AWS A5.14 (wire) and A5.11 (electrode) · Nickel alloy wire, rod and stick electrode

Alloy 625 Welding Consumables (ERNiCrMo-3)

ERNiCrMo-3 is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum filler metal of the Alloy 625 type, carrying nominally 22 % chromium, 9 % molybdenum and 3.5 % niobium, used for welding UNS N06625 and 6Mo stainless steels, for corrosion-resistant alloy overlay on carbon steel valves, tubes and flanges, for 9 % nickel cryogenic steel, and for dissimilar joints between stainless and low-alloy steel, with weld metal typically giving 500 MPa yield and 780 MPa tensile while retaining 110 J impact energy at −196 °C.

Alloy 625 — UNS N06625 / 2.4856, 6Mo steels, 9 % Ni steel, CRA overlay
Nickel alloy wire, rod and stick electrode
EN ISO 18274 S Ni 6625 / EN ISO 14172 E Ni 6625
7 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 ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 means

ER / E: ER is a bare wire or rod under AWS A5.14; E is a covered stick electrode under AWS A5.11. The alloy is the same — the prefix only says what form it arrives in.
Ni: A nickel-based alloy, not a steel. Nickel is the balance of the composition, which is what gives the material its resistance to chloride stress corrosion cracking and its usable strength across a temperature range stainless cannot span.
Cr: Nominally 22 % chromium — substantially above a 316L stainless at 18 %. Chromium provides general corrosion and oxidation resistance, and it is why the alloy holds up in high-temperature oxidising service to 980 °C.
Mo: Nominally 9 % molybdenum, against 2 to 3 % in 316L. Molybdenum resists chloride pitting and crevice attack, and at this level it is the reason 625 is specified for seawater and produced-water duty where even duplex is outrun.
-3: The composition designator within the NiCrMo family. The suffix matters: ERNiCrMo-3 is 625, ERNiCrMo-4 is C-276, ERNiCrMo-10 is Alloy 22, ERNiCrMo-13 is Alloy 59, ERNiCrMo-14 is Alloy 686. They are different alloys for different corrosive environments and are not interchangeable.
Nb: Approximately 3.5 % niobium, the element that distinguishes 625 from the other NiCrMo grades. It strengthens the alloy and ties up carbon, but it also makes the weld metal prone to hot cracking if heat input and interpass are not controlled.

Reading the ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 designation, left to right.

How it behaves

ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 in practice

Why 625 is the default CRA in this region

Corrosion-resistant alloy cladding on carbon steel is how oil and gas gets the corrosion performance of a nickel alloy at the cost of a carbon steel component, and 625 is the overlay alloy most often specified for it. ESAB names the application directly: oil and gas, on valves, tubes and flanges. A carbon steel valve body with a 625 internal overlay handles sour, chloride-bearing produced fluid that would destroy it bare, and the alloy only has to be a few millimetres thick. The same alloy also joins 6Mo super-austenitic stainless, which is where 316L and duplex both run out.

Sour service and stress corrosion cracking

Austenitic stainless steels are genuinely vulnerable to chloride stress corrosion cracking in warm chloride service, and that vulnerability is a function of their nickel content sitting in the worst possible range. A nickel-based alloy is past it: 625 weld metal has good resistance to pitting corrosion and to stress corrosion cracking, which is why it appears in sour gas and produced water specifications where the consequence of a cracked weld is not a repair but a shutdown.

The cryogenic end of the range

The same alloy that works at 980 °C also works at −196 °C, and that span is unusual. ESAB publishes 110 J at −196 °C for OK Autrod NiCrMo-3 and 100 J for the TIG rod — figures a ferritic steel cannot approach. This is why 625 is the standard filler for 9 % nickel steel in LNG tankage and cryogenic pipework: the parent steel is ferritic and cheap, and the weld metal is austenitic nickel alloy that stays tough when the tank is full.

