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Section 12

TIG Welding
Rev 2 April 2013
TIG Welding
Copyright  TWI Ltd 2013

12 TIG Welding
12.1 Process characteristics
In the US the TIG process is also called gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW).
Melting is produced by heating with an arc struck between a non-
consumable tungsten electrode and the workpiece. An inert gas shields the
electrode and weld zone to prevent oxidation of the tungsten electrode and
atmospheric contamination of the weld and hot filler wire (as shown below).

Manual TIG welding.

Tungsten is used because it has a melting point of 3370°C, well above any
other common metal.

12.2 Process variables


The main variables in TIG welding are:

 Welding current.
 Current type and polarity.
 Travel speed.
 Shape of tungsten electrode tip and vertex angle.
 Shielding gas flow rate.
 Electrode extension.

Each of these is considered in more detail in the following sub-sections.

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12.2.1 Welding current


 Weld penetration is directly related to welding current.
 If the welding current is too low, the electrode tip will not be properly
heated and an unstable arc may result.
 If the welding current is too high, the electrode tip might overheat and
melt, leading to tungsten inclusions.

12.2.2 Current type and polarity


 Best welding results are usually obtained with DC-ve.
 Refractory oxides such as those of aluminium or magnesium can hinder
fusion but can be removed by using AC or DC electrode positive.
 With a DC positively connected electrode, heat is concentrated at the
electrode tip so the electrode needs to be of greater diameter than when
using DC-ve if overheating of the tungsten is to be avoided. A water
cooled torch is recommended if DC positive is used.
 The current carrying capacity of a DC positive electrode is about one
tenth that of a negative one so it is limited to welding sections.

Ions Electrons Ions Electrons Ions Electrons

(A.C.)

Current
DC-ve AC DC+ve
type/polarity
Heat 70% at work 50% at work 30% at work
balance 30% at electrode 50% at electrode 70% at electrode
Weld profile Deep, narrow Medium Shallow, wide
Cleaning No Yes – every half cycle Yes
action
Electrode Excellent Good Poor
capacity (3.2mm/400A) (3.2mm/225A) (6.4mm/120A)

12.2.3 Travel speed


 Affects both weld width and penetration but the effect on width is more
pronounced.
 Increasing the travel speed reduces the penetration and width.
 Reducing the travel speed increases the penetration and width.

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12.2.4 Tungsten electrode types


Different types of tungsten electrodes suit different applications:

 Pure tungsten electrodes are used when welding light metals with AC
because they maintain a clean balled end, but possess poor arc initiation
and stability in AC mode compared with other types.
 Thoriated electrodes are alloyed with thorium oxide (thoria) to improve
arc initiation and have higher current carrying capacity than pure
tungsten electrodes and maintain a sharp tip for longer. Unfortunately,
thoria is slightly radioactive (emitting  radiation) and the dust generated
during tip grinding should not be inhaled. Electrode grinding machines
used for thoriated tungsten grinding should be fitted with a dust
extraction system.
 Ceriated and lanthaniated electrodes are alloyed with cerium and
lanthanum oxides, for the same reason as thoriated electrodes and
operate successfully with DC or AC and as cerium and lanthanum are
not radioactive, they have been used as replacements for thoriated
electrodes.
 Zirconiated electrodes are alloyed with zirconium oxide with operating
characteristics between the thoriated types and pure tungsten. They are
able to retain a balled end during welding, so are recommended for AC
welding. They have a high resistance to contamination so are used for
high integrity welds where tungsten inclusions must be avoided.

12.2.5 Shape of tungsten electrode tip


 With DC-ve, thoriated, ceriated or lanthanated tungsten electrodes are
used with the end ground to a specific angle (the electrode tip or vertex
angle, shown below).
 As a general rule the length of the ground portion of the electrode tip
should have a length equal to approximately 2-2.5 times the electrode
diameter.
 When using AC the electrode tip is ground flat to minimise the risk of it
breaking off when the arc is initiated or during welding (shown on the
next page).
 If the vertex angle is increased, the penetration increases.
 If the vertex angle is decreased, bead width increases.
 Pure or zirconiated tungsten electrodes are used for AC welding with a
hemispherical (balled) end (as shown below). To produce a balled end
the electrode is ground, an arc initiated and the current increased until it
melts the tip of the electrode.

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Electrode tip Electrode tip Electrode tip with


(or vertex angle). with flat end. a balled end.

12.2.6 Shielding gases


The following inert gases can be used as shielding gases for TIG welding:

 Argon.
 Helium.
 Mixtures of argon and helium.

Note: For austenitic stainless steels and some cupro-nickel alloys, argon
with up to ~5% hydrogen improves penetration and reduces porosity.

Characteristics of argon and helium shielding gases for TIG welding.


