SAW Welding Flux Manufacturing and Quality Control Acceptance Test Check List - From A To Z by WESPEC - PDF 2022

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WESPEC (https://wespec.net) > Welding Flux Manufacturing
Welding Flux Manufacturing
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fLUX-1024x402.png)
1) Review Relevant Product Standards
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Welding Flux Manufacturing - from A to Z by WESPEC https://wespec.net/welding-flux-manufacturing/
2) Review Relevant Formulation & Specification Of

Product
 2-1) Powder
 2-2) Binder
3) Prepare Raw Materials Based On Spec
4) Qc Of Raw Materials Before Manufacturing
5) Manufacturing of Welding Flux
6) QC of Final Product
INTRODUCTION
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Welding Flux production process includes the following steps: Dry and
Wet mixing based on a formula, Granulating, pre-baking, sieving, Baking.
The grain size of the final product and shape condition of ingredients will
be vary based on each welding flux (https://wespec.net/sub-arc-fluxes/).
Submerged Arc Welding was discovered in the year 1935 by

Rothermund and Jones, Kennedy. This welding can be operated in semi-
automatic mode otherwise in automatic mode. But generally, the
operation of this SAW can be done in automatic mode. The submerged-
arc welding method is fixed and extremely adaptable. This kind of
welding involves in arranging the arc among a constantly fed electrode
as well as the workpiece. A layer of powdered flux generates a protecting
gas shield as well as a slag to protect the weld region. The arc can be
submerged below the flux layer & in general, is not noticeable throughout
the welding process. In this, the weld quality is extensively influenced by
the submerged arc welding fluxe quality.
In This Section, we describe the process of manufacturing agglomerated

arc welding fluxes.
SAW FLUX PRODUCTION FLOWCHART
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1) Review Relevant Product Standards
It is necessary to find out what are the standards for determining the
quality of a product. This is because WESPEC guarantees the final
quality of the product and its compliance with relevant standards.For this
flux the relevant standards are as follows. Each of these standards has
specific guidelines for conducting quality assurance tests.
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2) Review Relevant Formulation & Specification Of

Product
Each product has its own production formulation and also instruction for
manufacturing process(figure I1).In addition, the specifications of the raw
materials are presented in the SPEC sheet as belows.
FIG I1
2-1) Powder (Fig B):
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Each welding flux can contain an average, 10 to 20 types of Minerals,

Chemicals, Metals, Ferroalloys. The specification sheet of each powder
consist properties of the powder, including chemical analysis, sieve
analysis, density, humidity, LOI, ASH that are shown in the related figure.
It should be noted that even a final grain flux must be included all the
initial powders. This characteristic will result in the welding process
having all the raw materials present in the weld pool and they will do their
duties according to their functions including Alloying, Slag making,
Refining (figure I3).
FIG B
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2-2) Binder (Fig C):
The main task of the binder is to paste the raw material particles together to
make a welding flux ingredient. These groups of materials are mainly from
sodium and potassium silicate compounds.
FIG C
FIG I3
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3) Prepare Raw Materials Based On Spec:
WESPEC has information about all approved suppliers of raw material

around the world. We can advise you in purchasing raw materials based
on spec.
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4) Qc Of Raw Materials Before Manufacturing:
The verification of the quality of raw material requires relevant tests. In

fact, it can be better to say that by checking one by one item listed on the
raw material spec sheet. The procedure is that after preparing the
powder according to the spec, the prepared powders are referred to the
laboratory in order to determine their quality. These results will be
aggregated into one sheet for the final decision (figure D).
FIG D
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4-1)Chemical Analysis:
Different methods are used in reputable laboratories for the quantitative

and qualitative analysis of the compounds and chemical elements of
Organic, Inorganic, Metallic powders, and Binders used in the production
of welding flux.
These include the use of Xrf – Xrd – Atomic Absorbtion – CS-ON

equipment. The following image shows an overview of the XRF
application in rutile flour powder analysis( figure E).
FIG E
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4-2)Grain Size Test (Sieve Analysis):
Different methods are used to control the grain size of the powder. For
coarse powders, sieve analysis is used while for fine powders, laser
particle size method is common (Figure F). Proper grain size of the raw
materials will direct effect in the final welding flux grain size(figure I).The
result of this test will insert in a graph like To compare with the approved
range.
FIG F
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FIG I
4-3)Physico-Chemical Tests:
Other parameters that affect the quality of the raw materials are as
follows (it should be checked due to the spec sheet):

.Density &Bulk density
.LOI (loss of ignition)
.ASH
.Humidity or moisture (physical water & chemical water)(figure H)
.Stabilize range (SR)
.Viscosity (figure G)
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.Baume
.Molar ratio

