AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

An American National Standard

Specification for Carbon Steel

Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding

AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

An American National Standard

Approved by the American National Standards Institute

July 28, 2015

Specification for Carbon Steel Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding

Supersedes ANSI/AWS A5.20-95

Prepared by the American Welding Society (AWS) A5 Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials

Under the Direction of the AWS Technical Activities Committee

Approved by the AWS Board of Directors

Abstract

This specification prescribes the requirements for classification of carbon steel electrodes for flux cored arc welding. The requirements include chemical composition and mechanical properties of the weld metal and certain usability char- acteristics. The AWS A5.20/A5.20M specification also includes optional, supplemental designators for improved tough- ness and diffusible hydrogen and to indicate conformance to special mechanical property requirements when the weld metal is deposited using both low heat input, fast cooling rate and high heat input, slow cooling rate procedures. Addi- tional requirements are included for standard sizes, marking, manufacturing and packaging. A guide is appended to the specification as a source of information concerning the classification system employed and the intended use of carbon steel flux cored electrodes.

This specification makes use of both U.S. Customary Units and the International System of Units (SI). Since these are not equivalent, each system must be used independently of the other.

AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

ISBN: 978-0-87171-868-6

© 2015 by American Welding Society

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AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

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All standards (codes, specifications, recommended practices, methods, classifications, and guides) of the American Welding Society (AWS) are voluntary consensus standards that have been developed in accordance with the rules of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). When AWS American National Standards are either incorporated in, or made part of, documents that are included in federal or state laws and regulations, or the regulations of other governmen- tal bodies, their provisions carry the full legal authority of the statute. In such cases, any changes in those AWS stan- dards must be approved by the governmental body having statutory jurisdiction before they can become a part of those laws and regulations. In all cases, these standards carry the full legal authority of the contract or other document that invokes the AWS standards. Where this contractual relationship exists, changes in or deviations from requirements of an AWS standard must be by agreement between the contracting parties.

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Official interpretations of any of the technical requirements of this standard may only be obtained by sending a request, in writing, to the appropriate technical committee. Such requests should be addressed to the American Welding Society, Attention: Managing Director, Technical Services Division, 8669 NW 36 St, # 130, Miami, FL 33166 (see Annex B). With regard to technical inquiries made concerning AWS standards, oral opinions on AWS standards may be rendered. These opinions are offered solely as a convenience to users of this standard, and they do not constitute professional advice. Such opinions represent only the personal opinions of the particular individuals giving them. These individuals do not speak on behalf of AWS, nor do these oral opinions constitute official or unofficial opinions or interpretations of AWS. In addition, oral opinions are informal and should not be used as a substitute for an official interpretation.

This standard is subject to revision at any time by the AWS A5 Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials. It must be reviewed every five years, and if not revised, it must be either reaffirmed or withdrawn. Comments (recommenda- tions, additions, or deletions) and any pertinent data that may be of use in improving this standard are required and should be addressed to AWS Headquarters. Such comments will receive careful consideration by the AWS A5 Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials and the author of the comments will be informed of the Committee’s response to the comments. Guests are invited to attend all meetings of the AWS A5 Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials to express their comments verbally. Procedures for appeal of an adverse decision concerning all such comments are provided in the Rules of Operation of the Technical Activities Committee. A copy of these Rules can be obtained from the American Welding Society, 8669 NW 36 St, # 130, Miami, FL 33166.

AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

Personnel (Reaffirmation)

