Weldable Materials
We have extensive information on the weldability of materials ranging from common metals to exotic alloys. Much of this data is based on our years of experience working with and welding these materials using both electron beams and lasers. Difficult to weld and dissimilar materials are covered.
downloadWeld Compatibility Chart
Aluminum Welding
melting point
1220°F / 660°C
melting point
1220°F / 660°C
Aluminum is very light, very strong, extremely flexible and corrosion resistant because its surface is always covered in an extremely thin and yet very strong layer of oxide film. It’s a great electrical and heat conductor and forms alloys with practically all other metals. It is usually weldable, but porosity can be an issue, as well as cracking.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
6061 to 4047: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
2219 to 2219: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
1100 to 2219: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
6061 to 6061: Weldable (Only with Filler) | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
5000 Series: Marginal weld | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Beryllium Copper Welding
melting point
1587-1750°F / 865-955°C
melting point
1587-1750°F / 865-955°C
Beryllium copper is a copper alloy with 0.5—3% beryllium and sometimes other elements. Beryllium copper combines high strength with non-magnetic and non-sparking qualities. It has excellent metalworking, forming and machining properties.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Welds well, needs deoxidizing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Copper Welding
melting point
1983°F / 1084°C
melting point
1983°F / 1084°C
Copper is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. It has a very attractive appearance. It welds fair, but porosity and cracking may be a problem. We recommend working with OFHC.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Copper | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Chromoly Steel Welding
melting point
2610°F / 1432°C
melting point
2610°F / 1432°C
Chromoly steel is alloy of steel, chromium and molybdenum, which increase the strength and corrosion resistance of the material. It has good formability, machinability, and weldable. Preheat is often necessary and is almost always recommended.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
4140 Weldable. May need Preheat. | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Hastelloy Welding
melting point
2410-2460°F / 1320-1350°C
melting point
2410-2460°F / 1320-1350°C
Hastelloy is a steel, nickel, molybdenum and chromium alloy that has extremely high corrosion resistance. It’s extremely tough, is formable and weldable.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Inconel Welding
melting point
2540-2600°F / 1390-1425°C
melting point
2540-2600°F / 1390-1425°C
Inconel is a family of austenitic nickel-chromium-based superalloys. Inconel alloys are oxidation-corrosion-resistant materials well suited for service in extreme environments subjected to pressure and heat.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
600: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
625: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
718: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
750: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Iron Welding
melting point
2060-2200°F / 1127 - 1204°C
melting point
2060-2200°F / 1127 - 1204°C
Iron is a very common metal with fair strength and low corrosion resistance. It is malleable and is weldable but porosity may be a problem. It generally requires preheating.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Iron | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Kovar Welding
melting point
2640°F / 1449°C
melting point
2640°F / 1449°C
Kovar is a low expansion alloy of iron, nickel and cobalt. Commonly used for hermetic sealing, it welds well if not plated. Nickel plating causes cracks.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Kovar | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Magnesium Alloy Welding
melting point
660-1200°F / 349-649°C
melting point
660-1200°F / 349-649°C
Magnesium alloys are mixtures of magnesium with other metals usually aluminum, manganese and zinc. It is stiff, hard, and very light. It burns and is very porous. It welds with special techniques, and needs to be welded in a vacuum chamber.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Magnesium Alloys | ✓ | ❌ | ❌ |
Molybdenum Welding
melting point
4750°F / 2620°C
melting point
4750°F / 2620°C
Molybdenum is a silvery-white metal that is ductile and highly resistant to corrosion. It has one of the highest melting points of all pure elements — only the elements tantalum and tungsten have higher melting points. Somewhat difficult to weld, it requires special techniques including preheating. Resultant welds tend to be brittle.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Molybdenum | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Monel Welding
melting point
2372-2462°F / 1300-1350 °C°C
melting point
2372-2462°F / 1300-1350 °C°C
Monel is a family of alloys, composed of nickel (52% – 67%) and copper, with small amounts of iron, manganese, carbon, and silicon. Monel is stronger than pure nickel, and are especially corrosion resistant. Monel is is typically hard to machine and is weldable.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Monel | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Nickel Welding
melting point
2647°F / 1453°C
melting point
2647°F / 1453°C
Nickel is a silvery white, ferromagnetic metal that is ductile, fairly corrosion resistant and harder than iron.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Nickel | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Stainless Steel Welding
melting point
2750°F / 1510°C
melting point
2750°F / 1510°C
Stainless steel is a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5% chromium content and a maximum of 1.2% carbon by mass. It is very corrosion resistant. There are many series of stainless steel, some of which are weldable, others of which are very difficult to weld.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
304: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
304L: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
316: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
316L: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
410: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
420: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
430: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
440A: Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
PH Stainless Steel Welding
melting point
2560-2625°F / 1404-1440°C
melting point
2560-2625°F / 1404-1440°C
Precipitation hardening stainless steels contain chromium and nickel and combine high strength when heat treated and high corrosion resistance.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
17-4 Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
13-8 Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
15-5 Weldable | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Steel-High Carbon Welding
melting point
2600-2803°F / 1425-1543°C
melting point
2600-2803°F / 1425-1543°C
Approximately .60% – 1.00% carbon content, this material is very strong, used for springs, edged tools, and high-strength wires. Over .50% carbon content is weldable with special techniques, may require stress relief.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Over .50% of carbon | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Steel-Medium Carbon Welding
melting point
2600-2801°F / 1425-1541°C
melting point
2600-2801°F / 1425-1541°C
Approximately 0.305 –.60% carbon content, it strikes a balance between ductility and strength and has good wear resistance. Used commonly in automative applications and for for large parts. Anything over .20% carbon may require preheat and post heat.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
20% - .50% of carbon | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Steel-Low Carbon Welding
melting point
2600-2800°F / 1425-1540°C
melting point
2600-2800°F / 1425-1540°C
Also called Mild steel, .05% – .20% of its weight is comprised of carbon. It has a relatively low tensile strength but it easy for form and inexpensive. It Electron Beam welds well except for free machining grades.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
.10% - .20% of carbon | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Tantalum
melting point
5400°F / 2980°C
melting point
5400°F / 2980°C
Tantalum is dark, dense, ductile, very hard, easily fabricated, and highly conductive of heat and electricity. It is highly corrosion resistant and has an extremely high melting point temperature.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Tantalum | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Titanium Welding
melting point
3040°F / 1670°C
melting point
3040°F / 1670°C
Titanium has high corrosion resistance and the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metal. It can be alloyed with other metals such as iron, aluminium, vanadium, and molybdenum to create strong, lightweight materials for many applications.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Grade 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Grade 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Grade 9 | ✓ | ✓ | ❌ |
Tungsten Welding
melting point
6150°F / 3400°C
melting point
6150°F / 3400°C
Tungsten is a hard, dense, robust, rare metal. It has the highest melting point of all the metals. It tends to be brittle. Tungsten’s hardness and high density lend it to military applications.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
Tungsten | ❌ | ✓ | ❌ |
Waspaloy Welding
melting point
2425°F / 1330°C
melting point
2425°F / 1330°C
Waspaloy is an age hardening austenitic nickel-based superalloy – 58% nickel, 19% chromium, 13% cobalt, 4% molybdenum, 3% titanium, 1.4% aluminum. It has excellent high heat properties and corrosion resistance, making it well suited to use in gas turbines and other high temp/high strength applications.
Electron Beam Welding | Continuous Wave Laser Welding | Pulsed Laser Welding | |
---|---|---|---|
We weld it all the time | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |