron appear to 4) In ;I siiiiil;ir w;iy t o t l i i i t st~iied hclorc. i n t h e weld /one
form \\elds as strong ;is the oripinal hase metal. between two dil'l'crciit types ofc;ist i r o n structures ol'lcdcburite
or sc;ittcrcd network cciiiciititc often 1'oIm. it Iiicli coi-i-cspondto
3 ) T h c striictui-es slim\ ;I progresi\ e tr;iiisioriii;itioii towird ;I high hardness \;iltic. On both sides o f t l i e \\eld. the structures
hotli sides of the \\eld coiitiict surf;iccs. st;irtiiig from i l i c ;ire progressively tr;iiisforiiicd bcc;iuse o f plicnoiiicii;i ;ilrc;idy
iin;iltcrcd hxsc nietal. i\i t l i ;in eiir¡cliiiieiit o f I'iiicr iiiid finer dcscribcd. ii;iiiicIy the progrcssi\c siiliitioii o f t l i c free e;irhon
pc:irlitc a s \\e proceed tonard the \\eld. A gr:idu:il increase. into t l i c iron and the I'oriii;itioii of structures wiili coiiihiiicd
Iio\\c\cr limited. of the hardness occurs ;is the \veld is c;irbori in such ;i \vii!' that troostite o r pciirliic ;ire l'iiriiicd.
;ipprixiclicd. 1.tic ni;i s i i i i r i i i i ti:] rd ness \ ;I Itie is o htii iiicd c xiict Iy Mcc1i;iiiic;il properties even bcitcr than t h o s e of t h e hase iiictiil
;It the \\Cld itself. are t h u s found.
4) \\'¡th the exception of iitistciiitic ductile iron. sc;ittcred liard 5) In ;I similar w a y t o that stiitcd above. ;I brief aiinciil ciirricd
structures o f Icdcbiiritc o r cementite foriii i n the ncld contact out within the welding cycle itsellcliiiiiii:itcs ;ill hard xtructurcs
lone. \\ Iiich corresponds to the gre;itcst hardness iiicnsiircd. .of ledcbiiriic and network ccnicntitc forni;itioiis by hvoring the
5 ) ..\ short aniie;iI :ifter ibc ivclding cycle. carried oiit on the formntion of a n cntircly pearlitic o r troostitic structurc. This
\\elding machine itself. eliniiii;itcs :ill o f the Icdehuritic struc- structure is strong and tough. even in the welds o f heterogeneous
tures ;ind e \ c n ihe iiet\\.ork of cciiientitc which is formed in the ferrous metals.
iiinction 7onc. transforming it into ; i n entirely pearlitic or 6 ) This cxpcrimcntation ;ilso confirms wh;it lins been extcnsive-
troostitic structure ivliich is strong and tough. ly explained above relative t o the hchavior of different types of
6 ) The graphitic segregations ;ire cspellcd from t l i c stirkices to graphite in the thermal cycle of welding.
be joined in the course of f l a s h welding. They a r c p;irtially N o i 1 f i w o i t . s B«SP Metrrls i r i r l i Fívroits hfíwl.,
dissolicd in the Iones next to the \veld section. especially when
dcnliiig \\¡th gr:iphite of the flake Lind Ilocculnr type. Icnving in I ) The welds between these metals. which have very diffcrcnt
the junction h i i e no niore than :i few glohulcs olgriipliite which physic;il characteristics. are extremely difficult to make and
contrihiite to an improvement in strength. Only t h e griipliitc o f require careful control and ;idaptation of all ihe welding
sp tie roi da1 t!.pe re inn ins priici ic;i II! unalte red. \\li ic ti illustra tes parameters. The frictors which most affect the welding are the
il difference in h e h a \ i o r het\\c.cn tlie different types o f graphite different thermal conductivitics and the difíerencc in melting
with respect to the tlieriiial iiilliiencc of the \\elding cycle. point s.
This leads LIS to helic\e that tlicrc esists ;i diílcrciicc in the Adequate preparation o f the parts to be welded and exict
tendcnc! f o r gr;ipliitic c;irhon to pi into w l u t i o n ;ind to diffuse positioning in t l i e welding niochine Lire necessary for a good
in iron ;iccordiiig t o i t 5 riiorpliolosic:iI shapexiid t l i c e s t c n t o f its \veld.
specific surface \\ hicli is in coiit;ict nith t h e fel-ritic iii:itris. l'liis
7) The strength 01' t l i c \velds is al\vays less than that of the two
secnis to he nioi-c sigiiilic;int tor yriipliite of t h e tl:ihc type. of
metols joined. hut al\vays close t o that of the weaker iiictal. The
interiiicdi;ite iniport:irice for gr;ipliitc o l the 1locctil;ir ( rii;iIlc:ihle
fracture takes placc in the .iiinction m n c . The v~iluesof impact
nodule) I! pc arid of r i i i n i i i i i i i i i inipoi-t:ince l o r ttic spheroidal
st rcngt li ;i re gciic r;i I I y good.
t!'pc griiptiite.
3) Iii t h e n c l d l o n e and i n t h e surrounding lone. on the ferrous
7 ) The therrii:il cycle ol.\\cldiiig. cli:ir;icteri/ed by ~ p i 1ie;iting d
rnetnl side. all of the structiir;iI transformations take place a s
tip to ;i tcnipcr;itiirc close t o t h a t o f the melting point ot t h e
indicated previously.
iiictal ;iiiJ follo\\cd b' r;ipicl cooling í Fig. 3 ) . C ; I I I he considered
:i!. :I 1ic:it ti-c:itnicnt o r .I\ ;i di>\ol\ Iiig aiid diitii\ioii ot yr;ipliitic In Cu tlicrc is no striictiir;il tr;insl'~iriii~ition
except l o r ;I slight
carhori i n t o the iron. .I his cnriclich the i r o n i n coiiihiiicd c:irhoii tempering effect ,
and \\ tien follo\\ed hy ;I q u e n c h trc;itiiicnt. f;icilit;itcs tlic
formation of liard structure!. ílcdchiiritc. ccnicntiic xiid. c \ c n - I n h r x s there is ;in incrclisc i n /-i pIi;ise with consequent
tti;iIl!~. rii;irtcii5itc). 11'10 this q i i e i i c l i ti-c;itnicnt n e i(illo\\ up n i i h Ii:ii-dciiing of the nietal ;ind ; i n increase in its sirciigth
;in ;innc:iI trcatnicni l o r :i short hui w f I i c i c i i t tinic. \\e c;in cIi;ir;ictcristics.
d i s s o l \ c ttic hard elciiiciits \\hich Ii;i\c Ioriiicd t ( i l l ~ ~ \ \ I nthe y 4) Flash welding between AI and the ferrous inctnls. such ;IS cast
q iienc h and prod ticc ; i n e q uili briuiii str iici tire. strcv-rclic\ cd. iron aiid steel. is pr;ictic;illy irnpossihlc because o f the excessive
\\hich is ioiiyh arid sironp. This cqiiilihiitini htructui.c \ \ i l l he o1 dilfctciicc i n nicltiiig points of the iiict;ils.
troostite or of pe;irlite.
Elen n i t h the bebt possible proportioning o f the several
li(vii c c t i t l ~ ~ r ~ ~ i . ~ ~I -, i~w ~o i~i ri i. i ~/ ( ~
, i u~ l \~ i i , \
clectric;il ;irid iiiccli:iiiic;il p;ir;inictcrs of \vcldiiig. i l i c \veld I;icks
I ) The different types of c;ist iron arc c:i~ily ;irid coiiiplctcly a n y incc tia nic;iI strengt h.
\\.cld;ihlc. o n c to the other. c \ c n n i t h \tecl.
l'o\\¡l)k ,\I)plicutions
2 ) .I tic dillcrcncc i n \\cldiiig p;ir;iiiictci-s l.or (tic clittcrcni
b ' l i : i t i i i d i i h i ï i a l iipplic:itioiis c;iii hc fouiid lor this systcni o f
~ ~ ~ i i h i ~ i ; i tisi i r)i ioit ~\ipiiilic;iiit. tiihiiig iiiio ;iccoiiiit ihc y o t d
,joiniiiy c:i\t iron piirts. o r c;ist iron \vilti iiict;ils of ;i diffcrciii
i i i i i l o r i i i i t y o I niccli;inical ;incl t l i c r i i i ; i l pi.tJpci-tic5. I Iic onI>
w i t i i i - c . \\ l i c t l i c r I c r i - o u o~r nonferrous. taking into ;iccount the
d 'i l .l ~. -i ~, i i fcocr \rcItling uitti \tecl c o n > I \ i \ ( 1 1 pctiiiip \uit;iblc s i i p
1':ic.t i1i;it i t niust he c;irrictl oui on cstrcincly cohtly special
l o r t h e i:i\\s.
iii;icliiiicry u i t h :in ccorioiiiic >,icld o n l y for work in \.cry long
3 ) I I i c ~ ~ i r f ; i c c \tohIe \\cid\ t i i i ' i i o i i t t i l he perlecil\ iiiiiloi-ni:iiitl iiiiiss production riiris'!
c o i i t i i i i i o i i \ . 1 lie! ;IK cli;iï;ic.icïi/cd b! ;I \îïciigili Ic\cI ~L.IIC~;III!.
Consider thiit with different types of nidleiiblc iron parts arc'
grc;iicr t l i ; i i i i l i ; i t ot tlic \\c;ihcr iiict;il. I h;it is uti! ttic i i i n c t i o i i s
produced for tise In the aiitoniotive industry. such :is:
f C \ l \ t \ t l C \ \ \I i l l l ~ l i i tcl-:lching :incl tI1c l l - ; l c l ~ l l c 0\ 1 I l l C tcll\iIc ter1
era II h I\ti:] I t s . niot o r niou n ts. d i fl'crciit ia I carriers. brn kc d runis.
h;ii-\ i:iLc p l ; i c ~ i i i tlic. \ \ ~ : i L c i - 01 the i \ i ( ~ ï11ct:il\ ioiiicd. ; i t ;I
\teering hoses, pcd;ils and steering knuckles: i n tlic motorcycle
riipiurc \trciigtIi \ \ hich I\ cli~ii.ictcri\tic 01 i t i ; i i iiicial.
industry. such a s : pipes f o r wliccl forks ;ind chassis and iiiotor
I tic ii1ip;ict \tI-cngttl \iIllIT\;ire ~ L ~ n L ~ i ~ ; i 1p1l! ~ l d . c \ c nI I t l i q iirc cylinder blocks: in the h i c y l c i n d i i ~ t r y such . ;is: whccl hiihs.
~ l c c , l \ l l J l l ~ lAl'tcclcd
ll~ b! itic I l ~ l ~\ tdI l I L ' I u I c Z U I l i L ~ t lIii,i! 1 0 ~ 1 1 1i l l chas\¡\ tiihiiig ;ind pcdalz: i n t h e tr;ictor industry. in the
Ille III11cli(lll / o n e . construction o f xgricultur:il iii;icliiiics aiid sc\\.iiig iii;icliiiics.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

\\'e ;ilsci riote t1i;it tlic cspcïiiiiciits ill the l'Lis11 htitt \\cldiiig of
i r o n h;i\c not i;ihcii pl:icc ;in!\\Iicrc c\ccpt i n l<iiss¡:i aiid lor
\cry spccitic ;ipplic;itioiis. siicli ;is the \\cldiris otc:ist iroii pipe.
ïothiiis is toiiiid iii t h e tcctinic;il liickitiire oi'othcr countries.
:\iîiciiiF ihc iiiiist lihcl!. ;ipplic;iiioiis. tlicïc is tlic piissibility 0 1
itcldiiig hotlo\\ hodies in grii!' iroii o r diictilc i r o i i lor lise i n
fI;isLs \\it11 >h;ipcd. c i i r \ c d e l i d h . -I--clcnicntso r < i t l l e r s;it tliccnd
o f pipes \\ hich a r c presently cc~itrilti~:ilì!~ ciist. and \vlierc the
h!stcni (ilt',ihric;ition docs not pcriiiit t l i c prodiiciioii olsliapcd
ciids. Solid hotlies ol roiiiid. sqii;irc or oilier scctioiial shapes
might he \\cldcd hy these tccliiiiqtics.
So\\ here hiis the prohlciii of iliisli \vetding oldill'crciit i i i e t a l s
cvcr hecn ;ippro:iclicd :it the rcse;ircIi Ic\cl. e v e n though tlicic Bibliography
probably e x k t iiidiistrics \\.liiçh could tisc i t profitnhly.
Actii;illy. the opcr;iting conditions o1;i p;irticul;ir coiiiponent
p;irt of ;i iii;icliiiic ;ire not :ii\\~ii!~stiiiil'oriii in ;ill sections. I l t w o
i o n e s (il
t l i c h a n i e conipoiiciit port \vliich iiitist satisfy dillcreiit
dciii;inds :ire prodiiccd \vit11 tlie iiitciii oliisirig;~p;irticul;ir iiict;il
\\.hich iiiccts ilic diflcrciit iiiiposcd conditions. it wotild
doiihtlchs hc possihlc to effect sigiiificiint nict;il ccoiioiiiics by
¡nipro\ ¡rig the o\ci-:ill properties of the coiiipoiicnt part.
Sonictiiiies ;i p;irt t o he \veldcd c:ills for ;i coiiihiii;itiiiii »I

