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Simplifyingshieldinggasselection
Howdifferentgasesandgasblendsaffectyourweldingapplication
PRACTICALWELDINGTODAYJANUARY/FEBRUARY2005
JANUARY11,2005
BY:KEVINLYTTLE,W.F.GARTHSTAPON

Haveyoueveraskedyourselfanyofthefollowingquestions:
Whyisweldingaffectedbytheshieldinggasesused?
Whyaresomanyblendsavailableforcarbonsteel?
WhycanIusesomegasesforsomematerialsandnot
others?
Answeringthesequestionswillhelpyoutakethemysteryoutof
gasselectionandmakeachoicethatmeetstheneedsofyour
job.
Youcanchoosefromavarietyofgasblendsforgasmetalarc
welding(GMAW),gastungstenarcwelding(GTAW),orflux
coredarcwelding(FCAW).Foreachoftheseprocesses,the
shieldinggasperformsmultipletasks.Itnotonlyprotectsthe
moltenweldpoolfromexposuretotheatmosphere,butitalso
canpromoteastablearc,determinethetypeofmetaltransfer
obtained,affecttheweldingtravelspeed,andimpactthequality
ofthefinishedwelddeposit.Propershieldinggasselectioniscriticaltotheultimatesuccessofthejoining
operation.
Youcantakeseveralapproachestoselectingagas,buttomakethebestselection,youshouldknowwhatyour
finishedweldrequirementsare.
Askyourself:
Whatkindofmaterialmustbejoined?
Howimportantisweldappearance?
Isspatteraconcern?
Isproductivityimprovementaprimeinterest?
Isdeeppenetrationrequired,orshouldpenetrationbeminimizedtoreduceburnthroughinthejoint?
Isitimportanttoreduceweldingfumes?
Keepthesequestionsinmindasyouaddresshowtochoosethebestshieldinggasforyourapplication.

WhichProcessIsBestforThisApplication?
Whendecidingwhichweldingprocessworksbestinyourapplication,considerbasematerialtype,basematerial
thickness,andweldingposition.

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Asaruleofthumb,useGTAWforthemostconsistentjoiningresultsformaterialsthinnerthan0.040in.For
thickermaterials,GMAWusuallyisamoreeconomicalprocess.FCAWshouldbeconsideredinsomeinstances
toenhanceproductionrates,especiallyonscaledorrustymaterialorwhenweldingoutofposition.
Additionalconsiderationsincludejointpenetration,weldingposition,andweldquality.It'smoreeconomicalto
weldintheflat,horizontal,orslightlydownhandpositionsbecausehigherdepositionratesareachieved.With
FCAWorpulsedandconventionalsprayGMAW,productivitycanincrease.Optimumweldqualitycanbe
achievedwithGTAW,butitrequiresgreaterwelderskillanddepositslessweldmetalatslowerspeedsthan
GMAWorFCAW.

Note:Themultiplegasrecommendationsforthesameprocessandmaterial
typeandthicknessindicatethattheselectionwillbebasedonthespecific
needsoftheapplicationbeingconsidered.
OneGas,TwoGases,orThreeGases?
Threepuregasesformthefoundationforshieldingarcweldingprocesses:argon(Ar),helium(He),andcarbon
dioxide(CO2).Inmanycases,othergasessuchasoxygen(O2),nitrogen(N2),andhydrogen(H2)maybeadded
tomodifyarccharacteristics,themoltenweldpool,ortheweld.Theyalsocanaffectthemetaltransferandthe
overallperformanceobtainedinGMAWandFCAW.Tailoringtheblendcompositionhelpsmeetjob
requirements.
ThenextquestiontoaskiswhichgasesdowhatwithGMAW,GTAW,andFCAW.
Argon.Argonisheavierthanair,haslowthermalconductivity,andcanionizeeasilyinaweldingarc.This
meansthatargonblanketstheweldzone(solowerflowratesareneeded),providingarelativelynarrowarc
characteristicwithgoodelectricalconductivity(whichmeanseasyarcstarting).ItcanbeusedaloneinGTAW
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andforGMAWofaluminumandothernonferrousmaterials.Argonisamajorcomponentofshieldinggaswhen

