MXPA05013013A - Wire electrode with improved slag properties - Google Patents

Abstract

A metal core electrode used to form weld deposits having improved slag forming properties with respect to reduced accumulation of slag in toes of the weld bead. The metal cored electrode includes a metal rod and a fill composition. The electrode includes a slag-modifying additive that contains metallic indium and/or one or more indium compounds.

Description

WIRE ELECTRODE WITH IMPROVED PROPERTIES OF SCORING Field of the Invention The invention is generally related to the field of welding, and more particularly, it relates to electrodes that have improved properties of weld bead formation, and even more particularly, refers to electrodes forming welding cords with improved placement and slag removal properties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the field of arc welding, the main types of welding processes are gas-metal arc welding with solid wires (GMAW) or wires with solid core (GMA-C). , arc welding with gas protected flux core (FCA-G), arc welding with self-protected core (FCAW-S), protected metal arc welding (SMAW) and submerged arc welding (SA). Of these processes, gas-metal arc welding with electrodes with a solid or metallic core is increasingly being used to join or overlap metal components. These types of welding processes are becoming increasingly popular because these processes provide increased productivity and versatility. This increase in productivity and versatility results from the continuous nature of welding electrodes in arc welding with a gas-metal (GMAW &GMA-C), which offers substantial productivity gains over arc welding with protected metal (SMA). In addition, these electrodes produce very good-looking welds with very little slag, thus saving time and expense associated with the cleaning of welds and the removal of slag, a problem often encountered in other welding processes. In gas-metal arc welding with solid or metallic core electrodes, a shielding gas is used to provide protection to the weld against atmospheric contamination during welding. The solid electrodes are appropriately combined with ingredients which, in combination with the protective gas, provide porosity free welds with the desired mechanical and physical properties. In metallic core electrodes, these ingredients are in the interior, in the core (filling) of a metal outer sheath, and provide a similar function as in the case of solid electrodes. The solid and metal core electrodes are designed to provide, under proper gas protection, a solid, substantially porosity free weld with flexural strength, attraction resistance, ductility and impact resistance to perform satisfactorily in the final applications. Also, these electrodes are designed to minimize the amount of slag generated during welding; however, small islets of slag and / or one or more thin slag liners at the edges of the weld are frequently formed during welding. In general, these slag islets are oxides of manganese and silicon that are formed when these elements that are present in the wire react with oxygen during welding. After welding, these islets of slag or slag linings are removed to provide a clean surface which, if desired, can be further treated (eg, painted or coated to improve appearance, to inhibit corrosion, etc.). Failure to remove the slag can result in the slag detachment after the welding has been painted or coated, which may result in corrosion at that site or negative impact on the cosmetic appearance of the weld. More and more metallic core electrodes as an alternative to solid wires due to increased productivity during the fabrication by welding of structural components.The metallic core electrodes are compound electrodes consisting of a core material (filler) surrounded by a sheath metallic core.The core consists mainly of iron powder and alloy and smelting ingredients for help with the stability of the bow, wetting and appearance of the welding, etc., such that the desired physical and chemical properties are obtained in the welding. Metal core electrodes are made by mixing the ingredients of the core material and depositing them inside a formed strip, and then closing and pulling the strip to the final diameter. Metal-core electrodes provide increased deposition rates and produce weld penetration profile, more consistent and broad compared to solid electrodes. In addition, they provide improved arc action, generate less smoke and splash, and provide weld deposits with better wetting compared to solid electrodes. However, these improvements in productivity are sometimes counteracted by the expense incurred due to the time required to remove the deposits or islets of slag, which form on the surface of the weld. In general, in gas-metal arc welding with solid or metallic core wires, slag islets tend to form at the edges of the weld. The slag islets are wedged at the edges and this makes them very difficult to remove. In this invention, the adhesion of ingredients to the core (filler) of the metal core electrode has been made, which allows the slag to form as discrete islets in the intermediate portion of the weld, instead of the edges of the weld. This allows slag islets to either self-uncover or remove easily. Several filling compositions have been developed to address the problem of slag removal. In U.S. Patent No. 4,345,140 to Godai, the use of a flux composition in an electrode with a core for welding stainless steel is described. Godai describes that the addition of low-melting metal oxides such as lead oxide, copper oxide, bismuth oxide, antimony oxide or tin oxide is useful in improving the repair capacity of the slag. The teachings of G.odai are incorporated herein by reference. In US Pat. No. 6,608,284 to Ni odym, another filler composition is described which has improved slag removal. Nikodym describes a filling composition for a low alloy steel or mild steel electrode. Nikodym distinguishes the described filling composition from the filling composition described in Godai on the basis that Godai refers to a flux cored electrode for stainless steel welding that is fundamentally different from metal core electrodes for low steel welding. alloy and mild steel. Nikodym states that flux cored electrodes for use in stainless steel welding include a flux composition consisting of non-metallic inorganic components that are present in significantly higher percentages (eg, 5 to 10%) than in the electrodes of metal core for use in the welding of soft or low alloy metals, thereby resulting in the slag covering the entire surface and adhering strongly to the weld edge becoming very difficult to remove. The filler composition described in Nikodym includes the addition of antimony, bismuth and / or germanium to a weld metal to cause deposits or islets of slag in the weld metal to form at positions away from the edge or flange of the weld beads. welding of low alloy steel and soft steel, thus facilitating the removal of slag deposits or islets. The teachings of Nikodym are incorporated herein as a reference.

