Which baking temperature range is used for carbon steel electrodes conforming to CSA W48?

• A. 370-430 C
• B. 120 C
• C. 230-260 C
• D. 200-240 C

Answer: (C)

Baking carbon steel electrodes per CSA W48 is about drying the coating to remove moisture, which lowers hydrogen content in the weld and reduces the risk of hydrogen-assisted cracking. The temperature must be hot enough to drive off moisture but not so high that it damages the electrode. For CSA W48 carbon steel electrodes, the recommended range is 230–260 C, which is the standard that balances effective drying with preserving electrode integrity. The other options either don’t provide enough drying (too low), are outside the typical drying range, or are unnecessarily high and could harm performance.