TIP 0402-26

ISSUED - 1999
¤1999 TAPPI
The information and data contained in this document were prepared
by a technical committee of the Association. The committee and the
Association assume no liability or responsibility in connection with
the use of such information or data, including but not limited to any
liability under patent, copyright, or trade secret laws. The user is
responsible for determining that this document is the most recent
edition published.

CAUTION:
This TIP may require the use, disposal, or both, of chemicals which may present serious health hazards to humans. Procedures for the handling of
such substances are set forth on Material Safety Data Sheets which must be developed by all manufacturers and importers of potentially hazardous
chemicals and maintained by all distributors of potentially hazardous chemicals. Prior to the use of this technical information paper, the user should
determine whether any of the chemicals to be used or disposed of are potentially hazardous and, if so, should follow strictly the procedures specified by
the manufacturer, as well as local, state, provincial, and federal authorities for safe use and disposal of these chemicals.

Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless

alloy piping
Scope

This Technical Information Paper outlines considerations for fitup, welding and inspection of circumferential butt
welds made during shop spooling and field installation of stainless alloy pipe and fittings; both thin wall (gauge)
and thick wall (schedule). The stainless alloys included are austenitic stainless steels, duplex stainless steels, and
nickel base alloys. It is assumed that:

x the weld root will not normally be accessible for direct visual inspection or repair
x all circumferential butt welds will be made using filler metal
x a solution heat treatment will not be performed after welding.

The goal is to provide guidance in obtaining welds appropriate for the intended service. The level of discussion is
intended to provide background for evaluating or writing specifications. More detail about the subjects covered in
this TIP is provided by the publications in the "References" section. References 1-3 provide useful general
background.

Safety precautions

Adequate safety and industrial hygiene procedures must be in place for the cutting, welding, erection, cleaning,
and inspection of stainless alloy pipe. The details of these procedures are beyond the scope of this TIP. In most
cases jurisdictional or company policies will be in force. Anyone involved in welding or inspection of stainless
alloy piping should make themselves familiar with the safety procedures in force on the job site.

Content

General considerations - codes and standards

ANSI/ASME B31.3 “ Process Piping” (4) can be applied to pulp and paper industry stainless alloy piping. This
code sets minimum requirements for materials, design, fabrication, and inspection of process pressure piping in a
range of alloys and non metals. Other codes and standards (5, 6) may be useful in supplementing ANSI/ASME
B31.3.

B31.3 is intended to cover process piping including steam and process chemicals, where pressure is greater than
103 kPa (15 psig) regardless of temperature. It may be mandatory in some jurisdictions or it may be referred to in
specifications for stainless alloy piping. Simplistic specification statements like “fabrication and inspection shall

Approved by the Corrosion & Materials Engineering Committee of the Engineering Division
TAPPI
TIP 0402-26 Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping / 2

conform to the ASME Code (ANSI/ASME B31.3)” should be avoided because confusion over specific
requirements can arise. For example inspection requirements and acceptance criteria in B31.3 depend on the
owner’s designation of the fluid service category involved (refer to the "Inspection" section of this TIP).

Alloy selection

The stainless alloy pipe, fittings, and weld filler should be selected to provide an adequate margin of safety against
general and localized corrosion. Information on corrosion concerns and alloy selection is available in references 7-
9.
Depending on the stainless alloy involved the corrosion resistance of a weld and the adjacent base metal can be
reduced in relation to the unwelded base metal (10):

x the corrosion resistance of the weld filler metal may be reduced by microsegregation of molybdenum and other
alloying elements during solidification of the filler (11).
x the corrosion resistance of stainless steel weld filler metal to inhibited hydrochloric acid cleaning solutions can
be reduced by the formation of ferrite networks. The ferrite phase is corroded preferentially by hydrochloric
acid (12, 13).
x the corrosion resistance of the heat affected zone in the base metal can be reduced by the precipitation of
undesirable phases or, when welding the 6% molybdenum and similar highly alloyed austenitic stainless
steels, by the formation of an unmixed zone where the base metal is melted but not mixed with the weld filler
(1,14).
x the corrosion resistance of the base metal may be reduced by formation of surface oxide scale as a result of
welding heat and inadequate protection of the weld root from oxidation (15-17 ).

