What storage conditions are required for welding rods?

The welding rod is composed of a welding rod core and a coating. One of the functions of the welding rod core is to conduct electricity as an electrode. At the same time, it is also the main material for forming the weld metal. Therefore, the quality of the welding rod core directly affects the performance of the weld. Its materials are specially made high-quality steel. The welding rod core for welding carbon steel is usually low-carbon steel with 0.08%C. The most widely used ones are H08 and H08A. The carbon content and harmful impurities of sulfur and phosphorus are strictly limited. The commonly used welding rod diameter (i.e. the diameter of the welding rod core) is 2.5~6 mm and the length is 350~450mm.
Although the welding rod is generally resistant to external damage, it cannot be ignored that it is easy to be damaged due to poor storage. The welding rod is a ceramic product. It is not as impact-resistant as the steel core, so it cannot be dropped during loading and unloading. Welding rods packed in cartons cannot be carried with hooks. Certain types of welding rods, such as alkaline welding rod coatings with special drying requirements, must be handled with more care than normal welding rods.
In general, welding rods are packed in plastic bags and cartons. In order to prevent moisture absorption, they should not be opened at will before use. Try to open them before use. If possible, seal the remaining welding rods after welding. Acid welding rods are not sensitive to moisture, while organic rutile welding rods can tolerate higher moisture content. Therefore, according to the specific situation of moisture, they should be dried at 70-150° for one hour. If the storage time is short and the packaging is good, they can be dried before use. Alkaline low-hydrogen welding rods must be dried before use to reduce the hydrogen content of the welding rods and prevent defects such as pores and cracks. The general drying temperature is 350°C for one hour. Do not put the welding rods into the high-temperature furnace suddenly or cool them suddenly to avoid cracking of the coating. If there are special requirements for hydrogen content, the drying temperature should be increased to 400-500°C for one to two hours. The dried alkaline welding rods are best stored in another low-temperature drying box with a temperature control of 50-100°C and taken out as needed. When drying welding rods, each layer of welding rods should not be stacked too thick (usually 1-3 layers) to avoid uneven heating and moisture removal during drying. When operating outdoors, welding rods must be properly stored overnight and are not allowed to be stored outdoors. They should be stored at a constant temperature in a low-temperature box, otherwise they must be dried again before use the next day.