W48-14

Preface

This is the third edition of CSA W48, Filler metals and allied materials for metal arc welding. It supersedes the previous edition, published in 2006. 

Scope

1.1
This Standard specifies requirements for the classification and certification of 

a) carbon steel covered electrodes for shielded metal arc welding (SMAW); 
b) chromium and chromium-nickel steel covered electrodes for SMAW, including electrodes designated for welding heat-resistant steels containing more than 11% chromium and less than 50% nickel; 
c) low alloy steel covered electrodes for SMAW; 
d) wire electrodes, rods and deposits for gas-shielded arc welding (GMAW, GTAW, and PAW) of nonalloy and fine-grained steels, as specified in Clause 1.2; 
e) carbon steel electrodes for flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) and metal-cored arc welding (MCAW) as specified in Clause 1.3; 
f) fluxes and solid carbon steel electrodes for submerged arc welding (SAW); and 
g) fluxes and composite carbon steel electrodes for SAW. 

1.2
Wire electrodes and deposits for GMAW of non-alloy and fine-grained steels are classified and certified under this Standard using the designations and classification requirements specified in CAN/CSA-ISO 14341. The procedures and conditions for required tests, including radiographic test requirements, are specified in Clause 7. 

1.3
Wire electrodes and deposits for carbon and low alloy steel FCAW and MCAW electrodes are classified and certified under this Standard using the designations and classification requirements specified in AWS A5.36/A5.36M, and the requirements of Annex N of this Standard. Package marking is specified in Clause 8.1. 

1.4
The filler metals and allied materials covered by this Standard are classified in accordance with requirements based on one or more of the following criteria:

a) chemical composition; 
b) usability characteristics; 
c) type of covering (for covered electrodes); 
d) diffusible hydrogen in weld metal (hydrogen-controlled classifications); 
e) mechanical properties of weld metal (including heat treatment condition); and 
f) positions of welding for which electrodes are suitable. 

These requirements are not intended to preclude the use of electrodes and/or fluxes classified in this Standard with any other process or any other shielding gas, combination of shielding gases, or flux for which they are found suitable. 

1.5
This Standard does not allow an electrode certified under one classification to be certified under another classification for the same welding process, with the following exceptions (until the end of 2015 when AWS A5.36/A5.36M comes into full force): 

a) For SAW: b) For FCAW and MCAW:

• i) E49XT-12 may also be listed as E49XT-9 and E49XT-1. 
• ii) E49XT-9 may also be listed as E49XT-1. 
• iii) E491X-X (or E431X-X) may also be listed as E490X-X (or E430X-X) for sizes too large for allposition welding. 
• iv) E49XC-6 may also be listed as E49XC-3. 
• v) E49XT-12M may also be listed as E49XT-9M and E49XT-1M. 
• vi) E49XT-9M may also be listed as E49XT-1M. 
• vii) E49XT-X may also be listed as E49XT-XM, or vice versa, provided that the electrode meets the requirements of both of these classifications.

c) For chromium and chromium-nickel steel covered electrodes, materials classified under one classification may be classified under any other classification of this Standard provided that they meet all of the requirements for those classifications, except that a material may not be classified under more than one of the following: EXXX-15, EXXX-16, EXXX-17, or EXXX-26 designations. 

d) For wire electrodes and deposits for GMAW of non-alloy and fine-grained steel, materials classified under one classification on the A side may be classified under another classification on the B side, and vice versa, as allowed by CAN/CSA-ISO 14341. 

1.6
For purposes of determining compliance with the requirements of this Standard, the actual test values obtained are to be subjected to the rounding off rules of ISO 80000-1:2009, Clause B.3, Rule A. If the measured values are obtained by equipment calibrated in units other than those of this Standard, the measured values shall be converted to the units of this Standard before rounding. If an arithmetic average value is to be compared to the requirements of this Standard, rounding is to be done only after calculating the arithmetic average. If a test method cited in this Standard contains instructions for rounding that conflict with the instructions of this Standard, the rounding requirements of the test method will apply. The rounded results will fulfil the requirements of the appropriate table for the classification under test. 

1.7
This Standard does not address safety associated with welding and welding practices. 

Note: CSA W117.2 addresses safety in welding and should be followed in addition to applicable workplace health and safety legislation. It is the responsibility of the users of this Standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. 

1.8
In CSA Standards, shall is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; should is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; may is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard; and can is used to express possibility or capability. 

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material. 

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements. 

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application. 

1.9
The values given in SI (metric) units are the standard. Yard/pound (imperial) units are provided in Annex L for information only.