Weld filler metal

To address weld metal microsegregation a more highly alloyed (overmatching) filler metal may be used for some
services. Overmatching filler metal is most often required in acidic or near neutral pH oxidizing chloride
environments in which the resistance to localized corrosion of the weld metal must at least match that of the
wrought base metal. For example nickel-chromium-molybdenum (nickel based) filler is commonly used for
welding 6% molybdenum austenitic stainless steels (11). Overmatching filler is generally not required in kraft
liquor service or in paper machine white water service.

Where an overmatching filler metal is used it may be necessary to limit how much the filler metal is diluted by the
base metal to be sure the intended overmatching is achieved. With butted joints or joints with narrow root gaps so
little filler can be added that the goal of overmatching is not achieved. For the 6% molybdenum austenitic
stainless steels it important to ensure a sufficient root gap so that the weld metal will be well mixed with the base
metal in the root bead. It is also possible to use consumable inserts for root welding (14).

The table below shows some commonly used stainless alloys and weld fillers with their American Welding Society
(AWS) designations. The prefix E denotes stick electrode for shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) or flux cored
electrode for flux cored arc welding (FCAW). The prefix ER denotes bare metal rod for gas metal arc welding
(GMAW) or gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW.
3 / Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping TIP 0402-26

Alloy “Matching ” filler metal Overmatching filler metal

304L austenitic stainless steel AWS E or ER308L not generally used
316L austenitic stainless steel AWS E or ER316L 317L is sometimes used
316L with 2.5% Mo 317L
317L austenitic stainless steel AWS E or ER 317L 904L is sometimes used
Alloy 20 AWS E or ER320
904L AWS E or ER385 AWS E or ERNiCrMo-3
6% molybdenum austenitic stainless matching filler not generally AWS E or ERNiCrMo-3
steels recommended or available
high nitrogen, high molybdenum matching filler not generally appropriate fillers are available from
superaustenitic stainless steels recommended or available alloy suppliers
2304 duplex stainless steel matching fillers may be available from AWS E or ER2209
some alloy suppliers
2205 duplex stainless steel AWS E or ER2209 appropriate fillers are available - consult
alloy suppliers
2505 and 2507 type duplex stainless AWS E or ER2553 or AWS E or ERNiCrMo-3 or as
steels matching fillers available from alloy recommended by alloy suppliers
suppliers
nickel base alloys consult alloy supper for appropriate
fillers

Heat affected zone (HAZ)

The formation of phases or structures that can reduce the corrosion resistance of the base metal heat affected zone
depends on alloy chemistry and welding procedure . For austenitic stainless steels and nickel base alloys heat input
should be minimized. For duplex stainless steels the heat input should be controlled within an optimum range (18,
19).

Surface oxides

The negative effects of weld-related oxide scales and heat tint are best eliminated by preventing their formation
through adequate inert gas purging of the weld root. Where oxide scales and heat tint form they can be removed
by pickling with pastes or fluids containing nitric and hydrofluoric acids or by other surface cleaning methods
including abrasive blasting and sanding. Acid pickling usually provides the best results but is seldom practical for
field welds because of access, safety, and environmental considerations.

Requirements for prevention and/or removal of oxide scale and heat tint should be based on an assessment of the
costs and benefits in a given application. For example heat tint is not a concern in alkaline liquor service.

Weld quality

Welds in stainless alloy piping should in general meet the quality requirements of ANSI/ASME B31.3. Special or
supplementary requirements may be warranted for some service conditions depending on:
x corrosivity
x loading conditions - e.g. vibration, hammer, stock stick-slip phenomena, etc. ANSI/ASME B31.3 provides
guidance on load considerations.
x special surface finish requirements - e.g. headbox approach piping

Accordingly it is difficult to generalize about acceptable levels of weld imperfections which may include:
x cracking
may grow easily by fatigue, not acceptable in ASME pressure piping codes
TIP 0402-26 Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping / 4

x incomplete root penetration

stress raiser for crack initiation
site for fiber/deposit build up which could cause crevice corrosion or release in
clumps causing process problems (e.g. headbox approach piping)
x lack of fusion (embedded)
stress raiser for crack initiation
x porosity, slag (if aligned may be interpreted as a linear defect by some codes)
if embedded are stress raisers
if exposed on the process side are stress raisers and possible sites for
corrosion
x poor root profile (excessive reinforcement, steep merging angle to base metal)
stress raiser for crack initiation
site for fiber hang up
x irregular oxidized root
stress raiser for crack initiation
site for fiber/deposit build up
site for corrosion in some services
Figures 1 - 3 illustrate welds in thin wall stainless steel piping that were not fit for the intended purpose due to
incomplete root penetration. The results were leaking due to corrosion and cracking due to fatigue.

