WELDING RESEARCH

S U P P L E M E N T T O THE W E L D I N G J O U R N A L , FEBRUARY, 1980

Sponsored by the American W e l d i n g SocieH and the Welding Research Council ijB(

Weldability of a Low-Carbon
Mo-Nb X-70 Pipeline Steel
Better SMAW and GMAW techniques and consumables
offering higher toughness at lower temperatures than
those presently used for pipeline construction in North
America appear to be needed to meet weld zone
requirements at 20C (4F)

BY A. J. BRYHAN A N D W. TROYER

ABSTRACT. Low-carbon M o - N b steel plant testing to establish its resistance Introduction

pipe possesses an advantageous com-
bination of high strength and tough-
ness coupled w i t h good weldability.
The low (0.10% or less) carbon content
combined with fine grain structure
provides the combination of high
strength and good toughness especial-
ly suited to Arctic pipeline applica-
tions. The low carbon content of these
steels also contributes to good w e l d -
ability.
Field weldability of a M o - N b X-70
pipeline steel was demonstrated com-
paring shielded metal arc (SMA) and
gas metal arc (GMA) welding tech-
niques using four electrode/process
combinations including cellulosic
electrodes as well as low-hydrogen
electrodes in the vertical-up and verti-
cal-down positions. Weld quality was
assessed using guided bend, tensile,
drop-weight, nick-break, Charpy V-
notch, and crack opening displace-
ment (COD) tests. Performance of the
X-70 pipe was also examined using
tensile and hardness tests and chemi-
cal and metallographic analysis. Frac-
ture toughness was measured at 4C
( + 25F), - 2 3 C (-10F) and - 5 1 C
(-60F). In addition, the M o - N b X-70
pipeline steel was subjected to im-
to hydrogen assisted cracking.
Tests were evaluated comparing the
results to the Foothills Pipe Lines (Yu-
kon) Ltd. and the American Petroleum
Institute (API) 1104 specifications. All
weldments were found to be suitable
for service at 4C ( + 25F) meeting
the Charpy toughness criteria of 51 J
(38 ft-lb). However, the various elec-
trode/process combinations gave de-
posits which showed mixed perform-
ance at - 2 3 C (-10F) and exhibited
too low toughness at - 5 1 C (-60F).
While the M o - N b X-70 pipe was satis-
factory, it w o u l d appear that better
t e c h n i q u e s / c o n s u m a b l e s , offer-
ing higher toughness at these lower
temperatures, are needed to meet the
weld zone requirements at 20C
(-4F).
Paper presented at the AWS 60th Annual
Meeting held in Detroit, Michigan, during
April 2-6, 1979.
A. J. BRYHAN is Senior Research Associate,
Climax Molybdenum Company of Michi-
nominal maximum composition is
gan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and W. TROYER
is President, Servo-Arc Corporation, Troy,
Ohio.
New higher strength pipe steels
have been developed to handle trans-
portation of petroleum products from
Arctic regions. The current generation
of high strength steel pipe for gas
transmission lines is designated as API
X-70 grade. A particular variety of steel,
the low carbon M o - N b type used in
X-70 pipe, offers an advantageous
combination of high strength and
toughness plus good weldability.
Steels of this type have been available
since 1970, and several pipelines in
North America and the Soviet Union
are currently in operation using these
steels. Because the M o - N b steels are
relatively new, only a little weldability
information is available in the litera-
ture. The purpose of this paper is to
review recent work conducted on a
few of the available welding processes
and consumables.
The steel used for the study was
manufactured by USINOR and made
into pipe by Vallourec, both of France.
These companies currently supply
X-70 skelp and pipe commercially. The
0.10% C, 1.5% M n , 0.22% M o , and
0.067% Nb. This is a pearlite-reduced