prcipcrtics ilia1 ;ire iiict:illiirgically iiicoiiip:iiihle. An cs;iiiiplc o f
this ii\jglit he ;i p;irt that lias t o li;i\c high corrosion resistance
and xlso food mcc1i;iiiic;il properties.
Thiis. for cs:iniplc. \\clds m i d e hct\vccn pieces of dill'ci-ciit
t'erroiis nictals. siich ;IS cast i r o n aiid steel. iiicltidiiis stxirilcss
siccl. can find certain prac t ¡cal ;i pplic:itionh. \\'elding h c t \ \ c c r i
p:irts of dissiniil:ir nictiils such ;is C'ti ;irid brass \ \ ¡ t h Icrroiis
nictals can ;iccentii:itc tlic dillererice in their colors ;iiid find ;I
prnc t ic:i I ;i p plica t ion ;i niong dcco r;i t o h,icci s. :\iso. hccii ii SC o f
the different strength ;irid c o r r o s i o n rcsi~tiincc o f cc.rt;iin
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 07842b5 0007242 W
V-13 321
Introduction
Production Welding Cast ductile, malleable and gray irons are economical, highly
of Cast Irons serviceable materials used for numerous components of
assembled equipment such as highway vehicles, farm
machinery, construction equipment and machine tools.
S. D. Kiser Throughout the years, however, the use of cast irons has been
impeded by the lack of welding products capable of creating
Technical Service Specialist high-quality welded joints in the materials. The problem has
Huntington Alloys, Inc become especially acute with the development of modern
Huntinglon, West Virginia manufacturing technology in which high-speed, automatic
welding is integrated with the assembly sequence. Because of the
welding requirements, designers are often forced t o specify
ABSTRACT expensive forged or cast steel for parts that would deliver equal
The use of cast irons for welded components has been severely performance in cast iron. The substitution of cast iron for such
restricted by the lack of a welding wire that would produce high- parts would save literally millions of dollars in many industries.
quality welded joints in the materials by an automatic process. The opportunity t o gain those savings is now presented by a new
Merely because of welding requirements, forged or cast steel has flux-cored welding wire.’
been used for many components that otherwise could have been Several factors influence the achievement of satisfactory
made of a cast iron. The use of economical cast irons for such welds in cast irons. The deposited weld metal must have high
parts could substantially reduce production costs for many strength and ductility. Because of the comparatively low
types of assembled equipment. A recently developed flux-cored ductility of most cast irons, the shrinkage stresses developed
wire now makes it possible t o extend the benefits of cast irons t o during cooling of the weld deposit cancause the base material to
welded structures. crack in the heat-affected zone(HA2). The cracking problem is
Many attempts have been made t o develop a welding wire for compounded by metallurgical changes in the HAZ that further
cast irons but until recently efforts were thwarted by the low decrease ductility in that area.
ductility of heat-affected zones in welded cast irons. Shrinkage Most of the problems with manual welding of cast irons were
stresses during cooling of the weld metal often caused heat- solved over twenty years ago with the introduction of high-
affected-zone cracking. It has long been known however that nickel (Ni)-coated electrodes especially formulated for cast
cast irons could be successfully welded with nickel-alloy weld irons.
metal having a high (about 1%) carbon content. The low
solubility of carbon in nickel results in precipitation of graphite The electrodes, AWS classes EN¡-CI and ENiFe-CI, deposit
during cooling of the weld metal. The resulting volume increase either Ni or Ni-iron weldmetal with a high(about 1.5%)carbon
holds shrinkage stresses t o a low level and prevents heat- (C) content. The high-Ni weld metal provides the necessary
affected-zone cracking. The graphite-rejection principle is the strength and ductility. The high Ccontent, whichis added to the
major reason for the success of nickel-alloy coated electrodes deposit through the flux coating, serves t o decrease shrinkage
(AWS classes EN¡-CI and ENiFe-C1)for manual welding ofcast stresses in the welded joint. Carbon has a low solid solubility in
irons. Ni and any excess C present in the molten weld metal will be
rejected as graphite during solidificatipn. The graphite increases
With coated electrodes, carbon can be added t o the weld the volume of weld metal and thereby decreases the amount of
metal through the flux coating. A conventional bare wire for shrinkage and accompanying stress.
automatic welding cannot feasibly be manufactured with the
required high carbon content. with flux-cored wire howeverthe The Ni-alloy-coated electrodes that incorporate the graphite-
graphite-rejection principle can be applied t o automatic welding rejection principle produce high-quality welds in cast irons.
through carbon added to the flux core. The flux-cured wire for However, the low deposition rates and manual operation
cast irons produces high-quality welded joints having favorable restrict use of the coated electrodes to repair welding andsmall-
heat-affected zones. The wire can be operated at travel speeds up scale assembly operations. Large-scale production-line welding
t o 100 inJmin(254 cm/min) and provides depositionrates of up requires a filler wire that can be deposited at high rates by
t o about 18 Ib/hr (9.2 kg/hr). automatic processes.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Source: AFS Transactions, 77-29, 1977 (American Foundrymen’s Society)

AWS W C I 85 9 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007243 b
322 V-13
Welding Procedures
(8.1) 18
The new fluxcored wire is specifically designed for high-speed
production welding of cast irons. The product consists of a Ni-
1
2 (7.2) 16 iron tubular wire filled with C, slagging ingredients and

M deoxidizers. It is produced as standard 50-lb (23 kg) coils in
% (6.3) 14 diameters of 0.093 and 0.078 in. (2.4 and 2.0 mm). The nominal
L
chemical composition of weld metal deposited by this flux-cored
f (5.4) 12 wire is 50% Ni, 1% C, 0.6% silicon (Si), 4.2% manganese (Mn)
0
g (4.5) 10
and 44% iron (Fe).
Ly:
Welding with the cored wire is performed with standard
-
c (3.6)
.-
.-a (2.7)
8
6
equipment for flux-cored arc welding, usually the same
equipment used for gas-metal-arc welding or submerged-arc
a welding. Direct-current power sources with constant potential
8 (1.8) 4 and reverse polarity generally give the best results. A pulsing-arc
power source has also been used successfully.
(0.9) 2
The core of the flux-cored wire contains deoxidizers and is
O
designed to be operated without shielding gas. If welding
200 240 280 320 360 400 440
conditions require greater protection, a shielding gas can be
Current, A used with no effect on mechanical properties of the joint.
Carbon dioxide is the most commonly used gas. The cored wire
Fig. 1. Efiect of welding current on deposition raîeof flux-cored
wire. can also be operated with submerged-arc flux.
A wide range of welding travel speeds can be used with the
flux-cored wire. High-quality welds have been produced at
travel speeds from 10-100 in./min (25-254 cmlmin).
Although a need has long existed for a filler wire that would
be equivalent to the coated electrodes, the very feature that The high deposition rates typical of automatic welding
accounts for the success of the electrodes prevents the processes are readily achieved with this flux-cored wire. As
manufacture of a conventional bare wire. A Ni or Ni-iron shown in Fig. I, deposition rates vary with welding current.
composition having the required high C content would be Rates of 13-18 lb/hr (5.9-9.2 kg/hr) are obtained at normal
impossible to process by known methods. welding currents. Such deposition rates are up to nine times
greater than those obtainable with coated electrodes.
The advent of flux-cored wire, however, presented the
opportunity to combine the features of the coated electrodes Preheat is not requiredforjoints in ductile and malleable iron.
with the high-speed welding of a bare wire. After much For heavy-section, fully restrained joints in gray iron,
development work, a flux-cored wire having a Ni-iron sheath preheating may be advantageous. None of the cast irons requires
and a high-C core was successfully produced. Like the coated a postweld heat treatment after being welded with this wire.
electrodes, the cored wire deposits sufficient C to promote
graphite precipitation and lessen shrinkage stresses. In addition, Mechanlcal Properties
the new wire produces a much more favorable H A Z which
further decreases the possibility of base-metal cracking. The Joints incast irons welded withthis Plux-cored wireexhibit high
product is now in commercial use.' For the first time, high- mechanical strength. Table I lists typical mechanical properties
quality cast-iron welds are being produced on the assembly line. of all-weld-metal samples and transverse samples from joints in
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
TaMel. Mechanical Ropertias of Joints Welded with the Flux-Cored Wire
Yield Strength Tensile Elonga- Reduction Hard-

(0.2% Offset) Strength tion, of Area, ness,
Spec imen Shielding ksi MPa % YO Rb
All-Weld Metal None 45.0 31O 69.0 476 15.5 14.5 81

All-Weld Metal COP 45.5 314 72.0 496 21.o 18.8 80
All-Weld Metal Sub. Arc Flux 49.0 338 74.0 51O i8.5 20.6 86
Transverse None 43.5 300 66.0 455 - -
Transverse COI 44.0 303 66.0 455 - -
Transverse Sub. Årc Flux 45.0 31O 64.0 441 -
All-Weld Metal* COI 44.0 303 68.0 468 15.0 16.2 80
Transverse* COP . 43.5 3O 0 67.7 467 - -
*Pulsing-arc power source.

AWS WCI 85 W 0784265 O007244 8 W
V-13 323
ductile iron. As indicated by the data, the tensile strength of weld
metal deposited by the wire typically ranges from 68,000 to
74,000 psi (469-510 MPa), well above the 65,000 psi (448 MPa)
minimum tensile strength of the most frequently used ductile
iron (SAE grade D4512). In addition to their highstrength, the
weld deposits exhibit good ductility.
Heat-Affected Zone
The heat-affected zones of joints in cast irons have been the
subject of much research and discussion. At one time, any
welded joint in cast iron was suspect because of the formation of
brittle carbides in the HAZ. The brittle carbides, coupled with
the heavy shrinkage stresses of low-C welding products, often
led to cracking problems. Now, however, metallurgists and
design engineers accept the fact that all metals undergo
metallurgical changes in their HAZs during fusion welding. The
current approach for ail materials, including cast iron, is to
experimentally evaluate the effects of welding on service
performance. For example, welded joints are often subjected to
accelerated simulations of service conditions.
One of the advantages of flux-cored arc welding with the
cored wire is animproved HAZstructure. Figure 2compares the
HAZs in joints welded with ENiFe-CI coated electrode and the
fux-cored wire. The microstructure of the joint welded with the
coated electrode contains a dense, continuous network of
carbides along the HAZ. In contrast, the microstructure of the
joint welded with the cored wire contains only sparse,
discontinuous carbides in the HAZ, eliminating the possibility
of a continuous band of brittle structure. The condition is
further enhanced by the very irregular fusion line, which results
from the high current density of flux-cored arc welding.
Mechanical tests confirm the absence of continuous brittle
structures in HAZs of welds made with the cored wire. Figure 3
shows failure locations in transverse fatigue-test specimens. In
none of the specimens does the path of failure follow the HAZ.
Tensile tests produce similar results.
The effects of welding on service life should be evaluated for
any welded structure. For most applications, however, the
metallurgical changes in cast-iron joints welded with the cored
wire are no more detrimental than those in welded joints in
Fig2 Heat-affected zones from joints in ductile iron welded

with, top) ENiFe-CI coated electrode and bottom) the flux- Flg. 3. Fatigue-test speclmensfrom jdntr in ductlle ironwelâed
cored wire. with the ïlux-cored wire.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 = 078i1265 00072Li5 T
324 V-13
Fig. 5. Ductile iron universal-jdnt yoke welded to steel drive

shaft with the flux-cored wire.
Fig.4. Conventional universai jdnt composed of a cast iron
yoke on the differential unit and a forged steel yokewelded to
the drive shaft. bar consists of two square-cornered locking lugs welded t o the
ends of a carbon steel tube. Cast steel has been used for the lugs
many low-alloy Steels that are routinely used for welded because of the welding requirements. Prototype units having
construction. lugs of a ferritic ductile iron and welded with the cored wire are
Applications now being field tested. The use of ductile iron instead of steel
would significantly reduce the cost of the units.
Several manufacturers have begun programs t o take advantage
of the cost reductions available with the use of welded cast-iron Hydraulic Cylinders
components. The examples that follow are typical of the Figure 7 shows a section of a prototype hydraulic cylinder for
applications in which the cored wire is being used or evaluated. farm machinery. The cylinder incorporates acast head of ductile
iron welded with the cored wire. The previous standard material
Universal Joints
for the head was cast steel. Substitution of ductile iron for steel
A typical universal joint in a n automobile drive- required only a slight modification in joint design. Cylinders
shaft/differential assembly is shown in Fig. 4. The universal with welded cast-iron heads have met all test requirements and
joint is composed of two different materials. The drive-shaft are scheduled t o become standard production items. Cost
yoke, which must be welded to the carbon-steel drive shaft, is studies project a substantial savings.
forged steel. The differential yoke, however, requires no welding
Figure 8 illustrates another hydraulic cylinder in which the
and is a cast iron, inthiscase malleable iron. Cast iron obviously
meets the requirements of power transmission since it is cast steel head was redesigned in malleable iron and welded with
presently used for half of the universal joint. Steel is usedfor the the cored wire. The cylinder, which has a diameter of 3 in. (7.6
welded half of the unit only because of the need to produce high- cm), is now in commercial production. The cast-iron heads are
quality welds at high production speeds. being welded with the cored wire at the same speed used for
welding the cast steel with mild-steel wire. The malleable iron
An extensive study conducted by one manufacturer has heads are being produced at a net savings of 55%, includingcost
demonstrated the suitability of universal joints made entirely of difference for the welding products.
ductile iron and welded with the cored wire. Figure 5 shows the
welded joint in a prototype drive-shaft yoke of ductile iron.
Prototype units have passed all life-cycle tests, including
requirements for torsional fatigue strength and ultimate
torsional strength. The redesigned unit can be produced at lower
cost even thoughtheductileironyoke weighsonly3-4Ib( 1.4-1.8
kg).
Wheel Lock Bar
Figure 6 illustrates a lock bar used to lock the railroad wheels in
position on a dual-purpose highway/ railroad vehicle. The lock
Fig.6. Lock bar for the wheels of a highwayhailroadvehicle. Fig. 7. Cast ductileiron headwith a portionof the steel hydraulic
The cast ductile-iron lugs are welded to lhe steel tube with the cylinder to which it will be welded. Inset showscrosssectionof
flux-cored wire. a finished weid bead.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 m 07842b5 00072Ltb 1 m
V-13 325
Fig. 8. Welded Jointbetween fhe malleable iron head and carbon

steel tube of a mass-produced hydraulic cylinder.
Fig. 9. Wheel-spindle assembly for large olf-road vehicle

