SMAW · Stainless steel
E309L-16
The go-to rod for joining stainless to carbon steel, because its extra chromium and nickel keep the diluted deposit austenitic instead of hard and crack prone.
What the designation means
- E
- Covered electrode for shielded metal arc welding.
- 309
- A richer austenitic deposit in the nominal 23 chromium, 13 nickel class, carrying enough alloy to survive dilution by carbon steel.
- L
- Controlled low carbon content for improved resistance to intergranular corrosion.
- -16
- Titania bearing covering, usable on alternating current or direct current electrode positive.
At a glance
| Process | SMAW |
|---|---|
| Family | Stainless steel |
| Positions | All positions |
| Polarity | DCEP, or AC |
| Shielding | Self-shielded by the covering |
| Minimum tensile strength | 75 ksi |
Typical uses
- Dissimilar joints between austenitic stainless and carbon or low alloy steel
- Buttering layers before a stainless overlay or a stainless weld
- Repairs on clad plate and on unknown stainless base metals
How it runs
- Higher alloy content tolerates heavy dilution from carbon steel
- Sluggish, controllable puddle typical of stainless coverings
- Dense slag that must be cleaned completely between passes
- Deposit is more highly alloyed and slightly more ferritic than a matching 308 rod
Storage and handling
Store sealed, warm, and dry. Moisture in stainless coverings shows up immediately as arc instability and porosity.
Compare with
SMAWE308L-16The default stainless rod for welding the common 18-8 grades, giving a low carbon austenitic deposit with enough ferrite to resist hot cracking.SMAWE310-16A high chromium, high nickel rod for furnace and heat treatment hardware, where the deposit must resist scaling at temperatures that would ruin ordinary stainless.SMAWE316L-16The molybdenum-bearing stainless rod chosen when the service environment contains chlorides or acids that would pit an ordinary 18-8 deposit.