W E L D I N G RESEARCH S U P P L E M E N T I 37-s
g r a d e w h i c h w a s f i n i s h r o l l e d at a l o w
temperature. The l o w temperature
rolling p r o d u c e d some d e f o r m e d fer-
rite. T h e h i g h d e n s i t y o f m o b i l e d i s l o -
c a t i o n s in t h i s f e r r i t e p r o m o t e s a c o n -
t i n u o u s stress-strain b e h a v i o r with
increased w o r k hardening w h i c h m o r e
t h a n o f f s e t s t h e loss of s t r e n g t h c o m -
m o n l y associated w i t h t h e Bauschin-
ger e f f e c t . 1
Four w e l d i n g c o n s u m a b l e s a n d / o r
process v a r i a t i o n s o f p o t e n t i a l i n t e r e s t
w e r e selected for this study. These
included cellulosic electrodes, v e r t i j
cal-up and v e r t i c a l - d o w n l o w - h y d r o -
g e n e l e c t r o d e s f o r s h i e l d e d m e t a l arc
w e l d i n g ( S M A W ) , plus a solid wire
e l e c t r o d e f o r s e m i a u t o m a t i c gas m e t -
al arc w e l d i n g ( G M A W ) . T h e c o n s u m -
ables w e r e s e l e c t e d t o be c o m p a t i b l e
w i t h t h e usual or d e s i r e d m e t h o d s
currently e m p l o y e d for pipeline c o n -
struction. The w e l d i n g procedures
w e r e t o b e t y p i c a l o f t h o s e p r a c t i c e d in
North America.
T h e use o f c e l l u l o s i c electrodes
c o m b i n e s relatively high p r o d u c t i o n
rates w i t h w e l d e r a c c e p t a n c e and
results in h i g h q u a l i t y w e l d s if c e r t a i n
p r e c a u t i o n s are u s e d t o r e d u c e h y -
d r o g e n assisted c r a c k i n g ( H A C ) in t h e
r o o t area o f a p i p e w e l d . T h e r o o t
Table 1Mechanical Properties and Composition of USINOR X-70 Pipe Steel
0.2% yield Ultimate
stress, tensile stress, Elongation,
MPa (ksi) MPa (ksi)
488 (70.8) 644 (93.5)
Foothills Pipe Line (Yukon) Ltd. Specification:
Yield stress: m i n i m u m 482 MPa (70 ksi); maximum less than 586 MPa (85 ksi)
Yield to Ultimate Tensile Strength Ratio less than 0.90
Chemical
C Mn Si
0.093 1.53
0.18
passes of a w e l d are e s p e c i a l l y s u s c e p - parts t h a t are of a c r i t i c a l n a t u r e s u c h
t i b l e t o H A C w h i c h is d u e t o t h e as valves a n d f i t t i n g s . S o m e of t h e
c o m b i n a t i o n of s m a l l w e l d b e a d size, reasons w h y t h i s e l e c t r o d e is n o t u s e d
high joint constraint, and the low pipe f o r r o u t i n e w e l d i n g are t h a t t h e s e e l e c -
t e m p e r a t u r e w h i c h r e d u c e s t h e rate o f t r o d e s are m o r e e x p e n s i v e , t h e d e p o s i -
h y d r o g e n d i f f u s i o n . T o r e d u c e t h e sus- t i o n rate is n o t as h i g h a n d t h e y are n o t
ceptibility to HAC, the three above- as c o n v e n i e n t t o use as c e l l u l o s i c e l e c -
mentioned low-hydrogen electrodes/ trodes.
techniques w e r e i n c o r p o r a t e d into this Because o f t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s w i t h t h e
study. vertical-up type electrodes, vertical-
T h e gas m e t a l arc w e l d i n g ( G M A W ) d o w n l o w - h y d r o g e n e l e c t r o d e s are
p r o c e s s is a n i n h e r e n t l y l o w - h y d r o g e n being d e v e l o p e d . These electrodes
process as v i r t u a l l y n o h y d r o g e n is seek t o c o m b i n e t h e ease o f w e l d i n g
i n t r o d u c e d i n t o t h e w e l d by t h e c o n - and productivity of the cellulosic elec-
sumables. A l t h o u g h the G M A W pro- trodes w i t h a l o w diffusible hydrogen
cess p o t e n t i a l l y o f f e r s a d v a n t a g e s , it c o n t e n t . T h e i n t e n t is t o d e s i g n e l e c -
has n o t g a i n e d w i d e a c c e p t a n c e f o r trodes w h i c h may be used w i t h essen-
field welding of pipe. Hydrogen t i a l l y t h e s a m e t e c h n i q u e as a c e l l u l o s -
assisted c r a c k i n g m a y also b e c o n - ic t y p e e l e c t r o d e , t h u s r e q u i r i n g less
trolled by using low-hydrogen welder training.
s h i e l d e d m e t a l arc w e l d i n g ( S M A W ) The proposed Alaskan Highway
electrodes. The flux coating o n these Pipeline Project, w h i c h w i l l transport
electrodes is n o t cellulosic; thus n a t u r a l gas f r o m t h e N o r t h S l o p e in
h y d r o g e n is n o t g e n e r a t e d by d i s s o c i a - Alaska t o m a r k e t s in t h e n o r t h w e s t e r n
t i o n o f t h e f l u x in t h e w e l d i n g arc. a n d e a s t e r n parts o f t h e U n i t e d States,
T w o t y p e s of l o w - h y d r o g e n e l e c - w i l l be a large c o n s u m e r o f X-70 g r a d e
t r o d e s are availablea t y p e t h a t is u s e d p i p e . O n e s e c t i o n o f t h i s p r o j e c t is t h e
in a v e r t i c a l - u p d i r e c t i o n , a n d a t y p e F o o t h i l l s p i p e l i n e w h i c h crosses t h e
t h a t is u s e d in a v e r t i c a l - d o w n d i r e c - Y u k o n , British C o l u m b i a and Alberta.
t i o n . T h e v e r t i c a l - u p e l e c t r o d e has T h e p i p e for t h i s s e c t i o n w i l l h a v e
b e e n a v a i l a b l e f o r m a n y years. It has d i a m e t e r s w h i c h vary f r o m 914 m m (36
been used most f r e q u e n t l y for w e l d i n g in.) t o 1422 m m (56 in.) a n d w a l l
t h i c k n e s s r a n g i n g f r o m 10 m m (0.40
in.) t o 18 m m (0.72 in.). T h e t o t a l
l e n g t h f o r this s e c t i o n w i l l be 2848 k m
(1780 m i l e s ) . T h e d e s i g n t e m p e r a t u r e is
t o b e - 4 C ( + 25F) f o r t h e m a j o r i t y of
t h e l i n e w i t h a m i n i m u m service t e m -
Reduction Yield tensile
p e r a t u r e of 20C (4F) f o r a p p r o x i -
% in area, % ratio
m a t e l y 2% of t h e t o t a l l e n g t h . T h i s
19.1 33.9 0.76 l o w e r d e s i g n t e m p e r a t u r e is also l i k e l y
to be a p p l i e d for the Alaskan section
of t h e p r o j e c t .
It w a s d e c i d e d t o use t h e s p e c i f i c a -
tions for the Foothills section to evalu-
ate t h e success o f t h e w e l d i n g in this
Composition % s t u d y . In a d d i t i o n t o t h e t e s t i n g s p e c i -
f i e d by F o o t h i l l s w h i c h is d i s c u s s e d
P S Nb Mo
later, a c o m p l e t e c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n of
0.024 0.004 0.057 0.22 the girth w e l d and associated heat-
affected zones ( H A Z ) was made using

Table 2Chemical Composition of Welding Electrodes and Resulting Deposits, %

Electrodes'" C Mn Si P S Ni Mo Cu Cr Ti Nb

E8010 0.14 0.45 0.15 0.015 0.010 1.50 0.17

E8018-C1 0.04 1.04 0.31 2.37
E70S-1B 0.10 1.30 0.22 0.021 0.015 0.42
Kobe LB-86VU 0.07 0.98 0.45 0.012 0.007 1.57 0.50

Weldments

1 0.15 0.52 0.22 0.016 0.009 1.24 0.20 0.021 0.062 0.008 0.015 0.01
E 8010/8010
2 0.15 0.44 0.21 0.012 0.011 1.39 0.19 0.018 0.025 0.010 0.020 <01
E70S-1B/8010
3 0.062 0.92 0.30 0.013 0.013 2.21 0.048 0.019 0.045 0.014 0.010 <.01
E70S-1B/8010-C1
4 0.051 0.96 0.37 0.014 0.006 1.37 0.46 0.014 0.025 0.007 0.009 0.01
E70S-1B/LB-86VU
,a
'Analysis s u p p l i e d by manufacturer.

38-sl FEBRUARY 1980

 Notch Cut in Hardfacing
Table 3 - W e l d i n g Parameters and Consumables
Weld to be Evaluated
Consumables:

E8010 4 mm (%z in.) root and hot passes

5 mm (:i/w in.) fill passes
E8018-C1 4 mm (%2 in.) fill passes
E70S-1B w i t h C O , shielding gas at 14 1/min 0.9 mm (0.035 in.) root and hot
(30 cfh) passes
Kobe LB-86VU 4 m m (5/32 in.) fill passes

Average Welding Parameters:

