Welding for Well-Being – the Z11-LMn
Zika Industries Ltd., a leading global supplier of welding electrodes and welding wires, has developed a revolutionary solution to reduce hazardous manganese vapor emissions during welding. The Z11-LMn rutile coated electrode has a unique flux composition which supplies weld metal with significantly lowered manganese content and therefore dramatically decreases the manganese emission in welding fume.
The special weld metal composition of the Z-11-LMn provides the required mechanical properties and meets requirement of international standards.
A New Low Manganese Emission Shielded Metal Arc Welding Electrode
An essential element of a good weld is matching the mechanical properties of the joint region to the mechanical properties of the parent material. In addition, these properties must meet the requirements of international standards.
Any experienced welder knows manganese (Mn) is a very important and essential alloying element in steel. Together with carbon, manganese is responsible for the hardness and strength of steel. Besides this, manganese significantly improves the plasticity of steel and its toughness. It also works as deoxidizer and desulfurizer. There is no structure steel, which does not contain manganese.
Here’s the problem
As good as manganese is for steel, it is even worse as a health hazard when it evaporates while welding. During the arc welding process, manganese must be transferred from the consumable electrode to the weld metal. Transferring occurs in the liquid state phase. In this state, the vapor pressure of manganese is higher than the vapor pressure of rest elements, therefore it is subject to strong vaporization. This explains the low efficiency of manganese transferring from one solid state in consumable electrode through the liquid phase to another solid state in weld metal. Manganese transferring efficiency is particularly low for rutile-coated electrodes.
This causes high concentrations of evaporated manganese compounds in the work area of the welder and other workers. Prolonged inhalation of manganese compounds is potentially very harmful; it may cause irreversible damage to health. Over the last few decades, international hygienic regulations have been significantly reducing the allowed exposure level to manganese compounds.
Here’s the Challenge
How can we match the mechanical properties of structure steel in your weld and meet the international hygienic regulations? Because of the high manganese vapor pressure, the only way to reduce its emission during the welding process is to decrease the manganese content in consumable welding electrodes. Reducing the manganese content in the electrodes will reduce manganese content in weld metal. With less manganese in the weld metal, the main challenge is to meet the requirements of the mechanical properties of the weld metal.
Be Smart, Be Safe
Contact ZIKA-WELDING.COM today and ask about the new Z-11-LMn low Mn welding electrode.
PENDING PATENT NO. 253605
