BPV Code Section IX: Welding, Brazing, and Fusing Qualifications

Module 2: Welding Process Basics

This module explains the basic features of many of the commonly used welding and brazing processes
for which qualification rules are written in Section IX. It is an overview of these processes and is not
meant to be complete in its description of the many variances and nuances of each process.
It describes the characteristics of gas welding, arc welding, and resistance welding processes, in addition
to a brief discussion of brazing. The filler metals used for each process are discussed, along with
references to the appropriate filler metal specifications and classifications. The different techniques used
to shield the liquid metal pool are presented, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Arc current
and polarity are discussed, with explanations of heat concentration at the electrode during reverse
polarity welding and heat concentration at the work during straight polarity welding and how these
facilitate effective metal transfer across the arc, depending on the welding process. These characteristics
are explained in reference to their use and importance in Section IX.
Overview
In order to have a coherent discussion about welding processes, a common language must be used.
Such a common language is based on definitions understood by all. Just like in Module 1, we will refer to
definitions in QG-109.2 of Section IX combined with those in AWS A3.0 Standard Welding Terms and
Definitions. A few of these definitions, presented in the course power point slides, will be reemphasized
here. A weld is defined as:
‘a localized coalescence of metals or nonmetals produced by either heating the metals to the
welding temperature, with or without the application of pressure, or by the application of pressure
alone, with or without the application of filler metal.’
Since the word ‘coalescence’ just means ‘to grow together into one body,’ a weld is just the growth into
one body of two materials with or without pressure and with or without filler metal. When melting is
achieved at the joint, this is referred to as a fusion welding process, whether or not filler metal is used.
When pressure is used, sometimes melting is achieved, but sometimes no melting is achieved, in which
case it is a solid-state welding process. Yes, welding can be achieved without melting the base metal. In
solid-state welding processes, pressure across the joint is always involved and, sometimes, heat at the
joint is produced by the resistance of the interface to the passage of current through the parts. This
results in a class of welding processes referred to as resistance welding processes. Depending on the
amount of current used, melting may or may not occur at the interface.
So, every welding process has an energy source and a means by which to shield the liquid weld metal
from the atmosphere, but the ability to use filler metal may or may not be an option. Energy sources can
be either chemical, like the fuel gas used in oxyfuel welding, which is burned to give off the heat needed
to melt the base metal, electrical, like the current used to generate the arcs used in arc welding processes
(SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, etc.), or it can be mechanical, such as the force applied to two plates when they
are explosively bonded together.
Shielding is critical to a successful welding operation, because liquid metal is very reactive and will rapidly
absorb gases from the air. Nothing good happens when gases are absorbed into welds. They will cause,
at the least, porosity in welds, or, at the worst, cracking. These can both result in weld failure. One source
of shielding is the flux coating on an SMAW electrode, which vaporizes in the arc to release inert gases
which shield the weld metal from the atmosphere. It also reacts with the surface of the base metal to
clean it, removing some of the harmful contaminants which could cause weld quality issues. However,
these fluxes leave a solidified slag residue on the surface of the weld, which must be removed prior to
depositing subsequent layers of weld metal. The welder must be skilled in his deposition of the weld
metal so as not to entrap the solidifying flux. The fact that the solidified slag must be removed prior to
depositing subsequent layers of weld metal slows down the welding process. Shielding can also be
supplied by an inert gas, such as the argon used during GTAW. Although this is effective, it provides no
cleaning of the base metal, as opposed to flux-shielded processes. So, gas-shielded processes do not
have the problems of slag entrapment and inclusions, but they must only be used on very clean base
metals. Finally, some processes are conducted in a vacuum, such as EBW. In this case, only base metals
without liquid contaminants may be placed in a chamber and subject to a vacuum, because “dirty” base
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 BPV Code Section IX: Welding, Brazing, and Fusing Qualifications

metals, contaminated with oils or moisture, will outgas and will never allow a vacuum environment to be
achieved. Vacuum environments, although expensive to obtain, provide excellent atmospheres for
welding because there are no gases present to interact with the liquid weld metal.
Filler metals are not always required for welding. Many processes, such as GTAW, PAW, and RW,
produce excellent weldments without the use of filler metals. When filler metals are needed, they can be
supplied in several different forms. Electrodes are used in processes such as SMAW, GMAW, FCAW,
and SAW and these serve two functions: (1) they are a source of filler metal and (2) they are part of the
current-carrying electrical circuit of the weld, defining them as “electrodes” in AWS A3.0. Sometimes, filler
metals that do not conduct current are fed into the weld pool. This is the case in cold-wire feed GTAW,
where the arc is established between the tungsten electrode and the base metal and a filler metal is fed in
from an angle to the forehand or backhand side of the weld pool. In this case, the filler metal is referred to
as a rod, because it does not conduct current. The filler metal function can also be served by inserts pre-
placed into the weld joint. Orbital GTAW of tubing, which is usually done without filler metal, can be
performed with washer-shaped or T-shaped inserts placed in the weld joint prior to welding. The weld
simply melts the insert into the joint – this is usually done to either change the chemical composition of
the weld metal or, for pipe welding, it is done to accommodate the poor fitup of joints during field welding
of pipe and to provide weld reinforcement at the root of the joint.
Welding processes differ in how they combine the type of energy source, the type of shielding, and the
use of filler metal in the production of a weldment. It is these differences that make each of them unique
and which makes it necessary for Section IX to identify different sets of essential variables for each
process.

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