CollectionPage · AWS A5.11 / A5.11M
A purchasing route for covered nickel electrodes: scope, diluted weld metal, classification testing and the lot dossier. Each gate removes one class of quotation error.
A designation alone is a weak enquiry. ENiCrMo-3 describes a composition family, not the diluted deposit in your joint, not the position your welder has to work in, and not the documents your goods-in department will accept.
Does A5.11 govern this consumable, and which edition does the order name?
What will the pool become after dilution, and which family tolerates that condition?
Which tests does the classification cover, and which belong to the project?
What has to appear on the order line and in the lot dossier?
Start with the cross-system finder and the designation tables.
Start with the base-metal map, then work back to a family.
Use the six-line specification template below.
Go to the acceptance package and the goods-in checks.
Five lines are enough for a shortlist: base metal on both sides, service condition, designation with standard and edition, size and packing, and the documents your project asks for.
An illustration of why layer count changes where a surface sample is taken. Output is not a specification value or a procedure parameter.
The trend shown here is directional: iron pickup from a ferritic substrate is higher on the first layer and falls with each added layer. Establish actual values by procedure qualification and a trial bead.
Tick what your team has already settled. The draft below grows into a five-line enquiry you can copy into an email.
Subject: AWS A5.11 nickel electrode enquiry 1. Base metal on both sides (grade / UNS where known): [ ] 2. Service condition: medium, temperature band or impact-test temperature: [ ] 3. Designation on drawing + standard and edition: [ ] 4. Diameter x length, quantity, packing, label: [ ] 5. Documents and supplementary tests required: [ ] Gates reviewed: none yet Please reply with a shortlist of classification families, open items for our engineer, a trial-bead plan where dilution is involved, and a quotation with packing and documentation options.
Enter an AWS code, an ISO numeric code or a GB/T code. Rows are comparable, not equivalent — one order line names one governing system.
| AWS A5.11 | ISO 14172 | GB/T 13814 | Alloy territory | Confirm before use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ENi-1 | E Ni 2061 | ENi2061 | Commercially pure nickel | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCu-7 | E Ni 4060 | ENi4060 | Nickel-copper | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrFe-1 | E Ni 6062 | ENi6062 | Ni-Cr-Fe | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrFe-2 | E Ni 6133 | ENi6133 | Ni-Cr-Fe | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrFe-3 | E Ni 6182 | ENi6182 | Ni-Cr-Fe, dissimilar joints | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrFe-4 | E Ni 6093 | ENi6093 | Ni-Cr-Fe | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrFe-7 | E Ni 6152 | ENi6152 | Ni-Cr-Fe, high-Cr variant | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrFe-9 | E Ni 6094 | ENi6094 | Ni-Cr-Fe | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrMo-3 | E Ni 6625 | ENi6625 | Ni-Cr-Mo-Nb, 625-type | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrMo-4 | E Ni 6276 | ENi6276 | Ni-Cr-Mo-W, C-276-type | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrMo-6 | E Ni 6620 | ENi6620 | Cryogenic nickel steels | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrMo-10 | E Ni 6022 | ENi6022 | Ni-Cr-Mo-W, C-22-type | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrMo-13 | E Ni 6059 | ENi6059 | Ni-Cr-Mo | Verify against the edition named in the order |
ENiCrCoMo-1 | E Ni 6117 | ENi6117 | Ni-Cr-Co-Mo, 617-type | Verify against the edition named in the order |
The ISO/GB numeric codes follow a different coding convention from the AWS trailing number. Trade names and brand numbers are not classifications.
Switch between the four SMAW hubs on this site. The classification test packages are different, so a certificate written for one system does not answer another system's order line.
Chemical analysis of undiluted weld metal
Radiographic soundness
All-weld-metal tension testing
Bend testing
Welding positions assigned in the required-tests table
AWS A5.11 designations do not carry a -15, -16 or -17 usability suffix. Those belong to the AWS A5.4 stainless steel electrode system. In A5.11 the designation names a composition family; covering type, polarity, usable positions and current range sit on the batch datasheet.
| Attribute | Encoded in the designation? | Where a buyer reads it |
|---|---|---|
| Deposited metal composition | Yes | Composition table of the applicable edition; batch certificate |
| Covering system (basic, basic-rutile, low-hydrogen basic) | No | Manufacturer TDS; the national model description when cited |
| Current and polarity (DCEP, AC/DCEP) | No | TDS; some products are adapted for AC because of magnetic arc blow |
| Welding positions | No; position capability is assessed in classification testing | TDS, by diameter |
| Diameter-related limits | No | One public TDS notes that 3.2 mm of a given classification may not satisfy the 3G usability criterion |
Published TDS for the same family describe metal recovery in a wide band (roughly 105 %–170 % relative to core wire), because some products deliver alloying elements through the covering while others use an alloyed core wire. That choice changes current tolerance and deposit behaviour.
