Effects of Fluorides in the Flux Cored Wire on the Oxygen Content of Weld Metal

Various fluorides, i.e., CaF2, Na3AlF6, K2SiF6, MnF3, MgF2, were added to the flux cored wire, and their effects on the oxygen content of the weld metal were investigated. The investigation showed that the oxygen content of weld metal was not influenced by the type of metallic elements in the fluoride; rather, it was influenced by the stability of the arc during welding. While the wire containing MgF2 showed the most stable arc and the least amount of oxygen in the weld metal, the wire containing MnF3 showed the least stable arc and the greatest amount of oxygen. Since the deoxidation of the weld metal was not affected by the deoxidation elements, such as Ca and Mg, it was possible to predict the oxygen content of the weld metal by the equilibrium Si-Mn deoxidation thermodynamic model.