AWS A5.28 (wire), A5.5 (electrode), A5.29 (flux-cored) · Creep-resisting Cr-Mo — electrode, wire and flux-cored

1.25Cr-0.5Mo Creep-Resisting Consumables (B2)

Q: What is ER80S-B2 used for?

It is the solid wire for welding 1.25 % chromium, 0.5 % molybdenum creep-resisting steels — SA-387 Grade 11, A335 Grade P11, T11 and similar pressure vessel and piping materials used in elevated-temperature service. The covered electrode equivalent is E8018-B2 and the flux-cored is E81T1-B2M.

Q: What is the difference between B2 and B3 welding consumables?

The alloy level. B2 is nominally 1.25 % chromium and 0.5 % molybdenum, matched to P11 and SA-387 Grade 11. B3 is 2.25 % chromium and 1 % molybdenum, matched to P22 and SA-387 Grade 22, which run hotter and are used where high-temperature hydrogen attack is a concern. They are not interchangeable — the parent specification decides.

Q: Does a B2 weld need post-weld heat treatment?

Yes. Cr-Mo weld metal as deposited is hard and brittle and is not fit for service. Every mechanical property ESAB publishes for these consumables is a post-PWHT figure, typically after one hour at 690 °C. The PWHT is a hold point governed by the applicable code, and the heat treatment record is the evidence that the joint has the properties claimed for it.

Q: What is the Bruscato factor and why does it matter?

It is an index of tramp elements — phosphorus, tin, antimony and arsenic — in weld metal, written as X. Those residuals segregate to grain boundaries when Cr-Mo steel is held for long periods between roughly 350 and 550 °C, causing temper embrittlement: the metal loses toughness with no visible change. A lower X means a cleaner, more resistant deposit. ESAB guarantees X < 15 on OK AristoRod 13.16 and X < 10 on OK Tigrod 13.16, and refinery specifications frequently require a stated limit.

Q: Do Cr-Mo steels need preheat?

Yes. Cr-Mo steels are hardenable, so the heat-affected zone forms martensite if it cools quickly, and martensite with hydrogen and restraint produces cold cracking. Preheat and interpass temperature are set by the governing code and the parent thickness, and the consumable must be low hydrogen — ESAB publishes under 5 ml/100 g for OK 76.18.

Q: Can B2 flux-cored wire be used with CO₂?

Not Dual Shield CrMo1. It is classified E81T1-B2M and T CrMo1 P M 2 H5 — the M denotes an argon-CO₂ mix — and ESAB specifies M21. On a site running pure CO₂ for carbon steel work this is an easy mismatch to make and an expensive one to discover after delivery. Confirm the gas supply when you enquire.

Q: What temperature are B2 electrodes re-dried at?

OK 76.18 sits in ESAB's 350 °C group, held for two hours, with the temperature measured in the bulk of the electrodes. On pressure equipment work the consumable control regime — storage humidity, oven logs, re-drying records against batch — is itself an audit point, so keep the records with the WPS.

Q: Who supplies P11 and Cr-Mo welding consumables in Abu Dhabi?

POFIS supplies the ESAB OK, AristoRod, Tigrod and Dual Shield Cr-Mo ranges from Abu Dhabi across the UAE and the wider GCC, as an ESAB Authorized Distributor and Service Centre, approved ADNOC vendor and ISO 9001 certified supplier. Send the parent grade, the PWHT condition and any Bruscato or residual element limit and we will confirm the consumable before quoting. Email weldiv@pofis.ae.

B2 grade consumables deposit a 1.25 % chromium, 0.5 % molybdenum creep-resisting weld metal for welding P11, SA-387 Grade 11 and T11 pressure vessel and piping steels in elevated-temperature service, classified ER80S-B2 as solid wire, E8018-B2 as a covered electrode and E81T1-B2M as flux-cored, and always supplied to be welded with preheat and finished with a post-weld heat treatment at around 690 °C.

1.25 % Cr – 0.5 % Mo creep-resisting steel: P11, SA-387 Gr 11, T11
Creep-resisting Cr-Mo — electrode, wire and flux-cored
EN ISO 21952-B / EN ISO 3580-A / EN ISO 17634-A
4 ESAB grades

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Price on request. POFIS is an ESAB Authorized Distributor & Service Centre in Abu Dhabi — quotations include confirmed lead time and delivery terms.