AWS A5 Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials

H. D. Wehr, Chair Arcos Industries, LLC

J. J. DeLoach, Jr., 1st Vice Chair Naval Surface Warfare Center

R. D. Fuchs, 2nd Vice Chair Böhler Welding Group USA, Incorporated

R. K. Gupta, Secretary American Welding Society

T. Anderson ITW Welding North America

J. C. Bundy Hobart Brothers Company

J. L. Caron Haynes International, Incorporated

D. D. Crockett Consultant

R. V. Decker Weldstar

D. M. Fedor The Lincoln Electric Company

J. G. Feldstein Foster Wheeler North America

D. A. Fink The Lincoln Electric Company

G. L. Franke Consultant

1. M. Henson J. W. Harris Company, Incorporated

2. D. Kiser Consultant

P. J. Konkol Concurrent Technologies Corporation

D. J. Kotecki Damian Kotecki Welding Consultants

1. G. Kvidahl Ingalls Shipbuilding

   1. Y. Lau Canadian Welding Bureau

J. S. Lee Chevron

1. R. Logan Babcock & Wilcox

   T. Melfi The Lincoln Electric Company

   M. T. Merlo Welding Development Consulting

2. M. Merlo-Joseph Apeks Supercritical

   B. Mosier Polymet Corporation

   1. K. Mukherjee Siemens Power Generation, Incorporated

      T. C. Myers Lutech Resources

   2. A. Pletcher Select-Arc

      1. D. Praster NuWeld, Incorporated

      2. C. Pruden BP Americas

K. Roossinck Ingalls Shipbuilding

P. K. Salvesen Det Norske Veritas (DNV)

K. Sampath Chart Industries

F. A. Schweighardt Air Liquide Industrial US LP

W. S. Severance ESAB Welding and Cutting Products

M. F. Sinfield Naval Surface Warfare Center

D. Singh GE Oil & Gas

P. E. Staunton Shell EDG

1. C. Sutherlin ATI Wah Chang

   1. A. Swain Euroweld, Limited

      J. Zhang Indalco Alloys, Incorporated

      AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

      
      

      Advisors to the AWS A5 Committee on Filler Metal and Allied Material

      D. R. Bajek Chicago Bridge and Iron

      J. E. Beckham FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

      1. M. Blackburn Naval Sea Systems Command

      2. P. Campion Carpenter Technology

T. A. Davenport PRL Industries

D. A. DelSignore Consultant

J. DeVito Consultant

W. D. England ITW Welding North America

S. E. Ferree Consultant

R. J. Fox Hobart Brothers Company

1. E. Fuerstenau Lucas-Milhaupt, Incorporated

   S. Imaoka Kobe Steel Limited

   S. J. Knostman Hobart Brothers

   1. A. Marttila WAMcom Consulting, LLC

      R. Menon Victor Technologies

      1. A. Miller Kennametal, Incorporated

         M. A. Quintana The Lincoln Electric Company

      2. D. Sparkowich Nerac, Inc orporated

   M. J. Sullivan NASSCO—National Steel & Shipbuilding

   M. D. Tumuluru U.S. Steel

   H. J. White CB&I

   
   

   AWS A5M Subcommittee on Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding and Metal Cored Electrodes for Gas Metal Arc Welding

2. D. Crockett, Chair Consultant

M. T. Merlo, Vice Chair Welding Development Consulting

1. K. Gupta, Secretary American Welding Society

   J. C. Bundy Hobart Brothers Company

   1. J. DeLoach, Jr. Naval Surface Warfare Center

      G. L. Franke Consultant

      D. W. Haynie Kobelco Welding of America, Incorporated

      S. R. Jana Kiswel Limited

      1. L. Kuiper Euroweld, Limited

         1. Y. Lau Canadian Welding Bureau

   2. M. Merlo-Joseph Apeks Supercritical

T. C. Myers Lutech Resources

J. S. Ogborn The Lincoln Electric Company

B. A. Pletcher Select-Arc

M. F. Sinfield Naval Surface Warfare Center

R. B. Smith Consultant

R. A. Swain Euroweld, Limited

Advisors to the AWS A5M Subcommittee on Carbon and Low Alloy Steel Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding and Metal Cored Electrodes for Gas Metal Arc Welding

J. E. Campbell WeldTech Solutions Corporation

D. D. Childs Mark Steel Corporation

S. E. Ferree Consultant

K. K. Gupta Westinghouse Electric Corporation

S. Imaoka Kobe Steel Limited

W. E. Layo Midalloy

D. R. Miller ABS

M. P. Parekh Consultant

M. A. Quintana The Lincoln Electric Company

H. D. Wehr Arcos Industries, LLC

AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

Personnel (Original)