Dilution control is not optional

Nickel filler on carbon or low-alloy steel is a dissimilar joint, and every warning from that discipline applies with more force here because the consumable is expensive and the application is critical. Iron picked up from the parent dilutes the chromium and molybdenum that the overlay exists to provide. Overlay procedures commonly specify a maximum iron content in the finished surface — often around 5 % at a given depth — and meeting it is a matter of heat input, bead placement and often a second layer. A single-layer 625 overlay that measures 15 % iron is not a 625 surface.

Nickel weld metal behaves differently under the arc

Nickel alloy weld pools are sluggish and do not wet out the way steel does, so the bead sits proud and lack-of-fusion at the toes is the characteristic defect. The technique is to manipulate the pool deliberately rather than travel fast, keep the arc short, and open joint preparations wider than a steel procedure would use. Welders coming from carbon steel consistently under-prepare nickel joints and then fight the consequences.

What POFIS supplies

ESAB ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 grades

Every grade below carries the ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 classification, which is why a WPS naming ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 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.

**ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 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 Autrod NiCrMo-3 POFIS recommends	ERNiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.14) S Ni 6625 (EN ISO 18274)	500 MPa	780 MPa	45 %	110 J at −196 °C
Exaton Ni60 Overlay	ERNiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.14) S Ni 6625 NiCr22Mo9Nb (EN ISO 18274)	500 MPa	780 MPa	45 %	—
OK Tigrod NiCrMo-3	ERNiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.14) S Ni 6625 (EN ISO 18274)	550 MPa	780 MPa	40 %	100 J at −196 °C
Exaton Ni60 (GTAW)	ERNiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.14) S Ni 6625 NiCr22Mo9Nb (EN ISO 18274)	540 MPa	780 MPa	47 %	170 J at 20 °C
Exaton Ni60 (GMAW)	ERNiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.14) S Ni 6625 NiCr22Mo9Nb (EN ISO 18274)	500 MPa	760 MPa	47 %	200 J at 20 °C
OK NiCrMo-3	ENiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.11) E Ni 6625 NiCr22Mo9Nb (EN ISO 14172)	520 MPa	820 MPa	38 %	65 J at −196 °C
Exaton Ni60 (SMAW)	ENiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.11) E Ni 6625 NiCr22Mo9Nb (EN ISO 14172)	520 MPa	820 MPa	38 %	65 J at −196 °C

OK Autrod NiCrMo-3 ERNiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.14)

The general-purpose solid wire for MIG and mechanised welding, 0.9 mm to 1.6 mm, and the widest diameter range of the group. For joining 625, 6Mo steels, 9 % Ni steel and dissimilar joints.

Diameters: 0.9 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.14 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.6 mm
Alloy type: Alloyed nickel — 22 % Cr, 9 % Mo, 3.5 % Nb
Type: Solid MIG wire (GMAW), shielding I1 / I3 / M12
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 5-18

Exaton Ni60 Overlay ERNiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.14)

Purpose-made for corrosion-resistant overlay on non-alloyed and low-alloyed steel by hot wire TIG, mechanised TIG or MIG. ESAB names oil and gas valves, tubes and flanges as the application. Start here where an overlay has an iron-content acceptance criterion.

Alloy type: Alloyed nickel — 22 % Cr, 9 % Mo, 3.5 % Nb
Type: Overlay wire, shielding I1 / I3 / M12
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 5-34

OK Tigrod NiCrMo-3 ERNiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.14)

The highest yield strength of the joining grades at 550 MPa under pure argon, holding 100 J at −196 °C. For TIG roots and manual work that will stay in cryogenic or sour service.

Alloy type: Alloyed nickel — 22 % Cr, 9 % Mo, 3.5 % Nb
Type: TIG rod (GTAW), shielding I1 / I3 / R1
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 5-23

Exaton Ni60 (GTAW) ERNiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.14)

TIG rod with the best room-temperature toughness of the TIG grades at 170 J, for service from cryogenic up to 980 °C. Also used for dissimilar joining of stainless steels to nickel alloys.