Argon Performance item Helium
Lower than with helium which Arc voltage Higher than with argon. Arc is hotter
can be helpful when welding which is helpful in welding thick
thin sections. Less change in sections and viscous metals, (eg
arc voltage with variations in nickel.
arc length.
Lower than with helium which Heating power High, advantageous when welding
gives reduced penetration. of the arc metals with high thermal
conductivity and thick materials.
Argon is heavier than air so Protection Helium is lighter than air and
requires less gas to shield in of weld requires more gas to properly shield
the flat and horizontal the weld. Exception: Overhead
positions. Better draught welding.
resistance.
Obtained from the Availability Obtained by separation from natural
atmosphere by the separation and cost gas – lower availability and higher
of liquefied air – lower cost cost.
and greater availability.

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Shielding gas flow rate


 Too low and the shielding gas cannot remove the air from the weld area
resulting in porosity and contamination.
 Too high and turbulence occurs at the base of the shielding gas column,
air tends to be sucked in from the surrounding atmosphere and this may
also lead to porosity and contamination.
 Typically in the range ~10-~12 l/min.

Flow rate too low Flow rate too high

Back purging
It is necessary to protect the back of the weld from excessive oxidation
during TIG welding, achieved by using a purge gas, usually pure argon.

For pipe welding spools it is relatively easy to purge the pipe bore, but for
plate/sheet welding it is necessary to use a purge channel or sometimes
another operator positions and moves a back purge nozzle as the weld
progresses. For purging large systems soluble dams or bungs are required
and can it can be a complex operation.

The initial stage of back purging is to exclude all the air at the back of the
weld and having allowed sufficient time for this the flow rate should be
reduced prior to starting to weld so there is positive flow (typically
~4 l/min).

Back purging should continue until two or more layers of weld have been
deposited.

For C and C-Mn steels it is possible to make satisfactory welds without a


back purge.

12.2.7 Electrode extension


 The distance from the contact tube to the tungsten tip.
 Because the contact tube is recessed inside the gas nozzle this
parameter can be checked indirectly by measuring the stickout length, as
shown below.

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Electrode
Stickout extension

 If the electrode extension is too short, the electrode tip will not be
adequately heated leading to an unstable arc.
 If the electrode extension is too long, the electrode tip might overheat,
causing melting and lead to tungsten inclusions.
 As a general rule stickout length should be 2-3 times the electrode
diameter.

12.3 Filler wires


Filler wires usually have a similar composition to the parent metal but
contain small additions of elements that will combine with any oxygen and
nitrogen present.

12.4 Tungsten inclusions


Small fragments of tungsten that enter a weld will always show up on
radiographs because of the relatively high density of this metal and for most
applications will not be acceptable.

Thermal shock to the tungsten causing small fragments to enter the weld
pool is a common cause of tungsten inclusions and is why modern power
sources have a current slope-up device to minimise this risk.

This device allows the current to rise to the set value over a short period so
the tungsten is heated more slowly and gently.

12.5 Crater cracking


One form of solidification cracking which some filler metals are sensitive to.
Modern power sources have a current slope-out device so that at the end of
a weld when the welder switches off the current it reduces gradually and the
weld pool gets smaller and shallower. The weld pool will have a more

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favourable shape when it finally solidifies and crater cracking can be


avoided.

12.6 Common applications


Include autogenous welding of longitudinal seams in thin walled pipes and
tubes in stainless steel and other alloys on continuous forming mills.

Using filler wires, TIG is used for making high quality joints in heavier gauge
pipe and tubing for the chemical, petroleum and power generating
industries.

It is also used in the aerospace industry for items such as airframes and
rocket motor cases.

12.7 Advantages
 Produces superior quality welds with very low levels of diffusible
hydrogen so there is less danger of cold cracking.
 No weld spatter or slag inclusions which makes it particularly suitable for
applications that require a high degree of cleanliness, eg pipework for
the food and drinks industry, manufacturing semiconductors, etc.
 Can be used with filler metal and on thin sections without filler and can
produces welds at relatively high speed.
 Enables welding variables to be accurately controlled and is particularly
good for controlling weld root penetration in all welding.
 Can weld almost all weldable metals including dissimilar joints but
welding in position is not generally used for those with low melting points
such as lead and tin. Especially useful in welding reactive metals with
very stable oxides such as aluminium, magnesium, titanium and
zirconium.
 The heat source and filler metal additions are controlled independently
so it is very good for joining thin base metals.

12.8 Disadvantages
 Gives low deposition rates compared with other arc welding processes.
 Need higher dexterity and welder co-ordination than with MIG/MAG or
MMA welding.
 Less economical than MMA or MIG/MAG for sections thicker than
~10mm.
 Difficult to fully shield the weld zone in draughty conditions so may not
be suitable for site/field welding.
 Tungsten inclusions can occur if the electrode contacts the weld pool.
 No cleaning action so low tolerance for contaminants on filler or base
metals.

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