Welding preparation

Avoiding iron contamination

All equipment for the storage, handling, and welding preparation of stainless alloys should be covered or faced
with material that will prevent contamination by carbon steel particles. Grinding or sanding discs previously used
on carbon steel should not be used on stainless alloys. Iron contamination can significantly reduce corrosion
resistance in some alloy/environment cases while in other cases it is not a concern. For example carbon steel
contamination (rust) of stainless alloys is not generally a concern for service in alkaline kraft liquors or on
nonprocess side surfaces (except for appearance).

Cutting and grinding

Machining, sawing, grinding, or plasma cutting are commonly used to cut stainless alloy pipe. If plasma cutting is
used care should be taken to protect the process side of the pipe from spatter. It is good practice to grind or sand
plasma cut edges to remove the hard glassy residue from the cutting process.

Overheating during grinding should be avoided as it can reduce the corrosion resistance in some cases. Only
grinding or sanding discs designed for use with stainless alloys should be used. Grinding or sanding discs
previously used on carbon steel should not be used on stainless alloys .

Cleaning

The weld joint area should be free of burrs, lubricants, grease, paint, filings, and cuttings. Solvent cleaning should
be done with non chlorinated solvents. Tools or materials used to clean joints should not contaminate the stainless
alloy with iron, carbon or other residues. For example wire brushes or steel wool used to clean joints should be
made from austenitic stainless steel which is nonmagnetic and be marked as stainless steel.

Joint Preparation

Joint preparation can influence penetration and weld metal dilution by base metal. An inadequate root gap may
result in incomplete penetration and incomplete mixing of the filler metal with the base metal.
5 / Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping TIP 0402-26

The joint preparation and root gap must be included in the welding procedure specification (WPS).

Fit up

Good fit up of the joint is crucial for high quality welding. Poor fit up can make it difficult for the welder to fuse
both side of the weld root. An unfused root can be a stress raiser for fatigue cracking and/or a site for deposit
formation and corrosion.

Large diameter thin wall pipe and fittings are often out of round and require adjustment during fit up. Joint
alignment can be done with mechanical devices and should be free of depressions and bumps. Heat should not be
used in the alignment of joints where it has been determined that the corrosion resistance of the alloy may be
reduced.

Misalignment tolerances should be specified in consideration of the wall thicknesses involved and the service
requirements. ANSI/ASME B31.3 requires that the inside surfaces of pipe be aligned within the dimensional
tolerances of the welding procedure specification (WPS) but provides no further guidance.

A commonly used guideline for allowable misalignment is 1.6 mm (1/16”). For thin wall pipe (e.g. 10 gauge pipe
with a 3.5 mm wall) this could produce misalignment up to 50% of the pipe wall thickness and present the welder
with a challenge depending on the weld acceptance criteria. British Standard 7475 “ Specification for fusion
welding of austenitic stainless steels” (6) permits 1 mm maximum misalignment for pipe up to 150 mm (6")
diameter and 1.5 mm for pipe of 150 mm diameter or greater.

Welding
Welding -processes

Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), sometimes referred to as TIG welding, generally gives the best quality and is
preferable for the root pass and one or more of the subsequent passes. Subsequent passes can be made by:
x GTAW
x gas metal arc welding (GMAW), sometimes referred to as MIG welding
x flux cored arc welding (FCAW)
x shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)

GMAW and FCAW are sometime referred to generically as wire feed welding, however, the specific terms above
are preferable to avoid confusion.

It is important to note that field installation requires some welds be done "out of position", that is the pipe cannot
be rotated or positioned to facilitate welding. This may limit the applicability of some welding processes. For
example GMAW performed out of position may produce lack of fusion and short circuit mode GMAW (GMAW-S)
is generally not suitable for pressure piping welds.

