Underwater Welding
Effects of water environment
structures of welds
on
metallurgical
BY R. T. BROWN AND K. M A S U B U C H I
178-s i J U N E
1975
nique. It may be that these sophisticated systems will solve the problem of producing high quality welds
for critical applications such as pipeline welding. However, for structural
repair, modification, and construction, the shielded metal-arc process
might be preferred because of its relative simplicity. As the job depth increases, the need to use saturation
diving and other engineering c o m plications will make it desirable to use
only the simplest and most versatile
welding processes and techniques
(Refs. 18-20).
Most of the developments and improvements in underwater welding
have come from trial and error investigations by those who actually
needed a more satisfactory underwater weld. But beginning in the early
1960's and continuing to the present
time, several w o r k e r s have been
studying the processes and phenomena of underwater welding on a
more fundamental scientific and e n gineering basis. Several workers in
Russia have r e p o r t e d on various
aspects of both shielded metal-arc
and thin wire (GMA) underwater welding processes (Refs. 21-35). A l though they have laid few theoretical
foundations for the phenomena they
have observed, their observations are
many and precise. Dr. E. A. Silva has
also done extensive work from this
technical perspective (Refs. 36-39).
During the last several years, a
series of research programs has been
c o n d u c t e d at the D e p a r t m e n t of
Ocean Engineering of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under
the direction of Professor K. Masubuchi (Refs. 17, 40-47). The threeyear program on "Fundamental Research on Underwater Welding" was
initiated on July 1, 1971. The objective of the program is to better understand fundamentals of underwater
welding. The program covers the
following phases:
Phase 1: Survey of fundamental information on underwater
3000
2500-
2000
I 500-
I 000-
500
TIME
RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT!
179-8
200-
\
\
-a- \
.
X
T I M E I Seconds)
100
IOOO
*
\
Me
ng
(6)
Underwater
\
500
/(2>
IOO0O0
Weld
(2)
- A j
tr
_1_
,^
/(|)\
IOOO -
IOO0O
Ro id Cooling Rotes
sX
I
25
20
AIR ISP)
S m i . l G I X AMPS
jjjjjjf^l
\
20
jm/fj.
nvfrt*'
ff^taff
5SBS.
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Mre
II)
TIME ISECMIDS)
Fig. 5 Voltage and current recordings during air and underwater welding. (A) E7014 (1/8 in.) electrode: (B) E6027 (3/16 in.) electrode
180-s I J U N E
1975
TABLE I
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED WELDING PARAMETERS
Air
Welding
Underwoter
Current
( amps)
I/8"
E60II
E60I3
E70I4
E7024
General
8/32"
{ Airco)
( R.T. Brown , 1974 ) I I - 1 6 , p m
(Westinghouse)
( R.T B r o w n , 1974) 1 3 - 1 5 i p m
(Westinghouse)
( R.T. B r o w n , 1974 ) 1 2 - 1 4 ipm
I/8
E60I I
E60I3
1 2 0 - 190
( W e s t i n g house)
150-170
120-190
170-190
E7024 1 8 0 - 2 5 0
240-280
1 70-210
E6027 180-250
250-300
1 30 +
General 5 / 3 2 "
( R.T B r o w n , 1974 )
(Airco )
( R.T B r o w n , 1974)
( Westinghouse)
( S i l v a , 1971)
( R.T B r o w n , 1 9 7 4 )
( West mg house )
( S i I V O , 197 1)
(R, T B r o w n , 1 9 7 4 )
E70I4
5/16"
E60I3
100-210
E70I4
190-260
220-260
E6027
250-325
12 - 1 3 I pm
1 1 - 1 5 ipm
1 0 - 11+ipm
(Westinghouse)
190-210 +
3/16
1 5 - 1 9 ipm
( W e s t i n g house )
( R.T B r o w n , 1 9 7 4 ) 1 5 - 1 7 ipm
( Westing house )
( R.T B r o w n , 1 9 7 4 ) I I - 13 ipm
180-200
General
Speed
(ipm)
(amps)
1 60
50-120
95-125
1 15-150
150-170
140-180
130-170
(R.T
Brown,1974)
'
1 0 - 1 3 ipm
Welding
Current
Speed
(ipm]
----^
( B u r k e s , 1950)
1 15-150
( R. T B r o w n ,
1974 )
1 7 -24
1 5 0 - 170
( R.T. B r o w n ,
1974)
11-15
.pm
170 +
140-150
(R.T. Brown,
1974)
(Levin , K i r l e y , 1972)
200
170-190
200-260
2 0 0 - 250
190-210
160-190
200-250
170-210
(Burkes, 1950)
( N a v y , 1968)
13-16
ipm
(Silva,
1971)
(Brown,
1973)
(Meloney , 1973)
1 2 - 1 5 ipm
( R. T B r o w n ,
1 9 7 4 ) 1 4 - 2 3 ipm
( Brown, 1973)
( R.T. B r o w n , 1 9 7 4 ) 1 1 - 1 7 ipm
200-260
170 +
( S i l v a , 1971 )
( R.T. B r o w n ,
1974) II
2 4 0 - 280
140 +
180-200
200-220
( S i l v a , 1971 )
( R. T, B r o w n , 1 9 7 4 )
( Levin, Kirley, 1972)
( A v i l o v , 1955)
220-260
200-240
( N a v y , 1968)
( R.T. B r o w n ,
1974)
220 +
( R.T.