The designation

What ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 means

ER / E: ER is a bare wire or rod under AWS A5.28; E is a covered electrode under A5.5 or a flux-cored wire under A5.29. The B2 suffix is the same alloy in each.
80 / 8018: Minimum tensile strength of the deposited weld metal, 80,000 psi or 550 MPa. The 18 in E8018 is the coating designator — a low-hydrogen basic coating on DC, exactly as in E7018.
B: The chromium-molybdenum creep-resisting family. These alloys are designed to retain strength under sustained load at elevated temperature over years, rather than to be strong at room temperature.
2: The alloy level within that family: nominally 1.25 % chromium and 0.5 % molybdenum. B3 is the next step up at 2.25 % Cr and 1 % Mo, B1 is lower at 0.5 % Cr, and B8 and B91 go further again for higher-temperature service. Match the suffix to the parent material — a procedure qualified on B2 is not qualified on B3.
M / M21: On flux-cored and some solid wires, the shielding gas the grade is classified for. Dual Shield CrMo1 is M21 — an argon-CO₂ mix — and is not classified for pure CO₂.

Reading the ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 designation, left to right.

How it behaves

ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 in practice

What creep-resisting actually means

Above roughly 400 °C, steel under sustained load deforms slowly and permanently even at stresses far below its yield strength. That is creep, and it is the life-limiting mechanism for refinery and power plant pressure equipment. Chromium and molybdenum in solid solution, together with stable carbides, slow it down. A B2 deposit is not chosen because it is strong at room temperature — a plain E7018 would do that — but because it still holds at operating temperature after ten or twenty years.

Post-weld heat treatment is part of the consumable

Cr-Mo weld metal as deposited is hard, brittle and unfit for service. Every published property on this page is a post-PWHT figure, and the handbook states the condition with each one — typically one hour at 690 °C. This is why a B2 joint cannot be left as welded, why the PWHT is a hold point rather than a formality, and why the figures here always carry their condition. Quoting an as-welded Cr-Mo strength would be meaningless.

Preheat and hydrogen

Cr-Mo steels are hardenable, so the heat-affected zone will form martensite if it cools fast, and martensite plus hydrogen plus restraint is a cold crack. Preheat and interpass control are mandatory, set by the governing code and the parent thickness, and the consumable must be low hydrogen — ESAB publishes under 5 ml/100 g for its B2 electrode. Electrodes are basic coated and must be stored and re-dried accordingly; OK 76.18 sits in the 350 °C re-drying group.

The Bruscato factor, and why a refinery buyer asks for it

Cr-Mo weld metal held for long periods between about 350 and 550 °C can suffer temper embrittlement: tramp elements — phosphorus, tin, antimony, arsenic — segregate to grain boundaries and the metal loses toughness without any visible change. The Bruscato factor X quantifies the risk from those residuals, and a low X number means a cleaner, more embrittlement-resistant deposit. ESAB guarantees X < 15 on OK AristoRod 13.16 and X < 10 on OK Tigrod 13.16. On refinery and hydroprocessing work this figure is frequently a specification requirement, and it is one of the few places where a consumable brand genuinely differentiates.

Where B2 stops and B3 begins

B2 at 1.25 % Cr serves P11, SA-387 Grade 11 and T11. B3 at 2.25 % Cr and 1 % Mo serves P22, SA-387 Grade 22 and T22, which run hotter and are used where hydrogen attack is a concern. The two are not interchangeable in either direction: a B2 deposit on P22 will not have the creep strength or hydrogen resistance the design assumed, and a B3 deposit on P11 is an unqualified composition. The parent specification decides.

What POFIS supplies

ESAB ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 grades

Every grade below carries the ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 classification, which is why a WPS naming ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 can be satisfied by any of them. They are not interchangeable in practice — the differences in current type, hydrogen level and impact toughness are what decide which one belongs on your job. Figures are the manufacturer's typical as-welded values.

**ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 grades supplied by POFIS** — typical as-welded properties. Blank cells are values the manufacturer does not publish for that grade, not zeros.
Grade	Classification	Yield	Tensile	Elong.	Impact (lowest published)
OK 76.18 POFIS recommends	E8018-B2 (AWS A5.5) E CrMo1 B 4 2 H5 (EN ISO 3580-A)	580 MPa (PWHT 1 h / 690 °C)	670 MPa (PWHT)	24 %	100 J at 20 °C (PWHT)
Dual Shield CrMo1	E81T1-B2M (AWS A5.29) T CrMo1 P M 2 H5 (EN ISO 17634-A)	563 MPa (PWHT 1 h / 690 °C)	626 MPa (PWHT)	27 %	55 J at −20 °C (PWHT)
OK Tigrod 13.16	ER80S-B2 (AWS A5.28) W 55 1CM (EN ISO 21952-B)	640 MPa (PWHT 1 h / 620 °C)	730 MPa (PWHT)	24 %	—
OK AristoRod 13.16	ER80S-B2 (AWS A5.28) G 55 M13 1CM (EN ISO 21952-B)	460 MPa (PWHT 1 h / 685 °C)	580 MPa (PWHT)	26 %	140 J at 20 °C (PWHT)

OK 76.18 E8018-B2 (AWS A5.5)

The basic DC electrode for 1.25Cr-0.5Mo, with the widest diameter range here at 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm and under 5 ml/100 g diffusible hydrogen. Stable arc and minimum spatter for positional pipe work. Figures after 1 h at 690 °C.

