S510846-I12 - Hobart ER309L 1/8" Stainless TIG Rods - 10lb Tube

Hobart ER309/ER309L Stainless Steel TIG Wire Technical Overview

The Hobart ER309/ER309L is a premium-grade stainless steel TIG welding wire engineered to meet the rigorous demands of industrial fabrication and maintenance. Compliant with AWS A5.9 specifications, this filler metal is the definitive choice for welding applications involving dissimilar metals. It is specifically formulated to join Type 309L stainless steels or to weld 300-series austenitic stainless steels (such as 304, 308, and 316) to carbon or low alloy steels. The wire's composition includes a high chromium and nickel content, which provides superior oxidation resistance and high-temperature strength, making it suitable for a wide range of thermal environments.

A critical feature of this wire is its "L" designation, indicating an extra-low carbon content (maximum 0.03%). This chemical property is essential for minimizing the risk of carbide precipitation at the grain boundaries during the welding process. By reducing carbide precipitation, the Hobart ER309L significantly enhances the weld's resistance to intergranular corrosion without the necessity for post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). This makes it an ideal solution for applications in the petrochemical, food and beverage, and pulp and paper industries where corrosion resistance is paramount to the longevity of the equipment.

The wire is supplied in a 10-pound tube containing 36-inch cut lengths, with a diameter of 1/8 inch (3.2 mm). To ensure strict quality control and material traceability—a requirement in many regulated sectors—each individual rod is stamped with its AWS classification and manufacturing lot number. The wire is designed to be used with 100% Argon shielding gas, producing a stable arc and a smooth bead profile with excellent wetting characteristics. Furthermore, the ER309L alloy is often utilized as a buffer layer in cladding operations, where a transition from carbon steel to a stainless surface is required. Its metallurgical balance ensures that even with dilution from the carbon steel base, the resulting weld metal remains austenitic and ductile, preventing the cracking issues often associated with dissimilar metal joining.