Travel speed, Heat input,
Current, A Voltage, V m m / s (ipm) M | / m (kj/in.) Fig. 1Dropweight test specimen, ASTM-
E8010 125 24 6.0 (14.0) 0 5 (12.9) E208-69
Root-hot passes
E8010 180 32 2.8 (6.5) 2.1 (53.9)
Fill passes
E70S-1B 155 22 2.8 (6.5) 1.2 (31.5) passes a n d t h e K o b e L B - 8 6 V U v e r t i c a l -
Root-hot passes d o w n l o w - h y d r o g e n u s e d f o r t h e fill
E8010-C1 140 23 1.0 (2.5) 3.0 (77.3) passes.
Fill passes
Kobe LB86-VU 200 27 3.8 (9.0) 1.4 (36.0)
Fill passes Welding

the crack opening displacement
( C O D ) test. U p u n t i l t h i s t i m e , f r a c t u r e
t o u g h n e s s tests, s u c h as t h e C O D
m e t h o d , have o n l y been used by p i p e -
line c o m p a n i e s for i n f o r m a t i o n a l pur-
poses.
Experimental Procedures
Materials
The c o m p o s i t i o n and mechanical
p r o p e r t i e s o f t h e p i p e steel u s e d f o r
this i n v e s t i g a t i o n are p r e s e n t e d in
T a b l e 1 . T h i s p i p e m a t e r i a l is an X-70
g r a d e , p e a r l i t e - r e d u c e d M o - N b steel.
The material was s u p p l i e d by Vallour-
ec o f France f r o m t h r e e heats of n o m i -
nally i d e n t i c a l steel a n d w a s u s e d in
this p r o j e c t w i t h o u t r e g a r d t o a n y p o s -
sible effects of h e a t - t o - h e a t variations.
T h e p i p e w a s 1219 m m (48 in.) in
d i a m e t e r w i t h a 16 m m (0.661 in.) w a l l
thickness. The three pipe sections
u s e d f o r t h i s s t u d y w e r e 1 m (39 in.)
l o n g . T h e e n d s w e r e b e v e l l e d t o a 30
deg angle w i t h a root face a p p r o x i -
m a t e l y 1.6 m m (Vi6 in.) w i d e .
This p i p e w a s w e l d e d u s i n g f o u r
c o n s u m a b l e s E 8010 c e l l u l o s i c e l e c -
t r o d e s , E 70S-1B e l e c t r o d e s w i t h t h e
G M A process u s i n g c a r b o n d i o x i d e f o r
s h i e l d i n g gas, E 8018-C1 v e r t i c a l - u p
low-hydrogen electrodes, and a devel-
opmental vertical-down low-hydro-
gen electrode m a n u f a c t u r e d by Kobe
Steel a n d d e s i g n a t e d L B - 8 6 V U . T h e
c o m p o s i t i o n s of t h e e l e c t r o d e s a n d
r e s u l t i n g w e l d m e n t d e p o s i t s are listed
in T a b l e 2.
These f o u r c o n s u m a b l e s w e r e c o m -
b i n e d to p r o d u c e w e l d m e n t s t y p i c a l o f
t h o s e u s e d in a c t u a l p i p e l i n e c o n s t r u c -
t i o n . Four w e l d s w e r e m a d e :
1 . E 8010 used f o r r o o t , h o t , a n d fill
passes.
2. E70S-1 B u s e d f o r t h e r o o t a n d h o t
passes a n d E 8010 used f o r f i l l .
3. E 70S-1 B u s e d for t h e r o o t a n d h o t
passes a n d E 8018-C1 u s e d f o r f i l l .
4. E 70S-1B u s e d f o r t h e r o o t a n d h o t
T h e s h i e l d e d m e t a l arc welding
( S M A W ) was p e r f o r m e d by welders
s u p p l i e d by a N o r t h A m e r i c a n p i p e l i n e
company. The G M A W root welds
w e r e m a d e by a t e c h n i c i a n f r o m an
electrode manufacturing company.
W e l d i n g conditions and electrode de-
tails are d e s c r i b e d in T a b l e 3. W e l d s
were made w i t h o u t preheating the
p i p e . T h i s is c o n s i d e r a b l y m o r e severe
than a typical field w e l d i n g procedure,
s i n c e v i r t u a l l y all c o m m e r c i a l f i e l d
w e l d i n g o f large d i a m e t e r p i p e w o u l d
be p e r f o r m e d o n p i p e p r e h e a t e d t o
100-150C (212-300F). W e l d i n g w i t h -
o u t p r e h e a t w a s d o n e t o d e t e r m i n e if
h y d r o g e n assisted c r a c k i n g w o u l d o c -
cur. T h e a m b i e n t t e m p e r a t u r e w a s in
t h e range o f 1 5 - 2 1 C ( 6 0 - 7 0 F ) .
The girth w e l d made using the E
8010 c e l l u l o s i c e l e c t r o d e f o r all passes
s i m u l a t e s t h e t e c h n i q u e w h i c h is m o s t
f r e q u e n t l y u s e d in t h e f i e l d . This p r o -
c e d u r e w a s t o b e used as a c o m p a r i s o n
base f o r e v a l u a t i n g t h e o t h e r e l e c t r o d e
p r o c e d u r e s . It w a s t h o u g h t t h a t t h e
welders s h o u l d have been t h o r o u g h l y

NOTCH CUT BY HACKSAW. 14 mm

SPECIMEN MAY BE MACHINE
=3.17 mn OR OXYGEN CUT. EDGES (0.56 in.
(1/8 in. SHALL BE SMOOTH AND 80 mm
PARALLEL. '(3.15 in.)'

in.H
fl- "X,
(9 in.
2W + 5 mm min. 2W + 5 mm min.

WELD REINFORCEMENT
SHOULD NOT BE REMOVED ON WALL = Critical COD value
EITHER SIDE OF SPECIMEN THICKNESS [3(a+z)/(W-a)] + l
Fig. 2Nick-break test specimen = Value of clip gauge displacement

= Crack length, i.e. machined notch length plus

fatigue crack length

= Distance of clip gauge from test piece surface

= Test piece width

Fig. 3(right)Crack opening displacement (COD) test specimen
and critical COD equation = Machined notch length = 2 mm (0.079 in.)

WELDING R E S E A R C H S U P P L E M E N T I 39-s
familiar and have no difficulties with
this electrode.
When using the G M A W process for
the remaining welds, however, diffi-
culties were encountered in trying to
obtain adequate penetration. Limited
on-site experimentation indicated that
a wider root gap was required for the
GMA weld as compared to the SMA
weld because arc penetration was less
for the G M A W process. An opening of
at least 3 mm (% in.) seemed neces-
sary. Keeping a uniform gap was diffi-
cult w i t h the experimental set-up and,
as a consequence, root penetration
proved to be a continuing problem.
The GMA welding technique was
acceptable in all other respects.
Actual welding performance of the
vertical-up E 8018-C1 low-hydrogen
electrode was good. No difficulties
were encountered. A weaving tech-
nique was employed to deposit the
filler metal.
For the Kobe LB-86VU vertical-down
low-hydrogen electrode, it was neces-
sary to deposit stringer passes w i t h no
weaving of the electrode in order to
keep the welding arc ahead of the
molten flux. This resulted in a number
of stringers being used to weld the
joint rather than a large flowing pud-
dle as with the vertical-up process.
Electrode travel speed varied by about
a factor of four between the two pro-
cesses. The time required to complete
the weld was about the same, howev-
er, as the Kobe weld required 11 passes
and the E 8018-C1 weld required only
t w o (three passes were required for
the 10-12 o'clock positions).
Although the pipeline company per-
sonnel making the welds had not used
the vertical-down type electrodes
prior to this trial, they seemed to
adjust to the required procedures
quickly and experienced what seemed
at the time to be only minor difficul-
ties. One such difficulty was the meth-
od used to start the welding arc. Usual
cellulosic electrode welding practice is
to strike the electrode tip in the joint
and then quickly draw it back, thus
forming the welding arc across the
gap. When this technique was used for
the Kobe electrodes, severe porosity
was encountered. It was f o u n d , after
the weld was almost complete, that a
better technique was to bring the elec-
trode tip near the surface of the joint
but w i t h o u t actually touching it. A
special tip material on each electrode
facilitated arc initiation with a small
tip-to-work distance. Large distances
caused insufficient shielding action
and resulted in porosity.
Evaluation of Welds
Following completion of the girth
welds, the complete circumference of
all welds was radiographed using a
4 0 - s l FEBRUARY 1980
Table 4Typical Welding Parameters for the Implant Test
Process: shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)
Voltage: 28-32 V
Current: 150-155 A
Travel speed: 4.7 mm/s (11 ipm)
Average heat input: 0.98 M|/m (25 kj/in.)
Preheat: none
Ambient temperature: 23C (73F)
Electrode: Lincoln Shield Arc X-70, E-8010-G, 4 mm (3/ in.) diameter
Implant test schedule:
Relative time,
minutes
0 Weld deposited
2 Weld surface cooled in water
6 Specimen removed from water
10
1000
procedure that exceeded the require-
ments of both Canadian Standards
Association (CSA) Z184 and API 1104.
The radiographs were sent to Climax
for inspection and to a qualified non-
destructive testing technician for ac-
tual interpretation. The pipes were
sectioned after the completion of
radiographic examination and half of
the material sent to Climax and half to
an electrode manufacturer for testing.
The f o l l o w i n g tests were performed by
the electrode manufacturer:
Transverse weld metal tensile
tests.
Drop weight tests.
Transverse root and face bend
tests.
Nick break tests.
Charpy V-notch test in weld met-
al.
Chemical analysis of weld metal.
The following tests were performed
by Climax:
Transverse base metal tensile
test.
Charpy V-notch tests of HAZ, root
and fill passes.
Crack opening displacement
(COD) tests of HAZ, root and fill
passes.
Metallographic examination.
Microhardness determination.
Base metal implant tests.
All toughness tests were performed
at temperatures of - 4 C ( + 25F),
- 2 3 C (-10F) or - 5 1 C (-60F).
Tests performed at 51 C were for
information purposes only and are not
required by the Foothills specifica-
tions.
Drop Weight Test. The testing and
evaluation was performed in accor-
dance with ASTM E 208-69. The test
uses a small coupon 50 x 127 mm
( 2 x 5 in.) by the pipe thickness pic-
tured in Fig. 1. The coupon is tested in
three point bending applying a 400 |
(300 ft-lb) impact load. O n the tension
face of the coupon and located over
Action
Specimen loaded in test fixture, test-
ing commences
Test ends for specimens which did
not break
the weld zone of interest, a special
weld bead is placed parallel to the
long coupon axis and perpendicular to
the longitudinal axis of the weld to be
tested. This second weld is deposited
using a hardfacing type electrode and
serves as a crack starter into the zone
to be tested. This brittle weld bead is
notched transversely, thus assuring the
precise location of fracture initiation.
Successive tests were made at the
three temperatures of interest. After
impact loading, if the crack extends
the full w i d t h of the coupon, the sam-
ple fails the test. If the crack is arrested
before extending completely across
the specimen, the sample passes the
test.
The temperature above which fail-
ure will not occur is called the nilduc-
tility transition (NDT) temperature. It
is desired that the NDT temperature
be lower than the service temperature.
The NDT temperature concept is app-
licable to ferritic steels and has been
correlated to service performance of
pressure vessels. A NDT temperature
lower than the service temperature of
the steel implies a certain degree of
notch toughness at the service temper-
ature.
Nick-Break Test. This test is de-
scribed in API Specification 1104. The
specimen (Fig. 2) is approximately 230
mm (9 in.) long, 25 mm (1 in.) wide by
the pipe thickness. The weld is cen-
tered transverse to the coupon.
A small notch is saw cut into each
edge of the coupon 3 mm (% in.) deep.
This notch locates the crack initiation
point. The specimen is then broken by
either pulling in a tensile machine, by
supporting the ends and striking the
center or by supporting one end and
striking the other end w i t h a hammer.
For this investigation, the specimens
were broken by pulling in a tensile test
machine.
The requirement of the test is that
the exposed surfaces of each specimen
Table 5-Results of Radiographic Analysis of Pipe Welds

Identification Relative position Indications Conformance

on circumference,
Zero at 12:00

0-6 Incomplete penetration and porosity No

12-18 Incomplete penetration and porosity No
18-24 Incomplete penetration and fusion No
Weld 1 30-36 Yes
8010/8010 36-42 Yes
42-48 Yes
48-54 Yes
60-66 Porosity No
72-78 Yes
78-84 Porosity No
96-102 Porosity and slag No
108-114 Slag and porosity No
Weld 2 114-120 Slag and porosity No
E70S-1B/8010 126-132 Yes
132-138 Incomplete fusion No
138-144 Incomplete fusion No
6-12 Yes
12-18 Yes
18-24 Yes
Weld 3 36-42 Yes
E70S-1B/801E -C1 48-54 Yes
54-60 Yes
66-72 Yes

72-78 Yes
78-84 Yes
84-96 Incomplete fusion No
102-108 Yes
Weld 4 108-114 Yes
E70S-1B/LB-86VU 120-126 Incomplete penetration No
132-138 Yes
138-144 Yes

Table 6-Test Results for Drop Weight, Bend and Nick-Break TestsTesting and Evaluation According to API 1104

Drop weight test Bend test 1 "

406 J (300 ft-lb) Nick b eak""
Weld Face Root
no. Consumables - 4 C ( + 25' F) - 2 3 ' C ( - 1 0 ' F) - 5 1 C ( - 6 0 F) 1 2 1 2 1 2

1 8010/8010 Pass Pass Pass Pass Fail Pass Pass Pass Pass
2 E70S-1B/8010 Pass Pass Fail Fail Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass
3 E70S-1B/ Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass
8018-C1
4 E70S-1B/ Pass Pass Fail Pass Pass Pass Fail Fail Pass
Kobe LB-86VU

" T w o specimens tested for b o t h root and face b e n d tests.