Welding procedures

Written welding procedures are essential. Section IX "Welding and brazing qualifications" (20) of the ASME
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code lists the welding variables to be included in a welding procedure specification
(WPS) and also defines how the WPS must be qualified. The welding procedure qualification (WPQ) is
documented and is said to support the WPS. The tests involved in qualifying a WPS are given in Section IX which
is referred to by ANSI/ASME B31.3. Thus if B31.3 is mandatory in a given jurisdiction so are the relevant parts
of Section IX.

It should be realized that the WPS and WPQ requirements of ASME Section IX represent minimum mechanical
requirements for pressurized service and it may be necessary to supplement them with additional requirements
relevant to the intended service.- e.g. requirements for corrosion resistance or special surface finish.
TIP 0402-26 Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping / 6

It is good practice to post the welding procedures (and inspection standards) at the job site for ready access by
welders, inspectors, and owner’s personnel.

Welder qualification and certification

Welders should generally be qualified per ASME Section IX which gives minimum requirements for welder
qualification (WQ) in the WPS’s which will be used. A welder may qualify to weld a range of pipe sizes and wall
thicknesses in different positions by passing an appropriate test on a particular pipe in a particular position. If the
welder has not welded to a given WPS in a certain time he is required to requalify in that procedure. For non-
pressurized, non-critical services (e.g. drains) the owner may elect to specify alternative qualification
requirements.

To simplify WPS requirements some jurisdictions and associations have devised “prequalified welding procedures”
which may be used by contractors. Several jurisdictions and associations have also devised welder qualification
schemes in which each welder carries a log book which lists the procedures in which he is currently qualified ( or
certified).

Certification does not necessarily guarantee that welders will be capable of meeting the requirements of a given
job. For difficult welding positions or for severe service welds it may be desirable for welders to be skill tested
using the welding equipment, welding positions and pipe sizes that will be used in the job. Welder qualification
or skill testing on production welds is generally not recommended.

Tack welding

Tack welds that will become part of the final weld should be performed after preweld purging has been completed.
At least 4 tack welds should be made, spaced 90q apart around the pipe. For pipe 250 mm (10”) diameter and
larger tacks should be made at least every 150 mm (6”) and should be long enough to resist weld shrinkage forces
which will try to pull the root closed. The welder should check tack welds for cracking and any cracked tack welds
should be ground out. Before making the root pass tack welds should be free of oxides and both ends should be
ground and tapered to promote complete fusion into the root pass.

Weld root shielding

It is good practice to protect the weld root from oxidation. Severe oxidation of a weld root can lead to lack of
penetration, irregular root profile, and reduction of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties, including
fatigue resistance. Weld heat tint may be acceptable in some services but this depends on the stainless alloy used
and the severity of the corrosion involved.

Inert gas purging

The best way to prevent weld root oxidation is to shield the weld root with an inert gas such as argon. Nitrogen or
nitrogen/hydrogen gas mixtures are also used (Formier gas, 90/10 N2/H2, is commonly used in Europe). It is not
necessary to purge the entire run of pipe if purge dams are used (5). Water soluble purge dams are available for
closure welds in a pipe run.

The WPS should include the minimum purge gas flow rate and purging time for each pipe diameter and purge
dam spacing to be employed. AWS D10.11 (5) may be used as a guideline for argon purging. If nitrogen or
nitrogen /hydrogen gas mixtures are used purge flow rates and/or times will be different than for argon. It is
good practice to post a table of purge gas flow rates and times at the job site if these have not been included in the
posted WPS. Welder skill testing should include the use of root purging.
7 / Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping TIP 0402-26

Purging should be maintained during the root pass and may be required for one or more subsequent passes to
prevent oxidation of the root due to melt-through or heating by the covering passes. As an overall check on
purging the amount of purge gas used daily can be recorded.

Each welder can inspect the weld root visually for oxidation before he closes the root pass.

Portable oxygen monitors are also available to check the concentration of oxygen remaining in a purged volume.
British Standard BS 7475 (6) states:
x less than 1% oxygen is often specified for stainless alloy piping systems
x less than 0.5% oxygen is required to prevent root discoloration ( heat tint) in pipe up to 50 mm ( 2”) diameter
x oxygen levels approaching zero are needed to prevent heat tint in pipe greater than 200 mm ( 8”) diameter.