Brief Description of the Invention The present invention relates to an improved welding electrode that facilitates the formation of weld deposits or islets in the weld metal that are formed in positions far to the edge or flange of low-grade steel weld beads. alloy and soft steel, thus facilitating the removal of slag deposits or islets. The welding electrode of the present invention refers in particular to an electrode that includes a filler composition that at least partially protects a solder metal from oxygen and nitrogen from start to finish in the welding process. As such, the filling composition of the present invention relates in particular to core electrodes having a metal sheath surrounding the filling composition in the core of the sheath; however, the filler composition can be applied to other types of electrodes (e.g., rod electrode coating, etc.), or used as, or part of a flux composition, in a submerged arc welding process . As a result, the filler composition is not limited for use in a core electrode. The filler composition of the present invention is formulated in a particular manner for use with electrodes used for welding mild steel and low alloy steel; however, the filler composition can be used with electrodes for the formation of weld beads in other types of metals. The metal electrode (e.g., metal sheath, solid rod, etc.) is typically formed mainly of iron (e.g., carbon steel, low carbon steel, stainless steel, low alloy steel, etc.); however, the base metal can be formed mainly from other materials (for example, copper, nickel, titanium, etc.). When the filler composition is used in a core or core electrode, the filler composition typically constitutes at least about 1 percent by weight of the total weight of the electrode, and not more than about 50 percent by weight of the total weight of the electrode , and typically about 10-35 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode, and more typically about 15-25 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode, and still more typically about 18-22 percent by weight weight of the total weight of the electrode. The filler composition includes one or more slag-forming agents that are used to provide information of the weld bead and / or to at least partially protect the bead formed from the atmosphere. The filler composition may also include one or more metal alloying agents, selected to match at least the desired composition of the weld metal and / or to obtain the desired properties of the weld bead. In one embodiment of the present invention, the filler composition includes indium and / or one or more indium compounds to improve the slag properties of the flux system during and / or after the formation of a weld bead during an operation of welding. It has been found that the addition of indium and / or one or more indium compounds to a welding electrode results in the deposits or slag islets formed in the weld bead being formed at positions remote from the edge or flange of the weld bead. welding, thereby facilitating the removal of slag from the weld bead. It has not been determined whether the improved slag properties are the result of the effect of the indium and / or one or more compounds of indium on the properties of the slag as the slag is formed in the weld bead and / or due to the incorporation of the slag. indium and / or one or more indium compounds in the weld metal and the effects of the properties of the weld metal on the slag formed in the weld metal. The inclusion of indium and / or one or more indium compounds in the welding electrode significantly improves the ease of removal of slag. The indium and / or one or more indium compounds are generally incorporated into the filler composition that can be incorporated into the nucleus of a core electrode, and / or is incorporated into the composition of the metal rod or metallic sleeve of the welding electrode. The indium and / or various indium compounds that can be included in the filler composition include, but are not limited to, indium, indium antimonide, indium monoxide, indium fluoride, indium sulfate, indium sulfide, or mixtures thereof. In one aspect of this embodiment, the content of indium and / or an indium compound of the filler composition is generally at least about 0.02 weight percent of the filler composition, typically about 0.05-15 weight percent. of the filling composition, more typically about 0.1-8 weight percent of the filling composition, and still more typically about 0.5-2 weight percent of the filling composition. In another alternative aspect of this embodiment, the content of indium and / or an indium compound of the welding electrode is generally at least about 0.004 percent "total electrode weight, and typically about 0.0095-3.23 