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spraylike,highproductivityweldingisdesiredinGMAWorFCAWforjoiningsteelandstainlesssteel.
Helium.Heliumisconsiderablylighterthanair,whichmeanshigherflowratesarerequiredthanforargonor
carbondioxide.Itoffersgoodthermalconductivitybutlowerelectricalconductivitywhencomparedtoargon(arc
startingrequireshighervoltage).Heliumgenerallyiscombinedwithothergasestooptimizeperformance
characteristics.HeliumenhancedmixturescanjoinallmaterialtypesusingGMAW,GTAW,orFCAW.
CarbonDioxide.Carbondioxidedissociatesatarctemperaturesandrecombinesasitcontactsthecoolerbase
material,transferringarcenergytotheweldpuddle.Additionsofcarbondioxideprovidewideranddeeperbead
penetration.Theoxidizingatmosphereproducedwithinthearczoneresultsinmoreslagonthesurfaceofthe
solidifiedGMAWbead.Carbondioxidecanbeusedaloneorasamajorcomponent(typically5to25percent)
mixedwithargonforGMAWandFCAW.
Oxygen.OxygencanimprovearcperformanceinGMAWbyenhancingarcstabilitywhilereducingthesurface
tensionoftheweldpuddle.Thiscausesthepuddletobemorefluidandhavebetterwettingcharacteristics.Since
oxygenreactswithcomponentsoftheweldingwireorelectrode,itcontributestotheslagdepositfoundonthe
weldbeadsurface.It'stypicallyusedasa2to5percentadditiontoanargonbasedblend.
NitrogenandHydrogen.Nitrogenandhydrogentypicallyareusedonlyforwelding300series(austenitic)or
duplexstainlesssteels.Nitrogencanincreaseweldpenetrationandarcstability.Hydrogencanimproveweld
puddlefluidityandsurfacecleanness.Theirusegenerallyisconfinedtostainlesssteelapplications,because
nitrogencancauseporosityincarbonsteel,whilehydrogencanincreasecrackingpotentialinsomeofthesame
materials.

HowAreGasesBlendedtoMeetApplicationNeeds?
Tounderstandhowdifferentgasblendsworkindifferentapplications,firstit'simportanttounderstandthe
differencebetweentwoandthreepartblends.
TwopartBlends.TraditionaltwopartblendsforGMAWofcarbonsteelaremixturesofargonwithcontrolled
amountsofoxygenorcarbondioxide.Argon/oxygenblendswereastandardchoiceforconventionalorpulsed
spraytransfer,butinmanyapplications,theyhavebeenreplacedbyargon/carbondioxidemixes.
Whenargon/carbondioxideblendsareusedinplaceofargon/oxygenmixtures,beadappearanceimproveswith
lesssurfaceoxideandbetterbeadshapeandwettingcontrol.Simultaneously,itcanprovideamoreeasily
controlled,broader,lessfingerlikepenetrationprofile.Asthecarbondioxidelevelincreases,penetration
deepens,whichcancauseburnthroughonthinmaterials.Spatterandfumelevelsincreaseasthecarbon
dioxidecontentoftheblendincreases.Convertingfromoxygenenhancedblendstoargon/carbondioxide
mixturesgenerallyproducesmoreconsistent,higherqualityresults.Travelspeedincreasesof15to20percent
canbeachievedbyselectingargonwith5to15percentcarbondioxideinapplicationsinwhichargonwith1to5
percentoxygenhasbeenusedpreviously.
ForFCAWofcarbonorstainlesssteel,argonwith25percentcarbondioxidecanbeusedtoimproveoutof
positionperformanceandreduceweldspatter.Inspecialcircumstances,lowercarbondioxideadditionscanbe
usedwithspeciallyformulatedcoredwirestoreduceweldingfumes.Topreventweldqualityproblems,theflux
coredwiremustbeusedfollowingthemanufacturer'sshieldinggasrecommendation.
Argonwith25to50percentheliumcanbeusedtoshieldbothGMAWandGTAWofaluminumandsomeother
nonferrousmaterials.Heliumincreasestheheatinputtothebasematerialtoenhancepenetrationandimprove
weldpuddlefluidity.Hydrogen(lessthan10percent)alsocanbeaddedtoargonforGTAWofaustenitic
stainlesssteeltoincreaseweldpuddlefluidityandimprovetravelspeedsby10to25percentwhileproviding
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goodweldbeadappearance.

