Evaluation of FCAW Consumables for Offshore and Arctic Structure Fabrication

Abstract

A primary consideration in the welding of structures for service in Canadian offshore and arctic regions is the toughness of weld metals required at very low ambient temperatures (−30°C to −60°C). To assess the suitability of cored wires for applications in these environments, some currently available commercial consumables for the flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) process were evaluated. Cored wires belonging to four different categories: basic, rutile, metal-cored and innershield, were used to prepare welds with similar welding procedures. Weld metal Charpy V-notch (CVN) and crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) tests were carried out and the effect of weld metal composition, microstructure and inclusion content in the weld metal toughness was examined. The Charpy transition temperatures and the CTOD toughness results indicated that, of the 16 wires tested, there were only seven that would be suitable for critical applications.