weight percent. of the total electrode, more typically about 0.019-1.72 weight percent of the total electrode, and still more typically, about 0.095-0.43 weight percent of the total electrode In another alternative aspect of the present invention, the composition of the metal rod or metal sleeve of the welding electrode is selected to correspond at least closely to the desired composition of the weld metal Typically, the metal rod or metal sleeve includes a majority of iron when welding a work piece based on iron (for example, carbon steel, stainless steel, etc.); however, the composition of the welding rod can include various types of metals to achieve a particular weld bead composition. In one embodiment of the invention, the metal rod or metal sheath mainly includes iron and one or more other elements such as, but not limited to, aluminum, antimony, bismuth, boron, carbon, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, molybdenum , nickel, niobium, silicon, sulfur, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, zinc and / or zirconium. In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the metal rod or metal sheath mainly includes iron and one or more other elements such as, but not limited to, aluminum, carbon, chromium, nickel, silicon and / or titanium. In yet another alternative embodiment of the invention, the iron content of the metal rod or metal sheath is at least about 80 weight percent of the metal rod or metal sheath. In yet another alternative aspect of the present invention, the filler composition includes one or more metal protection agents in moldings and / or modification agents. The filler components can include metal alloying agents (eg, aluminum, boron, calcium, carbon, chromium, iron, manganese, nickel, silica, titanium, zirconium, etc.) which are used at least partially to provide protection to the metal of welding during and / or after a welding process, to facilitate a particular welding process and / or to modify the composition of the weld bead. In one embodiment of the invention, the filler composition includes at least one of the welding metal protection agents. In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the filler composition includes one or more alloying agents used to facilitate formation in the weld metal with the desired composition. In one aspect of this embodiment, the alloying agent constitutes approximately 0.1-99.3 weight percent of the filling composition. In yet another alternative embodiment of the invention, the filler composition includes one or more slag modifiers. Slag modifiers are typically used to increase and / or decrease the slag viscosity, to improve the ease of removal of the slag from the weld metal, to reduce splash, etc. In yet another alternative aspect of the present invention, a protective gas is used in conjunction with the welding electrode to provide protection to the weld bead of the elements and / or compounds in the atmosphere. The protective gas generally includes one or more gases. These one or more gases are generally inert or substantially inert with respect to the composition of the weld bead. In one embodiment, at least partially argon, carbon dioxide or mixtures thereof are used as a protective gas. In one aspect of this embodiment, the protective gas includes about 2-40 volume percent carbon dioxide and the argon moiety. In another alternative aspect of this embodiment, the protective gas includes about 5-25 volume percent carbon dioxide and the argon moiety. As can be appreciated, other additional inert or substantially inert gases can be used. It is a principal object of the invention to provide a welding process that results in improved slag properties in the weld bead. Another alternative object of the present invention is the provision of a welding process that reduces the amount of slag formed and the amount of slag that is on and / or near the edges of the weld bead. Yet another alternative object of the present invention is the provision of a welding electrode including indium and / or one or more indium compounds to improve the characteristics of the slag formed in a weld bead. Yet another alternative object of the present invention is the provision of a metal core welding electrode including indium and / or one or more indium compounds in the electrode filling to improve the characteristics of the slag formed in a weld bead. These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the analysis of the distinction between the invention and the prior art and in consideration of the preferred embodiment as shown in the appended figures.

Brief Description of the Figures Figures 1A-1D are illustrations of weld beads formed by a core electrode according to the present invention at various wire feed speeds.

