SMAW · Low-alloy steel
E8018-C3
A nickel-alloyed low-hydrogen rod used where the completed joint has to absorb impact in the cold, such as outdoor structures and low temperature equipment.
What the designation means
- E
- Electrode for shielded metal arc welding.
- 80
- 80,000 psi minimum tensile strength of the deposit.
- 1
- All welding positions.
- 8
- Low-hydrogen potassium covering with iron powder, run on direct current electrode positive or alternating current.
- -C3
- A nickel-bearing deposit at roughly one percent nickel, added to improve notch toughness at low service temperature.
At a glance
| Process | SMAW |
|---|---|
| Family | Low-alloy steel |
| Positions | All positions |
| Polarity | DCEP, or AC |
| Shielding | Self-shielded by the covering |
| Minimum tensile strength | 80 ksi |
Typical uses
- Structures and equipment operating below ambient temperature
- High strength low alloy steel joints requiring 80 ksi weld metal
- Applications where the procedure calls for nickel-bearing weld metal for impact values
How it runs
- Runs like a familiar low-hydrogen rod with a slightly finer arc
- Nickel addition raises low temperature impact toughness
- Dense, self-lifting slag with a flat, evenly rippled bead
- Higher strength deposit than the 70 ksi carbon steel low-hydrogen family
Storage and handling
Standard low-hydrogen control: sealed packaging until use, a heated rod oven for working rods, and rebake if exposure limits are passed.
Compare with
SMAWE7018-1The same low-hydrogen chemistry as the standard structural rod but qualified to a colder impact test, so it is specified where the finished joint must stay tough in cold service.SMAWE8018-B2A chrome-moly low-hydrogen rod for the lower alloy grades of high temperature piping, where chromium and molybdenum together resist creep and oxidation.FCAWE81T1-Ni1An 80 ksi gas shielded flux cored wire with a nickel addition, used where the finished joint must hold impact toughness at low service temperature.