AWS E385 (W88904) Weld Metal
AWS E385 is a weld metal formulated for joining stainless steels. Cited properties are appropriate for the as-welded condition. E385 is the AWS designation for this material. W88904 is the UNS number.
It has a moderately low electrical conductivity among stainless steel welding fillers. In addition, it has a moderately low tensile strength and a moderately low thermal conductivity.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare AWS E385 to: stainless steel welding fillers (top), all iron alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
200 GPa 29 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
34 %
Poisson's Ratio
0.28
Shear Modulus
79 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
580 MPa 84 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
300 J/g
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1440 °C 2620 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1390 °C 2530 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
460 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
14 W/m-K 7.8 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
14 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
1.7 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
1.9 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
31 % relative
Density
8.1 g/cm3 500 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
5.8 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
79 MJ/kg 34 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
200 L/kg 24 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
36
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
24 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
20 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
19 points
Thermal Diffusivity
3.6 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
15 points
Alloy Composition
| Fe | 41.8 to 50.1 | |
| Ni | 24 to 26 | |
| Cr | 19.5 to 21.5 | |
| Mo | 4.2 to 5.2 | |
| Mn | 1.0 to 2.5 | |
| Cu | 1.2 to 2.0 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.9 | |
| C | 0 to 0.030 | |
| P | 0 to 0.030 | |
| S | 0 to 0.020 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
AWS A5.4: Specification for Stainless Steel Electrodes for Shielded Metal Arc Welding
Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels, John C. Lippold and Damian J. Kotecki, 2005
Welding Metallurgy of Stainless Steels, Erich Folkhard et al., 2012
CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015