Shielding Gases

Development . Consulting . Applications

Photo on title page:

The use of the well-proven shielding gases from Linde
together with LINFAST leads to quality improvement and cost savings

Contents

Page

Cost-Effective Industrial Gases from Linde...................................................................... 3

The Right Shielding Gas - for Every Welding Process ..................................................... 4
Compositions of Linde Shielding Gases .......................................................................... 5
Properties of Shielding Gas Constituents ........................................................................ 6
Arc Types: Their Actions and Applications ....................................................................... 8
Shielding Gases for MAG Welding of Structural Steels.................................................... 10
Shielding Gases for LINFAST ......................................................................................... 12
Shielding Gases for MAG Welding of High-Alloy Steels and Ni Base Alloys ................... 14
Shielding Gases for MIG Welding of Non-Ferrous Metals................................................ 16
Shielding Gases for TIG Welding...................................................................................... 18
Oxidation Prevention Using Forming Gases .................................................................... 20
Shielding Gases for Plasma-Arc Welding......................................................................... 22
Shielding Gases for Arc Stud Welding ............................................................................. 23
Shielding Gases for Laser Beam Welding ........................................................................ 24
Linde Publications, Application Notes and Training Materials ......................................... 26

Cost-Effective Industrial Gases

from Linde

uality improvement and rationalisation are crucial for any company that wishes to maintain and improve its competitive position in the
welding industry. Linde shielding
gases provide a variety of options for
achieving these aims.
As one of the leading suppliers of
industrial gases, Linde has decades
of experience in the development,
production and application of shielding gases. Linde expertise encompasses all modern welding applications and is continuously updated by
innovative solutions.
The most up-to-date production
plants, regular quality controls and a
national sales network ensure the
best possible reliability of supply.
Our supply channels are not only
manifold, they are above all economical: Linde offers tailor-made
and cost-optimised supply concepts
to each customer, from the 10 litre
cylinder to the 75,000 litre tank. Our
dense network of sales agents and
depots, the numerous Linde production facilities and a comprehensive
range of products ensure high availability, reliability of supply and short
distances for customers who want
to collect their own supplies.
The Linde Technology Centre
uses the most advanced welding
equipment to solve customer problems on a case-by-case basis. Applications engineers provide on-site
assistance to customers to ensure
optimal use of Linde shielding gases.

Steel cylinders
Water capacity
litres

Contents*
m3

10

2.1 2.4

20

4.0 4.7

52

9.1 11.8

* Gaseous contents; the contents is

dependent on the type of gas

Cylinder bundles
Contents*
m3
106.8 141.6

* Gaseous contents; the contents is

dependent on the type of gas

Storage tanks
Contents
600 75,000 litres

The Right Shielding Gas

for Every Welding Process
Process

Shielding Gases

DIN 1910

CORGON 1
CORGON 2

GMAW with active gas CORGON 18

CORGON 10-40
Carbon dioxide

MAG

CRONIGON S1
CRONIGON S3
CRONIGON 2
CRONIGON He 50

MIG
GMAW with inert gas

TIG
Tungsten inert gas

CORGON S8
CORGON He 30
CORGON He 25 C
CORGON He 25 S
T.I.M.E. + T.I.M.E. II

Steels for pipe, boilers, shipbuilding;

structural and fine-grain steels,
case-hardening and heat-treatable
steels

CRONIGON He 20
CrNi, Cr and other alloy steels,
CRONIGON He 30 S Ni base alloys,
CRONIGON He 50 S
CRONIWIG N series Duplex and super duplex steels

Argon
VARIGON He
VARIGON S
VARIGON He S

Argon
Helium
VARIGON He

Material

Aluminium, copper, nickel

and other alloys

VARIGON S
VARIGON He S

All weldable metals such as

unalloyed and alloy steels,
aluminium, copper,

VARIGON H
CRONIWIG N-series

Nickel and Ni alloys

CrNi steels

Argon 4.8
(Special applications)

Reactive and refractory materials

such as titanium, tantalum, zirconium

Plasma gas/Shielding gas:

Argon
VARIGON H
VARIGON He

All weldable metals

see TIG

Root
protection

Forming gas: Nitrogen-hydrogen

H2
N2
100 %

95 %
5%
90 %
10 %
85 %
15 %
80 %
20 %

For all materials where oxidation

at the root must be avoided.
Burn off hydrogen at levels
overs 10 %

Laser
beam

LASPUR quality:
Argon
Helium
Gas mixtures

All weldable metals

Arc stud
welding

CORGON 18

Structural steel, high-alloy steels

VARIGON He 30

Aluminium
and Al alloys

PAW
Tungsten plasma-arc

Without Forming gas

With Forming gas

EN 439

Materials supposed to be difficult

to weld

Compositions of Linde Shielding Gases

Shielding gas

EN 439

Argon
% by vol.