Reference color charts have been developed which show the heat tint on stainless steel weld roots as a function of
purging gas type and oxygen concentration at the weld root (21, 22). Where it has been established that control of
heat tint is important for corrosion performance, a reference weld or color chart can be used as an acceptance
standard.

Fluxes

Fluxes are available which are intended to protect the weld root from oxygen. They are typically supplied as a dry
powder which is mixed with alcohol to make a paste and then applied on the inside surface of the pipe adjacent to
the weld root and on the faces of the weld preparation. During welding the flux melts and flows over the molten
root and adjacent parent metal.
When mixed and applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions such fluxes are effective in limiting
oxidation of the molten weld root and allowing full penetration welds with good profiles. They are less effective
in preventing heat tint and they leave a flux residue on the root which may be undesirable in some services. Flux
can dry out and fall off the inside surface of the pipe if the pipe is handled roughly during fit up.

When flux is to be used written instructions should be developed and included in the (WPS). Flux should be used
in welder skill testing.

Flux cored and flux coated filler rods

Proprietary filler rods with flux coating or flux cores are also available as an alternative to inert gas purging for
root pass welding. The effectiveness of these fillers depends on welder skill and adherence to the manufacturer's
instructions. For example the pipe wall thickness and the weld root gap can influence performance..

If flux coated or flux cored filler rods are to be used the instructions for their use should be included in the WPS
and they should be used in welder skill testing.

These products are not effective in preventing heat tint of the base metal adjacent to the weld and they leave a flux
residue on the weld root.

Identification of welds

It is good practice to mark each weld with the name or number of the welder. Identification of welds is required by
ANSI/ASME B31.3.

Post weld cleaning

As outlined in the "General considerations" section of this TIP, the nature and extent of post weld cleaning of weld
roots should be based on consideration of the effect on service performance and the cost of cleaning. Complete
TIP 0402-26 Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping / 8

removal of oxide and heat tint may require a combination of mechanical and chemical cleaning. This may be
difficult for long runs of pipe where worker access to the inside is not possible.

The most effective chemical cleaning agents for stainless alloys are pastes, gels, or solutions containing nitric and
hydrofluoric acids. These agents are harmful to human tissue and proper safety precautions should be followed in
their use. In addition most jurisdictions will have environmental regulations governing proper disposal. Safety,
application, and disposal instructions are available from the manufacturers of these products.

Inspection

The requirements for weld inspection methods and scope, hold points, and weld acceptance criteria should be
clearly understood. A pre-job “quality” meeting between the owner (or owner’s representative), the welding
contractor and welders, and inspection personnel can be useful in identifying and resolving differences in
understanding before the work begins.

Some means of dispute resolution should be agreed upon before work begins. The dispute resolution agreement
should address options, responsibilities, and costs for obtaining a second opinion on rejected welds including cut
out of welds for verification of volumetric inspection results (radiographic testing or ultrasonic testing).

Visual (VT) and radiographic testing (RT) are commonly used for circumferential welds in stainless alloy piping.
Ultrasonic testing (UT) is generally limited to thicker wall piping, e.g. for wall thickness greater than about 5mm
(0.2”).

Visual examination

VT should be performed to ensure the fit up meets alignment and gap requirements.

The root side of all circumferential butt welds should be visually examined by the welder before the root is closed.
This requires a flashlight if the root is not readily visible from one end of the pipe. Larger diameter pipe may be
inspected from the inside but this usually requires a confined space entry procedure.

Each weld pass can be visually examined from the outside for freedom from cracking, slag, porosity, and undercut.
In addition the final weld pass should be examined for a smooth transition to base metal. Visual examination
should always precede volumetric examination (RT, UT).

Visual examination can be performed for weld root oxidation and heat tint if this is a specification requirement.
And some weld roots are accessible.

Radiographic examination

RT is performed to detect cracks, incomplete penetration, lack of fusion, porosity, and slag . Root oxidation can
be detected by RT if it is severe enough to result in incomplete penetration, “sugaring”, fissuring, or “grapes”.

Extent of inspection

Each welder’s first two production welds should be inspected using the inspection techniques that have been
specified. If these welds are acceptable subsequent welds should be inspected at random so that some percentage
of each welder’s work or total weld length is inspected - 5 to 10% is not uncommon. ANSI/ASME B31.3
paragraph 341.3.4 provides for increasing the extent of examination when defects are revealed.

