Measuring the force required to remove spatter from base metal: Research on spatter caused by arc welding (Report 1)

Abstract

Summary This study deals with shielded metal arc (manual metal arc, MMA) welding and CO2 gas shielded arc welding, measuring the force required to remove adhering spatter from the surface of base metal by using different filler metals and by changing the conditions of the surface of the base metal. Rolled steel for general structural use (SS400) was used as base metal. A high titanium oxide type electrode and a low hydrogen type electrode were used for shielded metal arc welding, a solid wire and a flux‐cored wire were used as filler metal for CO2 gas shielded arc welding respectively. In order to examine the relationship between the condition of the surface of the base metal and the force required to remove spatter, a base metal whose surface was ground by an electric grinder, one which was not ground by an electric grinder, and another which was coated with an anti‐spatter compound were used for the experiments. Whichever filler metal was used, the spatter which adhered to the surface of the base metal was located within 100 millimetres from the weld line. In those cases, the force required to remove the adhering spatter can be measured as mostly below 98 N. The spatter needing more than 98 N to remove was located mostly within 20 mm of the weld line. No matter whether the scale was on the base metal or not, the difference of the force required to remove the spatter was small. When we used the base metal coated with anti‐spatter compound, in some cases we found spatter on the base metal, and in other cases we did not. When we found spatter, it was located within 40 millimetres of the weld line and the force required to remove it was below 20 N.