CONCEPT OF TUBULAR ELECTRODE

• The advent of Solid-Core electrode for joining took place about 100 years ago. Then, came Solid-Core electrode for Hardfacing where high alloy contents in the weld-metal were the primary considerations to impart wear-resistant surfaces on base metal.
  

• Since high alloying elements need to be transferred across the arc to the weld-metal, thick flux coatings for such Hardfacing Solid-Core Electrodes became the necessity. Effective result of such thick flux coating having high-alloy contents leads to the following short-comings.

• high operating current

• high slag volume

• spatter

• low recovery

• non-uniform distribution of carbides throughout the matrix

• high cost of weld-metal.

• To get over such difficulties of operations along with above short-comings associated with solid-core hardfacing electrodes, the concept of making high-alloyed electrodes through Powder-Metallurgical method came to the minds of Developers which has finally given rise to the present form of Tubular Hardfacing Electrodes.