Products Spotlight - KOBELCO 神戸製鋼

1 1 KOBELCO WELDING TODAYP roducts Spotlight LB-7018-1 is an iron-powder low-hydrogen elec-trode for all-position welding. It offers excellentnotch toughness at low temperatures and unsur-passed usability with DCEP currents. Being classi-fied with a supplementary designation suffix asE7018-1 per AWS , LB-7018-1 meets the lowtemperature impact requirement of 27J at 46 C(as-welded). In addition, this electrode offersexcellent properties in crack tip opening displace-ment (CTOD) at 0 C. Table 1 shows the typicalchemical and mechanical properties of LB-7018-1weld metal.

2 Figure 1 shows the results of Charpy V-notchimpact testing on a 50-mm thick joint welded inthe vertical position. The impact specimens wereremoved from three locations (1st side, center, and2nd side of the groove) in the weld. Table 2 showsweld joint CTOD values obtained with full-thick-ness specimens. These elaborate procedures revealthat LB-7018-1 possesses excellent notch tough-ness and fracture toughness. This is because themicrostructure of the Ti-B-bearing weld metal con-sists of fine crystal grains as shown in Figure 1: Charpy V-notch impact test results of a weld jointmade with LB-7018-1 ( and mm ) and SM490A basemetal (50-mm thick double-V groove) in the vertical position.

3 (Heat input: kJ/mm).Table 1: Typical chemical and mechanical properties of LB-7018-1 weld metal (1)1. Welding conditions as per AWS mm : 110A, 6 layers with 12 passes; mm : 160A, 8 layers with 16 passes; DCEP; Preheat and interpass temperature: 125 mm mm Chemical composition (mass%) propertiesYield strength (MPa) (2)2. At strength (MPa)582565 Elongation (%)3132 Reduction of area (%)6773 Charpy vE 46 C (J) (3)3. The average of three values as per AWS vE 60 C (J) (3)9685/% 6 KLQHV DV D 9 HUVDWLOH (OHFWURGHLQ /RZ 7 HPSHUDWXUH 6 HUYLFH2 IIVKRUH 6 WUXFWXUHVP hoto courtesy of Kansai Design Co.)

4 , Ltd., JapanTable 2: CTOD test results of an LB-7018-1 weld joint (1)(2)1. Testing method: BS7448-1991 (W = B).2. Base metal: Rolled steel of JIS G 3106 SM490A typeCTOD50 mm0 CStable mm VW VLGH&HQWHU QG VLGHF igure 2: Fine grain micro-structure of LB-7018-1 weld metal (as-cast zone) obtained from the 1st side of the 50-mm thick double-V groove weld WELDING TODAYP reface More Diversified Activitiesfor Customer SatisfactionA Happy New Year to our dear readers! In Japan we tra-ditionally celebrate the New Year from January 1-3.

5 Inmany countries, people may celebrate the New Year onJanuary 1 only, while in some cultures the celebrationtakes place on a different month and day differences remind me that the world is wide andwith many different cultures, traditions, and instance, when I was a small boy I thought every-body in foreign countries outside Japan celebratedChristmas, but that was a misunderstanding. The worldis not as simple as I are gradually expanding our activities around theworld to provide not only better Products but improved technical services, quickerdeliveries, and comprehensive sales consultations.

6 As you may have heard, we haveopened a new sales office in Shanghai, China last summer. Additionally, we are goingto start the production of mild steel FCWs in the Netherlands this spring. These newactivities will help us evolve our global know that the KOBELCO group companies are highly customer-oriented suppliersfor everything related to the welding business. I will make sure that this character willbe maintained for many years to come. Your advice, opinions, and comments on ourgroup companies, Products , and services are very important for us to improve ouractivities. I hope this issue of KOBELCO WELDING TODAY will help you under-stand our TojoGeneral ManagerInternational Operations CompanyKobe Steel, up for Future Challenges A Happy New Year to you!

7 How did your last year turnout to be after all? I think that the economic climate wasgenerally fine globally. However, some worrisomeevents also occurred, such as abnormal weather in someregions that may have been caused by the global warm-ing and a sharp rise in oil prices. As regards significant business events occurred in theworld last year, I want to cite (1) a sharp increase indemand for welding materials needed largely for repairof the 100 or more offshore structures damaged by theyear-before-last violent hurricanes in the US, (2) anewly opened KOBELCO representative office in Shang-hai, China, (3) brisk business in the shipbuilding indus-try in Korea, (4) the 15th anniversary of the Thai Shin-yokai in Thailand, (5)

8 Vigorousand stable business with increased building of offshore structures and ship repair inSingapore, (6) the deteriorated economy due to rising interest rates and oil prices and adecrease in production and sales of motorcycles and autos in Indonesia, and (7) thepicked-up demand for welding materials for pipelines due to good business in the gasand oil industry in for the economic environment for this year, there is a prevalent view that the worldeconomy will continue to be as robust as last year, unless there is a break out of suchunexpected events as terrorism or sudden financial instability.

9 There is a minorityview that the US economy could sag due to a decline in the housing market. Neverthe-less, let us endeavor to pursue our challenges together in a forward-looking manner,and act with the confidence that a bright future will open before us if we rush headlongjust like a wild boar, the zodiac sign of this OkuzumiGeneral ManagerInternational Operations CompanyKobe Steel, shines in low temperature of LPG storage tanks&DUERQ (TXLYDOHQWP8 How the carbon equiva-lent affects at AWS Welding Show 2006p10 Greetings from new members in the IOD%106'0653 KOBELCO WELDING TODAYT echnical Highlight Liquefied petroleum gases (LPG) are used as a fuelin heating appliances and vehicles.)

10 LPG consists ofa mixture of propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10)prepared in different ways to exhibit specific prop-erties. It is manufactured during the refining ofcrude oil, or extracted from oil or gas streams asthey emerge from the ground. Varieties of LPG storage tanksAt normal temperatures and pressures, LPG willevaporate. Therefore, to maintain LPG in its liquidstate, it must be stored either at normal-tempera-ture but high-pressure, or under normal-pressurebut normal-temperature high-pressure storage,cylindrical or spherical tanks can be used, depend-ing on storage applications, capacity and tanks (Figure 1) are used to store rela-tively small quantities of LPG of up to several tensof tons.