GTAW · Low-alloy steel
ER80S-B2
The chrome-moly torch rod used for root passes on lower alloy high temperature piping, matched to the same alloy class as the companion covered electrode.
What the designation means
- ER
- Classified as both an electrode and a hand fed filler rod, so the same product serves torch welding and wire feed welding.
- 80
- 80,000 psi minimum tensile strength of the deposited weld metal.
- S
- Solid wire or rod rather than a tubular product.
- -B2
- A chromium-molybdenum chemistry class at nominally 1.25 percent chromium and 0.5 percent molybdenum.
At a glance
| Process | GTAW |
|---|---|
| Family | Low-alloy steel |
| Positions | All positions |
| Polarity | DCEN |
| Shielding | Welding grade argon at the torch, with argon or nitrogen-free inert backing gas inside the pipe |
| Minimum tensile strength | 80 ksi |
Typical uses
- Root passes on 1.25 chromium 0.5 molybdenum piping
- Boiler tube and superheater welds
- Refinery and power plant piping requiring creep resistant weld metal
How it runs
- Clean, controllable puddle typical of torch welding on alloy steel
- Deposit is harder as welded than a carbon steel rod, so heat treatment is usual
- Preheat and interpass control are normally specified by the procedure
- Requires a full back purge to keep the root free of oxide
Storage and handling
Keep cut lengths in the original tube or a clean dry rack; alloy rods that pick up shop dirt or rust contaminate the deposit chemistry.
Compare with
GTAWER90S-B3The higher alloy chrome-moly torch rod, used on the piping grades that run hotter than the lower chromium class can handle, typically with preheat and heat treatment.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.GMAWER70S-2The most heavily deoxidised of the common carbon steel wires, which is why it tolerates rust and mill scale and is the standard pick for open root passes.