Detailed Description of the Invention Referring now in greater detail to the figures, wherein the figures are for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention, Figures 1A-1D illustrate the formation of slag in a fillet weld bead formed from a core electrode according to the present invention. The core electrode was formulated to weld soft steel; however, it can be appreciated that the welding electrode may have been formulated to weld other types of metal (e.g., stainless steel, high strength steel, etc.). The weld beads illustrated in Figures 1A-1D were formed by a robotic weld at approximately 13/16 inch CT D (contact working distance point), at about a 10 ° push angle and about an angle of 45 ° pistol. The protective gas mixture used during the welding process was approximately 90% AR and approximately 10% C02. The welding settings that were used in the plates at mill scales were 1) 24V / 250 ipm WFS (wire feed speed) at approximately 12 ipm travel speed, 2) 26V / 350 ipm at approximately 16 ipm speed travel, 3) 28V / 450 ipm WPS at approximately 20 ipm travel speed. Figures 1A and IB illustrate fillet welds made in clean plates at two different wire feed speeds. As illustrated in these figures, most of the slag formed by the electrodes is separated from the flange of the weld bead and deposited in discrete weld formations as opposed to being spread along the length of the weld bead the edges. Figures 1C and ID illustrate fillet welds made in mill scale plates by the electrodes of the present invention at two different wire feed speeds. Once again again, the majority of the slag formed by the present invention is separated from the flange of the weld bead, is deposited substantially in discrete slag formations as opposed to being spread along the length of the weld in the welds. edges. In addition, the appearance wetting of the cord on both the clean plate and the mill scale plate is excellent. The metal sheath that can be used for the weld bead may include about 0-0.2 weight percent B, about 0-0.2 weight percent C, about 0-12 weight percent Cr, about 0- 5 weight percent Mn, about 0-2 weight percent Mo, about 0-5 weight percent Ni, about 0-4 weight percent Si, about 0-0.4 weight percent i, about 0-0.4 weight percent V and about 75-99.9 weight percent Fe. The general formulation of the metal sleeve used to form the weld beads in Figure 2 includes approximately 0.02-0.044% carbon , approximately 0.007-0.014% silicon, approximately 0.02-0.06% aluminum, approximately 0.01-0.05% chromium, approximately 0.01-0.04% nickel, less than approximately 0.014% phosphorus, less than approximately 0.02% sulfur, less of approximately 0.01% nitrogen and m about 0.01% titanium and the rest iron and nominal impurities. Metal indium can also be included in the metal sleeve; however, the indium and / or one or more indium compounds are typically included in the filling of the core electrode. These element composition ranges can be included only in the metal sleeve or be a combination of the metal sleeve composition and one or more components of the fill composition. The composition of most welding electrodes used for welding mild steel or low alloy steel will include at least about 0.4 percent by weight of Mn, at least about 0.2 percent by weight of Si, and at least about 0.001 percent by weight of C. Industrial standards for many soft and low alloy steels limit the combined amounts of B, Cr, Ni, Mo, V and Ti to less than about 1 weight percent; however, other percentages are acceptable for other types of steel. These elements can be included in the metal sheath, in the filling composition or in both to achieve the desired levels of composition. The fill composition used in a core electrode constitutes approximately 19-21.5 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. The addition of indium to the electrode may typically be in the metallic indium form when it is added to the metal sheath and was typically indium oxide included in the fill composition; however, the indium may be added in other additional forms such as, without limitation, indium antimonide, indium fluoride, indium sulfate, and indium sulfide. The filler composition used to form the weld beads in Figure 2 included approximately 6-13% manganese powder, approximately 3.5-8.5% Si, approximately 0.06-0.2% iron sulfide, approximately 0.4-2% of indium oxide and approximately 70-80% iron powder. The addition of indium and / or one or more indium compounds has no discernible adverse effect on the quality of the electric arc during the welding process. The addition of indium and / or one or more indium compounds has no discernible adverse effect on the quality or properties of the weld bead formed. The AWS plate welded with the electrode of the present invention produced a weld bead having a flexural strength, or yield strength, of about 63 ksi, a tensile strength of about 79 ksi, and elongation of about 29% and a 29-pound charpy hardness at -20 ° F. As a result, there is no need to add or increase the amount of alloying agents in the electrode to compensate for the effects of the indium and / or one or more indium compounds on the welding electrode. As illustrated in Figure 2, the addition of the indium oxide in the filler composition of the welding electrode resulted in the slag formed during the welding process remaining substantially in the crater of the weld, thus reducing in shape Significant is the amount of slag that moves and / or forms in the flanges of the weld bead during the welding process. It is believed that the indium oxide positively affects the freezing point as well as the surface tension of the slag formed, thereby allowing the formed slag to remain in the welding crater. These and other modifications of the completed modalities, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be obvious and will be suggested to those skilled in the art from the description herein, so that the material will be understood in a distinctive manner. The preceding description will be interpreted only as illustrative of the present invention and not as a limitation thereof.