produced by welding the steel spindle to its ductile iron
housing.
Wheel Spindles
Flux-cored arc welding with the cored wire has been adopted as
the standard productionmethod for the heavy-equipment wheel
spindle shown in Fig. 9. A single-pass fillet weld is used t o join
the steel spindle t o the ductile iron backing plate into which the
spindle is pressed. The weldedjoint meets all the requirements
imposed by the vehicle's strenuous off-road service.
Other Applications
The most apparent advantage offered by the new flux-cored
wire is the opportunity to reduce materials cost through the use
of cast irons instead of steel. In many other instances, however,
the use of the cored wire can improve existing cast-iron
assemblies. in some applications, cast irons are now being
considered for design reasons in addition to cost.
Figure 10 illustrates a n example of the use of the cored wire to
improve an existing cast-iron component. The hollow, ductile
iron tail shaft for a n automobile transmission requires
installation of a mild-steel disc to prevent loss of transmission
fluid. The disc is rolled into the end of the shaft and the resulting Fig. 10. Ductile iron talishalt lor automobile transmission with
mechanical seal is unreliable in service. The cored wire enables unwelded seal plate.
the disc t o be welded, providing a permanent seal.
Another application for the cored wire is spot welding of
various clips and brackets t o cast-iron components. Resistance
welding, although widely used to attach such items to steel,
produces very brittle welds incast irons. The high-Ni weld metal
provides excellent ductility.
Figure 11 shows a prototype steering-column assembly for
heavy off-road equipment. Standard units consist of a stamped
steel flange welded t o the carbon-steel steering column.
Designers are now considering use of the illustrated malleable
iron flange because of the ability of cast iron t o dampen the
engine-compartment noise transmitted t o the operator by the
steel flange. The machined, cast flange also provides a more
consistent mating surface.
For those instances in which manual welding is being used on

the production line, substantial cost savings may be possible
through substitution of automatic welding with the cored wire.
Figure 12 shows an example now in commercial production.
The balance weights on brake drums for large trucks were
formerly attached by manual shielded-metal-arc welding. The
cored wire permits the use of automatic weldingto plug-weld the
carbon-steel weights o n the drum, greatly reducing welding
costs. The high current density associated with the flux-cored Fig. 11. Malleable iron steering-column flange for off-road
wire enables fusing through the casting skin without creating equipment. The unit on the left was welded with the llux-cored
hard spots on the inner drum surface. wire. An unwelded joint is shown on the right.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0784265 O007247 3 W
V-13
Fig. 12. Brake drum with carbon steel balance weights attached Fig. 13. Cast iron cyllnder liner with carbon-steelwater jackets
with the flux-cored plug welds. welded to it with the flux-cored wire.
Another example of the use of automatic welding with the reality. High-quality welds are now being produced in ductile,
cored wire to reduce assembly costs is shown in Fig. 13. malleable and gray irons by automatic, high-deposition-rate
Production of a large diesel engine involves joining two carbon- processes.
steel water jackets t o the illustrated cast cylinder liner of a
The availability of a n automatic welding method for cast
proprietary gray iron. The standard joining method has been by
irons gives manufacturers of various types of assembled
brazing with a n expensive silver brazing alloy. Units welded
with the flux-cored wire are now being tested and offer equipment the opportunity for dramatic reductions inmaterials
substantial cost savings. costs. Previously, many components that required welding had
t o be produced in forged or cast steel. Those parts can now be
The flux-cored wire can also be used to increase foundry redesigned in economical cast irons and welded on the assembly
production. The rejection rate for large or complexcastings can line at the same production rates and with equivalent joint
be reduced by welding together smaller, easier-to-cast integrities.
components. In one example, a 195-lb (88 kg) transmissioncase
for heavy equipment has been difficult to cast in one piece The new flux-cored wire is presently being used or evaluated
because of the intricate core configuration. Studies indicated for numerous applications in highway vehicles, construction
that the shape could readily be cast in two sections and welded equipment, farm machinery and other welded structures. The
with the flux-cored wire. results of both experimental testing and in-service use clearly
indicate that welded cast irons will become important materials
of construction.
Summary
References
The development of a new welding product, a flux-cored wire,
has made assembly-line welding of cast irons a commercial I. NI-ROD (Trademark of Huntington Alloys, inc) FC 55 cored wire.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 8 5 9 07842b5 O007248 5
V-14 327
Cast Irons
R. A. Bishel, J. G. Bielenberg, R.J. Dybas, K. L. Johnson, and A. B. Malizio
GEN E R A 1 DESCRI PTI O N

Cast iron is a common term for a series of There are four basic types of cast iron: gray
ferrous alloys that normally contain more than 2 iron, malleable iron, ductile or nodular iron, and
percent carbon and 1 to 3 percent silicon, as well white iron. Compacted graphite (GC) cast iron,
as phosphorus and sulfur. Alloy cast irons may a fifth type not yet standardized, has a micro-
also contain one or more other elements delib- structure intermediateto those of gray and ductile
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
erately added to provide desired properties such cast irons. Its mechanical properties fall within
as strength, hardness, hardenability, or corrosion the range of 35 to 60 ksi yield strength (0.1
resistance. Common alloying additions are chro- percent offset), 45 to 75 ksi tensile strength, and
mium, copper, molybdenum, and nickel. 1 to 6 percent elongation.
In general, cast irons have lower melting Cast irons contain more carbon than high
ranges than those of steels, are quite fluid when carbon steels. They also have appreciable amounts
molten, and undergo moderate shrinkage during of silicon that influence the structural form of
solidification and cooling. The toughness and the carbon in a casting. As a consequence, the
ductility of cast iron are lower than those of steel; metastable iron-iron carbide system coexists
these low properties limit the applications of cast with the stable iron-graphite system in an iron
iron. casting. This duality of carbon form produces a
The mechanical properties of an iron casting metallic matrix in a casting that has the micro-
depend upon the type of microstructure as well structure and attributes of steel. Additionally, the
as the form and distribution of the microstruc- uncombined graphitic carbon is distributed
tural constituents. One microstructural constit- throughout the matrix in a variety of geometric
uent that has a significant effect is the free graph- shapes including tiny particles, various flake-like
ite (carbon). The amount, size, and shape of the forms, and spheroids. The size, shape, and dis-
graphite particles affect the strength and ductility tribution of the graphite are incorporated in cast-
of a cast iron. Consequently, cast irons may be ing specifications because they influence both
classified by the characteristics of the graphite the mechanical and the physical properties of a
as it appears in a polished section.' casting.
The microstructure of the matrix surround- The matrix structure and graphite character
ing the graphite particles also influences the me- in a particular casting are achieved by careful
chanical properties of a casting. The matrix is balance of its chemical composition, degree of
basically steel that may be ferritic, pearlitic, aus- inoculation, rate of solidification, and control of
tenitic, or martensitic. The specific matrix in a the cooling rate. Solidification and cooling rates
casting will depend upon the chemical composi- are affected by the section thickness and the rate
tion, cooling rate, and heat treatment of the of heat transfer to the mold. Castings are heat
casting. treated to achieve properties that cannot be ob-
tained in the as-cast condition. Annealing, aus-
1. See ANSVASTM A 247-87(1978), StaridardMethod tenitizing and quenching, and tempering heat
for Evaluating the Microstructure of Graphite in iron treatments are used to achieve the desired micro-
Castings. structure in the metallic matrix.
Source: Welding Handbook, Vol. 4, 7th Ed.,1982

AUS W C I 85 = 078Li2b5 0007249 7 W
328 V-14
WHITE CAST IRON Copper, chromium, molybdenum, and nickel

are frequently added to gray cast iron to control
White cast iron is formed when the carbon matrix microstructure and graphite formation.
does not precipitate as graphite during solidifi- They also can improve the corrosion resistance
cation but remains in combination with iron, of the cast iron to certain media.
chromium, or molybdenum as carbides. This Castings are heat-treated to obtain desired
iron is hard and brittie, and has a white crystalline mechanical properties. Gray iron, like steel, can
fracture appearance. White cast iron is normally be hardened by quenching from a suitable tem-
considered unweldable because of the absence of perature (1600"F), but it will be brittle. Temper-
adequate , ductility to accommodate thermal ing after quenching is necessary to improve
stresses in the base metal. toughness and decrease hardness.
Gray cast iron lacks ductility because of the
GRAY CAST IRON flake form of the graphite. Since the graphite has
virtually no strength, the numerous flakes create
Gray cast irons are iron-carbon-silicon al- internal notches in the steel matrix. Fracture can
loys that contain uncombined carbon in the form initiate easily at these sites and progress rapidly
of graphite flakes, as shown in Fig. 5.1. This type across the section without plastic strain.
of cast iron is named from the gray appearance
of a fractured surface. MALLEABLE CAST IRON
Gray iron castings for general engineering
and automotive applications are divided into ten Malleable cast iron is produced by heat
classes or grades based on minimum tensile treating a white iron casting of suitable compo-
strength, as listed in Table 5.1. Hardness, matrix sition. The initial formation of white cast iron is
microstructure, chemical composition, pressure promoted by (i)low carbon and low silicon con-
tightness, and radiographic soundness in various tents, (2) the presence of carbide forming ele-
combinations are sometimes specified to meet ments such as chromium, molybdenum, and va-
service requirements. .nadium, and (3) rapid solidification and cooling.
The tensile strength, hardness, and micro- The white iron casting is then heated in a con-
structure of a gray iron casting are influenced by trolled atmosphere furnace to a temperature
several factors including chemical composition, above the eutectoid temperature (usually 1700°F)
design, the characteristics of the mold, and cool- and held for several hours. This treatment per-
ing rate during and after solidification. Castings mits the dissolved carbon in the austenite to pre-
with similar properties can be produced using cipitate as irregular nodules of graphite, known
different raw material mixes or various melting as temper carbon.
and casting practices, or both. As such a casting cools slowly in a furnace
through the eutectoid transformation range, the
remaining excess carbon in the austenite precip-
itates onto the existing temper carbon nodules.
The resulting graphite form is shown in Fig. 5.2.
This treatment produces a ferritic matrix. A
pearlitic or martensitic matrix can be obtained by
alloying or by air or liquid quenching from the
austenitizing temperature. These two matrix
structures are normally tempered after quench-
ing. The minimum mechanical properties of
standard malleable irons are given in Table 5.2.
Malleable irons have some ductility because
the temper carbon is in the form of nodules rather
than flakes, as found in gray cast iron. The effect
of these nodules on ductility is less severe than
that of the flake graphite. The strength and duc-
tility of malleable irons are related to the metal-
lurgical structure of the matrix as well as the
Fig. 5. l-Graphìte form in gray cast iron distribution of the free graphite. If the cast iron
(x250) is reconverted to a metastable state by quenching
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AUS W C I 85 m 078Li2b5 0 0 0 7 2 5 0 3 m
V-14 329
Table 5.1
Mechanicalpropertiesof standard gray cast irons
Class or Minimum tensile Hardness range, Matrix
Grade strength, ksi' HBb microstructure
G 18W 18 187 max Ferritic-pearlitic
2od 20
G2500 25 170 to 229 Pearlitic-femtic
25 25
G3000 30 187 to 241 Pearlitic
30 30
G35OO 35 207 to 255 Pearlitic
35 35
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
G4000 40 217 to 269 Pearlitic

40 40
45 45
50 50
55 55
60 60
a. Minimum tensile strength of cast test bars based on the thickness of the controlling section of a casting. Refer
to the appropriate specification.
b. Brinell hardness using a 10mm ball and 3000 kg load.
c. GXXOO grades refer to ANSIIASTM A 159-77, Specificationfor Automotive Gray Iron Castings.
d. Two digit designations refer to ANSIIASTM A48-76, Standard Specificationfor Gray Iron Castings.
from a high temperature, it must be malleabilized production of castings. However, they differ in
again to regain ductility. the geometric form assumed by the free graphite.
In ductile cast iron, the graphite is caused to
DUCTILE CAST IRON nucleate throughout the metal matrix in the form
of spheroids, as shown in Fig. 5.3. As with
Ductile cast iron and gray cast iron are sim- malleable cast iron, the agglomeration of the free
ilar with respect to carbon and silicon contents, graphite into nodular form avoids the internal
and in terms of general foundry practice for the sharp notches associated with flake graphite.
This accounts for the higher strength and ductil-
ity of ductile cast iron when compared to gray
cast iron of similar composition. The production
of ductile iron castings does not require the long-
time heat treatment required to produce mallea-
ble iron castings. The properties of standard duc-
tile cast irons are given in Table 5.3.
Spheroidization or nodulization of the
graphite is achieved by introducing magnesium
or cerium into a low-sulfur melt, preferably one
containing not more than 0.02 percent sulfur. A
low sulfur level is usually achieved by adding
calcium oxide, calcium carbide, or sodium car-
bonate to the molten iron.
Magnesium can be introduced in elemental
form if it is diluted or otherwise shielded to
prevent instantaneous vaporization. Various pro-
prietary alloys of magnesium combined with one
Fig. 5.2-Graphite fom in malleable cast or more of the elements nickel, iron, silicon, and
iron (x 100) calcium are frequently used. A residual concen-

AWS WCI 8 5 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007253 5
330 v-14
làble 5.2
Mechanical propertiesof standard malleable iron castings
Minimum Minimum
tensile Minimum elongation Hardness
Class or strength, yield strength, in 2 in,, range,
grade Microstructure ksi ksi percent HB' Heat treatmentb
ASTM A47-77
32510 Ferritic 50 32.5 10
35018 Ferritic 53 35 18
ASTM A220-76
40010 Pearlitic 60 40 10 149 to 197
45006 Pearlitic 65 45 6 156 to 207
50005 Pearlitic 70 50 5 179 to 229