Diameters: 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 3.2 mm, 4.0 mm, 5.0 mm
Alloy type: Low alloyed — 1.25 % Cr, 0.5 % Mo
Type: Basic covered electrode (SMAW)
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 2-23

Dual Shield CrMo1 E81T1-B2M (AWS A5.29)

All-positional rutile low-hydrogen flux-cored for deposition rate on heavy wall, with the best toughness here at 156 J at room temperature and 55 J at −20 °C after PWHT. M21 argon-CO₂ only — not classified for pure CO₂.

Diameters: 1.2 mm
Alloy type: 1Cr 0.5Mo
Type: Rutile flux-cored, all-positional, M21 only
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 2-88

OK Tigrod 13.16 ER80S-B2 (AWS A5.28)

The cleanest deposit on this page, with a guaranteed Bruscato factor X < 10 for temper embrittlement resistance. The grade to start from where a hydroprocessing specification sets residual element limits. Figures after 1 h at 620 °C.

Alloy type: Low alloyed steel — 1.3 % Cr, 0.5 % Mo
Type: TIG rod (GTAW), shielding I1
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 2-65

OK AristoRod 13.16 ER80S-B2 (AWS A5.28)

Non-copper-coated solid wire with ASC surface technology for robotic and mechanised MIG, with a guaranteed Bruscato factor X < 15. For SA-387 Gr 11 and A335 P11. Figures after 1 h at 685 °C.

Diameters: 1.2 mm
Alloy type: Low-alloyed, 1.3Cr-0.5Mo, non copper coated
Type: Solid MIG wire (GMAW)
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 2-42

Diameters are listed from the manufacturer's deposition data. Ordering part numbers and pack sizes are confirmed with your quotation — send the grade and diameters you need to weldiv@pofis.ae.

Specifying

Which ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 grade to specify

For stick welding

OK 76.18 is the basic DC electrode for 1.25Cr-0.5Mo, 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm — the widest diameter range of the group — with under 5 ml/100 g diffusible hydrogen. After one hour at 690 °C it gives 580 MPa yield, 670 MPa tensile and 100 J at room temperature. ESAB notes a stable arc and minimum spatter, which matters on the positional pipe work this alloy is usually used for.

For robotic and mechanised MIG

OK AristoRod 13.16 is the non-copper-coated solid wire with ASC surface technology, for creep-resisting steels such as SA-387 Grade 11 and A335 Grade P11. It carries a guaranteed Bruscato factor X < 15. After one hour at 685 °C it gives 460 MPa yield, 580 MPa tensile and 140 J at room temperature. The surface treatment is the reason to pick it over a copper-coated wire on long mechanised runs.

For TIG roots, and the cleanest deposit available

OK Tigrod 13.16 carries a guaranteed Bruscato factor X < 10 — the lowest on this page — under pure argon. After one hour at 620 °C it gives 640 MPa yield and 730 MPa tensile. Where a hydroprocessing or high-temperature hydrogen service specification sets a residual element limit, this is the grade to start from.

For deposition rate on heavy wall

Dual Shield CrMo1 is the all-positional rutile low-hydrogen flux-cored wire for 1.25 % Cr creep-resisting steels, designed for Ar/CO₂ and classified M21 only. After one hour at 690 °C it gives 563 MPa yield, 626 MPa tensile, 156 J at room temperature and 55 J at −20 °C. On thick-wall pressure vessel seams it will outpace stick welding substantially while still welding out of position.

Check the gas before you order the flux-cored wire

Dual Shield CrMo1 is classified for M21 argon-CO₂ mix and not for pure CO₂. On a site running CO₂ for carbon steel work, this is an easy and expensive mismatch to discover after delivery. Confirm the gas supply with the enquiry.

Storage & handling

Storing and handling ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 consumables

Electrode storage is a code requirement here, not advice

OK 76.18 is basic coated and sits in the 350 °C re-drying group, two hours. On pressure equipment the consumable control regime — storage humidity, oven logs, re-drying records against batch — is an audit point in its own right, and a holding oven with no log is a finding. Keep the records with the WPS and the material certificates.

The PWHT record is part of the joint

Because every published property is a post-PWHT figure, the heat treatment chart is evidence that the joint has the properties claimed for it. Agree the PWHT condition before welding, record the actual cycle, and keep it with the weld documentation. A B2 joint whose PWHT cannot be evidenced has no demonstrated properties regardless of how it was welded.

