The Paton Welding Journal, 2026, #7, 34-40 pages
Effect of aqueous environment on gas saturation of high-alloy deposited metal during wet underwater welding of duplex steels in sea water
G.V. Fadeeva1
, S.Yu. Maksymov1
, Jia Chuanbao2
, D.V. Vasiliev1
, A.A. Radziyevska1
, Han Yanfei2
1E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NASU.
11 Kazymyr Malevych Str., 03150, Kyiv, Ukraine.
E-mail: maksimov@paton.kiev.ua
2Institute of Materials Joining, Shandong University MOE Key Lab for Liquid-Solid Structure Evolution and Materials Processing, Institute of Materials Joining, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
Abstract
This study analyzes the factors that most significantly influence the gas saturation of deposited metal during underwater wet
welding. It is shown that the oxygen and hydrogen content of the deposited metal depends on the potential content of gases
introduced by the electrode materials and the base metal, on the process of water vapor dissociation in the vapor-gas bubble,
and on the water salinity. Compared to welding in fresh water, as the water salinity increases to 30 ‰, the hydrogen content
decreases, while the oxygen content increases. Subsequently, as the water salinity increases to 40 ‰, the hydrogen content
of the deposited metal increases, while the oxygen content decreases for both DC reverse polarity and DC straight polarity
welding. This dependence is more pronounced in DC reverse polarity welding. The highest hydrogen content is observed when
welding in fresh water and in water with a salinity of 40 ‰. The lowest oxygen content of the deposited metal is obtained when
welding in fresh water and in water with a salinity of 40 ‰. The oxidation potential of the aqueous environment is more than
twice that observed during welding in air. The hydrogen content in underwater wet welding is also 2 to 2.5 times higher than
in welding in air.
Keywords: duplex steels, underwater wet welding, high-alloy deposited metal, gas saturation, hydrogen and oxygen content,
water vapor dissociation, water salinity, coated electrode, DC polarity
Received: 07.11.2025
Received in revised form: 23.01.2026
Accepted: 13.07.2026
References
1. Hydrogen diffusion and concentration in 2205 duplex stainless
steel under hydrostatic pressure. http://ukdiss.com
2. Karkhin, V.A., Mnushkin, O.S., Petrov, G.L. (1980) Kinetics
of hydrogen redistribution in welded joints. Automatic Welding,
6, 28–32 [in Russian].
3. Klett, J., Hecht-Linowitzki, V., Grünzel, O. et al. (2020) Effect
of the water depth on the hydrogen content in SMAW wet
welded joints. SN Applied Sciences, 2, 1269. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-020-3066-8
4. da Silva, W.C.D, Ribeiro, L.F, Bracarense, A.Q, Pessoa,
E.C.P (2012) Effect of the hydrostatic pressure in the diffusible
hydrogen at the underwater wet welding. In: ASME
2012 31st Inter. Conf. on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering
OMAE2012-83002 (44939), 1–8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1115/OMAE201283002
5. Maksimov, S.Yu. (2006) The influence of the aqueous environment
on the nature of physical and metallurgical processes
of arc welding of low-alloy steels: PhD Thesis: Kyiv [in
Russian].
6. Świerczyńska, A., Fydrych, D., Rogalski, G. (2017) Diffusible
hydrogen management in underwater wet self-shielded flux
cored arc welding. Inter. J. Hydrog. Energy, 42(38), 24532–24540. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.07.225
7. Kononenko, V.Ya. (1991) The influence of water salinity and
parameters of mechanized underwater welding on the content
of hydrogen and oxygen in the weld metal. Automatic
Welding, 3, 69–71 [in Russian].
8. Klett, J., Mattos, I.B.F., Maier, H.J. et al. (2021) Control of the
diffusible hydrogen content in different steel phases through
the targeted use of different welding consumables in underwater
wet welding. Materials and Corrosion, 72(3), 504–516.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/maco.202011963
9. Asnis, A.E., Ignatushenko, A.A., Dyachenko, Yu.V. (1983)
Measures to reduce hydrogen content in the heat-affected
zone during mechanized underwater welding. Automatic
Welding, 8, 1–4 [in Russian].
10. Guo, N., Zhang, X., Fu, Y. et al. (2023) A novel strategy to prevent
hydrogen charging via spontaneously molten-slag-covering
droplet transfer mode in underwater wet FCAW . Materials&Design, 226, 111636. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2023.111636
11. Madatov, N.M. (1965) On the properties of the vapor-gas
bubble around the arc during underwater welding. Automatic
Welding, 12, 25–29 [in Russian].
12. Avilov, T.I. (1952) Research of the underwater welding
process. Svarochnoye Proyzvodstvo, 5, 12–14 [in Russian].
13. Kononenko, V.Ya. (1996) Metallurgical principles of welding
in an aqueous environment with flux-cored wires. Automatic
Welding, 9, 22–26 [in Russian].
14. Frolov, V.V., Vinokurov, V.A., Volchenko, V.N. et al. (1970)
Theoretical foundations of welding. Ed. by V.V. Frolov. Moscow,
Vysshaya Shkola [in Russian].
15. Kulikov, I.S., Rostovtsev, S.T., Grigoriev, E.N. (1978)
Physicochemical foundations of the oxide reduction process.
Moscow, Nauka [in Russian].
16. Yushchenko, K.A., Kakhovsky, Yu.M., Fadeeva, G.V.,
Maksimov, S.Yu. (2006) Self-healing powder grind for
underwater welding of high-alloy steels. In: Collection of
Scientific Articles Based on the Results Published in 2000–
2006 on Problems of Resource and Operational Safety of the
Construction of Vessels and Machines, Kyiv, 532–537 [in
Ukrainian].
17. Kakhovsky, M.Yu. (2015) Influx of aqueous media on gas
saturation of weld metal during underwater welding of steel
12Kh18N10T. Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv,
6(51), 83–86 [in Ukrainian].
18. Smiyan, O.D., Kononenko, V.Ya. (1987) The influence of salt
concentration in seawater on the distribution of hydrogen, nitrogen,
carbon and oxygen in a welded joint made underwater.
Automatic Welding, 1, 75–76 [in Russian].
Suggested Citation
G.V. Fadeeva,
S.Yu. Maksymov,
Jia Chuanbao,
D.V. Vasiliev,
A.A. Radziyevska,
Han Yanfei (2026) Effect of aqueous environment on gas saturation of high-alloy deposited metal during wet underwater welding of duplex steels in sea water.
The Paton Welding J., 07, 34-40.
https://doi.org/10.37434/tpwj2026.07.06