Argon (Ar)

I1

Helium (He)

I2

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

C1

Carbon
dioxide
% by vol.

Oxygen

Helium

Nitrogen

Hydrogen

% by vol.

% by vol.

% by vol.

% by vol.

100
100
100

CORGON 1

M 23

Balance

CORGON 2

M 24

Balance

13

CORGON 10 25

M 21

Balance

10 25

CORGON S 5

M 22

Balance

CORGON S 8

M 22

Balance

T.I.M.E.

M 24 (1)

Balance

T.I.M.E. II

M 24 (1)

Balance

25

CORGON He 30

M 21 (1)

Balance

10

30

CORGON He 25 C

M 21 (1)

Balance

25

25

CORGON He 25 S

M 22 (1)

Balance

M 12

Balance

2.5

CRONIGON He 50

M 12 (2)

Balance

50

CRONIGON He 20

M 12 (1)

Balance

20

CRONIGON He 30 S

M 11 (1)

Balance

0.05

30

CRONIGON He 50 S

M 12 (2)

Balance

0.05

50

CRONIGON S 1

M 13

Balance

CRONIGON S 3

M 13

Balance

CRONIGON 2

CRONIWIG N 2/3

0.5

26.5

26.5

3.1

25

SAr+N2

Balance

2/3

CRONIWIG N H

SR1+2N2

Balance

CRONIWIG N He

SI3+2N2

Balance

VARIGON S

20

M 13

Balance

VARIGON He 30

I3

Balance

30

VARIGON He 50

I3

Balance

50

VARIGON He 70

I3

Balance

70

VARIGON He 90

I3

Balance

90

VARIGON He 30 S

M 13 (1)

Balance

VARIGON H 2 15

R1

Balance

VARIGON H 20

R2

Balance

0.03

0.03

30
2 15
20

Nitrogen (N2)

F1

100

Forming gas 95/5 80/20

F2

Balance

Note:

5 20

In addition to the above-mentioned shielding gases other mixtures for special applications are available.

Properties
of Shielding Gas Constituents

Proper Use of Shielding

Gases Leads to Optimum
Welding Results
Shielding gases allow many parameters of the welding process to be controlled and optimised for specific applications.
The gas or gas mixture is selected
according to the required effects.
The possibilities for optimisation
cover virtually every factor in the welding
process:
Physical properties of the gas affect
metal transfer, wetting behaviour, depth
and shape of penetration, travel speed,
and arc starting. Gases with low ionisation energy, such as argon, facilitate arc
starting and stabilisation better than
those with high ionisation energy, such
as helium.
On the other hand, helium is a better
choice for laser beam welding, where it
helps to control the plasma and thus the
penetration depth.

Plasma-arc welding of pipes

The dissociation energy of polyatomic

components in gas mixtures enhances
heat input to the base material due to
the energy released by recombination.

Gas

Dissociation
energy
eV/molecule

First ionisation
energy
eV/molecule
(first
ionisation stage)

H2
O2
CO2
N2
He
Ar
Kr

4.5
5.1
4.3
9.8

13.6
13.6
14.4
14.5
24.6
15.8
14.0

Physical properties of gases

CORGON gas mixtures for safety-relevant components in car manufacture

Thermal conductivity [ W/cmC ]

Thermal Conductivity of Gas Components

The thermal conductivity influences

weld geometry, weld-pool temperature
and degassing, and travel speed. For
example, travel speed and penetration
can be markedly increased by the addition of helium in MIG and TIG welding of
aluminium materials, or by the addition
of hydrogen in TIG welding stainless
steels.

