Dinamitek presents the definitive guide to welding electrodes.

Everything you need to know about electrodes with Dinamitek

The electrode is nothing more than a rod of conductive metal . The material it is made of, called the core, depends on the material being welded. The core , therefore, has the function of adding material to the piece. And it is the part that melts first. The coating , on the other hand, protects the weld, the piece, and the core, preventing the formation of foreign alloys during the melting process. The coating is what characterizes the welding.

I want to see the available ELECTRODES

The coating affects:

• the stability of the electric arc,
• the depth of penetration,
• the deposition of the material,
• the purity of the bathroom.

We classify electrodes according to 4 types of coating:

1. acid
2. rutile
3. cellulosic
4. basic

• ACID COATING iron oxides, manganese and silicon ferroalloys

They can be used with both AC and DC current. The arc is stable and the weld pool is fluid, making them excellent for positional welding. Cracks are a risk because they don't have much cleaning power. There's also a risk of residual moisture and hydrogen inclusion in the weld because they can't withstand high drying temperatures.

• RUTIL COATING 95% titanium dioxide

It can be used with both AC and DC current in direct polarity. It has a very stable arc and a fluid weld pool for aesthetically pleasing welds. It allows for gentle melting, forming abundant and viscous slag for easy and fast welding in a flat position. Ideal if the material does not contain impurities, as they are not effective as cleaners and do not dry well. It is used on thin layers.

• CELLULOSE COATING cellulose integrated with ferroalloys (magnesium and silicon)

It is used with reverse polarity DC current. It allows vertical-downward welding because the coating gasifies almost completely. It welds with little slag. The bath is hot due to the high hydrogen development, and the base metal melts abundantly, so the welds penetrate deeply, leaving little slag. Excellent for welding with good mechanical properties but poor aesthetics (lacking liquid protection).

• BASIC COATING iron oxides, ferroalloys and especially calcium and magnesium carbonates to which, by adding calcium fluoride, fluorite is obtained

Used with reverse polarity DC current. Unstable arc due to fluorite, poor weld flow. Good purification of the base metal, for quality welds with excellent mechanical properties. Withstands high drying temperatures. More difficult to produce, it requires a short arc and risks short circuits due to the transfer of the filler metal in large drops. Slag is difficult to remove. They deposit a lot of material and are hygroscopic, so it's best to dry them before use. They are used for positional, vertical, and overhead welding.

To summarize:

ACID

• low cost
• stable arch
• AC and DC current
• easily removable slag
• high deoxidation
• easily preserved
• fluid bath
• poor cleaning effect
• high hydrogen content
• non-refusible slag
• horizontal welds
• low-carbon steels with little impurity content
• economical welds with sufficient mechanical characteristics (good strength but risk of cracks)

RUTILE

• low cost
• stable arch
• easy trigger
• AC and DC current
• aesthetically better cord
• easily preserved
• fluid bath
• poor cleaning effect
• high hydrogen content
• horizontal welds
• vertical and corner welds for small thicknesses
• low-carbon steels with little impurity content
• aesthetically good welds but sufficient mechanical characteristics (good strength but risk of cracks)

CELLULOSIC

• high penetration
• high handling
• reduced slag
• DC generators with high open-circuit voltage are required
• irregular cord
• high hydrogen content
• welds in all positions, including vertical down
• pipes or anywhere where reverse shooting is not possible
• welds where electrode access is critical
• low-carbon steels with little impurity content

BASIC

• excellent cleaning of the material
• very low hydrogen supply
• cold bath
• unstable bow
• non-refusible and difficult to remove slag
• short and difficult to work bow
• difficult trigger
• DC generators
• difficult to preserve
• welding in all positions, even for large thicknesses
• high deposition speeds
• high mechanical quality welding, even with materials containing impurities

The average values of the welding current depend on the diameter and type of electrode

ACID ELECTRODE:

• Diameter 3.25 mm 100-150 A
• Diameter 4.00 mm 120-190 A
• Diameter 5.00 mm 170-270 A
• Diameter 6.00 mm 240-380 A

RUTILE ELECTRODE:

• Diameter 1.60 mm 30-55 A
• Diameter 2.00 40-70 A
• Diameter 2.50 mm 50-100 A
• Diameter 3.25 mm 80-130 A
• Diameter 4.00 mm 120-170 A
• Diameter 5.00 mm 150-250 A
• Diameter 6.00 mm 220-370 A

CELLULOSE ELECTRODE:

• Diameter 1.60 20-45 A
• Diameter 1.60 30-60 A
• Diameter 1.60 40-80 A
• Diameter 1.60 70-120 A
• Diameter 1.60 100-150 A
• Diameter 1.60 140-230 A
• Diameter 1.60 200-300 A

BASIC ELECTRODE:

• Diameter 1.60 50-75 A
• Diameter 1.60 60-100 A
• Diameter 1.60 70-120 A
• Diameter 1.60 110-150 A
• Diameter 1.60 140-200 A
• Diameter 1.60 190-260 A
• Diameter 1.60 250-320 A

How do you choose an electrode? Just look at the packaging; each piece of information represents a characteristic to consider.

The alphanumeric code that identifies the electrode is

E 44 T 3 C 1 9 R09 KV20

and it reads like this:

* E = electrode
* 44 = tensile strength, which can be:

00 = no guaranteed value;
44 = guaranteed minimum 44 Joules

* T = Application type which can be:

S = for thin sheets (less than 4 mm);
L = for medium and thick sheets;
T = for pipes.

* 3 = quality class, which varies from 1 to 4, depending on particular mechanical tests.
* C = type of coating, which can be:

R = rutile RC = cellulosic rutile
B = basic RB = rutile-basic
C = cellulosic V = special

* 1 = welding positions, which can be:

1 = all
2 = all, excluding vertical descender
3 = only plane and frontal plane (normal angle)
4 = only plane and angle positioned.

* 9 = usable electric current, which can be:
* R09 = minimum guaranteed yield value, expressed in tenths;
* KV20 = additional symbol for low-temperature impact properties; in the example the electrode has an impact value down to -20 °C.

In the case of the American classification the acronym is formed as follows:

And 60 1 1

And it reads like this:

*E = electrode
*60 = minimum tensile strength, expressed in pounds per square inch
*1 = welding positions which can be:

1 = all
2 = plane and positioned angle

*1 = welding current, which can be:

0 = continuous positive polarity, for cellulose electrodes;
1 = alternating and direct current (positive pole)
2 = alternating and direct current (negative pole)
3 = alternating and continuous for rutile electrodes
4 = alternating and continuous for high performance, rutile electrodes
5 = continuous positive polarity for basic electrodes
6 = alternating and continuous for basic electrodes
7 = AC and DC (any pole) for high-efficiency electr. with iron oxide
8 = AC and DC (positive pole) for high-efficiency basic batteries

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