Claims (79)

1. CLAIMS 1. A metal electrode for forming a weld bead with improved slag-forming properties with respect to reduced slag accumulation at edges of the weld bead, characterized in that it comprises a metal rod including a slag modification additive, the agent of slag modification including metallic indium, an indium compound or mixture thereof. The metal electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal rod includes a hollow core and a filling composition that is at least partially included in the hollow core. 3. The metal electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that the indium compound includes indium antimonide, indium fluoride, indium oxide, indium sulfate, indium sulfide or mixtures thereof. 4. The metallic electrode according to claim 2, characterized in that the indium compound includes indium antimonide, indium fluoride, indium oxide, indium sulfate, indium sulfide or mixtures thereof. 5. The metal electrode according to claim 2, characterized in that the indium compound is included in the filler material. The metallic electrode according to claim 4, characterized in that the indium compound is included in the filler material. The metal electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal indium, the indium compound or the mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. The metal electrode according to claim 2, characterized in that the metal indium, the indium compound or the mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. The metallic electrode according to claim 6, characterized in that the metallic indium, the indium compound or mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. The metal electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 80 weight percent iron. The metal electrode according to claim 2, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 80 weight percent iron. The metal electrode according to claim 9, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 80 weight percent iron. The metal electrode according to claim 2, characterized in that the filling composition constitutes approximately 15-35 weight percent of the total weight of the metal electrode. The metal electrode according to claim 12, characterized in that the filling composition constitutes approximately 15-35 weight percent of the total weight of the metal electrode. The metal electrode according to claim 10, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 0.002 weight percent carbon, at least about 0.08 weight percent manganese, less than about 0.1 weight percent titanium , and at least about 85 weight percent iron. The metal electrode according to claim 11, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 0.002 weight percent carbon, at least about 0.08 weight percent manganese, less than about 0.1 weight percent titanium , and at least about 85 weight percent iron. The metal electrode according to claim 14, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 0.002 weight percent carbon, at least about 0.08 weight percent manganese, less than about 0.1 weight percent titanium, and at least about 85 weight percent iron. The metal electrode according to claim 15, characterized in that the metal rod includes about 0-0.5 weight percent aluminum, about 0.02-0.1 weight percent carbon, about 0.005-5 weight percent chromium , about 0.1-3 weight percent manganese, about 0.005-4 weight percent nickel, about 0.001-2.5 weight percent silicon, about 0-0.08 weight percent titanium, and at least about 90 percent by weight of iron. The metal electrode according to claim 16, characterized in that the metal rod includes about 0-0.5 weight percent aluminum, about 0.02-0.1 weight percent carbon, about 0.005-5 weight percent chromium , about 0.1-3 weight percent manganese, about 0.005-4 weight percent nickel, about 0.001-2.5 weight percent silicon, about 0-0.08 weight percent titanium, and at least about 90 percent by weight of iron. The metal electrode according to claim 17, characterized in that the metal rod includes about 0-0.5 weight percent aluminum, about 0.02-0.1 weight percent carbon, about 0.005-5 weight percent chromium , about 0.1-3 weight percent manganese, about 0.005-4 weight percent nickel, about 0.001-2.5 weight percent silicon, about 0-0.08 weight percent titanium, and at least about 90 percent by weight of iron. The metallic electrode according to claim 2, characterized in that the filling composition includes at least about 0.1 weight percent manganese; at least about 0.1 weight percent silicon, at least about 0.1 weight percent metal indium, indium compound or mixtures thereof; and at least about 65 weight percent iron powder. The metallic electrode according to claim 16, characterized in that the filling composition includes at least about 0.1 weight percent manganese; at least about 0.1 weight percent silicon, at least about 0.1 weight percent metal indium, indium compound or mixture thereof; and at least about 65 weight percent iron powder. The metallic electrode according to claim 19, characterized in that the filling composition includes at least about 0.1 weight percent manganese; at least about 0.1 weight percent silicon, at least about 0.1 weight percent metal indium, indium compound or mixture thereof; and at least about 65 weight percent iron powder. The metallic electrode according to claim 20, characterized in that the filling composition includes at least about 0.1 weight percent manganese; at least about 0.1 weight percent silicon, at least about 0.1 weight percent metal indium, indium compound or mixture thereof; and at least about 65 weight percent iron powder. 25. The metal electrode according to claim 21, characterized in that the filling composition includes about 0.1-1 weight percent iron sulfide, about 0.1-15 weight percent manganese, about 0.1-8 weight percent. by weight of silicon, at least about 0.1-4 weight percent indium oxide, and at least about 70 weight percent iron powder. 