0.16
H2
0.12

0.08
He
0.04
O2

CO2
0

2,000

4,000

Ar

Chemical properties influence both

the metallurgical behaviour and the weld
surface quality. Oxygen, for example, results in alloying elements and leads to
more fluid weld pools, while carbon dioxide results in carbon pickup in alloyed
materials. Argon and helium have a metallurgically neutral behaviour, and hydrogen acts as a reducing agent. Nitrogen
is added to the shielding gas to control
the ratio of austenite to ferrite.

6,000
8,000
10,000
Temperature [ C ]

Slag formation with different

CO2 additions to the shielding gas

Linde provides optimum shielding

gases for all welding applications.
Special gases can be developed for
individual requirements
MIG welding of aluminium heat exchangers using an Ar/He mixture

Arc Types:
Their Actions and Applications

Long arc for high-performance MAG

welding of thicker sections using CO2.
Metal transfer is globular, with considerable spatter.

Short arc

ILB
SLB

unstable arc

Transition arc for medium-performance MAG welding of moderate plate

thicknesses using argon-based gas mixtures. Metal transfer is globular with partial short-circuiting, but spatter is less
than with long-arc welding using CO2.

RLB

LB

Short arc for sheet metal, out-of-position welding, and root-pass welding at
low performance levels. The metal transfer takes place with short-circuiting and
little spatter.

GMAW Arc Ranges with ArCO2 mixtures (schematic)

Welding voltage [ V ]

A variety of arc types are employed in

gas metal arc welding (GMAW) with consumable wire electrodes. Crucial factors
in the selection of the arc type are the
shielding gas, the plate thickness and
the welding position.

HL-SL

HL-KL

KLB

Wire feed rate [ m/min ]

KLB
ILB
LB
SLB
RLB

=
=
=
=
=

Short arc
Pulsed arc
Transition arc
Spray arc
Rotating arc

HL-KLB = High-performance short arc

HL-SLB = High-performance spray arc

Transition arc/long arc

 Spray arc for high deposition rates

and travel speeds on thicker sections
using argon-based gas mixtures. Metal
transfer is by droplets, without short-circuiting, and nearly spatterfree.

Spray arc

High-performance arc for higher

deposition rates and travel speeds using
special argon gas mixtures containing
helium. The composition of the shielding
gas influences the arc type and metal
transfer, e.g.high-performance short arc,
high-performance spray arc, rotating arc.

Rotating arc

Pulsed arc for all performance levels;

used in MIG and MAG welding with argon-rich mixtures, chiefly at moderate
performance levels (replacing transition
arc). Metal transfer without short-circuiting with one well-defined droplet formed
per pulse. Less spatter than with other
arc types. The pulsed arc cannot be
used with shielding gases with more
than 20 25 % CO2.

Pulsed arc

Shielding Gases
for MAG Welding of Structural Steels

Linde shielding gases for MAG

welding of structural steels are

CORGON 1
CORGON 2
CORGON with 10 40 % CO2
CORGON S 5 / S 8
CO2
These shielding gases are suitable for
pipe steels, structural and fine-grain
structural steels, case-hardening steels
and heat-treatable steels of all qualities.
Filler metals in the form of solid wire
are standardised in EN 440 and in the
form of cored wire in EN 758. The
German Welding Society bulletin DVSMerkblatt 0916 gives filler metal recommendations for higher-strength fine-grain
structural steels.
The properties of gas mixtures vary
with composition. The composition also
influences the mechanical and engineering qualities of the weld metal and the
weld geometry.