11
T w o specimens tested for nick-break tests.

shall s h o w c o m p l e t e p e n e t r a t i o n a n d v a l u e of t h e c r i t i c a l c r a c k o p e n i n g to a three-point slow b e n d i n g load. A

f u s i o n . T h e greatest d i m e n s i o n o f a n y
gas p o c k e t shall n o t e x c e e d 1.6 m m (%
in.) a n d t h e c o m b i n e d areas o f all gas
p o c k e t s shall n o t e x c e e d 2% o f t h e
e x p o s e d s u r f a c e area. Slag i n c l u s i o n s
shall n o t be m o r e t h a n 0.8 m m (V?.i in.)
in d e p t h n o r 3.2 m m (Ve in.) o r Vi t h e
n o m i n a l w a l l t h i c k n e s s , w h i c h e v e r is
s m a l l e r , in l e n g t h . T h e r e shall be at
least 12.7 m m [Vi in.) o f s o u n d w e l d
m e t a l b e t w e e n a d j a c e n t slag i n c l u -
sions.
Crack Opening Displacement
(COD) Test. T h e s p e c i f i c a t i o n f o r this
test is p r e s e n t e d in t h e l i t e r a t u r e , 2 a n d
t h e s p e c i m e n c o n f i g u r a t i o n is s h o w n
in Fig. 3. T h e o b j e c t o f t h i s f r a c t u r e
t o u g h n e s s test is t o d e t e r m i n e t h e
d i s p l a c e m e n t at t h e t i p o f a d e f e c t at g r a p h i c a l p l o t is m a d e o f a p p l i e d f o r c e
t h e o n s e t of c r a c k e x t e n s i o n . T h e p r e - vs. c l i p g a u g e d i s p l a c e m e n t m e a s u r e d
p a c k e d s p e c i m e n , in w h i c h a f a t i g u e b e t w e e n k n i f e edges a d h e s i v e b o n d e d
i n d u c e d sharp crack has b e e n d e v e l - to t h e s p e c i m e n . T h e m e a s u r e d c l i p
o p e d f r o m an e l e c t r i c a l discharge g a u g e d i s p l a c e m e n t at f r a c t u r e or t h e
m a c h i n e d ( E D M ) n o t c h , is s u b j e c t e d o n s e t o f c r a c k e x t e n s i o n is r e l a t e d t o
Table 7Tensile Properties of WeldsTransverse Weld Metal Test
Ultimate'*'
Weld tensile stress,
number Consumables MPa (ksi)
1 8010/8010 596 (86.4)
2 E70S-1B/8010 591 (85.7)
3 E70S-1B/8018-C1 615 (89.2)
4 E70S-1B/Kobe, LB-86VU 552 (80.1)
;al
AII samples failed in the base metal. N o y i e l d stress or e l o n g a t i o n were r e p o r t e d .

WELDING R E S E A R C H S U P P L E M E N T I 41-s
 TEMPERATURE, F TEMPERATURE, F
-40 -20 +20 -60 -40 -20 +20
140 .140
T-
180 - 180-
~~i 1
\
Coarse Grained HAZ A Coarse Grained HAZ
160 - 120 160- 120
Weld Metal D = Weld Metal

140 - Root and Hot Pass 140- O - Root and Hot Pass
100 100
0 = Average of Weld Metal 0 = Average of Weld Metal
120 - Samples Tested by an 120- Samples Tested by an
Electrode Manufacturer 80 T Electrode Manufacturer 80
100 - 100-

80 - -- 60 5 80- '60 S
A cc
Ui
60 - at 60-
*
40 - 8 40- 40 5
40
20 -
e 20-
20
- 20
0
0
1UU 1 1 1 A 1 i 1 1 i i 1
" A
A
80 - 80 _

0
cu A a
- . - 8-
| 60
40 9 o
ID
2 o
o B 40 o
ID cc A D
20 A - ID O
D O
20
n Al 1
-40
i
-20
i 1
-10
a 1 1 1
-50 30 -30
TEMPERATURE, C
0
TEMPERATURE, C

Fig- 4Results of Charpy V-notch tests performed by Climax on fill Fig. 5Results of Charpy V-notch tests performed by Climax on fill
and root passes and in the HAZ, weld 1, E8010/E8010 and root passes and in the HAZ, weld 2, E70S-1B/E8010

TEMPERATURE, F TEMPERATURE, F
-60 -40 -20 0 +20 -20
140 140
1 1 1 i 1 i i r
180 180
A = Coarse Gra ned HAZ A = Coarse Grained HAZ
120
160 = Weld Metal - 120 160
D = Weld Metal
140 0 ' Root and Hot Pass 140 O = Root and Hot Pass
100 100
o =Average of Weld Metal A O = Average of Weld Metal
i?n Samples Te ted by an 120 Samples Tested by an
Electrode Manufacturer
^ 80 Electrode Manufacturer
O 100
A - 100

80 fj_ _60 80
tt.

60 60
D 40 40
D
0 40
40

20
A - 20 20
20

1 I 1 i 1 0 0

too 1 1 1 1 00 - 1 1 1 A 1 1 A -
A
A
80 A oO A A -

D
60 60 - n-
1 o -
40 A 40 8-
1

o
0 O
20 20 O
ID
O -
n D
i i 1 0 1 1 1 1 I
-30 -20 -40 -30
TEMPERATURE, TEMPERATURE, C

Fig. 6Results of Charpy V-notch tests performed by Climax on fill Fig. 7-Results of Charpy V-notch tests performed by Climax on fill
and root passes and in the HAZ, weld 3, E70S-1B/E8018-C1 and root passes and in the HAZ, weld 4, E70S-1B/Kobe LB-
86V U

the crack tip opening displacement whose ductility does not permit plane this notch was extended an additional
(COD) at the test temperature by strain (K lc ) testing. 1 to 2 mm (0.04 to 0.08 in.). The
using a published theoretical equa- For this investigation, specimens precracking load minima and maxima
tion, which is also included in Fig. 3. were initially notched in the area of were 66 N (15 Ibf) and 8385 N (1885
The C O D value is obtained from an interest using an EDM. The depth of Ibf) for heat-affected zone (HAZ)
extension of linear elastic fracture this notch was 2 mm (0.079 in.). By areas and 71 N (16 Ibf) and 8830 N
mechanics and applies to materials fatigue precracking each specimen, (1985 Ibf) for the weld areas. The total

4 2 - s l FEBRUARY 1980
Table 8-Results of Charpy V-Notch (CVN) Tests Performed by an Electrode Manufacturer, Five Samples Tested, At Each Temperature, )
(ft-lb)

- 4 C ( + 25F) - 2 3 C (-10F) - 5 1 C (-60F)

Weld
Number Low High Average Low H igh Average Low High Average

1 50 (37) 74 (55) 61 (45) 28 (21) 60 (44) 49 (36) 20 (15) 41 (30) 31 (23)

2 65 (48) 81 (60) 73 (54) 47 (35) 65 (48) 57 (42) 22 (16) 36 (27) 31 (23)
3 56 (41) 68 (50) 61 (45) 33 (24) 41 (30) 35 (26) 16 (12) 23 (17) 19 (14)
4 46 (34) 74 (55) 62 (46) 38 (28) 60 (44) 50 (37) 11 (8) 20 (15) 14 (10)

Table 9-Crac i Opening Displacement ( C O D ) Test ResultsCritical C O D , mm (in.)

Testir g temperature
W e l d num ber,
consumaf )les Test location - 4 C ( + 25F) - 2 3 C (-10F) - 5 1 C (-60F)

(1) W e l d metal 0.216 (0.0085)"- 0.196 (0.0077) 0.244 (0.0096)

8010/8010 0.249 (0.0093) 0.234 (0.0092) -
HAZ 0.107"" (0.0042) 0.683 (0.0269) 0.127'" (0.0050)
0.450 (0.0177) 0.096" (0.0038) 0.508 (0.0200)
Root passes 0.183 (0.0072) 0.264 (0.0104) 0.102 (0.0040)
0.193 (0.0076)
(2) W e l d metal 0.234 (0.0092) 0.178 (0.0070) 0.218 (0.0086)
E70S-1B/8010 HAZ 0.234 (0.0092)" 0.206 (0.0081) 0.290 (0.0114)
0.528 (0.0208) 0.264 (0.0104) 0.269 (0.0106)
Root passes 0.294 (0.0116) 0.190 (0.0075) 0.168 (0.0066)
0.325 (0.0128)

(3) W e l d metal 0.549 (0.0216) 0.528 (0.0208) 0.368 (0.0145)

E70S-1B/8018-C1 HAZ 0.493 (0.0194) 0.592 (0.0233) 0.127" (0.0050)
- 0.175 (0.0069) 0.224 (0.0088)
Root passes 0.179 (0.0070) 0.343 (0.0135) 0.350 (0.0138)
0.617 (0.0243)
(4) W e l d metal 0.312 (0.0123) 0.323 (0.0127) 0.339 (0.0133)
E70S-1B/LB86-VU HAZ 0.467 (0.0184) 0.498 (0.0196) 0.163 (0.0064)
- 0.450 (0.0177) 0.406 (0.0160)
Root passes 0.160 (0.0063) 0.221 (0.0087) 0.112 (0.0044)
0.097"" (0.0038)'"

'"Porosity.
""Lack of fusion.
" ' D u p l i c a t e specimen exceeded 0.15 m m (0.006 in.) reference value.

length of precracking was determined
after C O D testing by fracturing the
samples and measuring the actual
crack length.
The bend test fixture satisfies the
requirements of ASTM E 399 for frac-
ture mechanics testing. The specimen,
clip gauge and bend test fixture were
immersed in a tank containing metha-
nol and solid carbon dioxide which
was used to maintain the test temper-
ature.
Implant Test. The implant test3 is
frequently used to evaluate the hy-
drogen assisted or cold cracking sus-
ceptibility of steels. In this test, a
notched bar is incorporated into a
weldment in such a way that the mate-
rial at the root of the notch is raised to
a temperature approaching the fusion
point of the steel. During the welding
process, hydrogen is introduced into
the weldment from the cellulosic elec-
trode used to make the deposit. Subse-
quent loading of the test bar simulates
weld restraint which can lead to
delayed cracking. This delayed crack-
ing apparently results from hydrogen
assisted propagation of cracks initiated
at the root of the notch. A relatively
high cracking susceptibility w o u l d
mean that, using the shielded metal
ate process, welding of the steel w o u l d
be difficult due to a high tendency for
hydrogen assisted cracking.
For this investigation, the implant
test was performed as follows. Cylin-
drical specimens 5.6 mm (0.22 in.) in
diameter were machined w i t h axes
transverse to the original rolling direc-
tion. One end of each specimen was
threaded to apply a load after welding.
A helical notch was machined at the
other end of each specimen using a
special carbide cutting tool. The notch
radius and effective cross-sectional
area were measured w i t h the aid of an
optical comparator. Only those speci-
mens having a root radius of approxi-
mately 0.008 mm (0.0003 in.) were used
for implant testing.
In the test, the notched end of the
specimen is inserted into a hole drilled
in a 14.5 mm (0.57 in.) thick mild steel
plate. The test weld is then deposited
d o w n the center of the plate, fusing in
the notched end of the specimen. The
test weld is deposited manually but a
guide is used to control travel speed.
By this method, the heat input is held
within about 8% of the average value.
The welding parameters used are given
in Table 4.
The welded surface of the implant
test assembly was placed in water
exactly 2 min after the test weld was
completed and held in contact w i t h
water for 4 min. The test assembly was
removed from the water 6 min after
completion of the test weld and
loaded in a modified creep testing
machine 10 min after completion of
the test weld. Welded specimens of
each steel were subjected to various
loads for 1000 min or until failure
occurred. The critical stress was deter-
mined graphically. The applied stress
was plotted against log time to failure,
and the lower limit of the scatter band
that asymptotically approached a hori-
zontal line was taken as the critical
stress.
Other Tests. The transverse weld
tensile tests, base metal tensile tests
and bend tests were conducted
according to API Specification 1104.
For metallographic examination, se-

