x Stainless Q+A March_Layout 1 2/8/12 7:37 AM Page 14

STAINLESS
BY DAMIAN J. KOTECKI
Q&A
Q: We have a customer who wants us to
build a thin-wall (1⁄4-in.) vessel out of 316H
to be used in service at 1000°F. Apparently
this is for a test that they expect will run for
five years. Of course they’re concerned with
welding consumables having 0.04 to 0.05%
carbon and ferrite less than 5 FN, and sug-
gested we use 316Ti. To my knowledge,
transferring Ti can be an issue, and I’m
wondering if 318 would be a good choice.

A: First of all, 316Ti is not a designation

for an AWS-classified filler metal as either
a bare wire in AWS A5.9/A5.9M nor as a
covered electrode in AWS A5.4/A5.4M. It
is also not a designation in the correspon-
ding ISO 14343 or ISO 3581 standards, re-
spectively. It may be a designation indicat-
ing addition of titanium to a 316 composi-
tion, but I do not know for sure to what
your customer is referring. You can find
Asian products identified as ER316Ti on
the Internet, but there is no connection to
AWS specifications. Fig. 1 — The iso-ferrite lines are labeled with the expected Ferrite Number,
On the other hand, 318 designates filler while solidification modes are indicated by “A” as 100% austenite solidification
metal that is similar to 316 except that it for compositions above the 0 FN line, “AF” as primary austenite solidification
has an addition of niobium (Nb). Niobium for compositions below the 0 FN line to the first dashed line, “FA” as primary
is a stabilizing element, just like titanium. ferrite solidifacation for compositions between the two dashed lines, and “F” as
Both alloy elements are used to prevent 100% ferrite solidification below the second dashed line.

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14 MARCH 2012
x Stainless Q+A March_Layout 1 2/8/12 7:38 AM Page 15

Table 1 — 316H, 318, and 16-8-2 Composition Limits

AWS Class Chemical Composition, wt-% (Single value is a maximum.)

Standard C Mn P S Si Cr Ni Mo Cu Nb

E316H-XX 0.04 to 0.5 to 0.04 0.03 1.00 17.0 to 11.0 to 2.0 to 0.75 —
0.08 2.5 20.0 14.0 3.0

A5.4 E318-XX 0.08 0.5 to 0.04 0.03 1.00 17.0 to 11.0 to 2.0 to 0.75 6x%C to
2.5 20.0 14.0 3.0 1.00

E16-8-2-XX 0.10 0.5 to 0.03 0.03 0.60 14.5 to 7.5 to 1.0 to 0.75 —
2.5 16.5 9.5 2.0

ER316H 0.04 to 1.0 to 0.03 0.03 0.30 to 18.0 to 11.0 to 2.0 to 0.75 —
0.08 2.5 0.65 20.0 14.0 3.0

A5.9 ER318 0.08 1.0 to 0.03 0.03 0.30 to 18.0 to 11.0 to 2.0 to 0.75 8x%C to
2.5 0.65 20.0 14.0 3.0 1.0

ER16-8-2 0.10 1.0 to 0.03 0.03 0.30 to 14.5 to 7.5 to 1.0 to 0.75 —
2.0 0.65 16.5 9.5 2.0

chromium carbide precipitation, and
thereby prevent sensitization.
However, it is time for a reality check:
At 1000°F (540°C), the 316H base metal
will become completely sensitized regard-
less of the filler metal used. So there is no
point being concerned about sensitization
in the filler metal. Furthermore, sensitiza-
tion is of no concern in high-temperature
service. Sensitization is an issue in ambi-
ent-temperature corrosion resistance, not
in high-temperature service.
I would not recommend 318 filler
metal with less than 5 FN because niobium
enhances susceptibility to solidification
cracking at low ferrite levels. 316H filler
metal would be more resistant to solidifi-
cation cracking at low FN than would be
318 filler metal. But there is a still better
choice than 316H filler metal for service at
1000°F, especially if you must have weld
metal below 5 FN. That better choice is
the largely overlooked 16-8-2 composi-
tion, and, though it may take a bit of look-
ing to find a supplier, it is generally made
with less than 5 FN. The 16-8-2 composi-
tion is highly resistant to solidification
cracking at very low ferrite content. Table
1 compares the AWS composition limits
for 316H, 318, and 16-8-2 filler metals as
covered electrodes and as bare wires.
It is noteworthy that the 16-8-2 compo-
sition is considerably lower in alloy content
than the 316H and 318 compositions. This
is important for two reasons. The first is
that, beginning from the same ferrite level,
16-8-2 weld metal is much more resistant
to formation of sigma phase at elevated
temperatures like 1000°F than is either
316H or 318 weld metal. With lesser sigma
formation, the creep behavior of 16-8-2
weld metal is improved. As noted by Mar-
shall and Farrar (Ref. 1), these special
properties of 16-8-2 weld metal have re-
sulted in the ASME Code allocating higher
stress-rupture factors to 16-8-2 weld metal
than to 308- and 316-type weld metals.
The second reason is that, as a result of
lower total alloy content, 16-8-2 weld that this is the best filler metal choice for
metal requires less ferrite in order to ob- welding your 316H vessel.◆
tain primary ferrite solidification, which in
turn provides maximum resistance to so- References
lidification cracking. The WRC-1992 Dia-
gram (Fig. 1) shows that the boundary 1. Marshall, A. W., and Farrar, J. C. M.
below which primary ferrite solidification 2001. Lean austenitic Type 16.8.2 stainless
is obtained is tilted somewhat relative to steel weld metal, Stainless Steel World 2001
the iso-ferrite lines. So 16-8-2 weld metal, Conference Proceedings, paper P0114, KCI
with a chromium equivalent of about 17 or Publishing, Zutphen, The Netherlands.
a bit less, will solidify as primary ferrite 2. Klueh, R. L., and Edmonds, D. P.
with even less than 1 FN, while 316H weld 1986. Chemical composition effects on the
metal, with a chromium equivalent of creep of Type 316 and 16-8-2 stainless steel
above about 20, requires at least 3 FN to weld metal. Welding Journal 65(6): 156-s to
solidify as primary ferrite. 162-s.
Marshall and Farrar (Ref. 1) describe
16-8-2 as the “overlooked or neglected”
DAMIAN J. KOTECKI is president,
austenitic stainless steel weld metal. I
Damian Kotecki Welding Consultants, Inc. He
agree with that description. Weld metal of
is treasurer of the IIW and a member of the
16-8-2 type was studied rather extensively
A5D Subcommittee on Stainless Steel Filler
during the 1960s through the 1980s when
Metals, D1K Subcommittee on Stainless Steel
power-generating plants were being ex-
Structural Welding; and WRC Subcommittee
tensively built in the United States — see,
on Welding Stainless Steels and Nickel-Base
for example, Klueh and Edmonds (Ref. 2).
Alloys. He is a past chair of the A5 Committee
Today, because there has been so little
on Filler Metals and Allied Materials, and
power-generating plant construction over
served as AWS president (2005–2006). Send
the last 20 years, there are not a lot of man-
questions to damian@ damiankotecki.com,
ufacturers of this filler metal composition,
or Damian Kotecki, c/o Welding Journal Dept.,
but it remains available. I would suggest
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WELDING JOURNAL 15