Use of CORGON 18 for robot welding of lifting masts

Effect of Shielding Gas

on Mechanical and Engineering Properties
Rm
Re
A5 *
N/mm2 N/mm2 %

Weld metal
analysis %
C
Mn

Si

CORGON 1
91 % Ar, 5 % CO2
4 % O2

610

472

28.1

0.08

1.32

0.67

138

124

87

83

58

48

0.031

CORGON 10
90 % Ar, 10 % CO2

640

544

25.7

0.09

1.43

0.72

130

88

64

55

60

41

0.029

CORGON 18
82 % Ar, 18 % CO2

620

522

26.8

0.09

1.37

0.70

144

120

86

62

50

40

0.0305

CORGON 25
75 % Ar, 25 % CO2

601

505

29.3

0.09

1.30

0.65

124

97

76

61

51

41

0.034

CORGON S 12
88 % Ar, 12 % O2

591

510

27.5

0.06

1.20

0.60

138

126

87

67

46

40

0.0355

100 % CO2

594

437

27.8

0.10

1.21

0.62

84

54

48

35

28

22

0.062

0.115 1.53

0.98

Wire electrode to
EN 440 G3Si1
10

Impact energy J
(mean of 4 specimens)
+ 20 C 0 C 20 C 30 C 40 C

O2 content
of weld metal

50 C

47-J-limit

Shielding gas

* Rm: ensile strength Re: yield strength A5: elongation at fracture

% by weight

Properties of Shielding Gases

Properties

Ar/CO2

Ar/O2

CO2

Good
More reliable
with increasing CO2 level

Good
Can become critical
if fluid weld pool leads arc

Good
Reliable

Thermal load
on torch

Lower
with increasing CO2 level

High;
excessive torch temperature
can limit performance

Low
because of good
thermal conductivity

Degree of oxidation

Higher
with increasing CO2 level

High;
e.g. at 8% O2

High

Porosity

Lower
with increasing CO2 level

Most sensitive

Reliable

Gap bridging

Better
with decreasing CO2 level

Good

Worse
than with gas mixtures

Spatter

Increasing
with increasing CO2 level

Low

Highest spatter,
increasing with increasing
performance

Heat input

Increasing
with increasing CO2 level

Lowest

High

Cooling rate lower,

less danger of cracking

Cooling rate high,

greater danger of cracking

Cooling rate low,

little danger of cracking

Short arc
Transition arc
Spray arc
Pulsed arc/up to 20 % CO2
High-performance short arc
High-performance spray arc

Short arc
Transition arc
Spray arc
Pulsed arc
High-performance short arc
Rotating arc

Short arc
Long arc

Penetration
Flat position
Out-of-position

Arc type

The above properties of the various shielding gases govern their use in welding.
The versatility of Ar-CO2 and Ar-CO2-oxygen mixtures (the Linde CORGON shielding gases) has led to their high popularity.
The addition of helium extends the range of applications.

11

Shielding Gases for LINFAST

the MAG High-Performance Welding
Concept from Linde

Effect of LINFAST Gases on the Stability

of Different Arc Types

CORGON He 25 C
CORGON He 25 S
CORGON He 30
T.I.M.E. Gas
T.I.M.E. II Gas

The LINFAST concept is based on

the relationship between the welding
parameters (wire feed rate, contact tubeto-work distance and welding voltage)
and the shielding gas composition to
stabilise the arc types at high performance levels. Unstable arcs at a wire feed
rate of 22 30 m/min are reliably avoided by the LINFAST concept in order to
achieve optimum welding results.

T.I.M.E. II
CORGON He 25 C

LB
HL-S

SLB

unstable arc

LB

KLB
SLB

KLB

HL-KLB

SLB
KLB

RLB

HL-KL

LB

Variation of the shielding gas composition influences the arc characteristics,

metal transfer, penetration, weld surface
and porosity.

MAG High-Performance
Welding

RLB

Welding voltage [ V ]

These shielding gases were specially

developed for high-performance MAG
welding (T.I.M.E. process), a method
with increased wire feed rates for higher
deposition rates and travel speeds.

Conventionel
MAG-M Welding

LB

Linde shielding gases for high-performance MAG welding are:

HL-SLB

T.I.M.E.
CORGON He 30

RLB

CORGON He 25 S

HL-SLB

HL-KL

15

18 20 22

27

30

35

Wire feed rate [ m/min ]

KLB
LB
SLB
RLB

=
=
=
=

Short arc
Transition arc
Spray arc
Rotating arc

HL-KLB = High-performance short arc

HL-SLB = High-performance spray arc

LINFAST MAG high-performance welding of dredging shovels using CORGON He 30:

cost savings and quality improvement

12

The MAG High-Performance Arc Types

- Penetration Profiles
and Avoiding Defects

Spray arc
at a wire feed rate of >15 m/min, spray
arc results in a typical v-shaped penetration profile.

