Influence of Shielding Gases on the Quality of Welds Nils E. Larson - Compressed Gas Industries, Inc. (USA) During any welding process, oxygen and other atmospheric gas can react with the molten metal, causing defects that weaken the weld. The primary function of a shielding gas is to protect the molten ‘weld metal form atmospheric contamination and the resulting imperfections. In addition to its shielding function, each gas or gas blend has unique physical properties that can have @ major effect on welding speed, penetration, mechanical properties, weld appearance and shape, fume generation, weld color, and are stability ‘A change is shielding gas composition is usually considered an «essential variable» in most qualified welding procedures. ‘The primary gases used for electric welding and cutting are argon, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The composition of the gas can and should be tailored to meet the process, material, and application requirements. Shielding gases are used in either a pure form or in blends of varying components. Therefore, the selection of a gas or gas mixture can become quite complex due to the many combinations available. Selections of a shielding gas or blend must be based on a knowledge of the gases available, their applications, and the overall effect they have on the welding process. The Welding Are For all practical purposes. a welding are can be thought of as a conversion device that changes electrical energy into heat. The American Welding society defines a welding arc as «a controlled electrical discharge between the electrode and the workpiece that is formed and sustained by the establishment of a gaseous conductive medium, called an are plasma» ‘Are temperatures are very high, producing more than enough heat to melt any known material. ‘The characteristic of an arc depends on the shielding gas that is used in the arc gap because the gas affects the arc constituent ic. the anode, cathode, and plasma regions of the arc. ‘The American Welding Society defines, the arc plasma as «a gas that has been heated by an electric are to at least a partially ionized condition, enabling it to conduct an electric current.» It is the visible electrical flame, or arc, in the space between the anode and cathode. To form the arc plasma the shielding gas must be forced to remove an electron from a gas atom, making it an ion, or electrically charged gas atom. This is referred to as ionization, ‘The heavier the gas atom the easier it is to ionize the lighter is harder to ionize. An argon atom requires 15.759 electron volts to remove the first electron while helium takes 24.586, Since heat in the arc is roughly measured by the product of current and voltage {are power), the use of helium yields a much higher available heat than does argon. Conversely you can understand that since argon ionizes at a lower voltage it will initiate the arc easier than does helium. 7 raematonal Symposium on "Orbhal Waldhg h High Pally Fdustres’ La BaullFrance ‘Organized by Pawsoude a‘Thermal Conductivity ‘The thermal conductivity of a gas is its ability to conduct heat. It influences the radial heat lose from the center to the periphery of the are column. Argon, which has a low thermal conductivity, produces an are which has two zones: a narrow hot core and a considerably cooler outer zone. The penetration profile of the weld fusion area then exhibits a narrow «finger» at the weld root and a wider top. On the other hand, a gas which has a high thermal conductivity conducts more of the heat outward from the core, resulting in a wider, hotter arc core. This type of heat distribution, which occurs with helium, argon-hydrogen mixtures give a more even heat input to the workpiece surface and produces an overall wider profile throughout the fusion zone. Dissociation and Recombination When two or more atoms combine they form a molecule, Shielding gases such as hydrogen and oxygen are molecules. When gases such as hydrogen are heated to the temperatures present in the arc plasma, these gases break down, or dissociate into their separate atoms. They are then at least partially ionized, producing free electrons and current flow. As the dissociated gas comes in contact with the relatively cooled work surface, the atoms recombine, and in the process generate additional heat. This process does not occur with gases such as argon, which consists of a single atom. Therefore, at the same are temperature, the heat generated at the work surface can be considerably greater with gases such as hydrogen and oxygen Reactivity Reactivity, as it applies to shielding gases, is a comparative