METHODSOFASSESSINGHOMOGENEITYOFWIRECOREFLUX.docVIP

Methods of Assessing Homogeneity of Wire Core Flux M.P.Shalimov, P.A.Tabatchikov The Urals Federal University, Yekaterinburg, Russia Introduction In welding with the use of flux cored wire, macroscopic heterogeneity and porosity of welded metal may appear, which leads to deterioration of mechanical properties and their instability in different parts of the welded juncture. One of the reasons for that is less favorable, as compared with covered electrodes, contact environment of liquefied coating metal with the core material and the surrounding atmospheric air. This may be explained by some of flux cored wire design features, in particular by the inner position of gas and slag generating and alloy components in relation to the coating metal. Besides that, heterogeneity of wire core flux in different parts of the wire is possible. Both chemical and granular heterogeneity of wire core flux may be caused by different external energy influences (e.g. vibration of processing equipment) or inappropriate design of the hopper. The existing methods of assessing quality of flux cored wire (by the filling coefficient, by the weight of wire lengths) are actually lacking sensitivity to heterogeneity in different parts of wire core flux. This led to the task of developing methods of assessing homogeneity of wire core flux. As is known, such indicator as arc breakage length is very sensitive to the lack of uniformity in electrode composition. Very widespread is the method of assessing burning stability of the welding arc by K.K.Khrenov [1], the method being based on determination of the mean value of arc length at the moment of its breakage with multiple repetitions of the experiment and identical operation mode parameters. The test electrode is fixed in a holder in a vertical position, its end being at a distance of two millimeters from the plate of metal to be welded. After the electrode is set, welding current is turned on and the arc is ignited by closing t