Welding Stainless with Brass Fixturing - Risk for LME?

[beh188]

I have been reading about Liquid Metal Embrittlement. I read there are dangers for having mercury contamination on stainless pressure bound parts because it can cause cracking. On a similar issue, if you weld stainless parts together and use brass fixturing for locating pieces (the brass will later be removed) do you run a risk of embedding low melting alloys into the weld area that could cause Liquid Metal Embrittlement (LME)?

 

[metengr]

If the copper/zinc (brass) locally melts and wets the surface of the stainless steel as a result of the heat from welding, yes.

 

[blacksmith37]

I also vote yes: both Cu and Zn will LME steel, so the brass alloy seems very likely also.
Long ago ,there was a chem plant built in Korea, mostly 316 and some 317. The steel super structure was (sloppily) painted with Zn rich primer. Welding on the piping with paint drops on it caused LME. All the SS piping was replaced; the pile of scrap pipe was very impressive (I have 35mm slides but I don't see where to place them in this laptop).