Low-Mn emission seamless cored wires for carbon steel welding: a comparative analysis of fume outputs

Abstract

Metal-cored (MCW) and flux-cored (FCW) wires are widely used for welding low-carbon (C) steels in structural applications, offering higher productivity but generating more welding fumes than solid wires. Growing awareness of the health risks associated with respirable particles has intensified the focus on fume composition. While proper fume extraction and personal protective equipment (PPE), such as helmets with breathing apparatus, are essential, modifying wire composition can help reduce harmful emissions. Manganese (Mn), a key alloying element in C-steels, and their corresponding welding consumables have been linked to neurological effects, prompting stricter occupational exposure limits (OELs) to protect welders. This has driven demands for low-Mn-emission welding consumables. This study evaluates two newly developed seamless low-Mn-emission products, one MCW (MCW-LMn) and one FCW (FCW-LMn), by comparing their fume and Mn emission rates (Mnmg/s) to those of standard seamless and folded wires under varying welding parameters and shielding gas compositions. At equivalent parameter settings, the newly developed wires produced comparable fume levels but achieved Mn emission reductions of 25–70% for MCW-LMn and 60–85% for FCW-LMn.