Buttering is also used to improve the weldability between ferritic and austenitic stainless steel joints.

A thick overlay (13

1
mm, or in., or greater) of a highly austenitic weld metal, such as type 309 stainless steel, can be deposited on carbon or
2
low-alloy steel components so that stainless steel/stainless steel welds can be made subsequently in the field. This
technique has limited reliability for high-temperature cyclic service and has not been used extensively for material
combinations other than ferritic steels, stainless steels, and some high-nickel alloys.

A filler metal for joining a 4xx-series stainless steel to a carbon or low-alloy steel can be selected using the following
general rules:

• FOR WELDING ONE HARDENABLE CHROMIUM STEEL TO ANOTHER WITH A HIGHER

CHROMIUM CONTENT, FILLER METAL CONTAINING CHROMIUM EQUAL TO THAT OF
EITHER STEEL MAY BE USED. FURTHERMORE, ANY FILLER METAL WHOSE CHROMIUM
CONTENT LIES BETWEEN THESE LIMITS IS EQUALLY SATISFACTORY, PROVIDED THE
WELDMENT IS PROPERLY HEAT-TREATED.
• A GENERAL RULE FOR WELDING ANY CHROMIUM STEEL TO ANY LOW-ALLOY STEEL IS
TO USE A FILLER METAL THAT HAS THE SAME COMPOSITION AS THE LOW-ALLOY
STEEL, PROVIDED THAT IT MEETS THE SERVICE REQUIREMENTS OF THE APPLICATION.
WITH ANY LOW-ALLOY STEEL FILLER METAL, THE CHROMIUM THAT IS PICKED UP BY
DILUTION WITH THE CHROMIUM STEEL BASE METAL MUST BE CONSIDERED.
• FOR WELDING ANY CHROMIUM STEEL TO A CARBON STEEL, CARBON STEEL FILLER
METAL CAN BE USED. A CHROMIUM STEEL FILLER METAL CAN ALTERNATIVELY BE
USED, BUT IT IS PREFERABLE TO USE A LESS HARDENABLE FILLER METAL.

When the properties of the HAZ in the chromium stainless steel are important, both the stainless steel and other steel can
be buttered with type 309 or 310 austenitic stainless steel weld metal. An appropriate preheat or PWHT can be used to
obtain desired properties in the buttered components. The stainless steel surfaces can then be welded together without
preheat using a suitable austenitic stainless steel filler metal, such as type 308.

Nickel-Base Alloys to Steels. Nickel alloys can easily be welded to steels using a suitable filler metal and proper
control of dilution. Nickel-base filler metals are generally used because of their good ductility and tolerance of dilution by
iron. Suggested nickel-base filler metals for welding nickel alloys to steel or stainless steel are listed in Table 23.

TABLE 23 SUGGESTED FILLER METALS FOR WELDING NICKEL-BASE ALLOYS TO CARBON AND
LOW-ALLOY STEELS

NICKEL ALLOY FILLER FILLER METAL FOR WELDING TO

UNS COMMON METAL FORM CARBON OR STAINLESS
NO. DESIGNATION LOW-ALLOY STEEL
STEEL
N02200 COMMERCIALLY PURE COVERED ENI-1, ENICRFE-2 ENI-1, ENICRFE-2,
NICKEL ELECTRODE ENICRFE-3
BARE WIRE ERNI-1, ERNICR-3 ERNI-1, ERNICR-3,
ERNICRFE-6
N04400 MONEL 400 COVERED ENICU-7, ENI-1 ENICRFE-2, ENICRFE-3
ELECTRODE
N05500 MONEL K-500 BARE WIRE ERNI-1 ERNICR-3, ERNICRFE-6
N05502 MONEL 502
N06600 INCONEL 600 COVERED ENICRFE-2, ENICRFE-2, ENICRFE-3
ELECTRODE ENICRFE-3
N08800 INCOLOY 800 BARE WIRE ERNICR-3, ERNICR-3, ERNICRFE-6
ERNICRFE-6
N08825 INCOLOY 825 COVERED ENICRMO-3 ENICRMO-3
ELECTRODE
BARE WIRE ERNICRMO-3 ERNICRMO-3
 N10665 HASTELLOY B-2 COVERED ENIMO-7 ENIMO-7
ELECTRODE
BARE WIRE ERNIMO-7 ERNIMO-7
N10276 HASTELLOY C-276 COVERED ENICRMO-4 ENICRMO-4
ELECTRODE
BARE WIRE ERNICRMO-4 ERNICRMO-4
N06455 HASTELLOY C-4 COVERED ENICRMO-4 ENICRMO-4
ELECTRODE
BARE WIRE ERNICRMO-7 ERNICRMO-7
N06007 HASTELLOY G COVERED ENICRMO-9 ENICRMO-9
ELECTRODE
BARE WIRE ERNICRMO-1 ERNICRMO-1

