Effects of shielding gas compositions on arc plasma and metal transfer in gas metal arc welding

Journal Article · Mon Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3291121· OSTI ID:21476153

Rao, Z H ^[1]; Liao, S M ^[1]; Tsai, H L ^[2]

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1. School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China)
2. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri 65409 (United States)

This article presents the effects of shielding gas compositions on the transient transport phenomena, including the distributions of temperature, flow velocity, current density, and electromagnetic force in the arc and the metal, and arc pressure in gas metal arc welding of mild steel at a constant current input. The shielding gas considered includes pure argon, 75% Ar, 50% Ar, and 25% Ar with the balance of helium. It is found that the shielding gas composition has significant influences on the arc characteristics; droplet formation, detachment, transfer, and impingement onto the workpiece; and weld pool dynamics and weld bead profile. As helium increases in the shielding gas, the droplet size increases but the droplet detachment frequency decreases. For helium-rich gases, the current converges at the workpiece with a 'ring' shape which produces non-Gaussian-like distributions of arc pressure and temperature along the workpiece surface. Detailed explanations to the physics of the very complex but interesting transport phenomena are given.

• OSTI ID: 21476153
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 107, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3291121; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ARGON
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
CURRENT DENSITY
DROPLETS
ELECTRIC ARCS
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
GAS METAL-ARC WELDING
HELIUM
METALS
PLASMA
PLASMA PRESSURE
SHIELDING
STEELS
SURFACES
TRANSIENTS
WELDED JOINTS
ALLOYS
ARC WELDING
CARBON ADDITIONS
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
FLUIDS
GASES
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
JOINING
JOINTS
NONMETALS
PARTICLES
RADIATION TRANSPORT
RARE GASES
TRANSITION ELEMENT ALLOYS
WELDING