26. The metal electrode according to claim 22, characterized in that the filling composition includes about 0-1 weight percent iron sulfide, about 0.1-15 weight percent manganese, about 0.1-8 weight percent. silicon weight, at least about 0.1-4 weight percent indium oxide, and at least about 70 weight percent iron powder. 27. The metal electrode according to claim 23, characterized in that the filling composition includes about 0-1 weight percent iron sulfide, about 0.1-15 weight percent manganese, about 0.1-8 weight percent. silicon weight, at least about 0.1-4 weight percent indium oxide, and at least about 70 weight percent iron powder. The metallic electrode according to claim 24, characterized in that the filling composition includes about 0-1 weight percent iron sulfide, about 0.1-15 weight percent manganese, about 0.1-8 weight percent. silicon weight, at least about 0.1-4 weight percent indium oxide, and at least about 70 weight percent iron powder. 29. A method for forming a weld bead having improved slag characteristics, characterized in that it comprises: a) providing a weld electrode including a slag enhancement additive, the slag enhancement agent including metal indium, Indian or mixtures thereof; and b) at least partially melting the welding electrode by an electric current to cause the molten portion of the welding electrode to be deposited on a workpiece. 30. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that the step of directing a protective gas to the workpiece to at least partially protect the molten portion of the welding electrode that is deposited on a workpiece. 31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that the protective gas includes argon, carbon dioxide or mixtures thereof. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the protective gas includes a majority of volume percent of argon and at least about 3 weight percent by volume of carbon dioxide. 33. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that the welding electrode includes a metal rod and a filling material. 34. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that the welding electrode includes a metal rod and a filling material. 35. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that the welding electrode includes a metal rod and a filling material. 36. The method according to claim 33, characterized in that the metal rod includes a hollow core and the filling composition is at least partially included in the hollow core. 37. The method according to claim 34, characterized. because the metal rod includes a hollow core and the filling composition is at least partially included in the hollow core. 38. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that the metal rod includes a hollow core and the filling composition is at least partially included in the hollow core. 39. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that the indium compound includes indium antimonide, indium fluoride, indium oxide, indium sulfate, indium sulfide or mixtures thereof. 40. The method according to claim 33, characterized in that the indium compound includes indium antimonide, indium fluoride, indium oxide, indium sulfate, indium sulfide or mixtures thereof. 41. The method according to claim 36, characterized in that the indium compound includes indium antimonide, indium fluoride, indium oxide, indium sulfate, indium sulfide or mixtures thereof. 42. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that the indium compound includes indium antimonide, indium fluoride, indium oxide, indium sulfate, indium sulfide or mixtures thereof. 43. The method according to claim 37, characterized in that the indium compound includes indium antimonide, indium fluoride, indium oxide, indium sulfate, indium sulfide or mixtures thereof. 44. The method according to claim 38, characterized in that the indium compound includes indium antimonide, indium fluoride, indium oxide, indium sulfate, indium sulfide or mixtures thereof. 45. The method according to claim 33, characterized in that the indium compound is included in the filling material. 46. The method according to claim 40, characterized in that the indium compound is included in the filling material. 47. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that the indium compound is included in the filler material. 48. The method according to claim 43, characterized in that the indium compound is included in the filling material. 49. The method according to claim 44, characterized in that the indium compound is included in the filling material. 50. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that the metal indium, the indium compound or the mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. 51. The method according to claim 39, characterized in that the metal indium, the indium compound or the mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. 52. The method according to claim 42, characterized in that the metal indium, the indium compound or the mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. 53. The method according to claim 33, characterized in that the metal indium, the indium compound or the mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. 54. The method according to claim 46, characterized in that the metal indium, the indium compound or the mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. 55. The method according to claim 47, characterized in that the metal indium, the indium compound or the mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. 56. The method according to claim 48, characterized in that the metal indium, the indium compound or the mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. 57. The method according to claim 49, characterized in that the metal indium, the indium compound or the mixtures thereof constitute at least about 0.004 weight percent of the total weight of the electrode. 