Stable spray arc due to the use

of CORGON He 25 C at a wire
feed rate of 23 m/min, position
PB, semi-mechanised

High-performance short arc

This type of arc is particularly suitable for
low wall thicknesses and higher travel
speeds.

Extremely high travel speeds

of more than 2 m/min are
achievable with a high-performance short arc and a
T.I.M.E. shielding gas (in the
photo: wire feed rate
= 17 m/min)

cross section

High-performance spray arc

Weld defects are caused by arc instability. Unstable arcs are reliably avoided
by the LINFAST concept.

Weld defects due to arc instability between rotating arc

and high-performance spray
arc at wire feed rates between
22 and 30 m/min (in the photo:
wire feed rate = 26 m/min, fully
mechanised).

longitudinal section

HL-SLB

RLB

Rotating arc
The LINFAST concept stabilises arc
rotation and guarantees wide and deep
weld penetration in the root region in addition to excellent side wall fusion.

HL-SLB

RLB

CORGON He 25 S guarantees
stable rotation at wire feed
rates above 20 m/min
(in the photo: wire feed rate
= 26 m/min, position PB, fully
mechanised).

13

Shielding Gases
for MAG Welding of High-Alloy Steels
and Ni Base Alloys

Linde shielding gases for the MAG

welding of high-alloy steels are

CRONIGON S 1
CRONIGON S 3
CRONIGON 2
CRONIGON He 20
CRONIGON He 50
CRONIGON He 30 S
CRONIGON He 50 S
CRONIWIG N series

Carbon Burnoff and Pickup

with Various Shielding Gases

0.07

0.049

Alloy type (ELC)

0.06
%C
0.05
0.023

0.04
These shielding gases are suitable for:
stainless steels to DIN 17440
(BS 970 part 4)
high-temperature rolled
and forged steels to SEW 4670
special stainless steels
Ni base alloys

ELC limit

0.03

0.01
0.006

Wire
electrode

0.02
0.016
0.01

0.002

CORGON S8

CRONIGON S1

CRONIGON 2

CORGON 1

CORGON 18

Filler metals for the welding of stainless and high-temperature steels are
standardised in DIN 8556
(BS 2901 part 2).
Short, transition, spray and pulsed
arc types can be used.
The carbon content is important for
maintaining the corrosion resistance. For
low-carbon ELC steel qualities, the maximum level in the weld metal should be
0.03 % if annealing is necessary.
Measurements of carbon burn off
and pick up clearly show that no corrosion problems should occur when using
CRONIGON shielding gases.
Although the carbon content when
using CORGON 1 stays below the ELC
limit, this shielding gas should not be
used for components that will be used in
corrosive environments.

MAG welding of an exhaust gas diffuser using CRONIGON He 50 S

14

CO2

Important
Application Notes
Austenitic CrNi steels and ferritic Cr
steels can be welded quite well with the
spray arc, which begins at currents
some 20 % below those struck on unalloyed materials.
The use of the pulsed arc ensures
stable metal transfer with little spatter
over the full range of melting rates. Heavier wires, which can be fed more reliably and offer better current transfer,
can thus be used. What is more, pulsedarc welding is an excellent technique for
vertical-down welds. Nickel-based materials and most special steels should preferably be welded with the pulsed arc.

Survey of Applications
Shielding gas

Properties

Materials

CRONIGON S 1

Low oxidation
Moderate wetting

Ferritic Cr steels

CRONIGON S 3

Greater oxidation
Adequate wetting

Corrosion-resistant, austenitic
CrNi steels

CRONIGON 2

High-temperature
austenitic steels

Excellent wetting
even at great section thickness
Very good interpass fusion
Stable arc
Minimal spatter
High travel speeds,
especially suited
for fully mechanised welding

Special steels, e.g. duplex

and super duplex
Corrosion-resistant
and high-temperature
CrNi steels
Ni base materials
with low corrosion stress

CRONIGON He 30 S
Cronigon He 50 S

Excellent wetting
Excellent arc stability
compared to other inert gases
Extremely low surface oxidation
due to considerably reduced
active gas content
Very good interpass fusion
High corrosion resistance
which is comparable
to TIG and MMA/SMA welding
Next to no spatter

All Ni-based materials,

especially
highly corrosion-resistant
Ni base alloys

CRONIWIG N

Reduction of ferrite content

Control of the
austenite/ferrite ratio

Full austenites
Duplex and super duplex steels

Research at the Linde Technology

Centre has revealed some interesting
features:
The weld geometry, surface finish,
wetting behaviour, and arc stability
are affected in different ways by the
base and filler metals.
The torch position should be approx.
10 forehand for all materials.