6oO04 Pearlitic 80 60 4 197 to 241
ASTM A602-7W
M4504 Ferritic-pearlitic 65 45 4 163 to 217 AQ&T
M5003 Ferritic-pearlitic 75 50 3 187 to 241 AQ&T
M5503 Martensitic 75 55 3 187 to 241 LQ&T
a. Brinell hardness using a 10 m m ball and 3000 kg load.
b. AQ&T-air quench and temper; LQ&T-liquid quench and temper.
c. Automotive castings.
that minimize heat input and time in the molten

state will minimize graphite degradation.
COMPACTED GRAPHITE CAST IRON

Compacted graphite (CG) cast iron is pro-
duced in a manner similar to ductile cast iron,
but careful control of the magnesium addition to
the melt is required. The graphite in this cast
iron, shown in Fig. 5.4, forms in irregular geo-
metric shapes that have a lesser surface-to-vol-
urne ratio than the flakes in gray cast iron; but
it does not assume the spheroidal shape found in
ductile cast iron. This intermediate form of
graphite imparts a combination of desirable qual-
ities to a casting. The mechanical properties of
Fig. 5.3-Graphite form in ductile cast iron the three types of cast iron are compared in Table
(X 100) 5.4. One method for attaining the desired graph-
ite form is to inoculate a low-sulfur melt with a
magnesium ferro-silicon alloy that contains sev-
tration of about 0.035percent magnesium is nec- eral additional elements to enhance the per-
essary to produce full nodulization. If magne- formance and reliability of the CG cast iron.
sium is lost from the melted zone of the base During solidification, CG cast iron shrinks
metal during welding of a ductile iron casting, less than ductile cast iron. It also has good ther-
the shape of the graphite along the weld interface mal shock resistance. High-strength CG cast iron
can change. A welding process and procedure differs from gray cast iron in that smaller alloy
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 W 0 7 ô Y 2 6 5 0 0 0 7 2 5 2 7 H
v-14 331
làble 5.3
Mechanical properties of typical ductile cast irons
Minimum
Minimum Minimum elongation
tensile strength, yield strength, in 2 in.,
Grade' Microstructure ksi ksi percent Heat treatmentb
60-40- 18 Femtic 60 40 18 A
65-45- 12 Femtic-pearlitic 65 45 12
80-55-06 Ferritic-pearlitic 80 55 6
100-70-03 Pearlitic 100 70 3 AQ&T, LQ&T
120-90-02 Martensitic 120 90 2 LQ&T
a. .Refer to ANSI/ASTM A536, Standard Specification for Ductile Iron Castings.
b. A - femtizing anneal; AQ - air quench; LQ - liquid quench; T - temper.
APPLICATIONS
Each type of cast iron is used for a number
of applications, many of which are covered by
standards of the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI), the American Society for Test-
ing and Materials (ASTM), and the Society of
Automotive Engineers. A standard sometimes
contains special requirements for a cast iron to
meet specific service conditions. The appropriate
specification should be consulted for those
requirements.
Gray Cast Iron
Gray cast iron parts are used for many ap-
plications in the machinery and automotive in-
dustries. '&pica1 automotive parts covered by
specifications are brake drums, clutch plates, and
cam shafts. Furnace parts, ingot and glass molds,
and melting pots that operate at elevated tem-
peratures are made of gray cast iron, as are var-
ious types of pipe, valves, flanges, and fittings
for both pressure and nonpressure applications.
Fig. 5.4-Graphite form in compacted

Ductile Cast Iron
graphite cast iron Some culvert, sewer, and pressure pipe, as
well as fittings, valves, and pumps are cast of
ductile iron to specifications. The advantages of
these products are their relatively good toughness
and weldability when compared to similar com-
additions are needed to produce equivalent ponents of gray cast iron. Ductile cast iron piping
strength properties. The welding precautions de- systems are commonly fabricated by welding.
scribed for ductile cast iron should also be fol-
lowed with CG cast iron to minimize alteration Malleable Cast Iron
of the graphite form. Malleable cast bon is used for flanges, pipe
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 W 078q265 0007253 9 W
332 v-14
bble S A
Comparisonof the mechanical properties of gray, compacted graphite, and
ductile cast irons
Approx . Tensile Elongation
carbon strength, Yield strength, in 2 in.,
5Pe equivalent" ksi ksib percent
Gray-Class 25 4.4 25 - <1
Gray-Class 45 3.6 45 - <1
Compacted graphite 4.2 45-75 35-60 1-6
Ductile 4.2 60-100 40-80 6-22
a. CE = %TC+ 0.33 (%P+ %Si), where TC is total carbon
b. 0.1%offset
fittings, and valve parts. A number of automotive transmission and differential parts, connecting
parts of malleable cast iron include steering com- rods, and universal joints. These producfs are
ponents, compressor crank shafts and hubs, covered by appropriate specifications.
WELD1 N G CONS tDERATI ON S
UTILIZATION microstructure. The iron- immediately adjacent

to the weld metal is heated to an excessive tem-
Welding or braze welding of cast iron is perature, and the cooling rate of the entire heat-
generally used for (1) the repair of foundry de- affected zone is too rapid. Carbides tend to form
fects, (2) the fabrication of components, or (3) in the base metal immediately adjacent to the
the salvage of parts that break or wear out in weld metal, and the remainder of the heat-af-
service. All types of cast irons except white iron fected zone tends to form high-carbon marten-
are considered to be weldable but to a lesser site. Both of these microstructures are very brittle
degree than carbon steels. The best results are and are subject to cracking, either spontaneously
achieved with low-strength cast irons. Good joint or during service. The degree of brittleness and
efficiency is possible with established welding propensity to cracking depend to some extent
procedures for cast irons with tensile strengths upon the type of cast iron, the coqdition of heat
up to and including 70 ksi. At higher strength treatment, and the welding procedure.
levels, matching strength in a welded joint is Fusion welding, because of its localized na-
increasingly difficult to achieve. ture, produces thermal stresses in the weld area.
A base metal must be capable of some local
WELDABILIN plastic deformation to accommodate these weld-
ing stresses or cracking will likely result. Ductile
All cast irons have a common problem af- and malleable cast irons having a ferritic matrix
fecting their weldability, namely too much car- are better suited to absorb welding stresses than
bon. The manufacturing process, that is, casting is gray cast iron.
and sometimes heat treating, is capable of pro- As with steels, phosphorus in cast iron has
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
ducing microstructures that possess useful mean adverse effect on weldability; it should be held
chanical properties. However, a welding thermal to less than 0.10 percent. Repair welding of high-
cycle ordinarily does not produce a desirable phosphorus castings requires special techniques.

AWS WCI 85 m O ï 8 4 2 b 5 0007254 O m
V-14 333
Effects of Graphite Form adverse effect on the mechanical properties and
The composition and microstructure of a soundness of the weld metal. For example, when
cast iron affect the amount of carbon in the heat- cast iron is welded with carbon steel filler metal,
affected zone that is dissolved during welding. the carbon content of the deposited metal will
This, in turn, influences the brittleness and crack usually increase as a result of dilution. The weld
susceptibility of the welded joint. To minimize metal can be hard with low ductility and difficult
the formation of massive carbides and high-car- to machine unless a suitable postweld heat treat-
bon martensite, it is most helpful to have the ment is applied. It might also bè crack sensitive.
carbon present as spheroids that have a low sur- Inability of the weld metal to yield and relieve
face-to-volume ratio. The smaller the surface welding stresses can result in cracking in the
area of the graphite in contact with an austenitic adjacent cast iron heat-affected zone.
matrix, the lesser is the amount of carbon in the The mechanical properties of the weld metal
microstructure at room temperature. Graphite employed on cast iron can play a major part in
flakes in gray cast iron display the greatest tend- the success of the operation. When the yield
ency to dissolve in austenite because of their strength of the weld metal is low, the stresses
relatively large surface area. However, graphite imposed on the cast iron during cooling are rel-
in any form dissolves slowly and often remains atively low. This reduces the likelihood of crack-
in the weld metal. In general, melting during ing. During service, a soft weld metal can creep
fusion welding is a reversal of the casting soli- and relieve stresses in the cast iron. Nickel or
dification process, and those areas last to solidify nickel alloy weld metal is very effective in this
during casting are the first ones to melt during respect, and considerable use is made of nickel
welding. and nickel alloy filler metals for arc welding cast
Cast iron typically includes the following: iron. Another advantage of these types of weld
3.5 percent carbon metal is the ease with which they can be ma-
2.5 percent silicon chined in the as-welded condition.
0.5 percent manganese
0.04 percent phosphorus PREHEAT1NG
0.06 percent sulfur The formation of a hard and brittle heat-
The addition of 0.07 percent of magnesium affected zone can lead to cracking during cooling
to a cast iron of such composition promotes the or in service. Low heat input with arc welding
formation of nodular graphite. Increasing the limits the width of the heat-affected zone but a
manganese or sulfur content decreases graphiti- band of hard brittle iron can still form adjacent
zation, but higher silicon promotes it. High phos- to the weld metal. Heat-affected zone hardness
phorus content contributes to embrittlement of can be limited by preheating in combination with
cast iron. slow cooling after welding. Preheating provides
lower cooling rates in both the weld metal and
Effects of Filler Metal the heat-affected zone than occurs without it. A
The composition and mechanical properties low cooling rate during and after austenitic trans-
of the filler metal are very important considera- formation reduces the amount of martensite
tions in the welding of cast iron.* As each weld formed and thus the hardness.
bead is made, filler metal and base metal, or The preheat temperature and extent of pre-
previously deposited weld metal, are melted to- heating depend upon the type of cast iron being
gether. The change in composition of the filler welded, the mass of the casting, the welding
metal as a result of mixing with base metal or process, and the type of filler metal. Recom-
previously deposited metal is called dilution.’ mended preheat and interpass temperature ranges
Dilution should be minimized by welding are given in Table 5.5. In general, ferritic ductile
with the lowest heat input consistent with sound and ferritic malleable cast irons can be arc
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
weld metal. The high carbon, silicon, phospho- welded with lower preheat than can the pearlitic
rus, and sulfur levels in cast iron can have an types because ferritic cast irons have better
ductility.
All cast irons generally need to be preheated
2. Refer to AWS A5.15-82,Specification for Welding when oxyacetylene welding to reduce the heat
Rods and Covered Electrodesfor Cast Iron. input requirements. High preheat is needed when
3. Dilution is discussed in more detail in Chapter 12. using a cast iron filler metal because the weld

AWS W C I 85 0784265 0007255 2
334 v-14
Table 5.5
Recommendedpreheat and interpasstemperature range for welding cast irons
Temperature range, "Fa
5 P e of Matrix
cast iron microstructure Arc welding Oxyacetylene welding
Gray - 70 to 600 800 to 1200
Malleable Ferritic 70 to 300 800 to 1200
Malleable Pearlitic 70 to 600 800 to 1200
Ductile Femtic 70 to 300 400 to 1200
Ductile Pearlitic 70 to 600 400 to 1200
a. A suitable preheat temperature for a particular application depends upon the welding process, filler metal,
mass of the casting, welding process, and postweld heat treatment.
metal has low ductility near room temperature, possible, the casting should be heated uniformly
A filler metal that deposits relatively low strength, at about 700°F for 30 minutes, or for a shorter
ductile weld metal, such as ENi-CI or ENi-CI-A time at lOOO"F, using an oxyfuel gas torch or
electrodes, can be used with the base metal at or circulating air furnace. An alternative is to heat
slightly above room temperature. The weld metal the weld area by depositing the first weld pass
can readily yield during cooling and relieve and then removing it by a suitable means because
welding stresses that might otherwise cause the weld metal is generally very porous. This
cracking in the weldment. welding and removal operation is repeated until
Cracking from unequal expansion can take the weld metal is sound. Then, the weld is com-
place during the preheating of complex castings pleted in a normal fashion. Castings that have
or when the preheating is confined to a small been impregnated with a plastic or glass sealer
area of a large casting. Local preheating should should not be repair welded in any case because
be gradual. Preheating of either a large section the sealer will produce gross porosity or inhibit
of the casting where the welding is to be done or bonding.
the entire casting in a uniform manner is rec- Brazing or soldering filler metals will not
ommended. In any case, the preheating temper- wet exposed graphitic carbon in cast iron and
ature should be maintained during welding, and will result in a poor metallurgical bond. Where
welding should be completed before the casting wetting difficulties are encountered, several
is cooled slowly to room temperature. cleaning methods can be used. One method is a
Where possible, the preheating pattern proprietary electrochemical cleaning operation
should be designed to place the welded joint in that produces a surface essentially free of graph-
compression after cooling to room temperature. ite, sand, silicon, oxides, and other contami-
The part configuration should be thoroughly ana- nants. The process uses a catalyzed molten salt
lyzed before preheating to minimize the intro- bath operating at 850" to 950°F in a steel tank.
duction of thermal stresses from this operation Direct current is passed through the bath with
that might cause subsequent failure. the work as one electrode and the steel tank as
To ensure proper control, preheat and inter- the other. The direction of current flow is occa-
pass temperatures should be monitored. Contact sionally reversed to produce alternate reducing
pyrometers, temperature-sensitive crayons, or and oxidizing effects. A water rinse completes
thermocouples are means of monitoring the surface treatment.
temperature. Abrasive blasting with steel shot may be a
suitable method for preparing the surfaces of
SURFACE PREPARATION ductile and malleabIe cast irons but not for gray
cast irons. Searing the surface with an oxidizing
All casting skin and foreign material should flame or heating the casting to about 1650°F in
be removed from the joint surfaces and adjacent a strongly decarburizing atmosphere may be suit-
areas. Castings that have been in service are often able for some applications.
impregnated with oil or grease that can be re- Before any cleaning procedure is used in
moved by solvents or steam cleaning. Where production, wetting tests should be conducted
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 D 07842b5 000725b 4 W
V-14 335
using the proposed filler metal and joining pro- and then cooled down to 1100°F in the furnace,
cedures. The filler metal should be applied to a The casting may then be cooled to room temper-
cleaned, flat surface and then examined visually ature in the furnace or in still air.
for good wetting. If the surface is not uniformly If a casting is welded with a high (1200°F)
wetted, it has not been sufficiently cleaned. preheat and interpass temperature, it should be
slowly cooled by covering it with an insulating
POSTWELD HEAT TREATMENT blanket, vermiculite, or hot sand. Malleable iron
castings may be reheat-treated after welding.
Thermal stress relieving is desirable for
fully restrained welds, welds intended for use in
severe service, and welds subject to close ma- FILLER METAL SELECTION
chining tolerances. Normally, stress relieving is
done immediately after welding by increasing Several factors must be considered when
the temperature of the entire casting into the choosing a filler metal for welding cast iron. The
1100" to 1150°F range. The casting is held at important ones are as follows:
temperature for about one hour per inch of thick- (1 ) The type of cast iron
ness. The cooling rate should not exceed 50°F (2) Mechanical properties desired in the
per hour until the casting has cooled down to welded joint
about 700°F. Some reduction in hardness can be (3) Tolerance of the filler metal to dilution
achieved by this stress relieving treatment but it by the base metal
will be slight because the carbides are stable at (4) Ability of the weld metal to yield and
1100°F. relieve welding stresses
Heat treatment at 1650°F followed by slow (5) Machineability of the weld zone
cooling to 1OOO"F or lower results in maximum (6) Color matching
softening and stress relief. To obtain optimum (7) Applicable welding process
ductility, the weldment should be given this heat (8) Cost
treatment immediately after welding. Reduction Filler metals are available for welding cast
in strength must always be considered when se- iron by the shielded metal arc, flux cored arc,
lecting a stress-relieving temperature. gas metal arc, and oxyacetylene welding proc-
For the best results with ductile cast iron, esses. In addition, filler metals are available for
the welded casting should be immediately placed braze welding. In special cases, cast irons may
into a hot furnace (1100" to 1200°F) and the be welded using gus tungsten arc welding and a
temperature raised to 1650°F. The casting should suitable filler rod. Typical filler metals are given
be held at temperature for two to four hours. It in Table 5.6. Other suitable proprietary filler met-
is then cooled to 1300"F, held there for five hours, als are also available.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
ARC WELDING
JOINT DESIGN propagation. Then, sufficient cast iron should be
removed to eliminate the crack and provide room
Joint designs commonly used for arc weld- to properly manipulate a welding electrode or
ing of carbon steels are generally suitable for torch during repair welding.
welding cast iron sections together. The root
opening should be wide enough to permit good SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING
fusion into the root faces and into a backing
plate, if used. When practical, thick sections Cast irons can be arc welded with nickel,
should be welded from both sides using either a nickel alloy, mild steel, and copper alloy covered
double-V- or double-U-groove preparation. electrodes. Bare gray cast iron electrodes are
When repairing cracked castings, a hole used for special applications. Filler metal selec-
about 0.13 inch or larger in diameter should be tion depends upon the type of cast iron to be
drilled at the end of each crack to prevent further joined and the application. In any case, dilution