AWS A5 Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials

D. A. Fink, Chair The Lincoln Electric Company

J. S. Lee, 1st Vice Chair Chicago Bridge & Iron Company

H. D. Wehr, 2nd Vice Chair Arcos Industries LLC

R. K. Gupta, Secretary American Welding Society

*R. L. Bateman Electromanufacturas S A

J. M. Blackburn Naval Surface Warfare Center

**B. S. Blum Consultant

R. S. Brown Consultant

J. C. Bundy ITW Hobart Brothers

R. J. Christoffel Consultant

*G. Crisi Universidade Presbiteriana

D. D. Crockett The Lincoln Electric Company

*R. A. Daemen Consultant

D. A. DelSignore Consultant

J. DeVito ESAB Welding & Cutting Products

H. W. Ebert Consultant

D. M. Fedor The Lincoln Electric Company

J. G. Feldstein Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation

S. E. Ferree ESAB Welding & Cutting Products

***G. L. Franke Consultant

R. D. Fuchs Böhler Thyssen Welding USA, Incorporated

C. E. Fuerstenau Lucas-Milhaupt, Incorporated

J. A. Henning Consultant

*J. P. Hunt Consultant

M. Q. Johnson Los Alamos National Laboratory

S. D. Kiser Special Metals

P. J. Konkol Concurrent Technologies Corporation

D. J. Kotecki The Lincoln Electric Company

***L. G. Kvidahl Northrop Grumman Ship Systems

A. S. Laurenson Consultant

K. F. Longden Canadian Welding Bureau

W. A. Marttila Daimler-Chrysler Corporation

R. Menon Stoody Company

M. T. Merlo Welding Development Consulting

D. R. Miller ABS Americas

*B. Mosier Polymet Corporation

C. L. Null NAVSEA

M. P. Parekh Consultant

*D. Park Consultant

1. L. Peaslee Wall Colmonoy Corporation

   *M. A. Quintana The Lincoln Electric Company

2. D. Reynolds, Jr. Consultant

*Advisor

**Deceased

***Special Contributor

AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

AWS A5 Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials (Continued)

P. K. Salvesen Det Norske Veritas (DNV)

K. Sampath Consultant

W. S. Severance ESAB Welding & Cutting Products

*E. R. Stevens Stevens Welding Consulting

M. J. Sullivan NASSCO—National Steel and Shipbuilding

*E. S. Surian Air Liquide Argentina S.A.

R.C. Sutherlin Wah Chang

R. A. Swain Euroweld, Ltd.

R. D. Thomas, Jr. R. D. Thomas and Company

1. P. Thornberry J. W. Harris Company, Incorporated

   *S. Tsutsumi Kobe Steel Ltd.

2. T. Vernam AlcoTec Wire Company

*F. J. Winsor Consultant

AWS A5M Subcommittee on Carbon and Low Alloy Steel Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding

D. D. Crockett, Chair The Lincoln Electric Company

M. T. Merlo, 1st Vice Chair Welding Development Consulting

R. K. Gupta, Secretary American Welding Society

J. C. Bundy ITW Hobart Brothers

J. E. Campbell WeldTech Solutions Corporation

D. D. Childs Mark Steel Corporation

L. A. Craig ABB-CE

J. J. DeLoach, Jr. Naval Surface Warfare Center

S. E. Ferree EASB Welding & Cutting Products

G. L. Franke Consultant

*K. K. Gupta Westinghouse Electric Corporation

D. Haynie Kobelco Welding of America, Incorporated

M. Q. Johnson Los Alamos National Laboratory

W. E. Layo Midalloy

K. F. Longden Canadian Welding Bureau

R. Menon Stoody Company

D. R. Miller ABS Americas

*M. P. Parekh Consultant

Marie Quintana The Lincoln Electric Company Lea Roberts CWB Group

R. A. Swain Euroweld, Ltd.

R. D. Thomas, Jr. R. D. Thomas & Company

*S. Tsutsumi Kobe Steel, Ltd.

H. D. Wehr Arcos Industries LLC

* Advisor

AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

Foreword

This foreword is not part of AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015), Specification for Carbon Steel Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding, but is intended for informational purposes only.)

This document is the first of the A5.20 specifications which uses both U.S. Customary Units and the International Sys- tem of Units (SI) throughout. The measurements are not exact equivalents; therefore, each system must be used indepen- dently of the other, without combining values in any way. In selecting rational metric units, AWS A1.1, Metric Practice Guide for the Welding Industry, and ISO 554, Welding consumables—Technical delivery conditions for welding filler metals—Type of product, dimensions, tolerances and markings, are used where suitable. Tables and figures make use of both U.S. Customary and SI Units, which, with the application of the specified tolerances, provides for interchangeabil- ity of products in both the U.S. Customary and SI Units.