Source: Ref 33

Sulfur and phosphorus in nickel and nickel alloys cause hot cracking. The melting techniques used to produce nickel and
its alloys are designed to keep the content of these elements to low levels. By contrast, the sulfur and phosphorus contents
in some steels are typically higher. Consequently, dilution should be carefully controlled when joining a steel to a nickel
alloy with a nickel alloy filler metal, to avoid hot cracking in the weld metal.

Most nickel-base weld metals can accept a substantial amount of iron dilution, but the dilution limit generally varies with
the welding process. Weld metal deposited with nickel- or nickel-chromium-covered electrodes can tolerate up to
approximately 40% iron dilution. With bare nickel or nickel-chromium filler metals, however, dilution should be kept to
about 25%.

Acceptable limits of iron dilution for nickel-copper weld metal vary, depending on the weld process. With SMAW, iron
dilution of up to about 30% can be tolerated. Submerged arc weld metal should not be diluted by more than 25%.

With the gas-shielding processes, nickel-copper weld metal is less tolerant of iron dilution, especially if the weld is to be
thermally stress-relieved. The maximum limits for iron dilution in a welded joint are 10% when it will be used as-welded
and 5% when it will be stress-relieved. A buttering layer of nickel or nickel-copper weld metal should be applied to the
steel face in order to avoid exceeding these limits.

Nickel-copper weld metal has a maximum dilution tolerance for chromium of about 8%. Consequently, nickel-copper
filler metal should not be used to join nickel-copper alloys to stainless steels (see Table 23).

Cobalt-Base Alloys to Steels. Metallurgically, cobalt-base alloys behave similarly to the high-temperature nickel-
chromium alloys with respect to welding. When joining a cobalt alloy to a stainless steel, a filler metal with a composition
similar to that of the cobalt alloy is recommended. A nickel alloy filler metal may also be suitable for some applications.
In any case, the filler metal selection, welding process, and welding procedure for the application should be established by
suitable tests.

Copper-Base Alloys to Steels. As described in the article "Welding of Copper Alloys" in this Volume, copper and
many copper-base alloys can be joined to carbon, low-alloy, and stainless steels by GTAW, GMAW, and SMAW. Iron
dilution can be minimized by the use of appropriate welding procedures or by placement of a buttering layer of nickel on
the steel. Tables 24 and 25 show combinations of dissimilar metals by GTAW and GMAW with the aid of copper-base or
nickel-base filler metals.

TABLE 24 FILLER METALS AND PREHEAT AND INTERPASS TEMPERATURES USED IN GAS-
TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING OF COPPERS AND COPPER-BASE ALLOYS TO STEELS

METAL TO FILLER METALS (AND PREHEAT AND INTERPASS TEMPERATURES)

BE WELDED FOR WELDING METAL IN COLUMN 1 TO(A):
COPPERS PHOSPHOR ALUMINUM SILICON COPPER
BRONZES BRONZES BRONZES NICKELS
LOW-CARBON ERCUAL-A2 OR ERCUSN-A (205 ERCUAL-A2 (150 ERCUAL-A2 (65 ERCUAL-A2 OR
STEEL ERCU OR ERNI-3 °C, OR 400 °F) °C, OR 300 °F) °C, OR 150 °F ERNI-3 (65 °C, OR