180 +
( R.T
ipm
15 - 1 6 + ipm
13+ipm
'
12-14
ipm
15-16
ipm
Brown,
1 974)
7 -
8-Hpm
Brown ,
1974)
8 1 0+ipm
( A v i l o v , 1955)
(Craf tweld)
220-270
225-280
TABLE 2
rlLLD BEAU WIDTH VARIATIONS FROM THE OPTIMUM OR 3EST CONDITIONS
ELECTRODE
WATER (S?)
AIR (S?)
33
3.2-6.4
5,5-8
5.6-8,6
53
80
75
6.4-3
6.4-9,6
6,4-12,8
80
78
6.4-8
4.8-8
9,6-12,8(0)
89
4.8-12.8
37
6,4-9.6
7
57
3,2-4
6,3-3
6,3-8
80
83
E7014 3/16"
3-9.6
8-9,6
11,2-14.4
E7024 1/8"
12,8-14.4
E5013 3/16"
E7014 1/8"
E7014 5/32"
1,6-4,8
4-6,4
6.4-9.6
W i DTK
VARIATION
E6013 5/32"
! %
WIDTH
tll.H 7
MAX
E60I3 1/8"
WATER (RP)
WIN %
WIDTH
VARIATION
80
80
83
62
65
60
70
64
67
50
E7Q24 5/32"
9.5-12,8
85
8-11.2(0)
72
6.4-11.2
E6027 5/32"
9.6-12.8
75
6.4-9,6(0)
67
9,6-14.4
65
29
6.4-11.2
57
E6027 3/16"
12,8-17.6
3.2-11,2(0)
73
Figure 5a is the strip chart recording for E7014 (1/8 in.) electrodes and
shows the initial underwater current
readings equal to the machine setting
but the s u b s e q u e n t decrease to
values limited by the long arc lengths
(due to the elongated flux barrel).
Figure 5b further illustrates this effect with E6027 (3/16 in.) electrodes.
Even in air, the elongated arc column
results in a significant current difference of 130 A at a machine setting of
300 A. Underwater welding intensifies
this effect and the chart recordings
show the accompanying variability in
the arc length. This difficulty in maintaining a constant arc length at a sufficiently high current results in very
WELDING
RESEARCH
SUPPLEMENT!
181-8
TABLE 3
WELDING SPEED, CURRENT, AND POWER INPUT
ELECTRODE
CURRENT (AMP)
VOLTAGE (VOLT)
(KILO
POWER WATTS)
SPEED (IPM)
HEAT
INPUT (KJ/ IN)
9-10
9-10
9
6013 AIR
1/8" SP
RP
9 0 - II 0
1 30-150
1 30-140
20-23
25 - 27
26-27
2-2 5
3 4 -4
3 4
12-16
24 - 2 5
1 7 -22
6013 AIR
5/32"SP
RP
1 30-170
1 60-190
1 50-180
23 - 2 7
25 - 29
2 1-24
3.5 - 4 . 2
4-5
3 6-4
17-19
20-25
19-23
11-13
11-12
10-1 1
6013 AIR
3/l6"SP
RP
160-180
18 0 - 2 1 0
160-180
20-23
23 - 3 0
27-28
3 4 -3.8
4.6-5 4
4 6 - 4.8
15-17
16 - 18
22-23
14-17
13- 18
15-24
7014 AIR
1/8" SP
RP
1 3 0 - 150
1 50-160
140-150
24 - 2 6
27 - 2 8
27 - 2 8
3.5
4 - 45
4.3 - 4 . 7
13-15
19-21
22 - 2 5
14-1 5
11-12
13-15
7014 AIR
5/32"SP
RP
160-180
1 70-190
1 30-170
23-26
27
27-30
4-43
4 6-5
4-4 8
12-13
12-17
1 1 -13
17-19
18-23
20-23
7014 AIR
3/l6"SP
RP
200-240
160-190
120-180
23 - 26
28-35
30 - 4 5
4 8-5 8
5.8
4. 5 - 5. 5
11-13
12
7-8
23-26
34-36
38-48