AUS W C I 85 m 078L.rZb5 0 0 0 7 2 5 7 b m
V-14
with the cast iron should be kept to a minimum. ing solidification. This, in turn, reduces residual
Covered electrodes for cast iron welding are stresses in the weld metal and the cast iron heat-
listed in Table 5.6. Figure 5.5 shows the repair affected zone.
welding of a.casting with a covered electrode. The nickel (ENi-CI) electrode produces a
softer weld metal than the nickel-iron (ENiFe-
Nickel Alloy Electrodes CI) electrode. This is important where machin-
The nickel alloy electrodes, such as ENi-CI ability of the weld metal is a factor. The ENiFe-
and ENiFe-CI, are specifically designed for the CI weld metal has good machinability also, par-
welding of cast irons. Deposited metal from each ticularly with multiple-pass welds. In general,
type of electrode has a carbon content well above this electrode is a better choice because of the
the solubility limit. The exc.ess carbon is rejected higher strength and ductility of the weld metal.
as graphite during solidification of the weld Also, this weld metal has a greater tolerance for
metal. This reaction causes an increase in volume phosphorus from the cast iron and better resis-
that tends to minimize weld metal shrinkage dur- 'tance to hot cracking. Castings that offer a small
~
~~
Table 5.6
Filler metals for welding or braze welding cast iron
Applicable AWS AWS
Description Form processa Specification Classification
Cast iron
Gray iron Welding rod OAW A5.15 RCI
Gray iron Bare electrode BMAW - -
Alloy gray iron Welding rod O N A5.15 RCI-A
Ductile iron Welding rod OAW A5.15 RCI-B
-
Steel
Carbon steel Covered electrode SMAW A5.15 Est
Carbon steel Covered electrode SMAW A51 E7018
Carbon steel Bare electrode GMAW A5.18 E70S-2
Nickel alloys
93% Ni Bare electrode GMAW A5.14 ERNi-1
ENi-CI
95% Ni Covered electrode SMAW A5.15 EN¡-CI-A
ENiFe-CI
53 Ni-45 FE Covered electrode SMAW A5.15 ENiFe-LI-A
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
53 Ni-45 Fe Flux cored electrode FCAW - -

55 Ni-40 CU-4FC Covered electrode SMAW A5.15 ENiCu-A
65 Ni-30 Cu-4 Fe Covered electrode SMAW A5.15 ENiCu-B
Copper alloys
Low fuming brass Welding rod OAW A5.27 RCuZn-B
Low fuming brass Welding rod OAW A5.27 RCuZn-C
Nickel brass Welding rod OAW A5.27 RBCuZn-D
Copper-tin Covered electrode SMAW A5.6 ECuSn-A
Copper-tin Bare electrode GMAW A5.7 ERCuSn-A
Copper-aluminum Covered electrode SMAW A5.6 ECUAI-A~
Copper-aluminum Bare electrode GMAW A5.7 ERCUAI-A2
a. OAW-oxyacetylene welding
BMAW-bare metal arc welding
SMAW-shielded metal arc welding
GMAW-gas metal arc welding

AUS WCI 85 D 0784265 0007258 8
V-14 337
Fig. SS-Repairing a pump casting by shielded metal arc welding
amount of restraint can be welded with either of it is often used. It is especially helpful in over-
the nickel alloy electrodes. When welding must coming the differential mass effect encountered
be done under high restraint, the ENiFe-CI elec- when welding thick to thin sections. Preheat is
trode is preferred. This electrode is also suitable also beneficial for applications requiring leak
for welding cast iron to mild steel, stainless tightness because it reduces the likelihood of
steels, and nickel alloys. cracking in the weld or heat-affected zone.
For V-groove welds, a 60- to 80-degree Peening of the hot weld bead helps to reduce
groove angle is suitable. For thick sections, a U- welding stresses and maintain dimensions. It
groove with 20 to 25 degree groove angle and should be done with repeated moderate blows
0.19 to 0.25 in. root radius should be used. using a round-nose tool and sufficient force to
Welding current for a particular electrode deform the weld metal but without rupturing it.
size should be within the range recommended by A post-weld heat treatment is sometimes used to
the manufacturer but as low as possible, consis- improve the machinability of the weld heat-
tent with smooth operation, desired bead con- affected zone.
tour, and good fusion. When used in other than The nickel-copper-iron covered electrodes
the flat and horizontal positions, the welding (ENiCu-A and ENiCu-B) are used to weld cast
current should be reduced about 25 percent for iron in a manner similar to that for nickel (ENi-
vertical welding and about 15 percent for over- CI) and nickel-iron (ENiFe-CI) electrodes. The
head welding. rejection of carbon as graphite in the weld metal
The electrode should be manipulated so that is also similar. However, nickel-copper-iron weld
the bead width is no greater than three times the metal is more susceptible to cracking from di-
nominal diameter of the electrode. If a larger lution by cast iron, Therefore, dilution must nec-
cavity must be filled, the sides should be buttered essarily be limited using appropriate welding
with weld metal first, and then the cavity grad- techniques.
ually filled toward the center of the repaired area.
With large castings, a backstep sequence pro-
vides a more even thermal distribution. Mild Steel Electrodes
Use of preheat is not always necessary, but Mild steel electrodes, such as E7018 and
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0 7 8 q 2 b S 0007259 T 4
338 V-14
ESt types, are used primarily to repair small metal has appreciable amounts of alpha phase
cosmetic casting defects where color match is which is soft and ductile when hot. Yielding of
desirable and machining is not of major concern. the soft weld metal, during cooling, limits weld-
Dilution raises the carbon content of the steel ing stresses and reduces the likelihood of crack-
weld metal and that, in turn, increases hardening. A large part of the contraction strain takes
ability. Therefore, the welding procedure should place before the cooling weld metal reaches
be designed to. minimize both the dilution and 50O0F,and it is relieved by harmless plastic
the cooling rate to keep the hardness of the weld stretching of the weld metal. The strength of the
as low as possible. weld metal increases rapidly as the temperature
Mild steel electrodes can be acceptable for drops to ambient with little change in ductility.
joining ferritic ductile or malleable iron castings Two types of copper alloy electrodes are
to mild steel components. However, the steel listed in Table 5.6. The strength of copper-
weld metal shrinks more than the cast iron and aluminum weld metal will be about twice that of
causes stresses to develop at the weld interface. copper-tin weld metal. Two advantages of arc
The stresses can be severe enough to cause crack- welding over oxyacetylene welding are higher
ing in the cast iron heat-affected zone. Use of welding speed and lower distortion. Also, the
steel electrodes should be restricted to applica- heat-affected zone will be narrower with less
tions where the joint is not loaded in tension or likelihood of cracking.
in bending. In any case, a suitable preheat should The welding groove face area should be
be used, and the welding procedures should be large to provide a large brazed area and adequate
thoroughly evaluated prior to production use. joint strength. A V-groove with a 90- to 120-
degree included angle is recommended. The
Gray Iron Electrodes joint faces should be cleaned, as described pre-
Bare metal arc welding with gray cast iron viously, to remove any graphite that can inhibit
electrodes has limited use for the repair welding wetting.
of gray iron castings. The process is faster than A preheat suitable for the type of cast iron
oxyacetylene welding, and a machineable weld should be used. The copper alloy filler metal is
can be produced with special procedures. deposited in stringer beads using a heat input just
The casting must be preheated to prevent sufficient to obtain good wetting of the cast iron
cracking. During welding, the joint faces should joint faces but with minimum dilution. Where
be thoroughly melted and fused with the depos- possible, the arc should be directed at a previ-
ited metal. The arc should not be broken abruptly, ously deposited bead, and never at a comer or
but the arc length should be gradually increased edge on the cast iron. The joint faces can be
and held for a short time to permil the crater to buttered with filler metal prior to welding the
solidify slowly and thus avoid cracking. joint. The weldment should be slowly cooled to
For machineable deposits, the base metal room temperature.
should be preheated as for oxyfuel gas welding.
Welding is done in the flat position with a large
electrode and high amperage to produce a large, GAS METAL ARC WELDING
fluid weld pool. Carbon dams may be used to Gas metal arc welding with short-circuiting
support the weld pool at the root and edges of transfer is suitable for joining ductile iron. Be-
the repair. Undercut is a problem with this tech- cause of the relatively low heat input with this
nique, and undercut areas can be filled using process, the hard portion of the heat-affected
oxyacetylene welding procedures. The cooling zone is usually confined to a thin layer next to
rate to room temperature should be controlled to the weld metal. As a result, the strength and
avoid the formation of martensite in the weld ductility of the welded joint are about the same
zone. as those of the base metal.
Bare electrodes, similar to covered elec-
Copper Alloy Electrodes trodes for shielded metal arc welding, are rec-
Cast iron can be arc (braze) welded with ommendeds (see Table 5.6). Typical electrodes
copper alloy electro de^.^ Copper alloy weld
5. See Specifications AWS A5.14-76 and AWS A5.18-
4. See Welding Handbook, Vol. 2, 7th Ed., Ch. 11 for 79 for information on nickel alloy and carbon steel bare
information on braze welding. electrodes respectively.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 85 0 7 8 q 2 b 5 00072b0 b
V-14 339
are of nickel (ENi-1) and carbon steel (E70S-2). cedures for specific applications.
The ERNi-1 nickel electrode is low in carbon.
Therefore, deposited metal from this electrode BUTTERING
contracts more on cooling than deposited metal
from the ENi-CI covered electrode. A shielding A suitable procedure for arc welding cast
gas appropriate for the electrode should be used. iron uses a buttering technique that provides
good weld joint ductility without a postweld heat
treatment. The object of the buttering is to place
FLUX CORED ARC WELDING the heat-affected zone of the welded joint in the
buttering layer rather than in the cast iron. A
Flux cored arc welding can be used with layer of weld metal about 0.3-in. thick is depos-
cast irons. A flux cored electrode is available ited on the joint faces, and then the components
that produces weld metal with a composition and are annealed immediately.
microstructure similar to that deposited by The filler metal employed for buttering can
ENiFe-CI covered electrodes. The principle of be, but is not necessarily, the same one that is sub-
graphite precipitation and the associated volume sequently used for joining the cast pieces to-
increase is the same for both electrodes. gether. However, it must have properties com-
The flux cored electrode is a self-shielding mensurate with the base metal after heat treatment
design, but it may be used with carbon dioxide and welding. This approach has been success-
(C02) shielding or as a submerged arc welding fully demonstrated by shielded metal arc welding
electrode. The electrode producer should be con- with nickel-iron (ENiFe-CI) and mild steel
suited for recommendations on usage and pro- (E7016) covered electrodes.
OXYACETYLENE WELDING
Oxyacetylene welding procedures require rods of AWS Type RCI or RCI-A are used. The
large amounts of heat input during both the pre- RCI-A rods contain small amounts of molybde-
heating and the welding operations. The exten- num and nickel, and the deposited metal is of
sive heating is a limiting factor in the application higher strength than that of RCI rods. The melt-
of this process to finished or semifinished casting temperature is slightly higher, the molten
ings where distortion or dimensional stability can metal is more fluid, and welding can be done
be a problem. On the other hand, the resulting faster.
slow cooling rate lessens the tendency for brit- Type RCI-B rods are designed for welding
tleness in the weld heat-affected zone. Only lim- ductile cast irons but can also be used with gray
ited success has been achieved in welding malle- cast irons. These rods contain a small amount of
able cast irons by this process. cerium that tends to agglomerate the graphite in
the weld metal during solidification and produce
JOINTDESIGN ductile weld deposits.
Other elements are added to the filler metals
The joint design is normally a double-V- to provide desirable properties. Phosphorus ad-
groove with a 90-degree groove angle. If welding ditions improve the fluidity of the molten weld
can be done only from one side, the groove angle metal, while low phosphorus reduces the fluidity
for a single-V-groove may be increased to 120 for surfacing operations. Small additions of chro-
degrees. The joint groove must have sufficient mium and vanadium improve strength. Cast iron
width to permit good fusion of the root faces and weld deposits have excellent color match with
uninterrupted torch manipulation. If a deep hole the base metals.
is being repaired, the groove should be elongated
to avoid torch backfire. FLUX
A flux is required during oxyacetylene
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
FILLER METALS
welding to increase the fluidity of the fusible iron
For gray iron castings, gray iron welding silicate slag that forms in the molten weld metal.