The current document is the third revision of the initial joint ASTM/AWS document issued in 1969. Since it was devel- oped by a subcommittee of the AWS Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials, the use of flux cored electrodes has been stimulated by developments in electrode manufacturing technology that have permitted the production of smaller diameter electrodes and by improvements in formulation of the core ingredients. This 2005 revision includes the following significant changes:

1. Heat input limits are now applied to the preparation of mechanical property test assemblies.

2. Maximum tensile strength limits have been added for all multiple pass classifications.

3. Mechanical property tests are required on additional electrode sizes.

4. Chemical composition limits have been modified.

5. Welding parameters are specified for diffusible hydrogen testing.

6. Optional supplemental designators (D and Q) have been added to identify high and low cooling rate mechanical property testing for FEMA and Navy applications.

The evolution took place as follows:

Historical Background

AWS A5.20-69 Specifications for Mild Steel Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding

ANSI W3.20-1973

ANSI/AWS A5.20-79 Specification for Carbon Steel Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding ANSI/AWS A5.20-95 Specification for Carbon Steel Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 Specification for Carbon Steel Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding

Comments and suggestions for the improvement of this standard are welcome. They should be sent to the Secretary, AWS A5 Committee on Filler Metals and Allied Materials, American Welding Society, 8669 NW 36 St, # 130, Miami, FL 33166.

AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

Table of Contents

Page No.

Personnel (Reaffirmation) v

Personnel (Original) vii

Foreword ix

List of Tables xii

List of Figures xii

1. Scope 1

2. Normative References 1

3. Classification 2

4. Acceptance 6

5. Certification 6

6. Rounding Procedure 7

7. Summary of Tests 7

8. Retest 8

9. Test Assemblies 8

10. Chemical Analysis 13

11. Radiographic Test 14

12. Tension Test 15

13. Bend Test 15

14. Impact Test 16

15. Fillet Weld Test 16

16. Diffusible Hydrogen Test 18

17. “D” and “Q” Optional Supplemental Designator Tests 19

18. Method of Manufacture 22

19. Standard Sizes 23

20. Finish and Uniformity 23

21. Standard Package Forms 23

22. Winding Requirements 24

23. Filler Metal Identification 24

24. Packaging 25

25. Marking of Packages 25

    Annex A (Informative)—Guide to AWS Specification for Carbon Steel Electrodes for Flux Cored Arc Welding 27

    Annex B (Informative)—Guidelines for Preparation of Technical Inquiries for AWS Technical Committees 39

    AWS Filler Metal Specifications by Material and Welding Process 41

    AWS Filler Metal Specifications and Related Documents 43

    AWS A5.20/A5.20M:2005 (R2015)

    
    

    List of Tables

    
    

    Table Page No.

    1U A5.20 Mechanical Property Requirements 3

    1M A5.20M Mechanical Property Requirements 3

    1. Electrode Usability Requirements 5

    2. Tests Required for Classification 7

    3. Base Metal for Test Assemblies 12

    4. Heat Input Requirements and Suggested Pass and Layer Sequence for Multiple Pass Electrode Classifications 12

    5. Weld Metal Chemical Composition Requirements for Classification to A5.20/A5.20M 14

    6. Dimensional Requirements for Fillet Weld Usability Test Specimens 17

    7. Diffusible Hydrogen Limits for Weld Metal 19

    8. Procedure Requirements for “D” and “Q” Optional Supplemental Designators 21

    9. Mechanical Property Requirements for “D” and “Q” Optional Supplemental Designators 22

    10. Standard Sizes and Tolerances of Electrodes 23

    11. Packaging Requirements 24

1. Comparison of Classifications 29

   
   

   List of Figures

   
   

   Figure Page No.

   1. A5.20/A5.20M Classification System 4

   2. Pad for Chemical Analysis of Deposited Weld Metal 8

   3. Test Assembly for Mechanical Properties and Soundness of Weld Metal 9

   4. Test Assembly for Transverse Tension and Longitudinal Guided Bend Tests for Welds Made

      with Single-Pass Electrodes 10

   5. Fillet Weld Test Assembly 11

   6. Dimensions of Fillet Welds 17

   7. Alternate Methods for Facilitating Fillet Weld Fracture 18

   8. Radiographic Standards for Test Assembly in Figure 3 20

   9. Standard Spools—Dimensions of 4 in, 8 in, 12 in, and 14 in [100 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm, and

      350 mm] Spools 25

   10. Standard Spools—Dimensions of 22 in, 24 in, and 30 in [560 mm, 610 mm, and 760 mm] Spools 26