What is Argon Welding?
To learn the answer to the question of what is argon welding (tig), we can start by learning what argon is. As Aktif Lazer, we apply the argon welding process in our welding room. You can get information by clicking on our page to review our welding shop operations.
Now let’s examine what argon welding is and where it is used.
What is argon?
Argon (Ar) is a chemical element. It is the third most abundant gas in the atmosphere, making it largely available and therefore relatively inexpensive. Argon is produced by the distillation of liquid air. It is then put into gas bottles and can be sold. Argon gas is widely used in different welding techniques. Argon welding gas acts as a shield to protect the surrounding atmosphere. This provides several advantages that make welding processes more seamless and durable. Now that we have answered the question of what is argon, we can examine why it is used.
Why Is Argon Used In Welding Processes?
Like many other gases that predominate in the atmosphere, argon has no color or odor. It does not show any indication of its existence such as taste, color, smell. It is non-flammable and does not react with other elements.
Argon is an inert gas. It does not enter into chemical reactions under certain conditions. Therefore, argon is used for welding.
To understand why Argon is used in welding, we must first look at Argon’s properties. Argon is colorless, odorless, and non-toxic in all three states, including gas. Most importantly, it is part of the inert gas (noble gas) family, which means it has extremely low reactivity with other substances.
These properties are what make gas so useful for welding. Inert gases, also known as shielding gases by welders, act as a barrier between the atmosphere and the weld itself. It prevents the oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen in the atmosphere of the air from coming into contact with the molten weld pool.
While argon is widely regarded as one of the best preservatives in the air, it is also considered beneficial to maintain the stability of the arc. Having good weld penetration and a better appearance is always appreciated when working with any metal. Argon gas provides this, so it is considered beneficial.
Argon gas is important because it helps the welder protect the metal he is working on. This prevents any deterioration of the metal and allows the welder to work without any worries.
While argon is essential as a shielding agent when working with metals, it’s not the only component one can go into when trying to do so. Helium is something welders tend to use as it works similarly to Argon and can produce better results.
Oxygen is also sometimes used as an additive when working with metals because of the stability it offers. There are also some cases where Argon is used with Oxygen to achieve better results.
What is Argon Welding?
Argon Welding (TIG Welding) Tungsten inert gas welding is a welding process that uses electricity to melt and join metal parts. TIG welding was invented in the 1940s in the California aerospace industry to overcome the challenge of welding magnesium and aluminum. Since then, its popularity has grown tremendously. This is largely due to its versatility, cleanliness, and minimal finishing requirement.
Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding, also known as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), is an arc welding process that produces welds with a non-consumable tungsten electrode.
TIG welding is a subspecies of gas metal arc welding (GMAW). Although equipment details have improved since its invention, the general principles of TIG welding have remained unchanged.
In TIG welding, a tungsten electrode heats the metal you are welding and shields the gas (most commonly Argon) weld deposit from airborne contaminants. Argon TIG welding produces clean, precise welds on any metal.
- TIG welding uses non-consumable tungsten.
- The filler metal is added manually as needed.
- The shielding gas protects the source and tungsten.
- It produces high-quality, clean welds.
- It welds more metal than any other process.
TIG welding is not the easiest welding technique to learn and master, nor is it the cheapest. However, it will reward the effort you put into mastering it.
Advantages of TIG Welding
- TIG welding is suitable for a wide variety of metal thicknesses.
- It is suitable even for very thin materials that are difficult (or impossible) to join with other welding techniques.
- Superior arc and weld deposit control ensures clean and attractive welds when appearance is important. Because the heat input (determined by the electrical current) is usually footswitch controlled, TIG welding allows you to heat or cool the weld deposit for precise control of the weld piece. This makes TIG welding ideal for cosmetic welds on sculptures, architectural features, and automotive work.
- TIG welding is possible in any position: vertical; horizontal; in the air
- Minimal fumes and colorless shielding gas mean it’s easy to see your workpiece while welding.
- TIG welding is very clean and contains less spatter, fumes, sparks, or fumes than other welding techniques. Therefore, TIG welding requires minimal cleaning or finishing, saving you time and money.
- TIG welds are extremely ductile (less brittle), stronger and more corrosion resistant than other welds.
- The best TIG welders also allow you to do conventional stick welding.
Where is argon welding used?
Argon welding can be used for all materials to be welded. Especially common usage area;
- Stainless steel
- Aluminum
- Nickel alloys
Argon welding, ie TIG welding, is applied in all industrial sectors but is especially suitable for high-quality welding. Ideal for manual welding, relatively small arc, thin sheet material, or controlled penetration (in the root flow of pipe welds). Since the deposition rate can be quite low (using a separate filler rod), MMA or MIG may be preferred for filler transitions in thicker materials and thick-walled pipe welds.
TIG welding is also widely applied in mechanized systems, either automatically or with filler wire. However, several off-the-shelf systems exist for orbital welding of pipes used in the manufacture of chemical plants or boilers. The systems require no manipulative skills, but the operator must be well trained. Because the welder has less control over arc and weld pool behavior, attention must be paid to edge preparation (machined rather than hand-machined), joint fitting, and control of welding parameters.