Special steels. e.g. duplex

CRONIGON He 20
CRONIGON He 50

Interpass welding temperatures

depend on the type of base metal:
150 200 C
for austenitic CrNi steels
50 100 C for Ni-based materials

Low oxidation
Good wetting
Higher travel speed
Minimal spatter

The weld metal should be applied in

stringer beads (less thermal stress).
The arc must always lead the weld
pool. Heavy spatter results if the weld
pool leads the arc even slightly,
especially with Ni-based materials.

MAG welding of a plated beam

with CRONIGON 2

15

Shielding Gases
for MIG Welding of Non-Ferrous Metals

Shielding gases for the MIG welding

of non-ferrous metals are inert gases
such as:

Argon
VARIGON He
VARIGON S
VARIGON He S mixtures
Short, spray and pulsed arc types
can be used with these gases.

Argon: 20 l/min

280 A / 25 V

VARIGON He 30: 20 l/min

282 A / 27 V

VARIGON He 50: 28 l/min

285 A / 30 V

VARIGON He 70: 38 l/min

285 A / 34 V

The pulsed arc offers significant advantages, especially for softer Al filler
metals, because it allows the use of larger-diameter wire electrodes with their improved feeding reliability.
Filler metals for non-ferrous base
metals are standardised as follows:
Al materials in DIN 1732 Part 1
(BS 2901 part 4)
Copper and copper alloys
in DIN 1733 (BS 2901 part 3)
Nickel and nickel alloys
in DIN 1736 (BS 2901 part 5)
The hotter arc in VARIGON He and
VARIGONHe S mixtures has proven
especially suitable for aluminium and
copper materials with their high thermal
conductivity.

Helium alters the weld contour, shape of penetration and welding voltage

16

Application Notes
on Helium
Arc voltage
For a given arc length, a higher arc
voltage is required as the helium content
increases.
Form of penetration
A rise in helium content leads to a
wider and therefore flatter weld. The penetration is no longer finger-shaped as
when argon is used, but becomes more
rounded and deeper.
The better penetration behaviour facilitates good root fusion and permits
higher travel speeds.
Helium is significantly lighter than air.
This fact must be considered when
measuring the flow rate (correction
factor) and also when specifying the minimum flow rate. Helium improves the
degassing conditions of the weld pool
and reduces porosity. Higher gas prices
can often be offset by reduced costs for
post-weld machining.

MIG welding of Al materials with Argon or Ar-He mixtures

Correction Factors and Minimum Gas Flow Rates

Shielding gas

Correction factor
multiply flow meter
reading by

Minimum
flow rate

VARIGON He 30
VARIGON He 30 S

1.14

18 l/min

VARIGON He 50

1.35

28 l/min

VARIGON He 70

1.75

35 l/min

100 % He

3.16

40 l/min

17

Shielding Gases
for TIG Welding

In contrast to MIG and MAG, which

are gas metal-arc processes, in TIG
welding the arc burns between a nonconsumable tungsten electrode and the
work. Inert gases, such as argon or helium, or mixtures of these with nonoxidising components are used to protect the tungsten electrode and the weld
pool.
TIG welding can be used with all
fusion-weldable metals. The section of
current type, polarity and shielding gas
depends on the base material.

Shielding gas

Materials

Remarks

Argon

All weldable metals

Used most frequently

Root protection required
for reactive materials

VARIGON S
VARIGON He 30 S

Al and Al alloys

Increased arc stability

and arc starting reliability
in AC welding

VARIGON He 30
VARIGON He 50
VARIGON He 70
VARIGON He 90

Al and Al alloys
Cu and Cu alloys

Arc starting difficulties

with old power sources possible
use argon for ignition

Helium

Application Notes
Higher helium levels in argon-helium
mixtures promote heat evolution in the
arc and permit higher travel speeds.
Hydrogen can also be used to improve the energy balance of the TIG arc,
but only with high-alloy CrNi steels,
nickel and nickel base alloys. Up to 10 %
hydrogen in argon improves penetration
and travel speed. Gases containing hydrogen must never be used for welding
aluminium materials (increased porosity)
or reactive steels.

