ASME Section IX A No. for Electrode E310-15 Welding to AISI 310 to AISI 310 2

[Quality2479]

Reference-ASME Sec. IX Table QW-442 A Numbers

I have to weld the material grade SS 310 to SS 310 and for which electrode selected is E310-15.

Query
As per material chemical composition of SS 310, Maximum percentages of elements are as follows
Carbon - 0.25, Chromium - 14.5-30.0, Nickel - 19.0 - 22.0

As per welding consumable chemical composition of E310-XX, Maximum percentages of elements are as follows
Carbon - 0.08-0.20, Chromium - 25-28, Nickel - 20.0-22.5

Based on the above chemical compositions, I would like to know that whether the weld metal analysis A Number as per table QW-442 will be A Number 8 or 9.

Due to high Nickel percentage, I feel it shall be A Number 9 or as the material is austenitic stainless steel the A Number can be also as 8 which is similar to other material grades like SA240 TP 304 & 316 etc.

Could you please confirm which is the correct A Number in order to prepare WPS & PQR for welding of SS 310 to SS 310.

Thanks in advance for your valuable technical inputs.

 

[metengr]

It would be A-No 9.

 

[DekDee]

Quality 2479,
As far as I am aware material composition has nothing to do with A number.
You need to decide how you are going to obtain your A number based on QW 404.5.
You have noted chemical composition of your filler material for carbon is 0.08 - 0.20 based on the specification.
Max for A-8 is 0.15 so what happens if you receive filler material with 0.18 Carbon actual - acceptable to SFA 5.4 but takes you from A-8 to A-9.

Read QW 404.5, get conversant with it and then decide how you will deal with it.
Good luck,
DD

 

[Quality2479]

Dear Sirs,

Thanks for your reply.

The actual Batch test certificate of E310-15 electrode is having an chemical composition of Carbon-0.092, Chromium-25.055 & Nickel 20.870.

As per QW404.5 (b) and comparing the chemical composition values of batch test certificate and QW 442 A No. 8 & A No. 9, the summary of finding is listed below-

a. If we compare with A No. 8 - the Nickel percentage in certificate is more than the range in QW-442.

b. If we compare with A No. 9 - the carbon percentage is higher of 0.30 in QW-442, whereas, chromium and nickel are within the range.

You may give your further valuable technical inputs based on the above values indicated in the test certificate or we can go with "metengr" reply which is A No.9.

Thanks

 

[metengr]

Keep in mind the carbon as a single value is the maximum range as stated for QW-422. Also, because the nickel content in 310 filler metal exceeds the maximum value of 15% for A-No 8, it can't be A-No 8.

 

[david339933]

You could put the AWS classification in lieu of the A number classification. See QW-404.5.

 

[lslcpfcc]

Dear
As per ASME II-C clause "The nominal composition (wt %) of this weld metal (E310) is 26.5 Cr, 21 Ni,and you test result,

A-9 is appropriate.