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ThreepartBlends.Tofurtherenhancebeadappearance,improveeaseofoperationwhensomebasematerial
contaminationispresent,andincreaseflexibilityandoverallweldingproductivity,threepartshieldinggasblends
maybeagoodchoice.
Threepartblendscanworkwellwithshortcircuiting,spraytransfer,andpulsedspraytransfer.Benefitsinclude
improvedarcstabilityforreducedspatterandbetterweldbeadwettingcharacteristics.
Argonwithcarbondioxideandoxygencanprovideversatilitytojoindifferenttypesandthicknessesofcarbon
steel.
Argon/helium/carbondioxidemixes(25to35percenthelium,1to10percentcarbondioxide)canincreasetravel
speed.Argon/heliumblendswithcontrolledcarbondioxidecontent(1to2percent)aresuitableforjoining
stainlesssteelswhenweldmetalcarboncontrolisimportant.ForbestresultswithGMAW,pulsedspraytransfer
oftenisrecommended.
FCAWalsoissuitableforjoiningstainlesssteels,especiallywhenweldingoutofposition.Usingcoredwires
typicallyresultsincostsavingsviahigherweldmetaldepositionrates.Theyaresuitableforjoiningmaterial
thickerthan14in.orwhenpulsedtransferisn'tanoption.
Whenjoining300seriesalloys,optimumbeadcolorandshapecanbeobtainedbyusingargon/carbon
dioxide/hydrogenblendsbecauseofthereducingatmospherecreatedbythepresenceofthehydrogen.This
mixtureminimizesoxideformationonthebeadsurfaceandenhancesthefluidityoftheweldpuddle.Hydrogen
enhancedmixturesarenotrecommendedforjoiningplaincarbonsteel.
TheindustrystandardforshortcircuitingGMAWofstainlesssteelhasbeenaheliumbased(85to90percent)
mixwithsmalladditionsofargon(5to10percent)andcarbondioxide(2to5percent).Thisblendprovidesgood
beadshapeandcolormatch,butit'snotasversatileassomeothermixtures.Anargon/carbondioxide/nitrogen
blendcanbeusedinitsplacewhilealsopermittinguseinhighproductivitysprayandpulsedspraytransfer.
Whencombinedwithhighsiliconfillermetals,weldpuddlefluidityandwettingactioncanimprove.Mixtures
containingnitrogenarenotrecommendedwhenjoiningstainlesstocarbonsteel.

WhatIstheOptimalGasFlow?
Shieldinggasflowratesaredeterminedbytheprocess,weldingposition,andoperatingparameters.With
GTAW,flowratestypicallyarefrom10to20cubicfeetperhour(CFH).ForGTAW,usingatorchwithagaslens
willhelpensurealaminarflow,whichcontributesnotonlytobetterweldquality,butalsoto10percentorlower
gasconsumptionrates.
WithGMAWandFCAW,recommendedflowratesvarywidely30to45CFHdependingonthewelding
position,operatingcurrent,andshieldinggascomposition.Forflatpositionwelding,heliumenhancedmixtures
willrequireslightlyhigherflowratesthanargonbasedblends.Gasflowratesmaybereducedifthenozzleto
workdistanceiskeptascloseaspossible.Inmanyinstances,productionsitesurveysdeterminethatshielding
gasflowratestypicallyaresetinexcessof50CFH.Thiscancontributetopoorweldqualityasatmospheric
gasesaredrawnintothearczonebecauseofexcessivegasturbulence.Optimizedflowenhancesqualityand
reducesshieldinggasusage.

ShieldingGasandCosteffectiveJoining
Shieldinggasselectioniscriticaltoachievingcosteffectivejoiningofcarbonsteel,stainlesssteel,andaluminum.
Youcanselectonegas,suchasargonforaluminumwelding,toprovidesuitablearcstability,minimumspatter,
andgoodbeadshape.
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Twopartblends,suchasargon/carbondioxidemixtures,canperformwellinmostcarbonsteelandstainless

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steelweldingapplicationsinwhichyouuseconventionalorpulsedspraytransfer.
Lowercarbondioxidecontentwillreducetheamountofweldingfumesgenerated.Whereyourequireenhanced
beadappearance,lowspatter,andlesspostweldcleanup,threepartgasblendscanprovidegoodresultswhile
stillimprovingweldingproductivity.
Basemetalthickness,weldingposition,operatorskilllevel,andproductiondemandsrequirecareful
considerationwhenselectingandoptimizingthejoiningprocess.Withanunderstandingofshieldinggases,you
canoptimizeyourweldingprocesstoreducecostandimprovequality.

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