A routing device, not a recommendation. The right column lists what our engineers ask before naming a shortlist.
| Base metal family | Examples in public TDS | Families commonly discussed | Questions before quotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercially pure nickel | Ni 200 / Ni 201, nickel-clad plate | ENi-1 | Which side is welded; titanium deoxidation in the WPS? |
| Nickel–copper | Monel-type Ni-Cu grades, Ni-Cu clad steel | ENiCu-7 | Seawater contact; steel-to-copper joint; thick-section heat flow |
| Ni-Cr-Fe and Fe-Ni | Alloy 600, 601, 800/800H, 825 | ENiCrFe-1/-2/-3/-7/-9 | Service temperature; PWHT; dissimilar side |
| Ni-Cr-Mo | Alloy 625, C-276, C-22, 617-type | ENiCrMo-3/-4/-10/-13, ENiCrCoMo-1 | Named medium; overlay or full-penetration joint; surface iron limit |
| Austenitic and super-duplex stainless | 904L, 254SMO-type grades | ENiCrMo-3, ENiCrMo-10 where project-specified | Does the construction code mandate a nickel filler? |
| Carbon and low-alloy steel | Clad plate, vessel plate | Ni-base buttering / overlay families | Dilution budget; layer count; PWHT effect |
| Cryogenic nickel steel | 5 % Ni, 9 % Ni (X8Ni9) | ENiCrMo-6 and other project-named codes | Impact-test temperature; AC or DCEP; arc blow |
| Cast iron | Grey, ductile, malleable iron | Not A5.11 — see the A5.15 hub | Repair or production joint; machinability |
Stainless steel appears here as a base metal, not as the governing specification for the filler. Cast iron is a deliberate hand-off: nickel-bearing cast iron consumables are classified under A5.15, which is why this site keeps a separate hub for them. Links: A5.4 stainless hub · A5.15 cast iron hub · A5.13 surfacing hub · standards cross-reference.
Public clause-level summaries of the 2025 edition describe chemical analysis on undiluted weld metal, radiographic soundness, all-weld-metal tension testing and bend testing, with welding positions assigned in the required-tests table. Check the official required-tests table before relying on any single row.
| Specification | Publicly described classification test package | Usability suffix in the designation | Hardness in the designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS A5.11 (nickel) | Chemical analysis, radiographic soundness, all-weld-metal tension, bend; positions in the required-tests table | No | Not applicable |
| AWS A5.4 (stainless) | Chemical analysis, tension, radiographic soundness, fillet-weld usability, ferrite where applicable | Yes, -15/-16/-17/-25/-26 | Not applicable |
| AWS A5.15 (cast iron) | Chemical analysis stated as the single classification test | No | Not applicable |
| AWS A5.13 (surfacing) | Chemical analysis in Part B; hardness appears as approximate values in an informative annex | No | Not in the AWS code; EN-side public abstracts describe hardness bands inside the designation |
Three distinctions to keep separate: classification is not procedure qualification; classification is not service performance in a named medium; and the designation on the carton is not the lot-specific test record.
| Instruction seen in public TDS | Context | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| 200–250 °C × 1–2 h | Exposed electrodes, one manufacturer's range | Use the batch TDS, the storage record and the WPS. This site does not publish a generic re-drying instruction for a nickel electrode. |
| 250–300 °C × 1 h | Several Ni-Cr-Mo TDS | |
| 300–350 °C × 1 h | Several Chinese-market Ni-Cr-Mo TDS | |
| 350–400 °C × 60 min | One Ni-Cr-Fe TDS | |
| Maximum 350 °C, 3 cycles, 10 h cumulative | One manufacturer's product range |
Other variables a method statement usually controls: short arc, stringer beads with limited weaving, current at the lower end of the diameter range, measured interpass temperature, full slag removal at sidewalls and restarts, and cleaning of the groove and surrounding zone with dedicated tools. Values come from the qualified WPS.
