STUDY ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HARDFACING WELD USING THE

CARBIDE COMPOSITE CORE WIRE

Ionelia VOICULESCU1, Daniela IOVANAS 2, Victor Geanta1, Horia BINCHICIU3,
1
University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania Welding Department and Materials
Science Department,
2
Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania Welding and Materials Science
Department,
3
SC SUDOTIM AS SRL Timioara, Romania
Abstract. Hardfacing is primarily used to restore worn part to usable
condition in order to extend the service life. Increased hardness does not
always mean better wear resistance or longer service life. The paper intends
to analyze the characteristics of hardfacing weld obtained using two different
welding process, GMAW and SMAW for restoring the agricultural tools.
Practice has revealed a great difference between the wear of different soils
and the fact that wear varies as the soil is wet or dry. Because of this it is
necessary to carry out trials to establish the best type of consumable.
The paper presents some investigation regarding the hard deposit made by
TIG and GMAW procedure, using a special composite core wire. The
composite core contains WC carbide, with different average diameter, and a
mixture of podwer containing FeSi4, FeMn1, FeCr4.4, FeTi1.1, FeW65,
Ni99.5, in different procentage. The microscopic analyze can enhanced the
dillution phenomena extension and the carbide configuration into the harddeposit, using different parameters value at welding. The wear tests and
microhardness tests, compared with the data of effective wear measured in
soils tests, help to understand the weld behavior and the advantages offers
by the new carbide composite core consumable.
Keywords: hard faced, bi-metal, agricultural tools.
1. INTRODUCTION
Practice has revealed a great difference between the wear effect in different soils
type and the fact that the wear varies if the soil is wet or dry [1, 2]. Because of this, it
may be necessary to carry out trials to establish the best type of consumable [3].
The main components of agricultural tools (active elements like plough
mouldboards, grain discs etc.) are supposed to extensive abrasive wear process
because of the grinding effects of earth. The experiments made by INMA Institute from
Bucharest, shows that the plough mouldboard may be considered out of order if the
thickness edge increase from 1 to 1,5 mm for the new element at 3 to 4 mm, then the
plough dont work satisfactory [4,5].
A new plough, made from a homogenous material, used in medium abrasive and
humidified soil, failed completely after 25 - 30 ha and can support three successive
sharpening (fig. 1). As the discs are made of hardenable steel, it is recommended to
preheat to 350 400 oC and grind the convex side of the disc before hardfacing 20 30
mm back from the edge with weave inwards [6]. The discs are mounted symmetrical on
the both side of the device arms, with 8 pieces on the each part.

Fig. 1. Plough mouldboards mounted on the agricultural equipment.

Fig. 2. Discs mounted on the agricultural equipment.

2. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
2.1. Consumables
The consumables have been elaborated as tubular steel wire (table 1) and
tubular rod, with a special core made containing various carbide percentages (FeSi4,
FeMn1, FeCr4.4, FeTi1.1, FeW65, Ni99.5, table 2). The core recipe was elaborated in
accordance with the requirements determined from an extensive research program of
dosage, pressing and testing of experimental laboratory electrodes. The consumable
was carried out as tubular rode 5,2 6 mm diameter with composite core, average
carbide diameter of 500m and tubular wire 2,4 mm diameter having thin carbide
composite core, average carbide diameter of 5-20m (fig. 1).

a)
b)
Fig. 1. Consumables for hardfacing. a) tubular rod; b) tubular wire.

Table 1
The average composition of electrodes metallic wall
Chemical composition (%)
Steel Type
C
Mn
S max
Pmax
Standardized
Max.0,19
Max.0,85
0,025
0,030
TDA
Measured
0,11
0,65
0,020
0,028
values
Table 2
The recipe of composite core
Consumable
Tubular
rod
Tubular wire

Materials type
FeCr6

FeTi60

FeSi45

FeV50

WC

FeSi4

FeMn1

FeCr4.4

FeTi1.1

FeW65

Ni99,5

WC Graphite

2.2. Equipments
The welding took place under direct current electrode negative polarity, using
COMBIWIG 3000DC as a welding source. The nonconsumable electrode material used
was thoriated tungsten (5%Th) in order to minimize tungsten contamination in the hard
deposit, and argon was used as shielding gas. For MMA process, SAXO 5 SAF-FRO
welding equipment was used under direct current electrode positive polarity.
The microscopic analyze using a HITACHI S2600 EDS Microscope, has
enhanced the dillution phenomena extension into the hard-deposit for different values of
welding parameters. The structural features was also investigated using a INSPECT S
SEM electronical microscope.
Microhardness measurements was made using Shimadzu Microhardness HMV
2T Tester, using 2.943N force value and 10 seconds measurement time.

2.3. Welding Parameters

The welding parameters values for the two types of consumables are presented
in table 3.
Table 3
The welding parameters
Gaz flow,
Welding
Current,
Voltage,
l/min
speed,
Sample
A
V
mm/sec
8
2.2
103
28
8
2.4
105
28
Tubular rod
108
30
8
2.5
8
3.1
140 - 150
40
8
2.2
110
32
Tubular wire
8
2.1
108
30
Covered
1.5
80 - 85
24
electrode

3. Results
3.1. Geometrical characteristics
For the deposits on hardenable steel with composite core tubular rod, the
welding regime parameters must be adapted to the basic materials physical-chemical
characteristics, attempting to limit the heat introduced as much as possible. Also, the
values of welding current and welding velocities can influence the geometry of
deposition (fig. 2, table 4).

Fig. 2. The geometry of hard deposition on plough mouldboard.

The agricultural discs were hardfaced by two circular layers. First layer was
deposited using MMA process and covered electrode type CROMOBAZ and second
layer was deposited using GMAW technique using tubular rode electrode with carbide
composite core (fig. 3).

Fig. 3. Discs hardfaced during processing stages.

After welding, samples were sectioned using an automatically device (TR 100
EVOLUTION cutting machine) and different welded zones was mounted in red phenol
resin, then were grinded, polished, and etched for optical and electronically microscopy
analyze (fig. 4).

Fig. 4. Samples prepared for microscopically investigation.

The geometrical appearances was measured and the relative depth, average
height and relative weld penetration was calculated (tab. 4).
Table 4
The geometry of hard deposit
Relative depth,
Average height of melted
Relative
penetration,
metallic bath,
Hr
p
h
17.21%

38.52%

8.18%

Were:

H
100%
B
F F0
h
B
F0
p
100%
BH
Hr

(1)
(2)
(3)

3.2. Microhardness and wear

To ensure a deposit with adequate Cr and W carbides content, knowing these
elements quickly dissolve and melt in the electric arc, the welding current had lower
values. Micro-hardness measurements were performed on the deposits characteristic
area that is the parent material, the HAZ (Heat Affected Zone) and the weld. The HV0.3
micro-hardness average values for different type of samples are presented in Table 5
and 6. The wear loss resulted from working experimentation are presented in fig. 5.
Table 5
The microhardness HV0.3 values for weld deposit on disc
Samples
Average microhardness HV0.3 values
Average
HRC of
Base
HAZ
Weld
weld
material
Tubular rod
369
552
628
56,8
Tubular
431
391
572
53,6
wire

Table 6
The microhardness HV0.3 values for weld deposit on plough mouldboard
Samples
Average microhardness HV0.3 values
Average
HRC of
Base
HAZ
Weld
weld
material
Tubular rod
240
320
775
63.1
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

EL1

EL1 ET6 EL5 SL5 STn

ET6

EL5

SL5

Plough - P 5;

STn

M
M

Plough - P 2;

EL3 ET6 ET6 EL4 EL2 EL2 SL5 STn

EL3

ET6

Plough - P 4;

ET6

EL4

EL2

Plough - P 3;

EL2

SL5

M
STn

Plough - P 1

Fig. 5.The evolution of metal losses during earth working.

3.3. Metallographic analyze
Depending on the hardfacing procedures used, in the welds melted metal bath
the tungsten carbide particles are partially dissolved, thus creating around them a
diffusion area, which establishes an interface with the embedded metallic matrix. The
diffusion area contains components of both the tungsten carbide and the metallic matrix
resulted from the melting of the tubular electrode.
Partially dissolved carbides occur at the TIG metal arc welding using special
tubular electrode, for 25 % W carbide in composite core, dimensions of 10 15m (Fig.
6). The carbide granulation influences the dissolving phenomena, meaning that for the
tungsten carbides powders with granulation less than 25 m, the dissolving rate is more
accelerated (fig. 7).

Fig. 6. The distribution of the large carbides into weld deposit.

Fig. 7. SEM microscopy and EDS image of weld deposit with partially dissolved
interface between carbide and embedded metallic matrix, x1600.
4. Conclusions
Since the tungsten carbides quickly dissolve into the melted material at
temperatures over 1473 K, the electric arc is not always recommended for facing.
From the experiments performed, one can notice that the adherence and wear
resistance of the deposited layers metallic matrix are determined by the dimension of
composite powders grains and the welding parameters.
The best microhardness values are obtained then tubular rod with composite
core is used, for TIG welding process. In the case of tubular wire with composite core,
the microhardness values are dependent on the average diameter of carbides and
energy used in welding process.
The microstructure of the welds seems to be comparables with the tool steel,
with the dispersed carbides surrounded by reinforced metallic matrix.
For the plough mouldboard tools, the optimal behaviour in working conditions is
obtaining if the welding traces are parallel with the active edge.
Acknowledgements
The research work is financially supported by the CEEX Romanian Program in
the framework of the Project No. 298/2006 Materials and Innovative technologies for
increasing the durability of the active elements from the agricultural machinery,
acronym - DURAG.
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