Investigation of flux-powder wire’s components-stabilizers on welding and technological properties in underwater welding

Based on long-term experience of welding by mechanized flux-cored wires, the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute investigated a self-protecting flux-cored wire for wet underwater welding of stainless steels type 18-10. It allows to perform welding of butt, fillet and overlapped joints in flat and vertical positions of high-alloy corrosion-resistant steels type of 18-10 (AISI 304L, 308L, 347 and 321). The article presents results of development of welding-repair technology using self-shielded flux-cored wire for wet underwater welding of high-alloy stainless steels type 18-10. Also, the article describes a method of increasing the process stability of the arc in wet underwater welding high corrosion resistant steels type 18-10 by self-shielded flux cored wire. Studied welding characteristics of the weld metal with the introduction of the charge wire components stabilizers. The application of this technology allows partially or completely reducing the human participation in welding process under the extreme conditions: at large depth, in radioactive envi-ronments (in case of NPS) and also gaining a significant economic effect due to greater efficiency (productivity) of welding-repair works. The practical value of this technology consists in possibility of welding-repair works directly under water without any additional assembly works. As to its properties the developed self-shielding wire for underwater welding of high-alloy corrosion resistant steel meets completely the requirements of class (B) of the International standard ANSI/AWS D3.6 on underwater welding