AWS WCI 85 O i & Y 2 6 5 00072bL &
340 V-14
This slag is difficult to remove when a flux is not less than with thick sections.
used. Refluxed welding rods are commercially Welding is performed with a neutral or
available, but the more common practice is to slightly reducing flame using welding tips of
dip the heated end of a bare welding rod into the medium or high flame velocity. The backhand
flux and transfer it as required to the weld. Ex- welding technique is recommended. The tip of
cessive flux can result in harmful slag entrapment. the welding rod should be kept in the molten
Fluxes for welding gray cast iron contain weld pool to minimize slag inclusions and po-
borates or boric acid, soda ash, and other com- rosity in the weld metal.
pounds such as iron oxide, sodium chloride, and The weld metal should be deposited in lay-
ammonium sulfate. Most fluxes are of proprie- ers less than 1/8-in. thick. For good fusion with
tary compositions, but a typical flux contains the joint faces, the molten pool must be kept
equal parts of boric acid and soda ash, 2 percent small and the torch must be directed on the base
ammonium sulfate, and 15 percent powderFd metal. Moving the welding rod about in the mol-
iron. Fluxes for welding ductile cast irons are ten weld pool helps to float the slag to the surface.
similar to those used for gray cast irons except For ductile cast irons, melting of the base
for ingredients that produce a lower melting slag. metal should be restricted to that required for
good fusion. An interpass temperature of be-
WELDING PROCEDURE tween 1100" and 1200°F should be maintained.
If the temperature falls below this range, porosity
A preheat temperature between 1100" and may result from gas evolved by the molten base
1200°F is normally employed to compensate for metal. Immediately after completion of welding,
the low heat input of the process. Thin sections the casting should be insulated to provide slow
can be welded with a lower preheat temperature cooling. Stress relieving or annealing of the cast-
because the heat loss into the base metal will be ing is recommended.
BRAZE WELDING
Braze welding with an oxyacetylene torch excessive oxidation, the molten weld pool should
can be used to make field repairs to castings, but be kept covered with a thin oxide film. Preheat-
it is not normally used to repair new castings ing with the welding torch is satisfactory for
because of poor color match.6A typical operation small castings. Large castings require preheating
is show in Fig. 5.6. Copper alloy filler metals to a temperature in the range of 600" to 750"F,
commonly used for braze welding are listed in or higher, prior to welding. Generally, a suitable
Table 5.6. Joint strengths equivalent to fusion flux is applied to the welding rod by warming
welds are possible with gray cast iron but not one end with the flame and then dipping it into
with ductile or malleable cast iron. With ductile the powdered flux. The flux-coated rod is applied
cast iron, for example, a joint efficiency of only to the joint during welding. Flux-coated welding
about 80 percent can be expected with RBCuZn-D rods are commercially available. With thick sec-
filler metal and even less with the other tions, flux is sometimes applied to the preheated
RBCuZn filler metals. Corrosion resistance of joint faces before welding begins.
the joints is generally poor. The behavior of the filler metal on the cast
V-groove joint designs similar to those used iron indicates when the proper temperature has
for arc or oxyacetylene welding are suitable. The been reached. If the cast iron is too cold, the
joint faces and adjacent surfaces should be pre- filler metal will not wet and spread over the
pared as described for brazing. surface. If the temperature of the iron is too high,
The copper-zinc welding rods are used with the filler metal will ball up on the surface of the
a neutral or slightly oxidizing flame. To prevent cast iron. The fact that braze welding is done at
~
a temperature of several hundred degrees below

6. Refer to the Welding Handbook, Vol. 2, Ch. 11, for the melting point of cast iron is an advantage
additional information on braze welding. with respect to dilution.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 m 0784265 O007262 T
V-14 341
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Fig. 5.6-Braze welding a cast iron flange to a cast iron pipe with an oxyacetylene torch
Welding is best done in the flat position. As grain boundaries of the iron at the surface. After
welding progresses, the welding groove faces the groove faces are tinned, the weld metal is
must be tinned with filler metal ahead of the weld built up in layers until the joint is filled. The
to insure good wetting and fusion. When tinning casting is then covered with insulation and al-
is properly done, the filler metal penetrates the lowed to cool slowly to room temperature.
BRAZING
FILLER METALS A N D FLUXES sidered. Filler metals containing phosphorus
(BCuP) are not suitable for joining cast iron
With proper surface preparation, any filler because the formation of brittle iron phosphide
metal suitable for biazing carbon steel can be embrittles the brazed joint. Types 3A and 3B
used for cast iron. The best suited ones are the brazing fluxes are used with BAg brazing filler
lower melting silver brazing filler metals. Those metals.
containing nickel, such as Types BAg-3 and
BAg-4, have good wettability on clean cast iron BRAZING PROCESSES
and, therefore, produce higher strength joints.
Copper and copper-zinc filler metals can be used, Any brazing processes suitable for steel are
but their high brazing temperatures must be con- applicable to cast irons. The choice of process

AWS WCI 85 m 078Li2b5 0007263 L m
342 V-14
depends upon the metals being joined, the braz- BRAZING PROCEDURES
ing filler metal used, the design of the joint, and
the relative masses of the parts. Those processes In general, the handling of cast iron parts
that use automatic temperature control are most during brazing is the same as for other base
desirable because the cast iron must not be ov- metals, assuming adequate preparation of the
erheated during the brazing operation. faying surfaces as described previously. Because
cast irons expand significantly with temperature
and conduct heat quite poorly, the heating and
JOINTCLEARANCE cooling cycles for brazing should be designed to
Joint clearance should be determined for a minimize thermal stresses. The casting should
specific application after considering such fac- be cooled slowly from the brazing temperature.
tors as the joint design, the thermal expansion
coefficients of the metals being joined, the POSTBRAZE OPERATIONS
method of heating, and the filler metal. The
recommended joint clearance for BAg filler met- Postbraze operations include the removal of
als is 0.002 to 0.005 in. The proper clearance excess flux. Warm water is usually adequate for
is easily maintained with small components, but dissolving the flux normally used with silver base
some sacrifice must usually be made with large filler metals. Inspection operations are then made
parts. on the cleaned joints.
OTHER JOINING PROCESSES
SOLDERING chine bases or frame^.^ The shrinkage of weld

metal produced by the alumino thermic reaction
Soldering is used to a limited extent for is significantly greater than that of gray or ductile
repair of small surface defects in iron castings. cast iron. For this reason, difficulties can arise
Such repairs can provide both water- and air-tight when the process is used for the repair of cracks
seals. Torch heating is usually employed with a that are longer than eight times the section thick-
slightly reducing flame. Soldering temperatures ness or that do not extend through the section.
in the range of 450"-500"Fare normal. The fay- The process is essentially the same as that
ing surfaces must be prepared as described pre- used for the welding of steel. Cast iron Thermit
viously. If tinning difficulties are experienced, a mixture normally consists of aluminum powder
solder relatively high in tin (50 percent or more) and iron oxide to which 3 percent ferrosilicon
might help the operation. A typical solder used and 20 percent mild steel punchings are added.
to repair gray cast iron has the composition 35Sn- Because of the insulation and slow cooling pro-
30Pb-35Zn. vided by the sand mold surrounding the joint,
Fluxes similar to those for soldering steel the weld metal is generally somewhat harder and
are normally used to assist wetting for a well- tougher than ordinary gray cast iron but is ma-
tinned surface. The joint should be cooled slowly chinable. Stress relieving is usually not neces-
to prevent tearing of the solder filler metal. sary unless a condition of high restraint is
encountered.
THERMIT WELDING
Iron castings can be repaired by Thermit 7. Refer to the Welding Handbook, Vol. 3. Ch. 13, for
welding, especially large structures such as ma- more information on Thermit welding.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 8 5 W 0789265 00072b4 3
v-14 343
CUTTING
OXYFUEL CAS CUlTING to cause burning in the kerf to maintain preheat.
After the starting edge is preheated through the
The high carbon content of cast iron hinders full thickness, the cutting torch is directed back-
oxyfúel gas cutting operations.8 The large amount ward at 45 degrees to the work surface to start
of graphite and iron carbide in the metal inter- the cut. After cutting is underway, the torch angle
feres with the oxidation of the iron matrix. Poor with the work surface is gradually increased to
fluidity of the molten metal and slag prevents about 75 degrees or more. During cutting, the
clearing the kerf. High quality production cuts, cutting torch is oscillated in a semicircular pat-
typical with steels, cannot be obtained. However, tem transverse to the direction of travel. Cast
cast iron can be severed using special techniques, irons are sometimes cut using a waster plate,
and it is advisable to preheat the casting to the metal powder, or chemical flux cutting techniques.
temperature recommended for oxyacetylene
welding. ARC CUTTING
In general, a reducing preheat flame is used
Cast irons can be cut by the air carbon arc
8. See the Welding Handbook, Vol. 2, Ch. 13, for and plasma arc cutting processes. The equipment
additional information on oxyfuel gas and arc cutting manufacturer should be consulted for specific
methods. information and recommendations.
Metric Conversion Factors

1 ksi = 6.89 MPa
1 in. = 25.4 mm
tc = 0.56 (tF - 32)
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS W C I 85 W 078Y2b5 0 0 0 7 2 b 5 5 W
v-14
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
SUPPLEMENTARY READING LIST

Bishel, R. A., Flux-cored electrode for cast iron 1977 Mar.
welding, Welding Journal, 52(6): 372-81; Kotecki, D. J., and Braton, N. R.,Preheat effects
1973 June. on gas metal arc welded ductile cast iron,
Bishel, R. A., and Conaway, H. R., Flux-cored WeldingJournal, 48(4): 161-66; 1969 Apr.
arc welding for high-qualityjoints in ductile Maintenance welding of cast iron, Canadian
iron, Modern Casting, 67(1); 1977 Jan. Welding and Fabrication, 65(4); 1974 Apr.
Burgess, C. O., Welding,Joining and Cutting of Short-arc welding of spheroidal-graphite iron in
Gray Iron, Cleveland: Gray Iron Founders the SKF Katrincholm Works, Sweden,
Society, Inc., 1951. Foundry Trade Journal, 1968 May 23.
Conway, H.R., Cored wire breakthrough speeds Test Program on Welding Iron Castings, AWS
cast iron joining, Metal Progress, lM(6); Dll.1-65, Miami: American Welding Soci-
1975 Nov. ety, 1965.
Cookson, C., Maintenance and repair welding of The Oxy-Acetylene Handbook, 3rd ed., New
castings, Welding of Castings, Cambridge, York: Union Carbide Corporation, Linde
England: The Welding Institute, 1977. Div., 1976.
Electron-beam welding of pearlitic malleable Walton, C. F., Gray and Ductile Iron Castings
iron, Modern Casting, 50( 1); 1966 July. Handbook, Rocky River, OH: Iron Castings
Gregory, E. N., and Jones, S . B., Welding cast Society, 1971.
irons, Welding of Castings, Cambridge, Welding Ductile Iron - Current Practices and
England: The Welding Institute, 1977. Applications, Mountainside, N. J. : The
Hogaboom, A. G., Welding of gray cast iron, Welding Research Committee, Ductile Iron
WeldingJournal, 56(2): 17-22; 1977 Feb. Society, 1977.
Klimek, J., and Morrison, A. V., Gray cast iron Welding gray iron with mild steel electrodes,
welding, Welding Journal, 56(3): 29-33; Foundry, 96( I); 1968 Jan.

AWS W C I 85 m 078LiZb5 0007266 7 m
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345
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AWS WCI 85 m 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 00072b7 7 m
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Conditions Under Which Cast Iron Solidifies When Cored Wire is Used for Metal Deposition. Gretskii, Yu. Ya et al.
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Flash Butt Welding of High-Strength Cast Iron. Gelman, A.S. and Medovyi, V.V. Welding Production (Russian). 20
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Flux Cored Electrode for Cast Iron Welding. Bishel, R.A. Welding Journal. 52 (6): 372-81
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Short Circuit Arc Welding of Nodular Cast Iron. Philips, H.A. Philips Welding Reporter: 15-20.
Some Aspects of Cast Iron Welding. Bhattacharya, S.K. et al. Indian Welding Journal. Oct.: 119-123.
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Casting Repair Pays Big Dividends for Job Shop. Welding Engineer 57 (1 1): 25-27.
Characteristics of Vibrating-Arc Building-Up on High-Strength Cast Iron. Baturin, E.K. et al. welding Production
(Russian). 19 (12): 59-62.
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Short Arc Welding of Nodular Cast Iron. Meyer, H.A. Phillips Metaal Techniek. 197 (1/2): 1-5
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Effect of Polarity on Grey Cast Iron Welding with Mile Steel Electrodes. Datta, G.L. Proc. of Symp. on Engineering
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Gray and Ductile Iron Castings Handbook, Iron Castings Society.
Influence of the Structure of Iron Welding Rods on the Quality of Metal Deposited by Low-Temperature Gas
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Metal Arc Welding of White Cast Iron. Metal Construction. 3 (5): 179-84.
Repair Welding of Defects in Fe Castings Prior to Enameling. Gapchenko, M.N. and Tsedzinsky, A.A. Welding
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Electroslag Welding of Cast Iron. Ishii, Y.et ai. Transactionsof Japanese Welding Society. Sept.
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Pressure Welding. Rees, A.J.R. Canadian Welder and Fabricator. 61 (1): 9-10, 12, 15-16.
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--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

AWS WCI 8 5 07öi.r265 0007271 O W
350/ BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Welding Nodular Iron with Post-Weld Annealing. Bates, R.C. and Morley, F.J. Welding Journal. 40 (9): 417~422s
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Welding of Pipe by Resistance and by Induction. Hormann, E. Electric Heating. July, 1961.
1960-1956
A New Nodular Cast Iron Welding Rod for Foundries and Fabricators. Day, R.O. et al. Welding Journal. 36 (9):
410~414s;1957.
Filler Rod for Gas Welding of S.G. Iron. Dixon, R.H.T. and Thornycroft, D.R. Foundry Trade Journal. 108 (2266):
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
583-89.
Heat Affected Zone of Arc Welded Ductile Iron. Nippes, E.F. et al. Welding Journal. 39 (i i): 465~472s;1960.
Process Welding of Nodular and Gray-Iron Castings. Townshend, B. and Porter, E.O. Welding Journal. 38 (8):
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Welding of Ductile Iron. Pease, G.R. Welding Journal. 39 (1): ls-9s; i960.
Welding of Nodular Iron. Metal Progress. 75 (5): 95-99; 1959,
1955 and earlier

A Test Block for Welding Gray and Nodular Cast Iron. Schumbacker, W.A. and Schaeffer, A.L. Welding Journal. 35
(2): 91s-99s; 1953.
Avoidance of Blowholes When Welding Cast Iron. Foundry Trade Journal. 94: 245-246; 1953.
Ferrous Rod for Welding Nodular Graphite Cast Iron. Rilley, R.V. and Dodd, J. Foundry Trade Journal. 93 (1889):
555-560; 1952.
Notch Ductility of Nodular Iron. Trans. of Amer. Soc. for Metals. 4 6 418-445; 1954.
Report of Subcommittee on Code of Practice for the Repair and Reclamation of Grey Iron Castings by Welding and
Allied Methods. Proc. of the Inst. of Brit. Foundrymen. 43: Al 14-A122 1950.
Secondary Graphitization of Quenched and Tempered Ductile Cast Iron. Danko, J.C. and Libsch, J.R. ASM
Transactions. 47: 853-863; 1953.
Welding Metallurgy of Nodular Cast Iron. Hucke, E.E. and Udin, H. Welding Journal 32 (8): 378s-385s; 1953.

