长期以来，焊条制造商一直使用焊条涂层和焊缝金属成分之间的经验关系。这种关系在涂层配方的开发和最终调整中是非常宝贵的，但它们并没有提供太多关于电弧焊化学的信息。由于常用的涂层成分数量众多，它们是否可用作预测焊缝金属分析的一般依据尚不确定。在炼钢领域，对炉渣而不是炉料的研究已经取得了丰硕的成果。焊渣和焊缝金属之间的对应关系是可以预期的，但它们必须通过实验确定，因为电弧焊接中的温度-时间周期与钢炉中的主要条件大不相同。关于熔渣和焊缝金属之间相互作用的信息对于更好地理解电弧非常重要- 焊接工艺以及电极设计的实际应用。这些知识对于焊条的合理冶金分类也是必不可少的。

Empirical relationships between electrode coating and weld metal compositions have been used by electrode manufacturers for a long time. Such relationships are invaluable in the development and final adjustment of coating formulas, but they do not give much information on the chemistry of arc welding. It is doubtful whether they ran be used as a general basis for predicting the weld metal analysis due to the large number of coating ingredients in common use. The study of slags rather than of the charged materials has been fruitful in the field of steelmaking. Corresponding relationships between welding slags and weld metal may be expected but they have to be established by experiment as the temperature-time cycle in arc welding is quite different from the conditions prevailing in a steel furnace. Information on the interaction between slag and weld metal is important for a better understanding of the arc-welding process as well as for practical applications in electrode design. Such knowledge is essential also for a rational metallurgical classification of welding electrodes.