Element transfer, microhardness and metallurgical analysis of weld-bead using CaF₂ - CaO - Al₂O₃ - BaO fluxes

This study investigates the influence of shielded metal arc welding electrode coating flux on microhardness, microstructure and element transfer. A series of multi-pass bead-on-plate studies were conducted using laboratory-developed electrodes. The flux composition has shown a significant effect on all the responses. An increase in Al2O3 and BaO has shown a positive influence on nickel transfer, whereas an increase in CaO reduces nickel transfer. The slag detachability was found good for ratio CaF2:CaO:Al2O3:: 1.76:0.73:0.51. Energy dispersive spectroscopy has shown inclusions rich in aluminum and oxygen with trace amounts of Ca, Mn, Ti and Si. Artificial neural network models have been developed and then compared to conventional regression predictions.