AUS W C I A5 = 03ôlr2bS O007232 2
Subject Index
Subject Paper Designation Subject Paper Designation
Applications Filler Metals (cont.)
Fabrication 1-2, -8 Stainless steel 1-5
11-1, -2, -11, -15, -16 11-3, -11, -15
111-1 IV-2
IV-2 v-1, -5
V-5, -11, -12, -13
Fluxes
Miscellaneous 1-1, -8
111-1, -2 Brazing V-8, -14
V-1 thru -14 Electroslag welding v-11
Repair 1-2 thru -7, -9 Oxyfuel gas welding 11-3, -6
11-3 V-5, -14
111-1
IV-1, -2 Submerged arc welding 11-3
v-5 v-1
Salvage 1-3 thru -7, -9 Wet 1-5, -8
11-4, -5, -7, -8 Inspection
111-1
IV-1, -2 Liquid penetrant 1-2, -6
v-5 IV-1
V-6
Cutting V-14
Radiographic IV-1
Filler Metals
Visual 1-2
Carbon steels I- 1
11-3, -5, -9, -13 thni -16 Material Characteristics
111-1
Effect on hardness 1-8
V-1, -6 thru -8, -11, -14
v-3
Cast irons 1-2, -3, -8
Effect on microstructure 1-8
11-1, -2, -1 1
v-3, -4
111-1
V-5, -8, -9, -11, -14 Effect on weldability v-5
Copper and copper 1-5 Hardenability v-3
alloys 11-2, -3
Heat-affected zone 1-1 thru -6
IV-2
11-5, -7, -1 1, -14, -16
V-5, -6, -8, -9, -14
V-11, -13
Experimental v-1, -11
Metallography
Nickel irons 1-2, -5, -6
Base metal 114, -5, -7, -12 thni -14,
11-1 thru -6, -11, -12, -15,
-16
-16
v-1, -2, -6, -9, -11
IV-I, -2
V-I, -5 thni -10, -13, -14 Etchants 1-2, -3, -7
35 1
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

A W S W C I 85 m 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007273 LI m
352/ SUBJECT
INDEX

Processes (cont.)
114, -5, -7, -8, -10, -12 Flux cored arc welding 11-11, -12
thni -14, -16 V-8, -9, -13, -14
Metallurgy Friction welding 111-1
Base metal 1-2 thni -9 Gas metal arc welding 11-1, -2, -8 thru -10, -12,
III-I, -2 -15
IV- I 111-1, -2
V-1 thni -3, -9, -11 1v-2
Weld metal v-1, -9, -11, -12 V-1, -7, -9, -14
Gas tungsten arc welding 11-15
Material Types v-1, -5
Compacted graphite V-14 Oxyfuel gas welding 1-3, -4, -8
cast iron 11-1, -2,4, -5, -7
Dissimilar combinations 11-2, -15, -16 111-1, -2
III- 1, -2 V-5, -8, -9, -14
IV-2 Powder welding II- 16
V-5, -6, -10 thni -13 V-8, -9
Ductile cast iron 1-4 Shielded metal arc 1-3 thni -7
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
11-1 thni -16 welding 11-1 thni -6, -16
IV-2 111-1, -2
V-4 thni -9, -11 thni -14 V-1, -5 thni -10, -14
Gray cast iron 1-1 thni -9 Submerged arc welding 11-13, -14
V-1 thni -14 V-1, -13
Malleable cast iron 1-4 Temperature Conditions
111-1, -2
V4, -6, -7, -9, -12 thni -14 Cooling rates 1-2, -3, -5, -7, -8, -9
11-3, -16
Ni-Resist cast iron I4 v-5
IV-2
v-5 Interpass temperature 1-1, -3, -6
1v-2
White cast iron 1-1, -2, -6, -9 V-14
IV- 1
v-7 Welding without preheat 1-2, -6, -7, -9
11-15, -16
111-1
Processes 1v-2
V-6, -8, -11
Bare metal arc welding 1-3
Postweld heat treatment 1-1, -3, -8
Brazing V-8, -9, -14 11-1, -5, -15, -16
Braze welding V-14 111-1
V-5, -8 thni -10, -12, -14
Electron beam welding 111-2
Preheating Treatment 1-1 thni -9
Electroslag welding v-11
11-1,-3, -6, -10, -1 1, -15, -16
Flash welding 111-1 1v-2
v-12 V-1, -5, -7, -8 thni -10, -14

AWS W C I ô 5 m 0 7 8 4 2 b 5 0007274 b m
Subject Index1 353

Workmanship Workmanship (cont.)
Buttering 11-3 Peening 1-2, -6, -9
V-9, -14 11-11
Cleaning IV-1
V-5, -6, -7, -14
v-6, -7
Joint design 1-1 thni -3, -6, -9 Undercut 1-3
11-1 Weld bead type v-6, -7
V-5 thni -7, -14 Welding current 1-2, -3, -6
IV- 1
Metal removal 1-9 V-10, 13
v-5, -6 Welding stresses 1-3, -9
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
...-,-
re; ,.
Copyright American Welding Society .,,.. ~..
Provided by IHS under license with AWS ",
AWS W C I 85 0784265 0 0 0 7 2 7 5 8
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Index
Alloy cast iron, 17 with nickel bronze welding rod, 229-30 gas metal arc welding, short Circuiting arc,
Aluminum casting repair, 30 spherical graphite cast iron, 229-30 256-58,338-39
Arc cutting, 343 surface preparation for, 230 general description, 327
Arc welding. See uko the specific welding wettability problem, 229-30 graphite form, effects of, 333
process, such as shielded metal arc Brazing heat-affected zone, 36,239
welding. cast irons, 341-42 heat-affected zone cracking, 36,321
ductile cast iron, 130-39 filler metals, 341 heat-affected zone hardness, 239
gray cast iron, 17,20-25 fluxes, 341 heat-affected zone properties, 252
joint designs, 335 gray cast iron, i2 high d o y , 238
Austenitic ductile cast iron joint clearance, 342 interpass temperature, 244
buttering, 184 postbraze operations, 342 mass effects, 36
composition effects on weidabiïity, 179-84 procedures, 342 matrix structures, 238
covered electrodes for, 178-79, 185-86 processes, 341-42 mechanical properties, typical, 237
description of, 177-78 Bronze casting repair, 30 nickel base electrodes, welding with, 238-40
filler metals for, 231 Buttering, 339 oxyacetylene welding, 253,339-40
fracture toughness of welds, 186-88, 190 Burnt castings, 239 oxyfilel gas cutting, 342
gas tungsten arc welding, 231 peening of welds, 240
heat-affected zone cracking, 184 postweld heat treatment, 105,252,254-56,
heat treatment effects, 180-81, I84 26143,335
impurity elements, tolerance for, 179 preheating, 36,37,244,246,252,257-.58,
metallurgical observations, 188-90 Carbon equivalent 332,333-34,340
microstructure of castings, 187,188 cast iron, 4,5, 7-8, 9 preheating effects, 261-63
nickel-iron weld metal, 184 cast iron welding rods, 39 preparation for welding, 239,242
notch toughness, 186, 189 Cast austenitic steel repair, 27-29 preweld inspection, 240
oxyacetylene weldmg, 23 I Cast iron. See uko specific types of cast irons, production welding, 321-26
preheating, 179,231-32 such as Ductile cast iron. repair examples, 245
preheating effects, 180-81, 184 arc cutting, 343 repair of defects, 247
restraint, effects of, 180-81, 184 alloy deposited metal, 246-47 shielded metal arc welding, 254,261-63,
section size effects, 180-81,184 applications of welding, 324-26 335-38
stress-corrosion characteristics, 188 base metal quality, 37 slag removal, 240,244
tensile properties of base metals, 186-87 braze (bronze) welding, 253,340-41 soldering, 342
tensile properties of welds, 186-87 brazing, 341-42 steel electrodes, welding with, 240
weld cracking, 180-81,231 buttering techniques, 252-53,339 surface preparation, 101,334-35
weldability, 177-91 cast iron deposited metal, 246-47 Thermit welding, 342
welding, 230-32 composition effects, i01 tramp elements in, 220-23
welding process effects, 185 compositions, typicai, 237 types, 237,242,249-51,327
Austenitic spheroidal graphite cast iron. See cooling rate, 36 weld joint designs, 239,242-43
Austenitic d u d e cast iron. crack arrestors, 240 weld repairing, 242-45
cracking, 252 weldability, 332-33
deposited metal classifications, 24ó-47 welding applications, 332
femtizing annealing, 105 welding electrode evaluation, 261-63
f i e r metal effects, 333 welding electrodes for, 24344,246,321-22
Bar reinforcing, 27 filler metal selection, 253,335,336 welding heat input, 36-37
Bibliography, 345-50 flash welding to other metals, 292-320 welding metallurgy, 251-53
Braze (bronze) welding, 340-41 flux cored arc welding, 339 welding methods, 242,246
cast iron, 253,340-41 fusion and solidification, control of, 251 welding procedures, 239-40,244-45
fder metals for, 336 fusion zone, 238 welding process selection, 253-58
355
AWS W C I 85 078q265 0 0 0 7 2 7 b T m
Casto Guna welding technique, 45-46 preparation for welding, 50,69, 131 equipment, 266-67
C.E. See Carbon equivalent. repair welding examples, 60,62 gray cast iron, 265-291
Coefficient of thermal expansion, 105 residual elements in, 222 graphitizing inocculation, 274-75,276-78
Compacted graphite cast iron, 330-31,332 residual welding stresses, 58 heat-affected zone microstructures, 283
Corner welds extension, 43,44 shielded metal arc welding, 49-5458-60, with mild steel rod, 268
Crack arrestors. 27 130-37,142-46 with rectangular rod, 267-71
submerged arc welding, 118-29 slag behavior, 280-82
surface preparation, 76, 142 slag compositions, 266,267
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
tempering, 122 of sphenodal graphite cast iron, 265-91

tw,47,56-57 spheroidal graphite cast iron weld metal,
underbead cracking, 49 273-74
Dissimilar metal welding, 54-55 weldability, 47-48, 110 techniques, 266
Ductile cast iron. See &o Cast iron; Nodular weldabiiity factors, 88-89 weld metai microstructure, 284-87
cast iron; Spheriodal graphite cast iron. welding rods, 52
annealing, 47,49,51, 122, 131 welding to other metals, 54-55, 135-36
applications, 331 welding to steel, 76-77
ASTM grades, 47,48 Ductile cast iron mechanical properties, 47, Filler metai(s). See o h Welding electrodes;
base metal mechanical properties, 72,73 48,57, 119, 130,331,332 Welding rods.
buttering with nickel f&r metai, 91-92 flash welds, M2-4 for cast irons, 336
carbide zone thickness, 113, 115 flux cored arc welds, 322-23 for ductile cast iron, 72
carbon content, effects of, 94 gas metai arc welds, 147 for malleable cast iron, 154
casting defects, 49 oxyacetylenewelds, 52,53, 71 selection of, 335
chemical composition, 130-131 powder welds, I 5 0 Flash welding
description of, 329-30 Ductile cast iron-steel weld joint strengths, advantages, 293
fatigue faiiures in welds, 323 143 cast irons, 292-320
filler metal selection, 141 Ductile cast iron weld(s) cast irons to brass, 310-12,314-16
filler metals for, 72. See &o Ductile cast cooling rate, 142 cast irons to copper, 3 IO- 14
iron welding. cracking, 90 cast irons to steel, 304-10
fillet welding, 106-7 ductility, 90-91 ductile cast iron, 302-4
flash welding, 302-4 fatigue strength, 54 gray cast iron, 2%-300
flux cored arc welding, 105-7, i i I - 12 hardness, 76,91 hardness testing, 296
fusion zone microstructure, 94,96-98, impact strengths,1 6 1I7 limitations, 293
113-114, 122, 124-25 mechanical properties, 49,74,75, 131-33, malleable cast iron, 300-302
gas metal arc welding-short circuiting arc, 143, 144 mechanical properties of dissimilar metal
52-53,88-93,137-38, 146-49 microstructure, 53-54, 71,74,75, 76 joints, 313-16
gas tungsten arc welding, 138 tensile strength, 91 mechanical testing, 296
graphite form, 238 Ductile cast iron welding metallurgy of welds, 393-94
heat-affected zone, 48-49,223-24 with aluminum bronze electrodes, 59 microstructure of dissimilar metal welds,
heat-affected zone hardness, 48 with austenitic stainless steel electrodes, 59 315-18
heat-affected zone microstructure, 90, with ductile iron rods, 74-76 postheating, 295-96
96-98 with E-7018 electrodes, 92 process description, 292-93
heat-affected zone width, 48 electrode selection, 58-60 welding procedures, 294-95,296
heat input effects, 90,97, i Il, 141 with ferritic electrodes, 58 Flux cored arc welding, 339
heat treatment, I 11 flux, 71 applications, 324-26
joint design, 50,76, 142 with mild steel electrodes, 89-93 arc voltage, 101-2
Martensite (Mdtemperature, 141 with nickel-iron filler metal, 137-38 deposition rate, 103
machineability of nickel-iron welds, 133-35 with nickel-iron filler metai, 137-38 deposition rate vs welding current, 322
metallurgical considerations, 140-41 with nickel alloy electrodes, 59-60,130-36 ductile cast iron, 111-12
microstructws), 112-13, 118 procedures, 96, 146 dissimilar metals, 108-9
microstructure, ef€ectsof, 49 process selection, 142 electrode extension, 102-3
microstructural considerations, 72-73 recommendations, 139 electrode manipulation, 103
microstructural control, I 17 fumes and smoke, 104-5
nickel d o y filler metals for, 96 gray cast iron, 107
nickei-iron weld metal microstructure, 133 heat input effects, 109
oxyacetylenewelding, 52,69-71, 89, mechanical properties of welded joints,
149-50 322-23
peening of weld metal, 131 Electron beam welding of malleable cast iron, nickel-iron electrodes, 100-109,321-22
pipe welding procedures, 54 164-72 power sources, 101
postweld heat treatment, 73-74,96, 97,110, Electroslag welding shielding media, 101
124-25 with cast iron rod, 269-70,280-82 slag entrapment, 103-4
powder welding, 150-51 with cast iron wire guide, 27 1-79 undercutting, 104
preheating,51,69,76, 101, 106, 110, 122, characteristics, 265 weld spatter, 104
131, 141 with composite rods, 270-71 welding current, 101
preheating effects, 60,88,94-99, 124 discussion of, 288-91 welding procedures, 322