6 0 2 7 AIR
5/32"SP
RP
1 20-180
32 - 42
10-11
28-32
80-130
38-42
4 3-54
4 5-55
5 -5.5
6 0 2 7 AIR
3/16" SP
RP
140-170
1 50-190
100-160
34 - 3 9
35 - 4 5
34-40
5-5.5
4 - 5,5
4-5.5
7 0 2 4 AIR
1/8" SP
RP
120-150
1 50-160
50-100
26-31
3 0 - 35
37-43
7 0 2 4 AIR
5/32"SP
RP
140-160
130-180
8 0-200
30-35
35-40
35-45
28-42
10
9
8
29-36
36-44
36-52
3.5-4.3
3 5-55
3 7
12-14
15-16
4- 9
18-30
2 1 -22
23-32
5-5.2
3 6-6.3
4-5 3
1 3-15
1 3
7
24-27
33-36
35-44
\(2024)
Curvent i ^ ^
HeatVnput;
Penetration
Width.\
Reinforcement
Shape f a c t o *
WM a r e a :
\
Max. h a r d n e s s
CurrE
Heat
Penet
Widt
Reinforcement
Shape factor
W M area ;
Max h a r d n e s s
9 0 amps a.
2 KJ/m
mm
Q5.2 mm
LJ
1.7 mm
2.2
I-
I 6 mm^
4 3 0 KHN
2 2 mm
y /
23 mm2
^ ^ I 9 5 \ a r r * s \ .
19 V j / i n
1 9/r\m
SJS m\n
/ l
m i
/5.0
\
/
39 mmn
/ 221 KHN\
Curren
Heat tn
Penetra
Width :
Reinforcement
Shape factor
W M ar ea ;
M a x hardness
'
/05amp4
1 9 Kj/n
2.7 m A
8 . 7 ohm
2. 1 / n m
3.2/
4 0 mm2
20pKHN
o_
">
-,
2.0
4.0
24
mm'
3 2 5 KHN
J20I3)
7 mm
Current
H e a t inp
Penetra
Wid th'
Reinforcement
Shape factorWM a r e a ;
Max. h a r d n e s s
Current\
Heat input - \ .
Penet ration^ ^"*-
Width
Rein f o r c e m e n t ;
Shape factor
WM a r e a :
Max. hardness :
2.4
3 3
30
590 KHN
I4
CuXrent ;
Hea K i n p u t :
PenetYation
Width
\
Remforcernpnt
Shape factoNc
WM a rea :
Max. hard ness'
1 2rrm2
.
\jrf0
S2y*>
.9
7.8
1 .5
8.7
1 7
500
aVp s
KJyjn
mm\.
mm
\*^
mm
mm2
KHN
JS
1 80
Ao
1. 6
8.2
2.4
5 1
2 7
435
a m p s a.
KJ/m*
mm or
mm UJ
mm
t
mm2
KHN
mm2
15 m m '
I 9 5n m p s
zY
KJ/in
j^-fiLO mm
<
9.5 mm
2.0 mm
4.7
30 mm2
230KHN
I95
27
I.7
I 1.6
2.1
4.3
3 8
I80
amps
K J / m Q_
mm
y
mm
or
mm
mm2
KHN
RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT!
183-s
TABLE I
PENETRATION COWARISO!
E60I 3 - 1/8
VICKERS
MICROHARDNESS
( 1 0 0 grams)
Air
SP
E6013 AIR
SP
HA1ER RP
200
600
200
600
200
200
600
dend ri te
I I I
(ION)
( 1012)
coarsening
refining
I -
I I I
2-
de ndr i te
dendrite
base metal
coarsening
refining
i l l
base metal
I I I
(1013)
(1014)
I I I
base meta
coarsening
refining
I I I I
base metal
36.4 K J / i n
4-
Water
SP
0 KJ/in
9.7 K J / i n
9 KJ/in
2-
(1214)
Fusion
Distance
From
Fusion
Line
(mm)
10 K J / i n
Water
RP
dendrite
(1114)
Fusion
t-H
Distance
From
Fusion
Line
(mm)
Jrtensi te
r e f i n ing
ireaking
I I I
base metal
5.5 K J / i n
4-
Fig. 10 Hardness
profiles
1 975
9.0 K J / i n
5.2 K J / i n
1.2-3."."