Frequently asked

ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 — common questions

What is ER80S-B2 used for?

It is the solid wire for welding 1.25 % chromium, 0.5 % molybdenum creep-resisting steels — SA-387 Grade 11, A335 Grade P11, T11 and similar pressure vessel and piping materials used in elevated-temperature service. The covered electrode equivalent is E8018-B2 and the flux-cored is E81T1-B2M.

What is the difference between B2 and B3 welding consumables?

The alloy level. B2 is nominally 1.25 % chromium and 0.5 % molybdenum, matched to P11 and SA-387 Grade 11. B3 is 2.25 % chromium and 1 % molybdenum, matched to P22 and SA-387 Grade 22, which run hotter and are used where high-temperature hydrogen attack is a concern. They are not interchangeable — the parent specification decides.

Does a B2 weld need post-weld heat treatment?

Yes. Cr-Mo weld metal as deposited is hard and brittle and is not fit for service. Every mechanical property ESAB publishes for these consumables is a post-PWHT figure, typically after one hour at 690 °C. The PWHT is a hold point governed by the applicable code, and the heat treatment record is the evidence that the joint has the properties claimed for it.

What is the Bruscato factor and why does it matter?

It is an index of tramp elements — phosphorus, tin, antimony and arsenic — in weld metal, written as X. Those residuals segregate to grain boundaries when Cr-Mo steel is held for long periods between roughly 350 and 550 °C, causing temper embrittlement: the metal loses toughness with no visible change. A lower X means a cleaner, more resistant deposit. ESAB guarantees X < 15 on OK AristoRod 13.16 and X < 10 on OK Tigrod 13.16, and refinery specifications frequently require a stated limit.

Do Cr-Mo steels need preheat?

Yes. Cr-Mo steels are hardenable, so the heat-affected zone forms martensite if it cools quickly, and martensite with hydrogen and restraint produces cold cracking. Preheat and interpass temperature are set by the governing code and the parent thickness, and the consumable must be low hydrogen — ESAB publishes under 5 ml/100 g for OK 76.18.

Can B2 flux-cored wire be used with CO₂?

Not Dual Shield CrMo1. It is classified E81T1-B2M and T CrMo1 P M 2 H5 — the M denotes an argon-CO₂ mix — and ESAB specifies M21. On a site running pure CO₂ for carbon steel work this is an easy mismatch to make and an expensive one to discover after delivery. Confirm the gas supply when you enquire.

What temperature are B2 electrodes re-dried at?

OK 76.18 sits in ESAB's 350 °C group, held for two hours, with the temperature measured in the bulk of the electrodes. On pressure equipment work the consumable control regime — storage humidity, oven logs, re-drying records against batch — is itself an audit point, so keep the records with the WPS.

Who supplies P11 and Cr-Mo welding consumables in Abu Dhabi?

POFIS supplies the ESAB OK, AristoRod, Tigrod and Dual Shield Cr-Mo ranges from Abu Dhabi across the UAE and the wider GCC, as an ESAB Authorized Distributor and Service Centre, approved ADNOC vendor and ISO 9001 certified supplier. Send the parent grade, the PWHT condition and any Bruscato or residual element limit and we will confirm the consumable before quoting. Email weldiv@pofis.ae.

Procurement & supply

Buying the ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 consumables through POFIS

The ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 consumables is supplied from Abu Dhabi by Perfect Oilfield & Industrial Supply LLC as an ESAB Authorized Distributor and Service Centre. The information below covers what procurement and QA/QC departments normally need before raising a purchase order.

Lead time

Stock items dispatch from Abu Dhabi within 24–48 hours. Indent items are quoted with a confirmed lead time at the time of offer.

Approved vendor status

POFIS is an approved ADNOC vendor and is listed on the approved vendor lists (AVL) of major operators and EPC contractors across the GCC. We can complete supplier registration and prequalification documentation on request.

Payment terms

Standard credit terms are available to registered corporate accounts. LPO, LC and advance payment are all accepted.

Delivery terms

Delivery across the UAE and the wider GCC. Quotations can be issued on EXW, FOB, CIF or DDP terms to suit your project.

Warranty

Full manufacturer warranty, honoured locally. As an ESAB Authorized Service Centre we carry out warranty work and repairs in Abu Dhabi rather than returning equipment abroad.

Service & spares

In-UAE service, commissioning, operator training and spare parts backing for every machine we supply.

ISO 9001 Certified
Approved ADNOC Vendor
ESAB Authorized Distributor & Service Centre

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Request a quotation for the ER80S-B2 / E8018-B2 filler metals

Send the form and the POFIS welding division replies with pricing, confirmed lead time, delivery terms and availability. Tell us who you are and what the job is, so the reply can be specific to it rather than a catalogue price list.

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