Carbon to Stainless Socket Weld

ER309 Filler metal uses

ER309L filler rod has been used for decades to weld carbon steel to stainless steel pipe in power plants, paper mills, and refineries.

But ER309L filler rod has lots of other uses too.

It can be used as a maintenance rod for when a repair is needed and the exact metal composition is not known.

for example, a conveyor system is compromised due to a bracket that cracked and is blocking the path.

A magnet is used and the part is only slightly magnetic.

A grinder is used to spark test and it makes sparks but not quite as much as carbon steel.

ER309L would probably be a great choice to weld this part and get the conveyor working again.

TIG welding filler metal is in stock at Weldmonger.com

This page is about tig welding a carbon to stainless socket weld where the fitting is stainless steel and the pipe is carbon steel.

Socket welds are often used instead of butt weld fittings for several reasons but 2 of the main reasons are ease of fitup and cost.

Socket weld fittings are easier to fit than butt weld fittings. They do not require precise alignment of the pipe ends, as is necessary with butt welding. This can save time and reduce the risk of errors during installation.

Socket weld fittings are generally less expensive than butt weld fittings, both in terms of material costs and labor for welding. This can make them a more cost-effective choice for smaller pipe sizes.

Various pipe welding codes like B31.1 require socket welds to have a gap.

Some socket welds are even x rayed after welding to ensure there is a gap.

So the gap should be big enough to allow for some weld shrinkage without the gap disappearing.

I used ER309 Filler metal for this weld because that it typically the recommended filler metal for tig welding carbon to stainless.