One of the most common types of welding electrodes, used in welding processes; are the low hydrogen electrode classification; E 7018. This electrode is applied for fabrication most carbon steel alloys, where it used for welding plate works of ships, equipment, tanks, boilers and pressure vessels, steel structures of buildings, bridges as well. One of the most common drawbacks resulting of using of this welding electrode is the difficulty of removing the slag between the deposited passes, which consumes time and money and hence decreasing the quality of welding process also one of the most drawbacks of this type of welding electrode is the rabid burning of coating flux at elevated amperes increase.
This study aimed to suggest rooted solution for these two problems by adding zirconium silicate to the flux recipe. Different percentages of Egyptian zirconium silicate were added to the coating flux recipes of type E7018 where the changes at both weldability and slag removing between deposited passes were noticed at different amperes. By using HSc simulation program of the thermodynamics data and expected phases in slag were studied. Microstructure samples of weld metal were imaged and analyzed, basicity index was calculated, XRF chemical analysis for all slag different samples, were determined. The study concluded that adding 5% of the Egyptian zirconium silicate to the flux clearly improved; the welding properties as well as the ease of slag removal.