ANSI/ASME B31.3 is a useful guide to inspection requirements and may be mandatory in some jurisdictions.
However, it is not adequate simply to reference B31.3 as the extent of inspection depends on the fluid service
designation determined by the owner. The owner is free to increase the extent of inspection as part of the
9 / Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping TIP 0402-26

engineering specification but cannot decrease it if this code is mandatory. The table below summarizes the
approach taken. Reference should be made to B31.3 for further details.

Fluid Service Definition Examination

category D non-flammable
non-toxic
not damaging to human tissues
design pressure d 1 MPa (150 psig)
-28qC t design T d 186qC
(-20qF t design T d 366q F)
normal fluid fluid service not classified as category D,M,
service severe cyclic, or high pressure.
category M potential for personnel exposure judged to
be significant
single exposure to a small quantity of the
fluid can cause serious irreversible harm
VT only required
extent is that necessary to satisfy the examiner
see paragraph 341.4.2 of B31.3
VT plus either RT or UT required
extent is a minimum of 5% of fabrication
covering the work of each welder or welding
operator
see paragraph 341.4.1 of B31.3
VT plus either RT or UT required
extent of VT is 100%
extent of RT or UT is a minimum of 20%
see paragraph M341.4 of B31.3

severe cyclic the displacement stress range, Se, due to VT plus RT

bending and torsional stresses exceeds 0.8 extent of VT and RT is 100%
of the allowable displacement stress range, UT may be substituted for RT if specified in
SA the engineering design
see paragraph 341.4.3 of B31.3
and the number of full displacement cycles
during the expected life of the system
exceeds 7,000
high pressure service for which the owner specifies the VT plus RT
use of B31.3 chapter IX extent of both is 100%
UT cannot be substituted for RT
high pressure is defined as greater than that see paragraph K341.4 of B31.3
allowed by ASME B16.5 "Pipe flanges and
fittings" Class 2000 rating for the specified
design pressure and temperature

Acceptance criteria

ANSI/ASME B31.3 includes acceptance criteria for each of the fluid service categories. The owner can specify
more stringent requirements, weighing the added cost and benefits, but cannot relax the B31.3 acceptance criteria
if this code is mandatory. If B31.3 is not mandatory the owner can specify the acceptance criteria based on an
assessment of fitness for service.

Typical acceptance criteria for general stock line applications of thin wall stainless steel pipe are given below.
These do not meet all of the requirements of B31.3 but have been found to be useful in practice.

x misalignment
less than or equal to 50% of the pipe wall thickness providing both sides of the joint are fused and the requirements
or incomplete penetration are met
TIP 0402-26 Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping / 10

x incomplete penetration
less than 20 mm (3/4”) length of continuous incomplete penetration in 150 mm ( 6”) of weld
or a total of 20 mm of separated occurrences of incomplete penetration in 6” of weld.

x underfill
underfill to a maximum of 20% of the pipe wall thickness provided both sides of the joint have been fused and the
underfill has rounded contour.

x root protrusion
root protrusion less than or equal to 2.4 mm (3/32”) provided the root profile is smooth so as not to act as a stress
raiser

ANSI/ASME B31.3 does not address weld root oxidation or heat tint. If control of weld root oxidation or heat tint
has been specified then an appropriate reference weld or color chart can be used as a comparator for inspection.

Keywords

Welding, Stainless steels, Nickel alloys, Corrosion, Inspection, Piping

Additional information

Effective date of issue: January 4, 1999.

Craig Reid, Chairman
Dave Bennett
John Grocki
Bob Charlton
Steve Meiley
Arthur Tuthill
Ralph Davison
Max Moskal
Paul Whitcraft
Harry Dykstra

