PRODUCTION AND WELD JOINT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF ARC WELDING ELECTRODES FROM DANA ROLLING MILL SCALES
PRODUCTION AND WELD JOINT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF ARC WELDING ELECTRODES FROM DANA ROLLING MILL SCALES
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2014-08
Authors
OWOLABI, OLAWALE ADEREMI.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This study explored the possibility of producing Iron Oxide based arc welding electrodes
using mill scales from Dana rolling mill. The performance of the weld joints using the
produced electrodes and a foreign electrode was also examined. It is estimated that 4000-5000
tons of mill scales are produced annually without any immediate industrial application. The
mill scales were collected prepared and analyzed using the Oxford 800 X Supreme XRF
machine. The report of the analysis shows the presence of predominantly Iron Oxide, which is
an important constituent in electrode coating. The flux compositions were generated using the
Hadamard multivariate chemical model. Using this model, twelve different flux compositions
emerged within given ranges of the constituent flux elements. Four of the flux compositions
were used to produce electrodes using sodium silicate as binder. The electrodes were produced
manually by means of a wooden mould. The produced electrodes (E6020, E6027, E6024 and
E6030) and a foreign electrode were used to carry out weld on some prepared samples. The
welded joints were tested for tensile, hardness, and impact tests. The results of the tests
conducted on all the welded joints using the produced electrodes and the foreign electrode
shows that all the produced electrodes with the exception of electrode type E6030 compete
well with the foreign electrode (Oerlikon). Electrode type E6020 gave the highest tensile and
hardness test results of 453N/mm2 and 457.1N respectively. The maximum impact energy was
found to be 94.9 joules on the sample welded with the electrode type E6030. The micrographs
of the weld joint using electrode type E6027 revealed a coarse pearlite (black matrix) and an
elongated ferrite (white matrix). To this end, this study established the need to maximize the
use of mill scales (an industrial waste) for the production of arc welding electrodes and by so
doing conversion of waste to worth would have been achieved.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF A
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING,
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
NIGERIA.
Keywords
PRODUCTION,, WELD,, JOINT,, PERFORMANCE,, EVALUATION,, ARC,, ELECTRODES,, DANA,, ROLLING,, MILL,, SCALES.