The metal welding process is widely used not only in industry but also at home. The most popular at present is electric welding with an electrode. Such popularity is due to the simplicity of welding equipment, as well as the quality of the connection of various metals.
It is possible to achieve a high-strength and high-quality weld only using electrodes with a special coating that protects the weld pool from oxygen exposure. The best brands of rutile-coated electrodes are very popular not only among experienced welders, but also among home craftsmen. The main thing is to know their features and basic application properties.
Choice of welding electrodes
The high level of strength of a welded joint depends entirely on the correct choice of consumables (electrode). Therefore, the solution of such a problem must meet the basic requirements for high-quality welding.
Correctthe choice of electrode for welding must meet the following conditions:
- mechanical properties of the weld pool metal must match the base material;
- weld should not have cold and hot cracks, i.e. have high technological strength;
- versatility of the electrode ensures welding in various positions, as well as on any kind of current;
- when joining alloyed steels, the electrode material must provide high corrosion resistance of the seam and its heat resistance;
- Minimum emission of toxic substances during welding.
Rutile coated electrodes meet all of these properties and are therefore the most commonly used electrodes for welding various types of steel.
Features of electrodes
The welding electrode consists of two parts. The core of the electrode is a metal bar made of a specific material. A special coating is applied to this rod, which significantly affects the welding process. The main task of powder coating is to protect the weld pool from the harmful effects of oxygen.
SV-08 or SV-08A wire, which has a low carbon content, is used as an additive for rutile-coated electrodes.
Quality electrodes must be dry and not mechanically damaged. Therefore, it is necessary to store welding rods in a dry and warm place. When dampness occurs, rutile-coated welding electrodes are dried in special ovens. At home, for this purpose, you canuse ovens.
Chemical composition of the electrode coating
A certain brand of electrodes, for effective connection of metal structures, is selected depending on the protective coating of the additive. Four types of coverage are considered the most common:
- base coat contains titanium, ferromanganese, quartz sand and spar;
- oxides of manganese, iron and silica are part of the acid coating;
- rutile-coated electrodes contain about 50% titanium dioxide (rutile);
- cellulose coating contains talc, organic resin, cellulose and various ferroalloys.
The chemical composition of rutile electrodes contains a number of additional components, which are distributed in the following ratio:
- dextrin – 3%;
- magnesite – 10%;
- ferromanganese – 15%;
- feldspar – 25%;
- rutile – 47%.
Advantages of rutile electrodes
Of course, the percentage of components that make up rutile electrodes may vary slightly, depending on the manufacturer.
The choice of the necessary consumables for high-quality performance of electric manual arc welding depends on the positive properties of the electrodes used.
The main advantages of rutile-coated electrodes include the following properties:
- exhausted gases, whencombustion of rutile electrodes, are low-toxic, which almost does not harm the he alth of the welder;
- ability to weld on surfaces without pre-treatment as the components are not susceptible to moisture or rust;
- carbon deposit that occurs during welding has the properties of a semiconductor, so the ignition of the electrode is carried out without first chipping the slag;
- the welding arc has stable burning both when operating on direct current and on alternating current;
- weld has a fine flake structure, therefore it is resistant to cracks;
- small metal spatter saves consumables;
- the ability to create a weld in any position.
Technological performance of rutile electrodes is much better than those of other coated consumables.
Disadvantages of rutile coating
According to experts, there are some disadvantages of using rutile-coated electrodes, which are more related to the technological features of the welding process.
Weaknesses of rutile electrodes include:
- the need for drying and calcining damp products;
- strict control over the magnitude of the welding current, as its increase significantly increases the spatter of the metal;
- impossibility of high-quality welding of high-carbon metals, which is mainly due to the characteristics of the coreproducts.
Such a small number of shortcomings of rutile coating, almost does not affect the widespread use of this consumable.
Main brands of rutile electrodes
Marking of rutile electrodes is indicated by the letter P, according to the name of the material. In this case, electrodes with a rutile cellulose coating are often encountered, which are of a mixed type consumable. In such products, part of the rutile is replaced by a cellulose component, which mainly burns out during the welding process, significantly reducing the formation of slag. Mixed electrodes make vertical welding much easier.
Among the most popular brands of rutile electrodes, the following products can be distinguished:
- MP-3.
- OK 46.00.
- OSS.
Having studied the main characteristics of these electrodes, it is not difficult to choose a consumable for a specific task.
MP-3 electrodes
These electrodes are considered the most common for welding. The main advantages of MP-3 electrodes are as follows:
- easy to form a seam in various positions;
- steady arcing;
- possibility to carry out welding in various modes;
- small percentage of metal loss when spattering.
Electrodes are widely used both for high-quality welding and metal deposition on rubbing units of aggregates. Foreffective use of products, it is necessary to pre-bake them at a temperature of 160℃.
Electrodes OK 46.00
Electrodes are produced by a Swedish concern, which also has branches in Russia.
OK 46.00 electrodes have the following positive properties:
- ability to weld wet surfaces;
- weld has high strength;
- Electrode annealing is carried out at low temperature (80℃);
- high arc stability is achieved at low current.
Remember that rutile-coated electrodes are used most effectively when welding mild steels, but in some cases non-ferrous metals can also be joined. Many brands of rutile electrodes are often used by inexperienced welders, and the connection is of high quality weld.
