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/NEOFTHEMOSTCOMMONTYPESOFARCWELDINGISSHIELDEDMETALARCWELDING3-!7 ORSTICKWELDING!NELECTRIC
CURRENTISUSEDTOSTRIKEANARCBETWEENTHEBASEMATERIALANDACONSUMABLEELECTRODERODOR@STICK4HEELECTRODE
RODISMADEOFAMATERIALTHATISCOMPATIBLEWITHTHEBASEMATERIALBEINGWELDEDANDISCOVEREDWITHAmUXTHATGIVES
OFFGASEOUSVAPORSTHATSERVEASASHIELDINGGASANDPROVIDEALAYEROFSLAGBOTHOFWHICHPROTECTTHEWELDAREAFROM
ATMOSPHERICCONTAMINATION4HEELECTRODECOREITSELFACTSASlLLERMATERIAL4HERESIDUEFROMTHEmUXTHATFORMSASLAG
COVERINGOVERTHEWELDMETALMUSTBECHIPPEDAWAYAFTERWELDING
Metal core
Flux coating
Gas shield from flux melt
Arc with core wire melt
Flux residue forms slag cover
Weld metal
L
M
N
O
P
Q
M
R
P
S
O
ɻ
s 4HEARCISINITIATEDBYMOMENTARILYTOUCHINGTHEELECTRODETOTHEBASEMETAL
s 4HEHEATOFTHEARCMELTSTHESURFACEOFTHEBASEMETALTOFORMAMOLTENPOOL
ATTHEENDOFTHEELECTRODE
s 4HEMELTEDELECTRODEMETALISTRANSFERREDACROSSTHEARCINTOTHEMOLTENPOOL
ANDBECOMESTHEDEPOSITEDWELDMETAL
s 4HEDEPOSITISCOVEREDANDPROTECTEDBYASLAGWHICHCOMESFROMTHEELECTRODECOATING
s 4HEARCANDTHEIMMEDIATEAREAAREENVELOPEDBYANATMOSPHEREOFPROTECTIVEGAS
Metal core
Flux coating
Base metal
Protective
gas
Arc
Slag
Weld pool
3-!7STICK ELECTRODESHAVEASOLIDMETALCOREANDAmUXCOATING4HESEELECTRODESARE
IDENTIlEDBYTHEMETALCOREDIAMETERANDBYASERIESOFLETTERSANDNUMBERS4HELETTERSAND
NUMBERSIDENTIFYTHEMETALALLOYANDTHEINTENDEDUSEOFTHEELECTRODE
4HEMETALCOREWORKSASCONDUCTOROFTHECURRENTTHATMAINTAINSTHEARC4HEMETALCORE
MELTSANDISDEPOSITEDINTOTHEWELDPOOL
4HECOVERINGONASHIELDEDMETALARCWELDINGELECTRODEISCALLEDmUX4HEmUXONTHE
ELECTRODEPERFORMSMANYDIFFERENTFUNCTIONS
4HESEINCLUDE
> producing a protective gas around the weld area
> providing fluxing elements and deoxidizers
> creating a protective slag coating over the weld as it cools
> establishing arc characteristics
> adding alloying elements.
#OVEREDELECTRODESSERVEMANYPURPOSESINADDITIONTOADDINGlLLERMETALTOTHEMOLTENPOOL
4HESEADDITIONALFUNCTIONSAREPROVIDEDMAINLYBYTHECOVERINGONTHEELECTRODE
SMAW (STICK) WELDING GENERAL DESCRIPTION
www.CKWORLDWIDE.com