When you try to research the welding methods then you will get a lot of options to choose from. This is due to the various types of materials and items which needs to be welded. If you look at the metals then certain alloys need the different temperature to be welded.
There are many things like magnetic or no magnetic, ferrous or nonferrous materials which decide the process you need to use for welding. That is why you should always prefer the help of a qualified welder in order to get the best services.
To provide you the best quality of welding results there are certain gases used for the welding process. You can learn more about them in the following paragraphs.
Which welding process requires the use of gas?
There are various types of process which can be used for the welding process. The most common type of welding gas are the ones mentioned below.
- Gas Metal Arc Welding – The MIG welding is used by using a wire welding electrode which is used to join two pieces of different items to be joined with each other. By using the help of electric current an arc is created between the wire and metal which creates a temperature to melt down the wire. By using shielding gas the wire is taken to the melting point.
- Gas Tungsten Arc welding – TIG welding method uses the combination of shielding gas and tungsten electron. It is used to heat a piece of metal between the two pieces you want to join together. The constant power supply in this methods helps in creating an arc which helps in forming metal vapors.
What is the purpose of using these gases in this welding process?
You might be a thing as to why the gases are used in welding when you can do it using normal machines. Well, the expert knows the welding better and to make the work easier such gases are used.
Shielding gases are used in the metal arc welding and tungsten arc welding which is quite helpful. It helps in protecting the area from oxygen and water vapor which can damage the material.
To ensure that the welding is done with superb quality the shielding gases are used for the protection.
The gases used for the shielding of welding are heavier than other gases in the air which helps in creating a better welding process.
Here are two types of gases which can be used for this process and one is noble gases and other semi noble gases. Helium and Argon as the only two noble gases used for the welding.
They can be used alone or mixed with semi-inert gases like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. The burn-in or spatter issues can be minimized by using the gases for welding.
Importance of gas blends for welding
There are various types of welding gas which can be used for certain methods of welding. It has a lot of importance to the welder as it makes the welding process easier.
During the welding work, the metal is prone to get rusty if come in contact with hydrogen or oxygen. That is why the gases are used in order to remove any reactive gases from the atmosphere of the welding process.
It can also help in changing the basic properties of the metal during the welding. If you want to get more information about the types of gases and their uses for welding then you can read about them below.
Most Common Types of Welding Gas
There are mainly two types of welding gas used for the welding process. One is inert or noble gases which can be used alone.
- Argon – Argon is a single atom gas which is mostly used for the GTAW of non-ferrous metals. Argon is a noble gas in the terms of science meaning that all its octet is complete. That is why it is the most suitable gas which you can use for the welding process. The gas has low ionization potential and thermal conductivity. It will help in preventing heat to the out areas of the arc which will make it more narrow.
- Helium – Helium is also a noble and monoatomic gas which can be used on non-ferrous materials. If you compare helium with argon then it has high ionization potential and high conductivity. It means that it is the complete opposite of Argon. This means that you will get a broader arc and high power for heat input.
- Carbon Dioxide – Carbon Dioxide (C02) is used for gas metal arc welding for short-circuit transfer. The carbon dioxide can dissociate into its constituent parts of CO and O2 at various temperatures near the area. CO2 provides wide penetration at the surface of the weld.
Gases used as a mixture
Here are some of the types of welding gas which can use as a mixture for the welding process. You need to learn their effects for welding so that it can be used properly.
- Oxygen – While the above gas can be used in its pure form but you can also use Oxygen in the mix. Oxygen has high ionization energy and energy of dissociation which provides high heat input. Oxygen can create a shallow penetration arc on the surface of the work.
- Hydrogen – Like Oxygen, hydrogen is also diatomic and use as a mix in the active shielding gas which should be less than 10% in the concentration of the mix. It can be used in the stainless steel to remove the oxide.
- Nitrogen – While you might find various types of welding gas used for shielding but nitrogen is rarely used. It can be used to provide resistance to the corrosion on the metal surface.
Conclusion
So by getting information about all these various types of welding gas you might have to learn about a few new things. The shielding gas used during the welding process like MIG and TIG helps in completing the work efficiently.
In order to bend metal or penetrate it, you need to use a proper shielding gas. You need to check if all the things are taken care of before every work.
If you do not use proper shielding gas then you might not get a desirable result which can really affect its quality.