TIG welding Stainless Steels
Argon is the simplest gas for TIG welding stainless steels and nickel alloys. Argon produces a
clean welding arc, and is suitable for all grades of stainless steel. However the arc is relatively cold
and can suffer from fusion and porosity problems as the material being welded gets thicker.
There is a wide range of aluminium, copper and titanium alloys
MIG/TIG
Both MIG and TIG welding are widely used for welding these nonferrous alloys. The choice of
process is similar to that for other alloys in that MIG tends to be used for high-productivity
and TIG for highprecision welding. Pure Argon Best suited for welding thin sections. When
used for MIG welding it can give welds with high levels of reinforcement, poor fusion and
porosity when welding thicker sections. When MIG or TIG welding copper some level of
preheating is normally required.
MIG welding Stainless Steel
MIG welding using solid wire is an important process for joining stainless steels, usually with argon
or argon/helium-based mixtures. These gases also contain small amounts of an oxidising gas such
as oxygen or carbon dioxide to stabilise the arc.
By blending a mixture of argon and 2.5% carbon dioxide is a general purpose gas mixture for MIG
welding stainless steels. It gives a good wetting action and produces smooth welds with little or no
spatter and low surface oxidation. This reduces the need to use aggressive chemical cleaning
agents after welding.
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