58. The method according to claim 33, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 80 weight percent iron by weight. 59. The method according to claim 56, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 80 weight percent iron by weight. 60. The method according to claim 57, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 80 weight percent iron by weight. 61. The method according to claim 33, characterized in that the filling composition constitutes approximately 15-35 weight percent of the total weight of the metal electrode. 62. The method according to claim 59, characterized in that the filling composition constitutes approximately 15-35 weight percent of the total weight of the metal electrode. 63. The method according to claim 60, characterized in that the filling composition constitutes approximately 15-35 weight percent of the total weight of the metal electrode. 64. The method according to claim 55, characterized in that the filling composition constitutes approximately 15-35 weight percent of the total weight of the metal electrode. 65. The method according to claim 58, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 0.002 percent by weight of carbon, at least about 0.08 percent by weight of manganese, less than about 0.1 percent by weight of titanium, and at least about 85 weight percent iron. 66. The method according to claim 52, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 0.002 percent by weight of carbon, at least about 0.08 percent by weight of manganese, less than about 0.1 percent by weight of titanium, and less about 85 weight percent iron. 67. The method according to claim 62, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 0.002 weight percent carbon, at least about 0.08 weight percent manganese, less than about 0.1 weight percent titanium, and at least about 85 weight percent iron. 68. The method according to claim 63, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 0.002 percent by weight of carbon, at least about 0.08 percent by weight of manganese, less than about 0.1 percent by weight of titanium, and at least about 85 weight percent iron. 69 The method according to claim 65, characterized in that the metal rod includes about 0-0.5 weight percent aluminum, about 0.02-0.1 weight percent carbon, about 0.005-5 weight percent chromium, about 0.1 -3 weight percent manganese, about 0.005-4 weight percent nickel, about 0.001-2.5 weight percent silicon, about 0-0.08 weight percent titanium, and at least about 90 percent weight iron weight. 70. The method according to claim 67, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 0-0.5 weight percent aluminum, about 0.02-0.1 weight percent carbon, about 0.005-5 weight percent chrome, about 0.1-3 weight percent manganese, about 0.005-4 weight percent nickel, about 0.001-2.5 weight percent silicon, about 0-0.08 weight percent titanium, and at least about 90 percent by weight of iron. 71. The method according to claim 68, characterized in that the metal rod includes at least about 0-0.5 weight percent aluminum, about 0.02-0.1 weight percent carbon, about 0.005-5 weight percent chrome, about 0.1-3 weight percent manganese, about 0.005-4 weight percent nickel, about 0.001-2.5 weight percent silicon, about 0-0.08 weight percent titanium, and at least about 90 percent by weight of iron. 72. The method according to claim 33, characterized in that the filling composition includes at least about 0.5 weight percent manganese; at least about 0.1 weight percent silicon; at least about 0.1 weight percent metal indium, indium compound or mixtures thereof; and at least about 65 weight percent iron powder. 73. The method according to claim 64, characterized in that the filling composition includes at least about 0.5 weight percent manganese; at least about 0.1 weight percent silicon; at least about 0.1 weight percent metal indium, indium compound or mixtures thereof; and at least about 65 weight percent iron powder. 74. The method according to claim 70, characterized in that the filling composition includes at least about 0.5 weight percent manganese; at least about 0.1 weight percent silicon; at least about 0.1 weight percent metal indium, indium compound or mixtures thereof; and at least about 65 weight percent iron powder. 75. The method according to claim 71, characterized in that the filling composition includes at least about 0.5 weight percent manganese; at least about 0.1 weight percent silicon; at least about 0.1 weight percent metal indium, indium compound or mixtures thereof; and at least about 65 weight percent iron powder. 76. The method according to claim 76, characterized in that the iron composition includes at least about 0-1 weight percent iron sulfide, about 0.1-15 weight percent manganese, about 0.1-8 percent by weight of silicon, at least about 0.1-4 of indium oxide, and at least about 70 weight percent of iron powder. 77. The method according to claim 73, characterized in that the iron composition includes at least about 0-1 weight percent iron sulfide, about 0.1-15 weight percent manganese, about 0.1-8 weight percent. by weight of silicon, at least about 0.1-4 of indium oxide, and at least about 70 weight percent of iron powder. 78. The method according to claim 74, characterized in that the iron composition includes at least about 0-1 weight percent iron sulfide, about 0.1-15 weight percent manganese, about 0.1-8 weight percent. by weight of silicon, at least about 0.1-4 of indium oxide, and at least about 70 weight percent of iron powder. 79. The method according to claim 75, characterized in that the iron composition includes at least about 0-1 weight percent iron sulfide, about 0.1-15 weight percent manganese, about 0.1-8 percent by weight of silicon, at least about 0.1-4 of indium oxide, and at least about 70 weight percent of iron powder.