GMAW · Stainless steel
ER308L
The standard stainless filler for 304 and 304L base metal, with a small amount of retained ferrite in the deposit to guard against solidification cracking.
What the designation means
- ER
- Classified as both an electrode for wire feed welding and a filler rod for torch welding.
- 308
- An austenitic chromium-nickel composition in the nominal 19 chromium, 9 nickel class, matched to the common 18-8 base metals.
- L
- Controlled low carbon content, limiting chromium carbide formation and protecting corrosion resistance.
At a glance
| Process | GMAW |
|---|---|
| Family | Stainless steel |
| Positions | All positions with short circuit or pulsed transfer; spray transfer is flat and horizontal only |
| Polarity | DCEP for wire feed welding; DCEN when used as a hand fed rod |
| Shielding | Argon with about 2 percent carbon dioxide or oxygen for spray transfer, or a helium-argon-carbon dioxide tri-mix for short circuit |
| Minimum tensile strength | 75 ksi |
Typical uses
- Welding 304 and 304L stainless piping, tanks, and sheet
- Food, beverage, and sanitary process equipment
- Architectural and handrail fabrication in austenitic stainless
How it runs
- Sluggish puddle that needs deliberate manipulation compared with carbon steel
- Keeping carbon dioxide low in the shielding gas prevents carbon pickup in the deposit
- Retained ferrite in the deposit resists hot cracking
- Requires a back purge on pipe roots to avoid a sugared, oxidised underside
Storage and handling
Keep spools and cut lengths bagged and clean; stainless filler picks up shop contamination easily and carbon transfer ruins corrosion resistance.
Compare with
GMAWER316LThe molybdenum-bearing stainless filler used wherever chlorides or process acids would pit an ordinary 18-8 deposit, matched to the 316 and 316L base metals.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.GTAWER347The stabilised stainless torch rod, used on 321 and 347 base metals and wherever the joint will spend service time in the carbide precipitation range.