3/16"
.6-1.9nn
.5-1.7
l,2-2.i(
1,7-2.8
).9-2.1
1,6-2.3
2.0-2.7
.8-1.9
1.1-2.7
1.3-2.H
1.2-1.9
1.2-2.1
1,3-2.0
HATER RP
1.2-1.8
.9-1.6
1.8-2.4
,9-1.6
1.2-1.9
.9
1.2-2.1
dendrite
I I I
coarsening
refining
5/32"
.5-1.2.IM
HATER SP
E70W AIR
2-
Fu sion
Distance
From
Fusion
Line
(mm)
600
1/S"
9.3KJ/in
electrodes
tions of E7014 (5/32 in.) welds, illustrates some further ideas concerning
underwater welding. The welding currents and the heat inputs for these
welds were very similar. However, the
penetration is better in the air welds.
The speed in air of 12-13 ipm corresponds with speeds of 12-17 ipm (SP)
and 11-13 (RP) in the underwater
welds. The weld bead size appears
decreased in the underwater welding
case. The narrowing effect remains
present in the underwater welds.
Taken together, these observations
may indicate that, although the underwater welds are a p p r o a c h i n g the
shape of corresponding air welds, the
water medium surrounding the arc
bubble and the weld puddle necessitates a slightly higher o p t i m u m
welding current, an optimum value
that was not obtained here. The reason for this again appears to be due
to the arc flux barrel elongation. This
elongation severely limits the pene-
E7021 AIR
.9-2.0
.9-1.1
.6-1.7
1,7-2.11
HATER SP
1.3-1,5
1.1-2,0
HAILR RP
1.3-1,'
1.3-2,1
E6027 AIR
tration.
Figure 8 illustrates the E7024 (5/32
in.) weld bead cross sections. The
penetrations of all these welds are
limited by the elongated flux barrel.
Although the sizes of the welds are
similar to other electrode deposits,
the width is increased and the weld
shapes are poorer. The increased
reinforcement due to this loss of
penetrating power accompanying the
drop in the arc current is especially
apparent in the cross sections of
E6027 (5/32 in.) welds (Fig. 9).
Table 4 summarizes the penetration data for the best weld beads obtained d u r i n g these e x p e r i m e n t s .
Penetration is a function of the current and heat input and is not strictly
dependent on the electrode size. It
also does not appear to depend on
the surrounding medium except indirectly through the decreased heat input in water welding.
A type of undercutting is observed
in most of the underwater weld specimens. It results f r o m the rapid
solidification of the weld puddle and is
perhaps the most severe weld shape
effect from underwater welding.
The size of the weld beads made in
air and underwater at the same current settings are very similar. No large
decrease in the melting power of an
arc is experienced in welding underwater. However, underwater welds do
appear to be slightly more narrow
with more reinforcement than similar
air welds. Besides the "undercutting"
tendency, no major problems with underwater w e l d i n g will result f r o m
changes in the weld shape.
Optimum Hardness Profiles
Microhardness profiles were made
across all of the weld bead samples
using a Wilson Tukon Microhardness
tester with a 100g diamond indenter.
The results were recorded on a series
of charts such as those shown in Figs.
10 through 12. The base metal hardness was between 160 Hk (100g) and
200 Hk (100g). For practical purposes of comparing hardness profiles, 200 Hk (100 g) is considered as
base metal hardness and higher
values are considered hardened.
VICKERS
E60I3-5/32
MICROHARDNESS
(IOO grams)
200
600
welding.
1. The most basic observation is
that larger heat inputs normally produce larger weld beads and that together they produce less hardening in
the weld metal and the HAZ. The effect remains unchanged between air
and underwater welds.
2. The HAZ widths in air welds are
20-50% wider than the corresponding water weld HAZ. This shows that
the temperature gradients across the
underwater HAZ are steeper, which
results from the more rapid heat dissipation rates.
3. L o c a l i z e d m a r t e n s i t e t r a n s formations appear in almost all underwater welds immediately adjacent to the fusion line, but extending
for less than 0.5 m m .
4. The primary mechanism of heat
dissipation from the weld bead appears to be conduction through the
base plate rather than heat transfer
200
600
200
Fig. 11 Hardness profiles of welds made with E6013 (5/32 in.) electrodes
WELDING
RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT!
185-8
;*
E60I3-3/I6
VICKERS
MICROHARDNESS
(IOO g r a m s )
200
600
Ve r t i c a I
Traverse
200
600
200
600
200
Ai r
SP
dendrite
dendrite
I I I
Fusion
D istance
From
Fusion
Line
(mm)
1031
I I I
coarsening
refine
coarsening
refine
base metal
base metal
14.7 K J / i n
Water
SP
dendrite
I I
I I
,_32_
16
KJ/in
1033
-t-
coarsening
r e f i ne
base
metal
14 K J / i n
dendri t e
Fusion
mart.