One of the important issues in the production of welding flux is LOI. This
parameter is used to identify the amount of released gases during
welding. If harmful gases produce over the limit, part of the gas will not
be able to remove from the weld pool. This will result in gas holes in the
weld metal and slag (figure A15).
The method of this test is to measure certain amount of powder and then
heating at 900 ° C for 2 hours (according to ASTM). After this time the
powder will be reweighed. The difference between the primary and
secondary weights will indicate the amount of gas phases (Figure J).
FIG H
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FIG G
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FIG A15
FIG J
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5) Manufacturing Of Welding Flux With In-Line Qc :
This section describes the various parts of the agglomerate welding flux
manufacturing units and their tasks. Similar to the covered electrode
manufacturing process, the quality plan of this process can also be
designed and implemented by the WESPEC.
As shown in (Figure A3), each equipment is displayed with a code. The

names of these units and their tasks are as follows:
FIG A3
FIG A3
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5-1)Entering Raw Materials Into the Mixer:
Raw materials for the production of welding flux include dry powders,
binders, and water. According to (Figure A3), dry raw materials are fed
into the mixer by the force of suction with PLC system instructions. In the
absence of dry powder transfer equipment, it is also possible to manually
weigh the raw materials and transfer them to the mixer by manpower.
Required binders are transferred from the storage tanks to the mixer by a
fluid transfer system. Similarly, also water has the same process.
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Due to priority in charging the material to the mixer, The first one is
entering the dry powders to dry mixing step, then by adding water and
binder wet mixing would be done.
5-2) Mixer (Figure B3 and Code C in the Figure A3):
The mixer is designed to be able to adjust the angle to the surface.This

capability is important because after dry mixing and during wet mixing
the initial granulation and grain sizing is performing by decreasing or
increasing the angle of the mixer.
The next important point is the rotation of the mixer pot in the opposite
direction of the mixer blade due to the proper movement of the powders.
In addition, a scraper blade is provided to remove the materials from the
wall and preventing them to adhesion to the inner body of the
mixer.Mixing time, pot angle, speed of the blade and other parameters
are according to the instructions and controlled by PLC system.
FIG B3
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5-3) Rotating Table (Code D in Figure A3):
This equipment is used for transferring the wet mixed powders from the
mixer to the granulator.

5-4) Granulator (Figure C3 and Code E in Figure A3):
The main task of this equipment is to granulate the powder. Based on the
engineering fact, changing the granulator angle can affect the size of the
powders. The granulator angle is directly related to the grain size. In
addition, the inlet load and rotation speed have also a direct effect on the
grain size.
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FIG C3
5-5) Rotary Drying Furnace (Figure D3 and Code F in Figure A3):
This equipment is responsible for initial heating and reducing the

moisture content of the powder to remove physical water and other
volatile compounds at low temperatures. The operating temperature of
this equipment is in the range of 80 to 300 C and has a spiral and
annular inner surface for powder extraction. The end of the furnace has
been designed with special geometry to maintain and transfer flux. The
furnace is about 5 to 6 meters in length. This gas furnace is heated by
mounted torches in various locations.
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FIG D3
5-6) Helica1 (Vibrating Screw Conveyor)(Figure E3 and Code G1 in

Figure A3):
Due to the screw structure inside the helica and the vibration force
applied by the two motors, the granulation operation is applied to the
powders as well as The transition to the next stage takes longer.
FIG E3
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5-7) Sieve1 and crusher1 and 2 (figure F3 and code H1 and T1 and T2 in
figure A3 ):
The equipment is adjusted vertically in line. The past powders from sieve
1 are stored directly into the silo and the coarse powders left on the sieve
are sent to the crusher 1 and 2 to get the proper size. The crushed
powders are resend into helia1 and then poured onto sieve 1 again.
The crusher 1 has a abrasive plate structure, and the crusher 2 is

designed as spindle adjustable rollers. According to (figure F3).
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FIG F3
5-8) Helica2 (Vibrating Screw Conveyor) (Figure E3 and Code G2 in

Figure A3):
Helica 2 is similar to helica 1 in structure and function. This equipment is

responsible for transferring flux from sieve 1 to storage silo.

5-9) Storage Silo (Code I in Figure A3):
Before the final baking stage, we need stop condition for the next steps .
The benefit of this method is that it is possible to store the flux before
entering the final baking. This will allow planning the furnace operation
time and subsequent steps.