Alloy type: Alloyed nickel — 22 % Cr, 9 % Mo, 3.5 % Nb
Type: TIG rod (GTAW), shielding I1 / I3 / R1
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 5-42

Exaton Ni60 (GMAW) ERNiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.14)

MIG wire with the highest published room-temperature toughness in the group at 200 J. Suited to joining, overlay, plasma and hot wire TIG, and to dissimilar joints between stainless steels and nickel alloys.

Diameters: 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.6 mm
Alloy type: Alloyed nickel — 22 % Cr, 9 % Mo, 3.5 % Nb
Type: Solid MIG wire (GMAW), shielding I1 / I3 / M12
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 5-32

OK NiCrMo-3 ENiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.11)

The covered stick electrode, DC+ only, 2.5 mm to 5.0 mm. Highest tensile of any grade here at 820 MPa, but much lower impact energy than the wires — 70 J at room temperature. Check impacts against the electrode, not the wire figures.

Diameters: 2.5 mm, 3.2 mm, 4.0 mm, 5.0 mm
Alloy type: Ni-based CrMoNb
Type: Covered stick electrode (SMAW)
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 5-11

Exaton Ni60 (SMAW) ENiCrMo-3 (AWS A5.11)

The Exaton-branded covered electrode. The handbook publishes figures identical to OK NiCrMo-3 across every field — see the page note before treating them as two distinct products.

Diameters: 2.5 mm, 3.2 mm, 4.0 mm, 5.0 mm
Alloy type: Ni-based CrMoNb
Type: Covered stick electrode (SMAW)
Source: ESAB Filler Metal Handbook, page 5-16

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 ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 grade to specify

For MIG and mechanised overlay

OK Autrod NiCrMo-3 is the general-purpose solid wire, 0.9 mm to 1.6 mm, shielded under I1, I3 or M12, giving 500 MPa yield and 780 MPa tensile with 110 J at −196 °C. For most joining and overlay work on a wire feeder this is the grade to quote.

For overlay on carbon and low-alloy steel specifically

Exaton Ni60 Overlay is formulated for that duty — hot wire TIG, mechanised TIG or MIG onto non-alloyed and low-alloyed steel — and ESAB names oil and gas valves, tubes and flanges as the application. Where an overlay has an iron-content acceptance criterion, start from the purpose-made overlay grade rather than the general joining wire.

For TIG roots and manual work

OK Tigrod NiCrMo-3 gives the highest yield strength of the joining grades at 550 MPa under pure argon, with 100 J at −196 °C. Exaton Ni60 in its GTAW form is the alternative, with markedly higher room-temperature toughness at 170 J. Both are the right answer for a root run that will be left in cryogenic or sour service.

For stick welding

OK NiCrMo-3 and Exaton Ni60 are the covered electrodes, DC+ only, 2.5 mm to 5.0 mm, both classified ENiCrMo-3 to AWS A5.11 and E Ni 6625 to EN ISO 14172. They give higher tensile strength than the wires at 820 MPa but much lower impact energy — 70 J at room temperature against 130 to 200 J for the wire grades. Where the procedure sets impact requirements, check them against the electrode rather than assuming wire figures carry across.

When 625 is the wrong nickel alloy

The NiCrMo suffix is not cosmetic. In reducing media and aggressive wet corrosion, C-276 (ERNiCrMo-4) is the alloy, not 625. In oxidising chloride environments, Alloy 22 (ERNiCrMo-10) is preferred. Alloy 59 (ERNiCrMo-13) and Alloy 686 (ERNiCrMo-14) go further again. Send the service chemistry with the enquiry — specifying 625 because it is the familiar one is a common and expensive error in the wrong environment.

