Welding Hardox

Important Parameters of Welding

To ensure a high-quality weld, clean the weld area to remove moisture, oil, corrosion or any impurities prior to welding. In addition to good welding hygiene, make especially sure you consider the following aspects:s:

• Choice of welding consumables

• Preheat and interpass temperatures

• Heat input

• Weld sequence and the size of the root gap in the joint

Welding Consumables

Strength of unalloyed and low-alloyed welding consumables

Unalloyed and low-alloyed consumables with a maximum yield strength of 500 MPa are generally recommended for Hardox. Consumables with higher strength (Re max. 900 MPa) may be used for Hardox 400 and 450 in the thickness range of 0.7–6.0 mm.

Low-alloyed consumables result in higher weld metal hardness, which can reduce the wear rate of the weld metal. If the wear properties of the weld metal are critical, the top cap of the joint can be welded using consumables intended for hardfacing. 

In addition, recommended consumables for Hardox steels and their designations according to AWS and EN classifications can be found in Table bellow.

Requirements for Hydrogen Content of Unalloyed and Low-Alloyed Welding Consumables

The hydrogen content should not exceed 5 ml of hydrogen per 100 g of weld metal when welding with unalloyed or low-alloyed welding consumables.

Solid wire used in MAG/GMAW and TIG/GTAW welding processes can achieve these low hydrogen levels in the weld metal. For other types of welding consumables, the hydrogen content should be obtained from the respective manufacturers.

If consumables are stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, the required hydrogen levels will be maintained. This also applies to all coated consumables and fluxes.

Austenitic Stainless Steel Welding Consumables

Austenitic stainless steel consumables can be used for welding all Hardox products, as shown in Table 2. They enable welding at room temperature (5 – 20°C) without preheating, except for Hardox 600 and Hardox Extreme.

SSAB recommends giving first preference to consumables classified according to AWS 307 and second preference to those classified according to AWS 309. These consumables typically provide a yield strength of up to approximately 500 MPa in all-weld metal.

Consumables of the AWS 307 type offer better resistance to hot cracking compared to AWS 309. It should also be noted that manufacturers rarely specify the hydrogen content of stainless steel consumables, as hydrogen has less impact on their performance than it does in unalloyed and low-alloyed consumables. Therefore, SSAB does not impose any maximum hydrogen content requirements for these types of consumables.

Shielding Gas

Shielding gases for Hardox wear plates are generally the same as those typically used for unalloyed and low-alloyed steels.

Shielding gases used for MAG/GMA welding of Hardox steels usually consist of a mixture of argon (Ar) and carbon dioxide (CO_₂). A small addition of oxygen (O_₂) is sometimes included together with Ar and CO_₂ to stabilize the arc and reduce spatter.

For manual welding, a shielding gas mixture containing approximately 18–20% CO_₂ in argon is recommended, as it provides good penetration with a reasonable level of spatter. For automatic or robotic welding, a mixture containing 8–10% CO_₂ in argon can be used to optimize productivity while minimizing spatter.

The effects of different shielding gas mixtures are shown in Figure 1. Recommendations for shielding gases for various welding methods can be found in Table 3. The shielding gas mixtures listed in Table 3 are general-purpose mixtures suitable for both short-arc and spray-arc welding.

Figure 1Shielding Gas Mixtures and Their Effect on Welding Performance Table 3 Examples of shielding gas mixtures and recommendations

Welding method	Arc type	Position	Shielding gas
MAG/ GMAW, solid wire	Short Arc	All positions	18 – 25% CO2 in Ar
MAG/ MCAW, metal cored wire	Short Arc	All positions	18 – 25% CO2 in Ar
MAG/ GMAW, solid wire	Spray Arc	Horizontal	15 – 20% CO2 in Ar
MAG/ GMAW, FCAW	Spray Arc	All positions	15 – 20% CO2 in Ar
MAG/GMAW, MCAW	Spray Arc	Horizontal	15 – 20% CO2 in Ar
Robotic and automated MAG/GMAW	Spray Arc	Horizontal	8 – 18 % CO2 in Ar
TIG/ GTAW		All positions	100% Ar

Note Gas mixtures including three components, i.e. O2, CO2, in Ar are sometimes used in order to optimize the weld properties.

In all welding methods based on shielding gas, the flow of shielding gas depends on the welding situation. As a general guideline, the shielding gas flow in l/min should be set to the same value as the inside diameter of the gas nozzle measured in mm.

Heat input

Heat input (Q) is the amount of energy applied to the base material per length unit. Heat input is calculated according to the formula below:

Various welding processes have different thermal efficiency. Table 4 describes approximate values for different welding methods.