W E L D I N G RESEARCH SUPPLEME NT I 43-s

lected specimens were mechanically
polished and etched with 2% nital.
Microhardness traverses were made
through the various weld deposits and
HAZ regions. The readings were taken
at intervals of 0.25 mm (0.010 in.). A
Vickers indenter with a 1 kg (2.2 lb)
load was used for the hardness impres-
sions.
Results
The results of the mechanical tests
were interpreted using both the API
1104 specification and the specifica-
tions of Foothills Pipe Lines (Yukon)
Ltd.4 However, due to the limited
amount of material available, it was
not always possible to test the number
of specimens required.
Radiographic Examination
The results of the radiographic
examination are shown in Table 5. The
numbers indicate the approximate
relative position around the circumfer-
ence starting at the top of the weld
and progressing around the pipe. Ver-
bal descriptions of discrepancies visi-
ble in the radiograph are given. The
severity was interpreted by a techni-
cian having American Society for Non-
destructive Testing (ASNT) Level II
nondestructive evaluation qualifica-
tions. Conformance or nonconfor-
mance to the API 1104 specification is
noted for each discrepancy.
Based upon these results, weld 1
(8010 root and 8010 fill) and weld 2 (E
70S-1 B root and 8010 fill) failed the API
requirements. Weld 3 (E 70S-1B and
8018-C1) passed, but weld 4 (E-70S-1B
and Kobe LB-86VU) also failed. The
defects in welds 1 and 2 consisted of
large areas of lack of penetration a n d /
or fusion along with some porosity in
the fill passes. Weld 4 had similar
defects although to a lesser extent.
Since no evidence of cold cracking
was detected, it was concluded that
the majority of defects f o u n d in these
simulated field welds were, in reality,
welder-related. More experienced
operators skilled in the use of each
particular consumable could be ex-
pected to make sound welds w i t h o u t
these defects. For this reason, it was
decided to continue w i t h this investi-
gation of the weldments, using se-
lected areas containing sound weld
metal to evaluate the mechanical
properties of the weld region. Unfor-
tunately, the attempt to obtain sound
weld samples was not always success-.
fill. This is discussed in a following
section.
Drop Weight Tests
The drop weight test results are pre-
sented in Table 6. All welds passed the
4 4 - s l FEBRUARY 1980
test at - 4 C ( + 25F) and at - 2 3 C
(10F), the latter temperature being
somewhat below the Foothills specifi-
cation. At a still lower temperature,
- 5 1 C (-60F), welds 1 and 3 passed,
but 2 and 4 failed.
Bend Tests
Bend test results are also shown in
Table 6. Two root and face bend tests
were performed for each weld. Weld
3, the low-hydrogen vertical-up w e l d ,
passed all four tests. Each of the other
welds had one sample that failed.
Welds 1 and 2, the cellulosic electrode
welds, each had one face bend speci-
men fail. Weld 4, a weld made using
the E 70S-1B electrode, failed one root
bend specimen.
These results are understandable
when the radiographic results are con-
sidered. Regardless of the attempts to
select areas of sound weld metal, small
defects still influenced the results of
the drop weight, bend and nick-break
tests.
Nick-Break Test
All weldments passed this test w i t h
the exception of weld 4Table 6. This
failed due to a lack of fusion.
Tensile Tests
Table 7 shows the results for the
weld metal tensile tests. These results
meet the requirements for the Foot-
hills specification.
Charpy V-Notch (CVN) Test
Two sets of specimens were evalu-
ated. One set, evaluated by the elec-
trode manufacturer, consisted of five
samples selected at each test tempera-
ture to examine the notch toughness
of the weld metal in the region of the
filler passes. The second set of speci-
mens was selected from the root and
hot-pass area and HAZ of the pipe in
addition to the filler passes.
The second set of samples was eval-
uated by Climax. Due to the small
amount of material available, only t w o
specimens were tested at any one
location. The Climax data are pre-
sented in Figs. 4 to 7 and show both
the impact energy absorbed as well as
the fracture appearance as a function
of test temperature. The samples
designated as root weld specimens
were taken from the root and hot pass
zone; however, they may contain
some material from the fill pass zone
due to the attempt to obtain a full-
sized CVN sample from the small root
zone. The HAZ specimens were posi-
tioned in the weldment so that the
notch w o u l d be predominantly in the
coarse grained region of the HAZ. The
weld metal samples were positioned
to one side of the center of the weld
deposit. For all specimens the notch
was oriented perpendicular to the pipe
wall and crack propagation was in the
welding direction.
The Charpy toughness requirement
specified by Foothills, against which
the results of this study are compared,
is 51 ) (38 ft-lb) as an average of three
specimens w i t h no specimen being
lower than 39 J (29 ft-lb). The same
temperatures were used as for pre-
vious tests.
The results obtained by the elec-
trode manufacturer, shown in Table 8,
indicate that the weld metal for all
four weldments passed at 4C
( + 25F). At - 2 3 C (-10F) only weld
2, the 70S-1 B/8010 weld metal, met the
above criteria. At - 5 1 C (-60F),
which is well below the Foothills min-
imum design temperature, none of the
weld deposits were above the mini-
mum toughness requirement. The Cli-
max results are similar to the above
data in that all weld zones passed at
- 4 C ( + 25F). W i t h the exception of
one of the two HAZ specimens for
weld 4, all weld zones failed at 51 C
(-60F). At - 2 3 C (-10F) the results
are mixed.
Typically, the HAZ showed the
greatest impact toughness, passing for
all welds. The root passes made using
the E 70S-1B electrode showed the
lowest impact toughness, failing for
welds 2, 3 and 4. The root welded
using the cellulosic electrode, weld 1,
had one passing and one failing CVN
specimen. For the filler metal passes,
welds 1 and 4 had both specimens
pass, while for welds 2 and 3, one
specimen passed and one specimen
failed.
The Climax results illustrate only the
general trends in the toughness per-
formance of the various weld zones
and interpretations must be made w i t h
caution. Due to the heterogeneous
nature of a weld, some variability of
results is to be expected. A larger
sample size than was available for this
study w o u l d be necessary to deter-
mine the suitability of a certain con-
sumable or process.
Crack Opening Displacement (COD) Test
Samples were taken so that the area
examined w o u l d be in the HAZ, fill or
root passes. The precrack in the HAZ
specimens was placed so as to attempt
to cross the fusion line. For the other
two specimen groups, the precrack
was placed in either the filler or root
deposits as applicable. The results are
presented in Table 9.
No value for critical C O D is current-
ly specified; thus it is not possible to
define a pass/fail criterion. However,
as a reference point, the number most
frequently cited is 0.15 mm (0.006 in.).
Based upon this value virtually all of DISTANCE (X1000), INCHES
the specimens "passed." For many of 40 20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
the various weldment/temperature
combinations, t w o tests were per-
formed. This was especially true if the
first measured C O D value was less
than 0.15 mm (0.006 in.). Due to a lack
of materials, duplicate tests were not
possible at all temperatures.

Microhardness Test
A graphical plot of Vickers hardness
vs. relative position in the weldment is
shown in Fig. 8. It compares the five
areas of interest in this investigation. It
should be noted that a 1 kg (2.2 lb)
load was used for the microhardness
tests, as has been the practice at Cli-
max. The Foothills specification calls
for a 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) load and requires
that no area should have a microhard-
ness greater than 350 HV0.5.
The maximum hardness for all welds
was well below the allowed maximum
so that the differences in loads should
not be significant. The base metal
hardness of the X-70 pipe was about
214 HV1. Thus it may be seen that the
traverse did not go completely out of
the HAZ and into the base metal;
however, the area of maximum hard-
ness was crossed.

Implant Test
The lowest applied stress (critical
stress) that resulted in the failure of an
implant specimen was 220 MPa (32
ksi)Fig. 9. This implies a CS/UTS ratio 1.0 0.5 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
of 0.34. F N
LINE DISTANCE, mm
This value is somewhat lower than
that obtained for pipeline steels of Fig. 8Microhardness of weld and HAZ
similar composition. However, it is sig-
nificant to note that even w i t h this made using the same electrode. The
value, no hydrogen assisted cracking Figure 11 shows the structure of the microstructure is the same.
was detected, even though no pre- root pass made using the 8010 elec- Figure 13 shows the structure of the
heating of the pipes was performed. trode. It consists of a very fine poly- weld made using the 8018-C1 elec-
Since usual field practice is to preheat gonal ferrite w i t h pearlite. Figure 12 trode. It is mainly acicular ferrite and
prior to welding, hydrogen assisted shows the structure of the fill passes polygonal ferrite w i t h scattered mar-
cracking should not be a problem with
the low-carbon M o - N b steel.
300 r -ii i i i 111 1 1i i i i 111 1 1 |

40
Metallography
Photomicrographs of the weldments
are shown in Figs. 10 to 15. Figure 10
shows the microstructure of the M o -
Nb X-70 pipe steel. It consists of a Vo-
mixture of polygonal ferrite, pearlite
and upper bainite. A large fraction of 200
the ferrite has been deformed by con-
trolled rolling of the pipe skelp below 0
the Ar, temperature. This controlled
rolling procedure results in a rounded
stress-strain curve w i t h an appreciable - 20
work hardening rate, so that the
formed pipe has a higher yield
strength than the skelp. This offsets I 1 I I I I I I
-I I I I
the loss in yield strength due to the 10 100 1000
Bauschinger effect that occurs during TIME TO FAILURE, MINUTES
testing of a flattened API tensile speci- Fig. 9Implant test results