measurement of how readily a given shielding gas will react with the molten weld metal. Nitrogen is sometimes considered an inert gas. However, at the temperatures associated with weldings, it may react and have an effect on weld chemistry. Hydrogen also reacts with the weld metal but as a reducing gas. Hydrogen will (preferentially) react with an oxidizing agent over the molten weld metal, thereby helping to prevent the formation of oxides in the molten weld metal. id there is an attractive force exerted by the molecules below the surface upon those at the surface. An inward pull, or internal pressure is thus created, which tends to restrain the liquid from flowing. Its strength varies with the chemical nature of the liquid, In welding, the surface tension between molten metals and the surrounding atmosphere has a pronounced influence on bead shape. Ifthe energy value is high, a convex, irregular bead will result, Low values promote flatter beads. ‘ated with high interfacial energy, producing sluggish puddle uid iron ina inert Pure argon shielding is usually asso and a high crowned bead. This is partially attributed to the high surface tension of li atmosphere. "F itemational Symposium on "Orbital Walang in High Pay ndasies"- La Baarance ‘Organized by Polsoude 2Gas Purity Depending on the metal being welded and the welding process used, even very minute gas impurities can have a significant effect on welding speed, weld surface appearance, weld bead coalescence, weld color, and porosity levels. The effects of any given impurity, either by itself or in combination with others, on the many metals and processes available create endless possibilities. ‘There is always the possibility of the gas being contaminated either as delivered, or more likely, somewhere between the supply and the end use point, Your shielding gas supplier is equipped with the analytical equipment to determine purity levels anywhere in the system, and in most cases will assist in identifying the cause and solution. Flow of Shielding Gas ‘The proper flow of shielding gas is a very important factor for high quality welding. Insufficient or excessive amounts of shielding gas can have negative affects on welding quality. Excessive gas can cause turbulence to occur and air contamination to be introduced; this causes oxidation and discoloration of the weld deposit. Insufficient gas flow can also result in poorly protected welds that is, oxidation from the air can occur, and once again oxidized and discolored weld deposits can be produced. While discolored deposits depending on application, may only be cosmetically displeasing the presence of oxide can reduce mechanical properties (strength and fatigue) and reduce toughness. Too high or too low a gas flow can usually be corrected by adjusting the flow of the shielding gas under «normal» conditions a flow of 15-30FT 3/hr is sufficient. This gas flow should be considered an «essential variable». Purging Gases, Forming Gus or Backing Gas Purging Gas (AWS designation) is the method by which unwanted atmospheric gases and moisture is replaced from the weld root by a gas that prevents oxidation during weldings. This oxidation can produce a variety of problems such as root porosity, incomplete fusion, and changes in weld metal ‘mechanical properties. The purging gas replaces the air in the weld root zone and provides an atmosphere that will not react with the weld metal. The process of purging is a common procedure for pipe and tube welding, When to Purge Purging should be considered on any joint design sensitive to oxidation that leaves the weld root exposed to the atmosphere. Purging is a recommended practice for welding stainless steel, low alloy steel, and most non- ferrous base metals. When setting up for purging you need purge dams and an oxygen and dew point analyzer to attain high quality. (See AWS CS, 10-94 Recommended Practices for Shielding Gases for Welding and Plasma Cutting ~ Pg. 29-31) "Pnternatonal Synposkin on "Orokal Wong High Party inusties" La Baulerance ‘Groaned by Palysoude “3Preparation Purging requires entrance and exit openings through which the purging gas can enter and leave the weld joint area at a controlled rate. When argon or nitrogen is used, the gas inlet should be located lower than the exit opening to prevent entrapment of air, When lighter-than-air gases are used for purging, such a mixture in which helium is the major component, the inlet gas opening should be higher than the exit. The size of the exit port should be equal to or greater than the entry to prevent pressure increase. Tesi Oxygen levels should be taken and welding should not