Table 4Thermal efficiency of different welding methods

Weld method	Thermal efficiency (k)
MAG/ GMAW	0.8
MMA/ SMAW	0.8
SAW	1.0
TIG/ GTAW	0.6

Excessive heat input increases the width of the heat affected zone (HAZ), which in turn impairs the mechanical properties as well as the wear resistance of the HAZ. Welding with low heat input provides benefits like these:

• Increased wear resistance of the HAZ
• Decreased distortion (single-pass welded joints)
• Increased toughness of the joint
• Increased strength of the joint

A very low heat input might, however, negatively affect the impact toughness (t8/5 values below 3 seconds). Figure 2 indicates the recommended maximum heat input (Q) for Hardox.

Figure 2 Thermal efficiency of different welding methods

Cooling time t_8/5

The cooling time (t8/5) is the time that it takes for the weld to cool from 800° – 500°C (1472° – 932°F), and it represents the key element of the final microstructure in the weld. Recommended cooling times are often provided for structural steels in order to optimize the weld process for a certain requirement, such as meeting the minimum impact toughness. Recommended maximum cooling times for different Hardox grades are available in SSAB’s WeldCalc software. Contact your local SSAB sales representative to find out more about WeldCalc.

Welding sequence and root opening size

Before tack welding, it is important to maintain a root opening between base plates not exceeding 3 mm (1/8”); see Figure 3. Aim for as uniform a gap size along the joint as possible. Also, avoid weld start and weld stops in highly stressed areas. If possible, the start and stop procedures should be at least 50 –100 mm (2” – 4”) from a corner; see Figure 3. When welding to the edge of plates, a runoff weld tab would be beneficial.

Figure 3Avoid start and stops in highly stressed areas like corners. Gap size should not exceed 3 mm (1/8”).

Hydrogen cracking

Due to a relatively low carbon equivalent, Hardox resists hydrogen cracking better than other wear-resistant steels.

Minimize the risk of hydrogen cracking by following these recommendations:

• Preheat the weld area to the recommended minimum temperature.
• Measure the preheat temperature according to SSAB recommendations.
• Use processes and consumables that provide a maximum hydrogen content of 5ml/100g weld metal.
• Keep the joint clear from impurities like rust, grease, oil or frost.
• Use only classifications for weld consumables recommended by SSAB.
• Apply a proper welding sequence in order to minimize residual stresses.
• Avoid a root opening size exceeding 3 mm (1/8”); see Figure 3.

Preheat and interpass temperatures

It is essential to follow the recommended minimum preheat temperature as well as the procedure for obtaining and measuring the temperature in and around the joint in order to avoid hydrogen cracking.

Influence of alloying elements on the selections of preheat and interpass temperatures

A unique combination of alloying elements optimizes the mechanical properties of Hardox. This combination governs preheat and interpass temperatures of Hardox steel during welding, and can be used to calculate the carbon equivalent. Carbon equivalent is usually expressed as CEV or CET according to the formulas below.

Preheat and interpass temperatures for Hardox

Minimum recommended preheat and maximum interpass temperatures during welding are given in Tables 5a, 5b and 6. Unless otherwise stated, these values are applicable for welding with unalloyed and low-alloyed welding consumables.

• When plates of different thicknesses but of the same steel grade are welded together, the thicker plate determines the required preheat and interpass temperatures; see Figure 4.
• When different steel types are welded together, the plate requiring the highest preheat temperature determines the required preheat and interpass temperatures.
• Table 5 is applicable for heat inputs of 1.7 kJ/mm (43.2 kJ/inch) or higher. If heat inputs of 1.0 – 1.69 kJ/mm (25.4 – 42.9 kJ/inch) are used, we recommend that you increase the temperature by 25°C (77°F) above the recommended preheat temperature.
• If a lower heat input than 1.0 kJ/mm (25.4 kJ/inch) is applied, we recommend that you use SSAB’s WeldCalc software to calculate the recommended minimum preheating temperature.
• If the ambient humidity is high or the temperature is below 5°C (41°F), the lowest recommended preheat temperatures given in Table 5a and 5b should be increased by 25°C (77°F).
• For double V-butt welds in thicknesses above 30 mm (1.181”), we recommend that the root pass is shifted approximately 5 mm (0.197”) away from the centerline of the plate.

Table 5aRecommended preheating temperatures. The single plate thickness in millimeters is shown on the x-axis. Minimum recommended preheat and interpass temperatures for different single plate thicknesses (inch) Table 5b Recommended preheating temperatures. The single plate thickness in inches is shown on the x-axis. Minimum recommended preheat and interpass temperatures for different single plate thicknesses (inch) Figure 4 Schematic drawing showing “single plate thickness

The interpass temperature shown in Table 6 is the maximum recommended temperature in the joint (on top of the weld metal) or immediately adjacent to the joint (start position), just before start of next weld pass.