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5-10) Rotating Baking Furnace (Figure D3 and Code J in Figure A3):
The operating temperature of this gas furnace is in the range of 700 to

850 ° C. The structure is similar to a preheating furnace with a spiral wall
and heat transferring through the various locations. the end of the
furnace has a specific geometry for holding and overflowing it. Another
important factor is baking time, according to the baking instruction, the
time will be in the range of 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5-11) Conveyor with Vibrating and Cooling System (Code k in Figure A3):
The flux removed from the baking oven will move on the conveyor, while
being directed to the final sieve section. This conveyor is equipped with a
cool water system to reduce the temperature and has a vibrator system
to move the powder to the helica3.

5-12) Helica3 (Vibrating Screw Conveyor)(Figure E3 and Code G3 in

Figure A3):
This equipment is responsible for transferring the flux from the conveyor
to the final sieve.

5-13) Sieve for Filtering Large Size Particles (CodeL in Figure A3):
This sieve has the task of separating the coarse grains in the flux if
leftover and adding it to the powders used in the production process at
the beginning of the Helica 1 to achieve the desired grain size by
crushing them.

5-14) Sieves for Filtering Out of Size Particles & Sieves for Save Proper
Size Particles (Codes H2 & H3 in Figure A3):
The fluxes that will transfer to sieve L, will be cross over, but out of range
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fluxes will be retained on sieve L till re-crushing in stage T2 & T3. The
finished product that will transfer to storage silo will be those ingredients
that cross over Sieve H2 and remain on the sieve H3.
It should be noted that the size of the sieve 1, 2 and 3 for each product is
unique and They will install on the production line.

5-15)Collector of Fine Powders Rejected From Last sieve (code M in

Figure A3):
If fine powders pass through sieve 3, They will go to the surface of the
fine powders collector. According to the production instruction of each
powder, the specific weight of remain fine flux would be added to the final
product.

5-16) Final Storage Silo (CodeN in FigureA3)
According to the PLC system, The flux in this silo is transported directly
into the packing bags.The type of packing can be different depending on
the properties of the flux and customer requirements. For example, basic
welding flux are sensitive to moisture absorption and require moisture-
resistant packaging. Other packing methods can also be used to pack
large amounts of flux.
6)QC of Final Welding Flux
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welding flux qualification is one of the most important steps in the flux
manufacturing plant. At this stage, it is necessary to perform all tests that
are defined in the relevant standards, but in some cases regarding
customer requirements, we could have simulation, including welding in
different conditions.
These tests are as follows:

6-1) Humidity Test:
The moisture content of the flux after the final baking is a very important
qualitative parameter. This item is usually mentioned in the specification
sheet wich called Physical Water Extracted at 120 ° C and Chemical
Water Extracted at 1000 ° C.

6-2) Welding Performance & Visual Test of Weld (VT):
At this stage, to check the quality of the product, welding is performed in

different conditions. Visual test is also performed to control the following
items:
.Shape of beads
.Penetration rate
.Convexity and concavity of weld beads
.Slag detachability
.Checking the possible defects like porosity, undercut, crack, spatter,

worm holes, etc.

6-3) Destructive and Non-Destructive Tests & Chemical & Microstructural

Tests:
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each welding flux has its own quality parameters defined in its own
standard. For example, for the F7A2-EM12K wire and powder, these
parameters are defined in AWS A5.23 (figure J3).
FIG J3
The standard also provides precise definitions of the required tests and
how they are performed (figure K3).
FIG K3
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These tests include:

6-3-1) Destructive Test of Weld Metal:
.Tensile test
.Impact test
.Hardness test
.Bend test
.Wear test
.Fatigue test
.CTOD
.Hydrogen test

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6-3-2) Non Destructive Test of Weld Metal:
.VT
.PT
.MT
.UT
.RT

6-3-3) Chemical Analysis and Phase Analysis of Weld Metal:
.XRF
.XRD
.CS
.Atomic Absorption
.ON (Oxygen & Nitrogen Detector)
.Spectrophotometry

6-3-4) Microstructural Study Tests:
.Microstructural study with light microscope
.Microstructural study with SEM
.Microstructural study with TEM

6-3-5) Corrosion and Erosion Tests According to Need:
The number of these tests is very high and only requires those that are
defined by the relevant standard or are able to pass these tests as
required by the customer.
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There are many tests to determine the corrosion and erosion resistance
of weld metal. It is important to note that the tests defined in the
standards need to be performed.
6-4) Tests for Welding Flux Qualification:

6-4-1)Density test of flux
6-4-2)Grain size test of flux
6-4-3)Basicity index
6-4-1)Basicity index
Basicity is commonly used to describe the metallurgical behavior of

welding flux. The basicity index is a ratio between basic and acid
compounds (oxides and fluorides) of which the flux is composed.
There are several ways of calculating basicity and in welding