| Line | Field | Illustrative entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Specification + edition + unit system | AWS A5.11/A5.11M:2025 (SI), or the edition named by the WPS |
| 2 | Classification, incl. agreed -G limits | ENiCrMo-3; if -G, attach the agreed composition schedule |
| 3 | Size, length, quantity | 3.2 mm × 350 mm, quantity in kg |
| 4 | Packing and marking | Sealed tin or vacuum pack, net weight, label language, artwork if applicable |
| 5 | Documentation level | Certificate of conformance, batch chemical analysis, test results, document type where the project names it |
| 6 | Supplementary requirements | Impact-test temperature, overlay surface chemistry, radiographic basis, restricted elements, inspection lot |
AWS A5.01 procurement guidelines describe documentation expected at each level; EN 10204 defines document types rather than a test list. Write the test list into the order separately. AWS A5 series marking practice lists the AWS specification and classification, supplier name and trade designation, size and net weight, and a lot number; verify the exact Clause 20 wording of the 2025 edition before turning that into a receiving checklist.
Tell us which edition, document type and supplementary tests your goods-in department records, and we will state what we can supply with the quotation.
| Field | Values seen in public nickel-electrode TDS (reference) | How we handle it |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 2.0 / 2.5 / 3.2 / 4.0 / 5.0 mm | Confirm against the position required by the WPS |
| Length | 250 / 300 / 350 / 450 mm | Reviewed per order and quoted accordingly |
| Unit pack | Sealed metal tin, vacuum pack, moisture-barrier inner bag, carton | Format and net weight quoted against the order |
| Label | Classification, supplier designation, size, net weight, lot identifier, precautionary text | Language and artwork reviewed per order |
| Private label / OEM | Artwork, carton design, language, document format | Reviewed per order and quoted accordingly |
-16 covering suffix?No. That usability designation belongs to the AWS A5.4 stainless steel electrode system. An A5.11 classification names a composition family; covering type, polarity and usable positions sit on the batch datasheet.
It does. Public summaries of the 2025 edition describe welding positions in the required-tests table, and manufacturer TDS commonly restrict larger diameters to flat and horizontal work. Position capability is a property of the product and the diameter.
ENiCrMo-3 show different re-drying instructions?Because the covering formulation and the packing differ. Published values range from 200–250 °C × 1–2 h to 350–400 °C × 60 min. Use the TDS for the lot in your store and the WPS for the job.
ENiCrMo-3 and ERNiCrMo-3?The first is a covered SMAW electrode classified under A5.11; the second is a bare electrode or rod for GTAW/GMAW/SAW classified under A5.14. They are not interchangeable order lines.
We suggest naming one governing system per line and marking the other comparable, not equivalent. The AWS foreword says the classifications are related; public commentary warns against assuming the requirements are automatically interchangeable.
No. A named-medium corrosion test, a −196 °C impact series or a specified overlay surface chemistry is a supplementary project requirement, written separately with a method and an acceptance criterion.
Because the first layer on steel carries iron pickup from the substrate. Later layers are closer to the nominal deposit, which changes where a surface chemistry or corrosion sample should be taken.
-G classification the same as a listed classification?Public summaries describe the 2025 edition as adding a -G option for compositions outside the listed table, with requirements agreed between supplier and purchaser. Put the agreed limits in writing and verify the clause against the official edition.
The one your WPS, construction code and purchasing specification already invoke. Public AWS pages label the 2018 edition HISTORICAL and list the 2025 edition as the 12th edition, but an older controlled WPS may still cite an earlier edition. Keep the electrode, the certificate and the order line on the same edition.
A certificate of conformance, batch chemical analysis with measured S and P, mechanical and radiographic results where the classification requires them, a lot identifier matching the carton, and the edition each result is reported against. EN 10204 defines document types; write the test list separately.
That question belongs to the A5.15 cast iron system. Nickel-bearing cast iron consumables are classified under A5.15, and this site keeps a separate hub and a separate ENi-CI product page for them.
We do not give a default recommendation for those components. The procedure qualification, material control and inspection plan need to come from the responsible engineer first; we can then quote against the resulting specification.
Length, net weight, inner bag, label language and artwork are reviewed against each order and quoted accordingly. Include them in the enquiry.
Base metal on both sides · service condition · designation with standard and edition · size and packing · documents and supplementary tests.