Table 5 Maximum recommended interpass temperature/preheating temperature.

Hardox HiTemp	300°C (572°F)
Hardox HiTuf**	300°C (572°F)
Hardox 400	225°C (437°F)
Hardox 450	225°C (437°F)
Hardox 500	225°C (437°F)
Hardox 550	225°C (437°F)
Hardox 600	225°C (437°F)
Hardox Extreme	100°C (212°F)

** Interpass temperatures of up to approx. 400°C (752°F) can be used in certain cases for Hardox HiTuf. In such cases, use WeldCalc.

The minimum recommended preheat and maximum interpass temperatures shown in Tables 5 and 6 are not affected at heat inputs higher than 1.7 kJ/mm (43.2 kJ/inch). The information is based on the assumption that the welded joint is allowed to air cool to ambient temperature. Note that these recommendations also apply to tack welds and root runs. In general, each of the tack welds should be at least 50 mm (2”) long. For joints with plate thicknesses of up to 8 mm (0.31”), shorter tack lengths may be used. The distance between tack welds can be varied as required.

Attaining and measuring the preheat temperature

The required preheat temperature can be achieved in several ways. Electric preheater elements (Figure 5) around the prepared joint are often best, since uniform heating of the area can be obtained. The temperature should be monitored by using, for example, a contact thermometer. We suggest that you measure the recommended preheating temperature on the opposite side of the heating operation; see Figure 6.

Hard facing

If the weld joint is located in an area with the expectation of high wear, you can employ hardfacing with special consumables to increase the wear resistance of the weld metal. Both the instructions for joining and hardfacing for Hardox should be followed. Some consumables for hardfacing require a very high preheat temperature that may exceed the maximum recommended interpass temperature for Hardox steel. It is worth noting that using a preheat temperature above the maximum recommended interpass temperature for Hardox steel may reduce the hardness of the base plate and result in deterioration of wear resistance of the preheated area.

Minimum and maximum preheat temperatures are the same as for conventional types of welding; see Tables 5a and 5b. See Figure 7 for the definition of single plate thickness for hard facing situations.

Figure 7Definition of single plate thickness Figure 8 Example of welding sequence using consumables for buffer layer and hard facing

It is beneficial to weld a buffer layer with extra high toughness between the ordinary welded joint or plate and the hard facing. The choice of consumables for the buffer layer should follow the welding recommendations for Hardox wear plate. Stainless steel consumables in accordance with AWS 307 and AWS 309 should preferably be used for the buffer layer; see Figure 8.

Recommendations for minimizing distortion

The amount of distortion during and after welding is related to the base plate thickness and welding procedure. Distortion becomes more obvious in thinner gauges, while heavy deformation or even burn-through can cause problems and can compromise the whole structure.

Minimize the amount of distortion during welding by following these recommendations:

• Weld with a heat input as low as possible (single pass welded joints).
• Minimize the cross sectional area; see Figure 9.
• Prebend, clamp or angle the parts before welding in order to compensate for the deformation; see Figure 10.
• Avoid an irregular root opening.
• Use symmetrical welds; see Figure 9.
• Minimize reinforcements and optimize the throat thickness of the fillet welds.
• Weld from rigid areas to loose ends.
• Decrease spacing between the tack welds.
• Use a back-step welding technique; see Figures 11-12.

Figure 9Cross section of the weld and how it influences the angle deviation Figure 10 Presetting of a fillet joint and a single-V butt joint. Figure 11 Use a symmetrical weld sequence Figure 12 Example of back step welding technique

Welding on Hardox primer

You can weld directly on Hardox primer thanks to its low zinc content. The primer can be easily brushed or ground away in the area around the joint; see Figure 13. Removing primer prior to welding can be beneficial, since it can minimize the porosity in the weld and can facilitate out-of-position welding. If primer remains on the weld surface, then the subsurface and surface porosity of the weld may be slightly higher. FCAW with basic flux offers the lowest porosity. It is important to maintain good ventilation in all welding processes to avoid the harmful effect the primer could have on the welder and surroundings.

Figure 13The primer is easy to brush away if necessary

Post-weld heat treatment

Hardox HiTuf can be stress relieved by post-weld heat treatment, although this is seldom necessary. Other Hardox steels should not use this method for stress relieving, since this may impair the mechanical properties. For more information, consult the Welding Handbook from SSAB. You can order it at www.ssab.com.