Index1 357
Gas metal arc welding-short circuit arc, preheating effects, 7,8 Malleable cast iron. See uho Cast iron.
338-39 preparation for welding, 17,43-44 applications,331-32
applications,86-87 quality factors, 4 applications of welding, 155-63
Of Cast irons, 256-58 quench welding process, 42-46 blackheart, 152,153
with copper base electrodes, 257 repair methods, 12,62 braze welding, 245
dissimilar metals, 55 residual elements in, 220-21 carbon content, 152-53
ductile cast iron, 52-53,88-93,94-96, servi= conditions, 22 construction welding, 152
137-38,146-49 shielded metal arc welding, 1-3,4-9, description of, 16,250-51,328-29
heat input, 89 192-201 edge preparation, 153
with nickel-copper electrodes, 257 short arc brazing, 44 electron beam weld microstructures, 169-71
with nickel electrodes, 91,257 slag inclusion effects, 20, 21 electron beam welding, 164-72
spheroidalgraphite cast iron, 84-87 steel rod weld reinforcement, 45-46 electron beam welding to steels, 164-72
welding procedures, 84,85,90 stress relieving, 14 fder metals for, 154
Gas tungsten arc welding submerged arc welding, 197-201 flash welding, 300-302
austenitic ductile cast iron, 231 tab test for weldability, 43 heat input, 153
ductile cast iron, 138 temperature gradient effects, 1 maintenance welding, 152
Gray cast iron. See uho Cast iron. tensile strength of welds, 14 mechanical properties, 330
applications,331 transformations, heating and cooling, 212 mechanical testing of flash welds, 299-300
arc welding, 17 transformations in welds, 7 microstructure, 152-53,260
brazing, 12 undercut control, 13 microstructure of flash welds, 300-302
"burning in", 17 weld cooling rate, 5,7 postweld heat treatment, 153
carbon equivalent, 4,5,7-8,9 weld cracking, 6,9,23 preheating, 153
chemical compositioneffects, 19,43 weld hardness, 5-6,8 production welding, 152
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
cooling rate (velocity), 4, I l , 13, 107,212 weld metal requirements, 45 residual elements in, 221
crack termination, 43 weld microstructure, 8 suitabilityfor welding, 153
cracking of, 7,21, 107 weld quenching, 45 surface preparation, 153
description of, 249,328 weld repair of, 17,2425 tempering of welds, 166-67
dilution effects, 20 weld stresses, 11- 12 weld joint hardness, 168-69, 172
electroslag welding, 265-9 1 weldability, 43 weld quality assurance, 154-55
end quench hardness curves, 213,217-18 welding electrode@),5 weld quality grades, 152
fenitic weld metal, 21-22,23 welding electrode selection, 20-22 weldability, 16
flash welding, 296-300 welding groove preparation, 2-3 welding processes for, 154
flux cored arc welding, 107 welding heat input, 20 welding recommendations, 155
fractured surface appearance, 16 welding method, selection of, 19 whiteheart, 152,153
graphite formation in welds, 6-7 welding problems, 23-24 Metallographic techniques, 202-9
graphite in, 2û4-6,238 welding procedures, 3,5, 23
gray iron electrodes for, 4-9 Gray cast iron, aluminum-caicium
hardenability, I I , 20, 210-18 applicablewelding processes, 193-95
heat-affected zone, 1-2, 11,20 calcium inmulation, effects of, 195-%
heat-affected zone, stresses in, 1 description of, 192
heat-affected zone properties, 23-24 properties of, 192 Nickel weld metal cracking, 22
heat treatment, 3 weldability, 192-96 Ni-resist cast iron. See Austenitic ductile cast
"hot arc" welding, 12-14 iron.
interpass temperature, 42 Nodular cast iron. See also Cast iron; Ductile
joint preparation, 24,43-44 cast iron; Spheroidal graphite cast iron.
machinability of welds, 2 annealmg, 65,83
macro and micro characteristics,effects of, Hardenability, round bar, 214-15 arc weld bend ductility, 65-66
202-9 Hardenabilityof gray cast iron, 210-18 arc weld mechanical properties, 65
macrostructure,206-8 Hardenability tests, significance of, 214-15 arc weld transition temperature., 66-67
mechanical properties, 208-9,329,332 Hardening, depth of, 210-1 1 arc welding procedures, 64
mechanical properties of flash welds, 297 Hardfacin&233-37 bend testing, 65-66
metallurgical aspects, 1-2 Hardness, effects of carbon on, 211,212 graphite formation in welds, 78-83
metallographic techniques, 202-9 "Hot arc" welding, 12-14 heat-affected zone, effects of preheat on
microstructure, 10-1 I, 202-6,259 79-80
microstructureof arc welds, 14 heat-affected zone hardness, 80-81
microstructureof flash welds, 297-98 heat-affected zone microstructure, 64-65,
mild steel electrodes for, 1-3 66
nickel alloy electrodes for, 4,5, 12, 13, microstructure,64,65,259
20-21,22,27,36 Implant test, 261-62 nickel base electrodes for, 64
non-metallic inclusions, 40 oxyaœtyiene welding, 67-68
oxyacetylene welding, 12, 13, 17-18,38-41 preheating, 64,67,83,79-80
peening of weld metal, 23, 107 secondary graphite formation, 81-83
porosity in weld metal, 39-40 shielded metai arc welding, 64-67
Preheating, 2,3,10-14, 17-19,38.101,107 Jominy endquench hardenabilitytest, 210- 18 tempering effects, 81

AWS WCI 8 5 = 0784265 0007278 3 W
358/INDEX
Nodular cast iron (cont.) S.G. cast iron, See Spheroidal graphite cast calcium, magnesium, and rare earth
transition temperature, 66-67 iron. additions, 123-24
weld microstructure, 68,78-83 Shielded metal arc welding graphite additions, 122-23
weld transition temperature, 68 cast irons, 243-45,254,335-38 nickel and manganese additions, 126-29
welding rod, 67,68 copper alioy electrodes, 338 silicon additions, 122-23
dissimilar metals, 54-55
ductile cast iron, 49-51,92,130-37,14246
gray cast iron, 1-3, 192-201
gray iron electrodes, 338 Tab test for weldability, 43
“hot arc”process, 12-14
--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
Temper carbon, 16,328

Oil or grease removal, 50, 101
joint designs, 337 Thermit welding, 342
Oxyacetylene welding
with mild steel electrodes, 337-38
austenitic ductile cast iron, 231
with nickel base electrodes, 226-27,228,
cast irons, 253
321-22,336-37 Weld failure, causes of, 42
ductile cast iron, 52,69-71, 149-50
nodular cast iron, 64-67 Welding aluminum, 241
equipment, 69
slag removal, 227 Welding difficult steels, 240-41
filler metais, 339
welding procedures, 261-63,337 Welding electrodes
gray cast iron, 12, 17-18,38-41
white cast iron, 173-76 aluminium bronze, 21,59
joint design, 339
Short circuiting arc welding. See Gas metal for austenitic ductile cast iron, 178-79
nodular cast iron, 67-68
arc welding-short circuit arc. austenitic stainless steel, 21,59,231
spheroidal graphite cast iron, 228-29,230
Soldering cast iron, 342 baking and storage, 226
welding flux, 229,339-40
Spheroidal graphite cast iron. See a h Cast cast iron, 12-13
welding procedure, 340
iron; D u d e cast iron; Nodular cast iron. copper base, 256
Oxyfilel gas cutting, 343
acicular, welding of, 230 copper-nickel, 239
braze (bronze)welding, 229-30 flux cored nickel-iron, 100-109,258,
description, 249-50 321-22
electroslag welding, 265-91 gray cast iron, 5
ferritic, 225-29 nickel, 22,59-60,239,243-44,261-63,
gas metal arc welding, 84-87 321-22
heat-affected zone, 227 nickel alloy, 12,36,53,238
Peening of weld metal, 42,337
joint design, 225 nickelchromium-iron, 23 1,261-63
Pipe welding, ductile cast iron, 54
nickel-iron weld metal properties, 226 nickelcopper, 246
Porosity, causes of, 45 pearlitic, 225-29 nickel-iron, 20-21,22,27,49,59-60,64,
Powder welding, 150-51,253-54 preheating, 227 130,226,231,244,254-57,321-22,
Preheating
oxyacetylene welding, 228-29 nickel-iron electrode applications, 136
austenitic ductile cast iron, 179,231-32 surface preparations, 225,230 selection, 20-22
cast iron(s), 36,37,244,246,252,257-58,
types, 224 steel, 1-3,240,243,244
322,333-34,340
weld cooling rate, 227 storage, 5 i
ductile cast iron, 51,69,76,94-98, 101, weld hardness, 85-86 tin bronze, 21
106,110, 122, 131, 141
weld mechanical properties, 22,84, 85,227, Welding, rods
graycast iron, 2,3, 11-14, 17-19,38, 101, 228,230,254-56 cast iron,38
107 weld microstructure, 85 cast iron, carbon equivalent of, 39 ,41
malleable cast iron, 153
weldability, 224 cast iron, composition of,39-40
nodular cast iron, 64,67,83,79-80
welding applications, 224 d u d e cast iron, 52
Preheating equipment, 18
welding procedures, 226 self-fluxingcast iron, 38,40-41
Preheating fuels, 18-19 welding process selection, 224-25 surface cleanliness, 229
Production welding, 321-26 welding to mild steel, 227-28 White cast iron
welding with nickel-iron electrodes, 226-27 cracking, causes of, 173
Submerged arc welding description of, 16,328
austenitic weld metai, 126-29 fractured surface color, i6
ductile cast iron, 118-25,126-29 nickel alloy covered electrodes, 173
-
duetile cast iron to steel, 138-39 pening of welds, 173,174,175
Quench welding process, 42-46 flux, 119-29 quenching of weid bead, 174
gray cast iron, 197-201 repair of d g ~ 175-76 ,
. .
weld bead morphology, 122 repair weldmg, 173-74
weld hardness profie, 122-23 shielded metal am welding, 173-76
Submerged arc welding flux weld Cracking tests, 174-75
Repair welding examples, 26-30 for austenitic weld metal, 126-29 weldability, i6


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--``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

Copyright American Welding Society

Copyright American Welding Society

Welding of Cast Iron

Prepared by the AWS Committee on

AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY

Copyright American Welding Society

Library of Congress Number: 85-071307

Printed in the United States of America

Copyright American Welding Society

Section I . Gray Cast Iron

Section III . Malleable Cast Iron

Copyright American Welding Society

Section IV . Other Cast Irons

Bibliography ................................................................................... 345

Copyright American Welding Society

Copyright American Welding Society

Copyright American Welding Society

WELDING GRAY IRON

Source: Foundry, January 1968 --``,``-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

Copyright American Welding Society

the free carbon is retained in com- to produce cracks in the weld or at

brittle, unmachinable white iron, is To minimize the development of

MILD STEEL WELD METAL

HARDENED GRAY IRON

The grooves that should be

Cross-section represents the heat-affected zone when gray iron has

Copyright American Welding Society

Weldability of Gray Iron Using

Welds having original base metal hardness and graphite

Materials Science, Department of Chemical

Source: Welding Journal, 57(7), July 1978 _ _ ~ - -

Provided by IHS under license with AWS

dures were utilized.

Copyright American Welding Society

li Copyright American Welding Society

Fig. 6-Slowly cooled welds deposited on gray iron having been

Copyright American Welding Society

Fig. 7-Very slowly cooled weld deposited

of the Fe-graphite eutectic, eutectoid Weld Cooling Rate, "C/S

Provided by IHS under license with AWS

Copyright American Welding Society

WELDING OF GRBY CAST IRON

The welding of cast iron i s usually considered to be The Problem

“Hot Arc” welding in progress on a gray cast iron casting

Source. Welding J o u d , 56(2), February 1977 ___ -

Fig. 3-Finish machined "Hot Arc" welds

Fig. 4-Preheating of gray iron casting for "Hot Arc" welding

Fig. 2-Etched structure of gray cast iron-mixture of ferrite

and limited ductility of the matrix material result in the

Copyright American Welding Society

Fig. 6-Example of excavation and area damming for ”Hot Arc”

~-~ process follow.

Metal run-out from the ends can be prevented in

permit slower melting and continued application of heat

Copyright American Welding Society

CALLS FOR APPROPRIATE PREHEATING MEASURES

Author Klimek using oxyacetylene torch and rod to make

Source: Welding Journal, 56(3), March 1977 - _.

Gray Iron Malleable Iron

Fig. 7-Preheating a gray iron casting

Copyright American Welding Society

Copyright American Welding Society