Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
(OP)
Two-pass (one per side) weld seam on 1/2 inch thick long seam in grade X52 pipe. Requires 40 ft-lb @ -40°F Charpy toughness as-welded.
The Lincoln P223 flux used is neutral and (somewhat) basic, but what wire would fit the bill?
I could specify a wire and flux easily myself but need to settle a dispute.
The Lincoln P223 flux used is neutral and (somewhat) basic, but what wire would fit the bill?
I could specify a wire and flux easily myself but need to settle a dispute.





RE: Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04
RE: Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
EMS 2 wire with their BB24 flux.
If you need to use Lincoln welding consumables, I would agree with the L-61 (EM12K) solid wire. The Lincoln SAW brochure lists the P223 flux with L-61 wire in the as-welded condition as meeting 93 ft-lbs at -40 deg C.
RE: Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
Metengr, agree and I prefer European products for critical applications; Oerlikon is my personal favourite. But I've been out of the game for a while so I'm not sure who owns who these days.
Now what about -50°F? Seems a low alloy filler might be necessary.
RE: Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
I don't believe so, you should be able to make 40 ft-lbs . Run a qualification with impact testing at -50 deg F and you will have your answer.
RE: Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
The problem is P223/L-56 (EH11K). It is certified to -60°F, but the fabricator is getting poor weld metal impacts even above -40°F. And personally, I don't like that much Si and Mn in a wire.
RE: Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
RE: Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
The same situation comes up all the time when qualifying on pipe using GTAW and SMAW filler, for example. On wall thickness less than ~1/2" it is unavoidable to separate the tensile and toughness properties of the two zones (not to mention remelting of some of the first zone). This is a fairly innocuous issue on a simple carbon steel procedure, but when impacts are involved, poor toughness in one of the zones can be masked. It would be legal to generate a WPS based on only the low toughness process or filler metal.
RE: Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
From what I know of ASME Section IX there is nothing that prohibits a contractor to qualify a groove weld procedure with impact testing using multiple filler wires and flux combinations provided the PQR has all of the necessary essential and supplementary essential welding variables addressed. In other words, flux and wire variables are well documented along with deposit thickness.
RE: Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
RE: Sub Arc Welding of X52 Steel
p.s., if I had always strictly applied this stipulation: 'All variables, if recorded, shall be the actual variables (including ranges) used during the welding of the test coupon' then very few WPSs would have successfully crossed my desk over the years.