In general yes, however, can you be more specific regarding the grades of carbon & stainless you are discussing?

As guest has said, yes, but. Joining the metals will give you tons of headaches if you need corrosion resistance.

I've done it when the application is NON critical. Welding corrosion resistant steel to mild steel is not difficult.

Knowing the grades might help, but knowing what you're up to would be better.

Lawn furniture or hang glider?

Assuming (yeah I know all about assuming.) the materials are low carbon steel (a-36, AISI 1018-1020 or simialr.) and low carbon austentic stainlesses (304L or 316L) it can be done. but as has been said, corrosion resistant it won't be. use 309 welding rod/wire. It will help prevent intergranular corrosion from the carbon in the mild steel.

Increasing the carbon content in either material will make things that much harder. Carbon is Stainless steel's natural enemy.

Yes

Determine what grade stainless you have (type 304 for example) and use a higher grade stainless filler metal such as type 316

The high concentrations of heat will likely stress the parts requiring some form of post processing to relieve those stresses. The crystalline structure and geometry will likely be altered some as well.

Depending on the application, I suggest you study the advantages of brazing the parts in a vacuum autoclave. The results have proven to be dramatically superior to many welding techniques, including TIG. A variety of copper based fluxes appear to be the most popular. The processing temps are about 950 degrees C depending on the flux chosen. A reasonable ramp down should leave you with a strong assembly, no stresses and no alteration in geometry.

This is not your father's brazing! Not even close. It's the process of choice for building highly stressed components from 316 SS for use in fusion reactors operating at high temps at Tore to the -10. The application is admittedly exotic. The fabrication method is not, in spite of how it sounds.

I am not a professional welder myself. I am however, responsible for the design of and fabrication of some very complex fixtures that can not be welded because of materials used (IE: molybdenum). The availability of this brazing method in our fabrication facility has educated me quite a bit and has liberated me from the constraints of more conventional methods.

Check it out.

L.J.

Yes, you can join CS to SS materials. The welding could be carried out using E(R) 309L type filler materials in SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, FCAW or even in SAW processes.

If you are particular about your corrosion resistance requirements, butter your your CS face (to be welded) using above filler metals -generally with 3.20 mm (SMAW) or 1.00 or 1.20 mm size (GMAW / FCAW) wires and weld minimum 3 layers . This will take care of your dilution factor and avoid / reduce your corrosion problems. DP check after welding and make a WPS if required.

As usual, prefer low / medium currents, control heat-input during welding.

Use SMAW for general application, GTAW for precision , FCAW for high productivity, finish and cost advantages. Sridhar.

yes, it's a dissimilar welding, as other said the best way to do it is to butter the carbon steel with a 309 SS and then complete the weld with the same material.

regarding the corrosion issue, it's a problem if the environment, process fluid, is a good electrolye, ie water, or if there is possibility of water consensation on the external surface.

in this doc there is a chap on dissimilar welding and suggest filler metals:

http://www.stainless-steel-world.net/pdf/11012.pdf

14018 - GUIDELINES FOR WELDING DISSIMILAR METALS

http://www.nickelinstitute.org/index.cfm/ci_id/11931/la_id/1.htm

http://www.corrosionist.com/Materials_Stainless_Steel_Welding.htm

hope this help

S

corrosion control & corrosion protection

Prepare your WPS/PQR including all the comments. But use ICONEL

Why on earth would you want to use a nickel alloy? (Inconel is a trademark of Special Metals) You don't say which one, there are MULTIPLE you know. The cost is almost 10 times what 309L stick/wire is.

Sorry. AWS SFA-5.11 E-NiCrFe2 (ASME section II Part C or EN 10204 Type 3.1)

I had a lesson: Dont mess with Texas.

Again, this filler metal is typically used to weld Alloy 800, 800HT, 600, and 601, and high nickel steels. This strikes me as massive overkill for this. Still not seeing why the extra cost is justified.

Hi Mr Rorschach, I take this from your link: " The electrode is and exceptionally versatile product for dissimelar welding............Examples are combination of stainless steel, carbon steel, INCONEL alloys........"

Agree with you is very expensive but: Exceptionally versatile.

Regards, ADOLFO

Note: We are using 309L

Nickel based alloys are used for welding Alloy steel to stainless steel where service temp is above 500 deg C. Where temperature is not the criteria and for general application (for SS vs. AS) -- even E(R) 309 L will be sufficient.

If it so, why nickel based alloys for welding SS to CS. It simply a over doing exercise.

Sridhar.

What is the purpose of welding the two metals together? Are you attempting to create a pattern-weld effect, A.K.A. Damascus, that will be chemically etched to show the contrasts between layers?

guest, such welds are common in industry where you may be mounting a stanless part to a carbon steel skid-frame or connecting a stainless tank to carbon steel piping downstream or something like that. We used to weld 304L threaded sockets into carbon steel winch frames for offshore use to bolt them to the deck. The stainless threaded sockets did not tend to corrode in the salt air and were much easier to remove when the time came.

It seems you are forgetting one of the basic concepts of welding fabrication. Any weld done is with a purpose and for a purpose(application) and you know they are permanent joints.

The next question comes, do I make it to meet the design norms and simple to meet the application. As U (rightly) feel it can be done in an expensive way also - i.e use the costliest consumable and a costly process.

But, If E(R) 309L will meet the said norms and acceptable, Why should we make it more expensive. It is not a pattern-weld effect, but a permanent and acceptable joint in all contrasts.

As I mentioned in the earlier reply it is the fabricator who has better idea about conditions (he has not spelled it to us) including service temperature, should decide whether to use X-Y-Z consumable.

No meaning in recommending a Nickel based electrode (more expensive) where it may not be required.

As my friend says, for CS vs SS 304 , we can use E(R) 309 and for CS vs SS 316, we can use E(R) 309 Mo. These consumables are generally recommended and used for any claded steel (SS inner & CS outer shell plates) and it is a commonly used and acceptable practice in Petro-Chemical industries.

Sridhar.