Storage & handling

Storing and handling ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 consumables

Cleanliness is a metallurgical requirement, not housekeeping

Nickel alloys are embrittled by sulphur, lead, phosphorus and zinc, picked up from marker pens, cutting fluid, grease, paint, galvanised fixtures and ordinary handling. The joint and a generous margin either side must be degreased before welding, and the consumable handled with gloves. This failure mode produces cracking that looks metallurgically inexplicable until someone recalls marking the pipe.

Store electrodes dry

ESAB lists OK NiCrMo-3 in the 200 °C re-drying group, two hours, and supplies high-alloy and nickel electrodes of 4.0 mm and above in half-package VacPac and smaller diameters in Mini VacPac. Given the cost of the consumable and the criticality of the work it usually goes into, the storage discipline is worth more here than on carbon steel.

Frequently asked

ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 — common questions

What is ERNiCrMo-3 used for?

It is the Alloy 625 filler metal, used for welding UNS N06625 and 6Mo super-austenitic stainless steels, for corrosion-resistant alloy overlay on carbon steel valves, tubes and flanges in oil and gas, for 9 % nickel cryogenic steel in LNG service, and for dissimilar joints between stainless and low-alloy steel. It carries nominally 22 % chromium, 9 % molybdenum and 3.5 % niobium.

Is ERNiCrMo-3 the same as Inconel 625?

It is the welding consumable equivalent. Inconel is a trade name; the material is UNS N06625, also designated 2.4856, and ERNiCrMo-3 under AWS A5.14 is the bare wire or rod that matches it. The covered electrode version is ENiCrMo-3 under A5.11. All three describe the same alloy in different forms.

What is the difference between ERNiCrMo-3 and ERNiCrMo-4?

They are different alloys. ERNiCrMo-3 is 625, at roughly 22 % chromium, 9 % molybdenum and 3.5 % niobium. ERNiCrMo-4 is C-276, at roughly 16 % chromium, 16 % molybdenum and 3.5 % tungsten with no niobium. The much higher molybdenum of C-276 suits reducing media and aggressive wet corrosion; 625 suits oxidising and high-temperature service. They are not interchangeable.

Why is Alloy 625 used for weld overlay on carbon steel?

Because it gives nickel alloy corrosion performance at carbon steel component cost. A carbon steel valve body or flange with a few millimetres of 625 overlay on its wetted surface handles sour, chloride-bearing produced fluid that would destroy it bare. ESAB names valves, tubes and flanges in oil and gas as the application for its purpose-made overlay grade.

What iron content is acceptable in a 625 overlay?

The acceptance limit comes from the client specification rather than from the consumable, and is commonly around 5 % iron measured at a stated depth. Iron is picked up by dilution from the carbon steel beneath, and it dilutes the chromium and molybdenum the overlay exists to provide. Meeting the limit is a matter of heat input, bead placement and frequently a second layer — a single-layer overlay measuring 15 % iron is not performing as 625.

Can Alloy 625 filler be used on 9 % nickel steel?

Yes, and it is the standard choice. The 9 % nickel parent steel is ferritic and relatively inexpensive, while the 625 weld metal stays austenitic and tough at cryogenic temperature — ESAB publishes 110 J at −196 °C for the MIG wire. That combination is why it is specified for LNG tankage and cryogenic pipework.

Why does nickel alloy weld metal not flow like steel?

Nickel alloy weld pools are sluggish and do not wet out, so the bead sits proud and lack-of-fusion at the weld toes is the characteristic defect. The technique is to manipulate the pool deliberately rather than travel fast, hold a short arc, and open the joint preparation wider than a steel procedure would. Welders coming from carbon steel routinely under-prepare nickel joints.

Who supplies Alloy 625 welding consumables in Abu Dhabi?

POFIS supplies the ESAB OK Autrod, OK Tigrod and Exaton nickel 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 material, the service chemistry and any overlay iron-content requirement and we will confirm the alloy before quoting. Email weldiv@pofis.ae.

Procurement & supply

Buying the ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 consumables through POFIS

The ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3 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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