W E L D I N G RESEARCH S U P P L E M E N T I 45-s

4^
F/g. 10X-70 pipe steel base metal. 2% nital,
X500 (reduced 45% on reproduction)
F/g. 11E8010 cellulosic electrode, root
pass. 2% nital, x500 (reduced 45% on repro-
duction)
tensite islands. Figure 14 shows the
structure of the weld made using the
Kobe electrode. It consists of acicular
ferrite with small martensite islands.
Figure 15 shows the microstructure of
the E70S-1B used for the G M A W root
passes. This microstructure is predomi-
nately acicular ferrite w i t h many small
martensite islands. A few round sili-
cate inclusions may be seen. These
inclusions may have reduced the
toughness of this weld.
Discussion
Based upon the results of the tests
performed, weldments made using
any of the four consumable/process
variations w o u l d be suitable, for the
most part, for service at - 4 C ( + 25F)
as specified by Foothills. The reason
for qualifying this statement is due to
the results of the bend and nick-break
tests (both of which are more depen-
dent on operator technique than on
the consumables used). This service
temperature applies to 98% of the
Canadian portion of the pipeline.
At - 2 3 C (-10F), the test results
were mixed. It is possible that
increases in impact energy absorption
at this temperature may be achievable
w i t h o u t excessive efforts. Again, weld
quality should improve w i t h better
operator skill and also through the use
of improved consumables.
As stated previously, all personnel
making the welds were skilled w e l d -
4 6 - s l FEBRUARY 1980
Jf--, . - / tr f. t, '-t>
^T'* j v ' ^ -* ' ' ^ ^ '"^* - ...
**
?
. > . ; > i '
a t * - .* &%^3S
F/g. 12E8010 cellulosic electrode,
2% nital, X500
'-rt'"
wii
^ 'J*,'
-i8..
F/g. 13E8018-C1 low-hydrogen
electrode. 2% nital, X500
ers. However, the results of the radio-
graphs and examination of selected
samples obtained from several sets of
tests indicate that the welds were not
of o p t i m u m quality. It became appar-
ent that a welder required a certain
amount of practice w i t h an unfamiliar
consumable before his usual high level
of quality could be achieved.
Unfortunately, the amount of prac-
tice required, in some cases, proved to
be more than was available. This is
especially true for weldments 1, 2 and
4. Weldment 3, the low-hydrogen ver-
tical-up weld seemed to present few
welding difficulties judging by the
radiography results. W e l d 4, the Kobe
low-hydrogen vertical-down weld, ex-
hibited porosity problems due to the
welder using an inappropriate starting
and stopping procedure.
The correct procedure was devel-
oped by trial and error, but this exper-
imentation was conducted in the
weldment to be evaluated. Welds 1
and 2, the cellulosic welds, were
intended to serve as a base for com-
paring the other consumables. It
became apparent that, even though
the welders used similar cellulosic
electrodes in their work, the different
arc characteristics required a slightly
different method of manipulating the
electrode as the weld progressed.
Again, due to lack of material, the
learning was obtained on the weld
which was evaluated. The severity of
this problem was not evident until the
^58
;
> ^ *
^
m
2*
fill pass. Fig. 14Kobe LB-86 VU low-hydrogen verti-
cal-down electrode. 2% nital, X500
7%
.V "
<f. v'. \ \'iS- v *> -'^'"Vi' v.c
vertical-up Fig. 15-E70S-1B GMAW electrode, root
pass. 2% nital, X500
welds were completed and the radio-
graphs interpreted.
Because of these weld quality prob-
lems, which w o u l d not exist if proper
training time were available, the
results of the mechanical tests may be
too conservative. Thus, the CVN test
results at - 2 3 C (-10F) on the weld
deposits should be interpreted w i t h
some flexibility. The above comment
should also be kept in mind when
considering the three bend tests, the
one nick-break and possibly the t w o
dropweight test failures at 51 C
( - 6 0 F).
Further improvements of welding
consumables could be efficacious. The
four consumables evaluated in this
investigation were selected because
these materials were readily available
and were of practical interest. Based
upon the results of this study, other
consumables should be tested and
compared to see if they offer improve-
ments in either ease of welding or
mechanical properties.
It was shown that the HAZ of the
M o - N b X-70 pipe exhibited acceptable
properties d o w n to at least 23C
(10F)that is, the microhardness
was w i t h i n specification, the C O D val-
ues generally exceeded 0.15 mm (0.006
inches) even at - 5 1 C (-60F), and
HAZ apparently is not a problem as
evidenced by the implant test and
welding the pipe w i t h o u t preheat.
Even though the actual weld deposits
examined in this study were not c o m -
pletely acceptable at - 2 3 C (-10F),
the low-carbon M o - N b X-70 pipe
steel, as evidenced by the acceptable
HAZ toughness properties, appears to
meet the requirements for Arctic pipe-
lines.
Conclusions
Extensive testing was performed on
a series of M o - N b X-70 steel pipe
weldments made using SMA and GMA
welding techniques and four electrode
combinations. The evaluation criteria
were the API 1104 and Foothills Pipe
Lines (Yukon) Ltd. specifications.
It was found that all weldments met
the requirements for service at - 4 C
( + 25F). While the X-70 pipe ex-
ceeded the lower temperature require-
ments, the weld deposits showed
mixed results at - 2 3 C (-10F). These
welds w o u l d probably pass all require-
ments at - 2 3 C (-10F) if w e l d q u a l i t y
were optimized. It w o u l d appear,
however, that better welding tech-
niques and/or consumables should be
investigated aiming to come up w i t h
improved weld performance at 23C
(-10F).
References
1. Tither, G., and Lavite, M., "Beneficial
Stress-Strain Behavior of Moly-Columbium
Steel Line Pipe," Journal of Metals, Septem-
ber 1975, pp. 15-23.
2. "Methods for Crack Opening Dis-
placement (COD) Testing," British Stan- Q-
O
dards Institution, DD 99:1972.
3. Granjon, H., "The Implants Method
for Studying the Weldability of High
Strength Steels," Metal Construction, (11),
Nov. 1969, pp. 505-515.
X
4. "Specification for High Strength Steel
Line Pipe 457 mm (18 inches) and Larger in o
Diameter," Number P-100, July 14, 1978, <
Foothills Pipe Lines (Yukon) Ltd. LU
lf>
LU

The Aluminum Alloys Committee

of the
Welding Research Council
. . . is pleased to announce that it will sponsor three important
sessions on the welding of aluminum during the 61st Annual
Meeting of the American Welding Society in Los Angeles,
California, during April 14-18, 1980. The three sessionseach
of unusual interest to metal fabricators working with alumi-
numare:

Design of Welded Aluminum Structures, on

Tuesday afternoon, April 15co-sponsored by
the Aluminum Association and the AWS Dl
Structural Welding Committee.

Aluminum WeldmentsPart I, on Wednesday

morning, April 15. New process developments
for application during the welding fabrication of
aluminum and its alloys.

Aluminum WeldmentsPart II, on Wednesday

afternoon, April 15. Research and development,
with emphasis on the outcome of weld cracking
studies.

Full details are contained in the tentative program for the 61st
Annual Meeting technical sessions program that appeared in
the December 1979 issue of the Welding Journal.

W E L D I N G RESEARCH S U P P L E M E N T I 47-s