D istance
From
Fu s i o n
Line
( mm)
18 K J / i n
Water
RP
dendrite
1134
Fu s ion
mart.
refine
D istance
From
Fu s ion
Line
(mm)
grouping
I I
No Data
Fig. 12 Hardness
profiles
1975
electrodes
ture of an E7014 (5/32 in.) underwater weld with a slightly lower heat
input of 18 k J / i n . The martensitic
grains are clearly seen adjacent to the
fusion line and also dispersed in a
portion of the grain refinement region
of the HAZ. Underwater welds show
striking changes in structure across
the HAZ, unlike air welds which tend
to be much more homogeneous. The
hardness reading of 610 Hk (100g)
indicates the severe hardening that
does occur, while the lower readings
of 390 and 380 Hk (100g) on either
side show the very localized extent of
this hardening. Figure 15 provides yet
another example of an underwater
weld HAZ. This E6013 (5/32 in.) weld
has a heat input of only 11 k J / i n . and
the extent of the HAZ is much smaller.
But the martensite grains are still
observable adjacent to the fusion line.
Although not explicitly shown in
these photographs, a complete analysis of all underwater weld bead cross
sections made in this study have revealed no porosity problems. Porosity
has been reported to be a major difficulty with underwater welds, but this
was not experienced in the present
work. The other c o m m o n underwater
weld defect, underbead cracking, was
not observed either, in spite of the
martensite grains that were p r o duced directly under the weld beads.
This may be explained in part by the
lack of restraint during bead-on-plate
testing.
f- '
t. . J
Ke a i
References
1. "Underwater Cutting and Welding,"
U.S. Navy
Technical
Manual,
U.S.N.
Supervisor of Diving, Naval Ship Systems
Command.
2. Brown, R. T., Masubuchi, K., "Latest
D e v e l o p m e n t s in U n d e r w a t e r W e l d i n g
Technologies," Underwater
Journal, Vol.
5, No. 5, 1973.
3. Gilman, "The Application of Hyperbaric Welding for the Offshore Pipeline Industry," OTC 1970, Vol. 2, No. 1252, pp.
243-248, 1970.
4. Lynch, Pilia, "Pipeline Hot-tap W e l d ing under 110 feet of Sea Water," Welding
Journal, Vol. 48, (3), March, 1969, pp. 183190.
5. Pilia, "Underwater Pipeline Welding,
110-Feet Down," Symposium
on Underwater Welding, Cutting and Hard Tools,
Battelle Memorial Institute, 1967, pp. 3340.
6. Robinson, "Underwater Welding in a
Dry Environment," Symposium on Underwater Welding, Cutting and Hard Tools,
Battelle Memorial Institute, 1967, pp. 2 1 29.
7. Wallace, K. W., Morrissey, G., " D r y -
%'
... f%
*.Ms-j-
J*' ^
'"
58'
:%
[ .
S i
:.: ':
^*lf
';$
Martens> :: e
**?
SUPPLEMENT!
187-8
AWS D10.10-75
Local Heat Treatment of Welds in Piping
and Tubing
In the manufacture of welded articles or structures in the shop or in
the field, it m a y be desirable, for a variety of reasons, to h e a t the weld
regions before welding (preheating), between passes (interpass heating),
or after welding (postheating). This document presents in detail the
various m e a n s commercially available for h e a t i n g pipe welds locally,
either before or after welding, or between passes. The relative a d v a n t a g e s
and d i s a d v a n t a g e s of each method are also discussed. Although the
document is oriented principally toward the h e a t i n g of welds in piping
and tubing, the discussion of the various h e a t i n g methods is applicable
to a n y type of welded fabrication.
Topics covered include the following:
Measurement of Temperature
Induction H e a t i n g
Electric Resistance H e a t i n g
Flame Heating
Exothermic H e a t i n g
Gas-Flame Generated Infrared H e a t i n g
R a d i a n t H e a t i n g by Quartz L a m p s .
The price of AWS D10.10-75, Local H e a t T r e a t m e n t of Welds in
Piping a n d Tubing, is $3.50. Discounts: 25% to A a n d B members; 20% to
bookstores, public libraries a n d schools; 15% to C a n d D members. Send
your orders to the American Welding Society, 2501 N.W. 7th Street,
Miami, F L 33125. Florida residents add 4% sales tax.
188-S |
JUNE
1975