begin before levels of less than 1% are achieved. A general rule is to purge, prior to welding, at flow rates and times that will produce five to six system volume changes. Example The purge time for one volume change in a 20FT (6M) length of 18 in. (457 MM) diameter pipe purged at SOSCFH (25 LPM) would be Volume = 0.785x (Pipe Diameter)? x Length 0.785x (1.5 FT) x 20 FT 35.3 FT 35.3F'/50 SCFH = .70 Hours or 42 minutes ‘Once the pipe has been purged the gas volume should be reduced to 8 to 12 SCFH (4 to 6 LPM) for welding Gas Cylinders / Filling Cylinders Returned cylinders to be refilled are pumped down to remove excessive moisture than it is put in a device that pumps hot dry nitrogen into the cylinder and again it is evacuated. After this it is put on to a cylinder rack and again evacuated and the basic components are begun to be added. Argon purity is 99.997 or 99.998. The gases can be introduced to the cylinder using several methods: © Partial Pressure - the system of manifolds and or cylinders to be filled is evacuated and gas component #1 flows into the empty cylinders. The desired pressure is reached and recorded. All values are shut off and the manifold is again evacuated and Gas #2 is admitted. Low pasts per million can be achieved this way. © Gravimetric Method ~ the gravimetric methods are considered to be one of the most accurate techniques producing primary analytical standards. The cylinders to be filled is weighed before and after additions of each of the components on a suitable high-load balance (scale) almost any combination of gases can be mixed even to levels of IPPB. Values of = 0.02% are common. "3 rteational Sympociam on “Orbtal Walng in High Puy Industion’- La Baue/France ‘Gxganized by PONE Ide caeCylinder Stratification ‘Once eylinder gases are mixed they generally will not separate unless the cylinder storage temperature drops below 50” F or component condensation may result. CO2 requires special consideration because of its partial pressure differential. Once the gases are added to the eylinder, they ‘must be made homogeneous before use. The simple act of adding gases to the cylinder does not ensure a totally mixed cylinder. Mixing can be accomplished by adding a mixing tube to the cylinder to be filled or by rolling the cylinder or thermal connection, Rolling is the most common method. Gas Related Welding Problems 1. Gas leaks in gas hose, fittings or pipe lines. Many people feel that a pressurized pipe line cannot aspirate atmosphere into the gas stream, Note the reverse flow diffusion at the boundary layer of a pressure leak, See Figure #1 Outgassing occurs when some materials evolve contaminates within the high purity system cout- gassing». Some possible sources are as follows: Plastic pipe (PVC) ‘+ Pipe Dope ‘© Packing © Gaskets 3. Permeable Materials ~ Some materials permit gases to permeate them, examples are: Plastic pipe (PVC) ‘* Pipe Dope © Hoses Gaskets «>» ring seals See permeability chart #2 ‘To eliminate the problems: 1) pressurize the system to 12 hours to test for leaks. 2&3) carefully select ‘materials that will not outgas or permeate gases. Quality Welds with Quality Blends ‘My assumption are that most of your welds will be on 316L stainless steel tubing. I would like to suggest that I would recommend a blend of Argon-Hydrogen 2-15% hydrogen balance argon for clean, high speed excellent quality welds on austenitic stainless steels. "F temational Sympociom on “Orbital Welding in Figh Pasty industies"- La BauleFrance ‘Organized by PowveoudeIs E. Larson Biography Prior to his retirement, Mr. Larson was Vice President of Marketing for Gases for the Union Carbide (today its Praxair Inc.) In this capacity, he was responsible for coordinating product and process technology efforts to the fabrication industry for Linde’s Industrial Gases Division, His prior position was in Market Development, he was Process Manager for Mig & Tig Welding for six years. His career in Linde began in 1965, when he joined Linde’s Welding Products Department as a research engineer, He has an extensive background in shielding gases development and holds numerous U.S. & International patents in Gases. Mr. Larson has a Bachelors of Science Degree from Wagner College, New York and Masters in Welding Metallurgy from Drexel University, Philadelphia. He is a member of the American Welding Society (AWS) and is chairman of ASS and C50 committees of shielding gases. He is currently employed by Compressed Gases Industries Inc. in Lodi, NJ as a specialist in Shielding Gases, Fncrnational Syanposium on "OrbRal Wang hi Figh Party Industries La BauloFrance ‘Orgarzod by Potvsouse 6