Welding program produces premium quality, multipass welds in heavy tube sections of Hastelloy-X. It develops semiautomatic tungsten/inert gas procedures, weld wire procurement specifications material weld properties, welder-operator training, and nondestructive testing inspection techniques and procedures

Flens, F. J.

Fletcher, C. W.

Glasier, L. F., Jr.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

June 1967	 Brief 67-10195 
AEC-NASA TECH BRIEF 
tP4ri# 
AEC-NASA Tech Briefs describe innovations resulting from the research and development program 
of the U.S. AEC or from AEC-NASA interagency efforts. They are issued to encourage commercial 
application. Tech Briefs are published by NASA and may be purchased, at 15 cents each, from 
the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. 
Weld Procedure Produces Quality Welds for Thick Sections of Hastelloy-X 
The problem: 
To produce premium quality, multipass welds in 
heavy tube sections of Hastelloy-X. Characteristics of 
this nickel base alloy are its inherent susceptibility 
to hot cracking and microfissuring from the thermal 
strains induced by the welding cycle. The repeated 
thermal stresses imposed by multipass welding in-
creases the susceptibility of the alloy to this crack-
ing phenomenon. 
The solution: 
A welding program to develop semiautomatic 
tungsten/inert gas (TIG) procedures, weld wire pro-
curement specifications, material weld properties, 
welder-operator training, and nondestructive testing 
(NDT) inspection techniques and procedures to pro-
duce the high quality welds required. 
How it's done: 
Tube is rotated in tilt table positioner beneath a 
stationary TIG semiautomatic weld torch. Welding 
amperage, voltage, wire feed rate, shielding gas flow, 
and rotational travel speeds are preset. Weld passes 
are deposited following an alternating ID/OD pass 
sequence to balance weld shrinkage forces and mini-
mize distortion. Tube is tilted on longitudinal axis, as 
required for each pass, to present joint area being 
welded in a horizontal position relative to vertical 
alignment of torch, and to prevent lack of fusion 
caused by gravity flow of molten weld metal.
Notes: 
I. Premium weld quality was attained by adherence 
to approved weld procedures which evolved dur-
ing a development program, by use of high quality 
weld wire produced to requirements of procure-
ment specification, and by utilizing specially 
trained welding operators for this specific task. 
2. This procedure may be used to advantage in the 
welding of chemical equipment (autoclaves, 
flanges) and high-temperature processing facilities 
(furnace mufflers, grates, etc.). 
3. Additional details are contained in a technical 
paper, Welding of Thick Sections of Hastelloy-X 
for the PHOEBUS-2 Nozzle, by C. W. Fletcher, 
F. J. Flens, and L. F. Glasier, Jr., 19 August 
1966, for the American Welding Society. Copies 
of this paper are available from: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
AEC—NASA Space Nuclear Propulsion 
Office 
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission 
Washington, D.C. 20545 
Reference: B67-10195 
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by AEC or 
NASA.
Source: C. W. Fletcher, F. J. Flens, 
and L. F. Glasier, Jr.
of Aerojet General
under contract to
AEC—NASA Space Nuclear
Propulsion Office
(NUC-10048) 
Category 05 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the Atomic 
Energy Commission and/or the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration. Neither the United States Government nor any per-
son acting on behalf of the United States Government assumes any
liability resulting from the use of the information contained in this 
document, or warrants that the use of any information, apparatus, 
method, or process disclosed in this document may not infringe pri-
vately owned rights.
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Weld procedure produces quality welds for thick sections of Hastelloy-X

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