Comparative Study between Hot Extraction Methods and Mercury Method — A National Round Robin Test

Abstract

A round robin test is presented comprising comparative measurements using hot extraction at different degassing temperatures as well as the mercury method. A major focus of the investigation was verification of the maximum degassing temperature for analysing the diffusible hydrogen in weld metals with bcc-lattice structure. The analyses were executed using a basic stick electrode with high weld metal cracking, a high-alloyed supermartensitic filler wire with different hydrogen contents in the shielding gas and a high-strength solid wire. The results show that degassing temperatures of 150 °C and 400 °C do not lead to an increase in the measured contents of diffusible hydrogen as compared to measurements at room temperature. The measuring techniques and procedures specified in ISO/DIS 3690:2009 for determining the diffusible hydrogen content in weld metals with bcc-lattice structure yield approximately the same results. This is to say that the mercury method and the hot extraction methods with thermal conductivity detector (TCD) can be regarded as equivalent reference methods.