Boniszewski’s formula has become the predominant way of calculating
basicity.
Welding fluxes can be divided into three groups:
Type of welding flux Basicity
Acid fluxes <0.9
Neutral fluxes 0.9 – 1.2
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Basic fluxes >1.2
Basicity has a great influence on the impact toughness of the weld metal.
Increasing basicity brings down the oxygen content and hence the
inclusion level in the weld metal. Consequently, the impact toughness will
increase and also, to a limited extent, the ductility of the weld metal.
The relation between basicity and impact toughness is particularly

important for high alloyed grades, such as duplex steels.
Perhaps the most convenient method of classifying, however, is by

reference to the ‘basicity index’ (BI) of the flux. The index is calculated by
dividing the sum of the percentages of the basic constituents by the sum
of the acid constituents. Calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and
manganese oxides, calcium carbonate, and calcium fluoride are the
basic constituents of a flux; silica and alumina the acid constituents.
At the final stage of the quality control plan for welding flux, the results of
the tests are recorded in the final specification sheet of manufactured
powder (figure L3) and compared with the SPEC sheet.
Sometimes, depending on customer requirements, Tests are defined that

simulate the service conditions of the welded parts.
A manufacturing company does not need to supply all of these

equipment, it can outsource them to laboratories for quality certification.
The frequency of sampling, reporting and refining the results of these

tests in the implementation of the quality management system will be
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fully performed by the WESPEC .
FIG L3
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WESPEC (https://wespec.net) > Welding Flux Manufacturing

Welding Flux Manufacturing

1) Review Relevant Product Standards

2) Review Relevant Formulation & Specification Of

3) Prepare Raw Materials Based On Spec

4) Qc Of Raw Materials Before Manufacturing

5) Manufacturing of Welding Flux

Submerged Arc Welding was discovered in the year 1935 by

In This Section, we describe the process of manufacturing agglomerated

SAW FLUX PRODUCTION FLOWCHART

1) Review Relevant Product Standards

2) Review Relevant Formulation & Specification Of

2-1) Powder (Fig B):

Each welding flux can contain an average, 10 to 20 types of Minerals,

2-2) Binder (Fig C):

3) Prepare Raw Materials Based On Spec:

WESPEC has information about all approved suppliers of raw material

4) Qc Of Raw Materials Before Manufacturing:

The verification of the quality of raw material requires relevant tests. In

Different methods are used in reputable laboratories for the quantitative

These include the use of Xrf – Xrd – Atomic Absorbtion – CS-ON

4-2)Grain Size Test (Sieve Analysis):

.Density &Bulk density

.LOI (loss of ignition)

.Humidity or moisture (physical water & chemical water)(figure H)

.Stabilize range (SR)

5) Manufacturing Of Welding Flux With In-Line Qc :

As shown in (Figure A3), each equipment is displayed with a code. The

5-1)Entering Raw Materials Into the Mixer:

5-2) Mixer (Figure B3 and Code C in the Figure A3):

The mixer is designed to be able to adjust the angle to the surface.This

5-3) Rotating Table (Code D in Figure A3):

5-4) Granulator (Figure C3 and Code E in Figure A3):

5-5) Rotary Drying Furnace (Figure D3 and Code F in Figure A3):

This equipment is responsible for initial heating and reducing the

5-6) Helica1 (Vibrating Screw Conveyor)(Figure E3 and Code G1 in

The crusher 1 has a abrasive plate structure, and the crusher 2 is

5-8) Helica2 (Vibrating Screw Conveyor) (Figure E3 and Code G2 in

Helica 2 is similar to helica 1 in structure and function. This equipment is

5-9) Storage Silo (Code I in Figure A3):

5-10) Rotating Baking Furnace (Figure D3 and Code J in Figure A3):

The operating temperature of this gas furnace is in the range of 700 to

5-12) Helica3 (Vibrating Screw Conveyor)(Figure E3 and Code G3 in

5-15)Collector of Fine Powders Rejected From Last sieve (code M in

5-16) Final Storage Silo (CodeN in FigureA3)

6)QC of Final Welding Flux

These tests are as follows:

6-1) Humidity Test:

6-2) Welding Performance & Visual Test of Weld (VT):

At this stage, to check the quality of the product, welding is performed in

.Convexity and concavity of weld beads

.Checking the possible defects like porosity, undercut, crack, spatter,

6-3) Destructive and Non-Destructive Tests & Chemical & Microstructural

These tests include:

6-3-1) Destructive Test of Weld Metal:

6-3-2) Non Destructive Test of Weld Metal:

6-3-3) Chemical Analysis and Phase Analysis of Weld Metal: