Common Welding Rods for Welders: A Detailed List with Explanation

Welding “rods” is a common expression used by welders instead of “electrodes” and is popular among welders. Let’s learn about all the different welding rods which are commonly used in the industry.

Common Welding Rods for Welders

If you wanna buy plenty from welding electrode suppliers, you better know the AWS code of your needs, then they can match your needs very well. Here in this post, we will explain in general the common welding rods used by welders and the characteristics of each one.

Low Hydrogen Electrodes

The low hydrogen electrodes are the ones that the electrode classifications end with 5,6 or 8 like E7018, E7015, and E7016, and their flux covering is made of inorganic coverings which are characterized by their minimal content of moisture. To maintain low-hydrogen electrodes with minimal moisture in their coverings, these electrodes should be handled With care. The electrodes which are exposed to humidity may absorb considerable amounts of moisture and their low-hydrogen character may be lost, that is why conditioning of these electrodes by drying becomes required before use.

7018 Welding Rod

Let’s talk about 7018 welding rod. In this type of low-hydrogen welding electrodes, the coating contains iron powder, which is why it is characterized by a high deposition rate. These rods are intended to be used with direct current electrode positive DCEP where the electrode holder is connected with the positive pole of the machine to get the optimum mechanical properties of strength, penetration, and toughness.

This type of welding rod is used in welding carbon steels in addition to joining carbon steels to low-alloy steels and higher carbon steels. This type of welding rod is characterized by a smooth, quiet arc, very low spatter, and medium arc penetration. This type of electrode is commonly used in welding steel structures, piping works in addition to pressure vessel fabrication.

E7015 Welding Rods

The coating of this type of electrode is a low-hydrogen one containing sodium, so the deposition rate is lower than that of E7018. These electrodes are intended to be used with DCEP for making small welds on thick base metal since the welds are less susceptible to cracking. They are also used for welding high-sulfur and enameling steels. These rods are characterized by a moderate penetrating arc, the slag is heavy and easy to remove, and the weld face is convex.

E7016 Welding Rods

These electrodes are of low-hydrogen coating containing potassium silicate or potassium salts to facilitate the use of alternating current AC. These electrodes have the same characteristics as E7015, plus the ability to operate on AC.

Fast freeze rods

The main task of this category of electrodes is the deep penetration characteristic which permits these electrodes to be used in welding the root passes in addition to downhill welding. These electrodes usually end with “0” which denotes the cellulosic coating.

E6010 Welding Rods

E6010 is a deep penetration rod having a cellulosic coating and is indented to be used with DCEP. It is classified as a “fast freeze” electrode (meaning that the molten weld puddle solidifies very quickly) which allows the welder to fill joint gaps with reasonable allowance, that is why these electrodes are used for the root passes in piping works and pipelines in oil and gas industries.

These electrodes are recommended for all welding positions, particularly on multiple pass applications in the vertical and overhead welding positions and where welds of good soundness are required. E6010 is very forgiving of joint imperfections and surface impurities. The majority of applications for these electrodes are in joining carbon steel. However, they have been used to advantage on galvanized steel and on some low-alloy steels. Typical applications include shipbuilding, buildings, bridges, storage tanks, piping, and pressure vessel fittings.

E7010 Welding Rods

These electrodes are similar to E6010, except that they have higher strength. They are commonly used for downhill welding for piping work and pipelines in the filling and cap pass. They are used in joining carbon steels in addition to joining carbon steels to low-alloy steels.

General Purposes Welding Rods

These are the welding rods that are used in general works like electrical panels, house steelworks, etc. These electrodes are characterized by their ease of use with smooth weld profiles.

E6013 Welding Rods

Coverings of such electrodes contain rutile, cellulose, ferromanganese, potassium silicate as a binder, and other siliceous materials. The potassium compounds permit the electrodes to operate with ac at low amperages and low open-circuit voltages. These electrodes are suitable for beginners as they require lower skill than that required by E7018. They are also recommended for sheet metal applications like electrical panels.

Jet Welding Rods

This category of welding rods is characterized by its high deposition rate which is highly required when welding thick sections.

E7024 Welding Rods

E7024 is a great choice of rods when you need to lay down a lot of metal in a short time. This electrode is commonly used in welding thick structural beams, thick base plates, columns, and large portions of heavy equipment. “2” in electrode designation means that this electrode is used in horizontal and flat welding applications. This electrode is suitable for intermediate and beginner welders as it does not require higher skills like what is required by E7018.

Stainless steel welding rods

These electrodes are used in welding high alloyed stainless steels that are commonly used in corrosive environments. There are many common electrodes used in welding:

E308L-16 Welding Rods

They are austenitic stainless-steel electrodes. The coating of these electrodes is of calcium titanate coating type. They produce welds containing 19.5% Cr and 10% Ni. Electrodes of this composition are most often used to weld base metals of similar composition such as AISI Types 301, 302, 304, and 305.

E309L-16 Welding Rods

The coating of such electrodes is also of calcium titanate type. They produce welds with a nominal composition of 23.5%Cr and 13%Ni with carbon levels allowed up to 0.15 percent and typical ferrite levels from 3 to 20 FN. These electrodes are usually used in dissimilar welding between austenitic stainless steel and carbon steel such as joining AISI type 304 to carbon steel and low alloy steels.

E316-16 Welding Rods

These electrodes are austenitic welding electrodes that produce welds with a nominal composition of 18.5%Cr, 12.5%Ni, and 2.5%Mo. These electrodes are used in welding similar base metals of AISI Type 316 and similar alloys which are commonly used in high-temperature applications. The presence of molybdenum provides creep resistance and increased ductility at elevated temperatures.

E347-16 Welding Rods

The electrodes are stabilized stainless steel electrodes that produce welds with a nominal composition of 19.5%Cr, 10%Ni with Nb or Nb plus Ta added as a stabilizer.

Aluminum Welding Rods

Aluminum is a common material used in many applications due to its Light weight and high strength, especially for newly developed alloys. Welding of aluminum is done by using some common rods:

E4043 Welding Rods

E4043 is the common one for welding most aluminum alloys and it is like E7018 for carbon steel. The nominal composition of the weld metal contains 5% silicon, which is why these electrodes are characterized by their high fluidity. E4043 is used for general purposes applications and recommended for welding alloys: 3003, 3004, 5052, 6061, 6063 and casting alloys: 43, 355, 356, and 214, and the produced welds are less sensitive to weld cracking.