Welding Electrode for Gas Pipeline

If you have to ask, you don't need to be doing the job. Let someone qualified handle it.

yea....im not the one doing the welding....just that my contractor attempted to use 6013 to weld the pipe which i prohibited tell them to get 7018 instead

btw can 6013 use for root pass?

what about 7016? what is the difference between 7016 & 7018 electrode?

if you are welding a pipe to ASME standards you would use a E7016 or E7018 for root fill and cap. 7016 is a low hydrogen electrode and the 7018 is a low hydrogen, iron powder rod.

• The electrode AWS E 7016 is low hydrogen potassium, where the electrode AWS E 7018 is iron powder potassium. And E 7018 characterized by its high percentage of iron powder which gives more weld deposit rates.

• See CR4 Thread Welding by 7018 Electrode Without Heating, Post #14, and read the important notes for using low hydrogen electrodes.

• The electrode AWS E 6013 is only for structural steel work and not permitted to be used in pressure parts for piping nor for pressure vessels.

E6010

or

E6010 (1/8) Root w/ E7018 (3/32) hot, & cap. You wont need any filler passes, the 2 passes with E7018 3/32 will fill it to the top.

Leave the welding of Natural Gas pipe to qualified welders following qualified welding procedures. After all, whats the worst that can happen....

Reference material: API 1104, (PHMSA) 49 CFR 192.221 -

When you are talking of gas pipeline, it may be a cross country long distance pipeline, a distribution network or flow line where days progress is much of concern for a contractor. If this is the case, the contractor then selects welding process (SMAW, MIG, TIG) and welding technique (VERTICAL UPHILL OR VERTICAL DOWN HILL). Normally vertical downhill or dolly-mix is selected for cross country pipeline welding and vertical uphill or dolly-mix is selected for tie-in, crossing, station terminal and process piping. Then you select electrodes based on welding techniques. For instance cellulose coated electordes (E6010, E7010 OR E8010 also known as fast freeze group) is selected for vertical downhill and other or low hydrogen is selected for vertical uphill. In your case size of pipe is small and it may be for distribution network should be suitable combination of E6010 for first pass and E6013/E7016 for fill and cap. Size of electrodes depends upon the wall thickness of pipe and welding technique. Thinner electrodes produce low rate of heat input and probably be good for your weld provided you have qualified "Weld Procedure" Test.

2" & 3" Api 5L Gr.B, pressure is 1.4 bar temp at 25 degree celcius

Welding electrode MS6013 or E7016?

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Since you are welding 2" & 3" pipe only and irrespective of schedule of the pipe, you will be doing mostly in 5G position. Hence E 6010 recommended for Stovepipe (vertical down) technique may not be suitable for your welding due to size of the pipe.

Next alternative being E 6013 & E 7016/7018. They could be used in conventional (vertical up) position.

Being a gas pipe line, E 7018/E7016 could be preferred for root pass with DC EN (electrode negative - for root run) to get more than 1 to 1.50 mm root penetration.

It could be followed by E7018 (the polarity to be changed to DC EP - positive for filler & cap passes) electrode to give an adequate fill up. Special LH electrodes are available without the need of pre heating.

The thickness of root pass gives more than twice the thickness of that deposited with E 6013 and the joint can be completed with fewer layers and in shorter arc time.

Sridhar.