References

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Richard E. Avery and A.H. Tuthill. Nickel Development Institute Publication 11 007. Toronto, 1992.
2. Metals and their weldability. Volume 4 of the Welding Handbook, 7th edition. Miami, American Welding
Society, 1982.
3. Welding processes. Volume 2 of the Welding Handbook, 8th edition. Miami, American Welding Society,
1991.
4. ASME Code for pressure piping, B31.3:Process piping. ANSI/ASME B31.3. New York, The American
Society of Mechanical Engineers.
5. Recommended practices for root pass welding and gas purging. ANSI/AWS Standard D10.11. Miami,
American Welding Society.
6. Specification for fusion welding of austenitic stainless steels. British Standard BS 7475. London, British
Standards Institution.
7. Corrosion, by D.F. Bowers. Chapter 10 (pp. 349-407) in Mill control & control systems: quality & testing,
environmental, corrosion, electrical. Volume 9 of Pulp and Paper Manufacture,3rd edition. Atlanta, TAPPI,
1992.
8. Corrosion in the pulp and paper industry, edited by Andrew Garner. Pages 1187-1220 in Corrosion. Volume
13 of the Metals Handbook, 9th edition. Metals Park, Ohio, ASM International, 1987.
11 / Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping TIP 0402-26

9. Stainless steels for pulp and paper manufacturing. Washington, D.C., Committee of Iron and Steel Producers
of the American Iron and Steel Institute, 1982. Distributed by the Nickel Development Institute. Currently
being revised.
10. Corrosion behavior of welded stainless steel by T.G. Gooch. Welding Journal :Welding Research Supplement,
May 1996, pp. 135s-154s
11. Corrosion behavior of stainless steel, nickel base alloy and titanium weldments in chlorination and chlorine
dioxide bleaching by Arthur Tuthill, Richard Avery, and Andrew Garner, 7th International Symposium on
Corrosion in the Pulp and Paper Industry, Orlando, 1992, pp.67-86. Atlanta, TAPPI, 1992.
12. Austenitic stainless steels: welding must take account of service conditions by T. Boniszewski. Metals and
Materials, December 1978/January 1979, pp.41-47.
13. The manufacture of welded stainless steel tubing for maximum corrosion resistance in kraft evaporators by
S.E. Doughty and W.J. Comerford Tappi Journal, vol.44 no.9 (September 1961), pp. 609-613.
14. GTAW root pass welding of 6% molybdenum austenitic stainless steel pipe - open root joint with hand fed
filler. Tappi TIP 0402-20. Atlanta, Tappi Press, 1994.
15. Fabrication and post fabrication cleanup of stainless steels by Arthur H. Tuthill , Nickel Development Institute
Publication 10 004, Toronto, 1989.
16. Effect of some surface treatments on corrosion of stainless steel by G.E. Coates. CORROSION '90 Paper
#539. Houston, NACE International, 1990.
17. Effect of post weld cleaning on corrosion resistance of austenitic and duplex stainless steel weldments in
bleach plant service by D.W. Christie. 7th International Symposium on Corrosion in the Pulp and Paper
Industry, Orlando, 1992, pp.87-95. Atlanta, TAPPI, 1992.
18. Welding of duplex stainless steel. Tappi TIP in press 1998..
19. Qualification of duplex stainless steel welds. Tappi TIP in preparation 1998.
20. ASME Boiler and pressure vessel code section IX: qualification standard for welding and brazing procedures,
welders, brazers, and welding operators. New York, American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
21. Root surface quality requirements - high efficiency purging or pickling? By J. Vagn Hansen, T.S. Nielsen, and
P. Aastrup. Paper 46 in volume 2 of Duplex 94: 4th International conference on duplex stainless steels,
Glasgow, 1994. Cambridge, Abington Publishing, 1995.
22. Reference colour charts - for purging gas in stainless steel tubes by J. Vagn Hansen. FORCE Institute report
94.34. Copenhagen, FORCE Institute, 1994.
TIP 0402-26 Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping / 12

Figure 1. Inside surface of a circumferential butt weld in a 316L stainless steel stock line in corrosive paper
machine white water service. The butt weld was made with flux for root protection and was not fully penetrated.
The crevice in the root combined with flux residue and weld heat tint resulted in severe corrosion and leaking.

Figure 2. Leaking at a weld in 316L stainless steel thin gauge pipe due to incomplete root penetration and
corrosion.
13 / Guidelines for welding and inspection of stainless alloy piping TIP 0402-26

Figure 3. External repairs made to fatigue cracking which initiated at an incompletely penetrated root in a paper
machine stock line weld. Such external repairs are temporary as fatigue cracking will persist if root imperfections
and cyclic loading remain. Note that the cracking has diverged into the base metal.