VARIGON H 2
VARIGON H 5
VARIGON H 6
VARIGON H 10
CRONIWIG N

Hotter arc results in

better penetration
higher travel speed

High-alloy CrNi steels

Hotter arc results in

better penetration
higher travel speed

Ni and Ni base alloys

To avoid porosity

Full austenites
Duplex and
Super duplex steels

Control of the
austenite/ferrite ratio

Shielding gases and materials

Materials

Shielding gases of higher purity are

recommended for the welding of reactive
materials such as titanium or tantalum.
The 4.8 quality is therefore used for
these metals (versus 4.6 for other materials) with a purity of 99.998.

Unalloyed and alloyed steels

Copper und Cu alloys
Nickel and Ni alloys
Titanium and Ti alloys
Zirkonium, tantalum, Tungsten

TIG-welded container connections

18

Current type
and polarity

dc ()

Aluminium
and Al alloys
Magnesium
and Mg alloys

ac
dc ()
with helium
and VARIGON He 90

Magnesium
and Mg alloys

ac

Materials, current type and polarity

Travel speed:

Argon

VARIGON He 50

10 l/min

15 l/min

10 cm/min

20 cm/min

A higher level of helium leads to higher travel speeds.

This photograph shows welds in a 3 mm thick AlZn 4.5 Mg 1 alloy

Travel speed:

Argon

VARIGON H 6

7 cm/min

11 cm/min

Fillet weld in material 1.4301

Penetration and travel speed improve considerably with increased hydrogen

19

Oxidation Prevention
Using Forming Gases

Protection of the weld root is often

needed in order to ensure optimal corrosion resistance of the part. Oxidation
and tints are prevented by excluding atmospheric oxygen.

Relative Densities of Forming Gases

1.4

Displacement of air by inert gases

such as argon or by quasi-inert gases
such as nitrogen
Displacement of air plus utilisation of
the reducing action of hydrogen
For this reason, most forming gases
consist of

Heavier than air

Two methods can be used:

Nitrogen with hydrogen additions

Argon with hydrogen additions
Pure argon, on the other hand, is
only used rarely, for example with steels
reacting with hydrogen.

Ar mixtures
1.2

1.1

Air

1.0

Lighter than air

Proper use of forming gases requires

that their relative densities are taken into
account, e.g. when purging containers
from below (use high-density gases) or
above (use low-density gases).

1.3

0.9

0.8

N2 mixtures
0.7

0.6
4

12

16

20

24

% by vol. H2

Safety Notes:
Gases containing more than ca. 10 % hydrogen can form explosive mixtures with air.
Safety measures should be taken to avoid explosions.
For safety reasons, the DVS safety sheet 0937 recommends burning off hydrogen at H2 levels
higher than 10 vol.%.

20

Application Notes
Gases should comply with the
following EN 439 groups:
Group R (Ar/H2 mixtures)
Group I (Ar + Ar/He mixtures) and
Group F (N2 + N2/H2 mixtures)
In order to positively prevent oxidation tints, the forming gas feed must
continue until the part has cooled to
approx. 220 C.
Preventing oxidation in the welding of
pipe requires pre-purging for a time that
depends on the purge gas flow rate and
the geometry of the part.
To prevent oxidation when welding
pipes, air must be eliminated by purging
before starting to weld. A guideline for
the required volume of shielding gas is
2.5 3.0 times the geometric volume of
the pipe from the injection point to the
weld. The flow rate should be approx.
5 to 12 l/min, depending on the diameter
of the pipe.
In titanium-stabilised CrNi steels,
forming gases containing N2 cause a
yellow coloration of the weld root. For
base materials containing N2, e.g. super
duplex steels, forming gases containing
high N2-percentages (up to 100 %), e.g.
to improve corrosion resistance arc of
benefit.

Welding with forming gas

Forming gas

Base material

Argon

All materials

Ar/H2 mixtures

Austenitic steels,
Ni and Ni base materials

N2/H2 mixtures

Steels with the exception

of high-strength fine-grain
structural steel, austenitic
steel (not Ti-stabilised)

N2
Ar/N2 mixtures

Austenitic CrNi steels,

duplex- and
super duplex steels

Root protection gases

for various materials

Typical yellow coloration: titanium-stabilised CrNi steel with nitrogen forming

No coloration: titanium-stabilised CrNi

steel with argon/hydrogen forming

21

Shielding Gases
for Plasma-Arc Welding

As in TIG welding, the arc in plasma

welding is formed between a non-consumable tungsten electrode and the work
piece. However, in contrast to TIG welding, the plasma arc is constricted by
the torch design (water-cooled copper
tip), resulting in a significantly higher power density.
There are three variants of the
plasma-arc welding process:
Microplasma welding for thin and
very thin sheet (minimum thickness
approx. 0.1 mm at minimum current
approx. 0.3 A)
Melt-in welding for thicknesses
of 1 - 3 mm
Keyhole plasma-arc welding for
thicker sections, up to approx. 8 mm
in one run or thicker work in multiple
runs
Plasma-arc welding always involves
two gases:

Plasma-arc welding of spiral aluminium pipes

Plasma gases, chiefly argon,

sometimes with hydrogen
or helium additions
Shielding gases which may have
other constituents added to the
argon, for example hydrogen for
welding CrNi steel and Ni alloys,
or helium for welding aluminium,
Al alloys, titanium and copper base
alloys.
Other plasma techniques include
plasma-arc powder (PTA) surfacing for
the application of refractory alloy coatings, plasma hot-wire surfacing, and
plasma/MIG welding for high-performance joining.

Plasma-arc welding of galvanised structural steel

22

Shielding Gases
for Arc Stud Welding

Recent investigations have shown

that the quality of arc stud welding using
the methods BH 10 and BH 100 can be
improved significantly with the appropriate choice of shielding gases.
The combinations of shielding gases
and materials shown in the table on the
right have proven well in workshop tests
and in the field.

Combinations of Shielding Gases and Materials

Base material

Stud material

Shielding gas

Structural steel

Structural steel

CORGON 18

High-alloy steel

High-alloy steel

CORGON 18

AlMg 3

Al 99.5 or AlMg 3

VARIGON He 30

By avoiding the use of ceramic rings,

shielding gases are particularly advantageous for fully mechanised welding, including welding with industrial robots.

Steel and aluminium studs welded using

shielding gas

23

Shielding Gases
for Laser Beam Welding

Two different laser types are commonly used for laser beam welding: The
CO2 laser and the Nd:YAG laser. Both
laser types require the use of shielding
gases to obtain high-quality welds.

CO2 Laser

The CO2 laser is the most common

type of laser used for welding by the car
manufacturing industry and its component suppliers. The correct choice of
shielding gas is very important to ensure
high quality welds. Due to its interaction
with the laser beam, the shielding gas
has a major influence on the heat input
to the work piece. If a particular laser
beam intensity is exceeded on the surface of the work, this causes a thermallyinduced plasma which affects the penetration depth in combination with other
factors. Due to its high ionisation energy,
especially helium in LASPUR quality
gives excellent results. However, other
shielding gases can also be used, such
as argon, nitrogen and various gas mixtures such as VARIGON He 50.

Laser performance:

P = 2 kW
He

Penetration depth d [mm]

Compared to conventional welding

techniques (MAG, TIG etc.), laser beam
welding is characterised by more concentrated heat input, lower distortion
and higher processing speeds. For many
applications, laser beam welding does
not require filler materials, although this
may be necessary for gap bridging or for
metallurgical reasons. Laser beam welding can be used e.g. for steel, light metals and thermoplastic materials.

Focus radius:

rF = 100 m

N2

Ar
2

Material: St 52-3
Shielding gas flow: 20 l m-1

10

20

30

40

50

60

-1

Travel speed v [mm s ]

Influence of shielding gas on penetration
depth and travel speed.

Laser beam welding and cutting machine

at the Linde Technology Centre

24

Cam welded with a CO2 laser

Argon

Helium

Plasma development and penetration behaviour of a CO2 laser with different shielding gases.

Nd:YAG laser
The main welding application for the
Nd:YAG laser is in precision engineering
for the electrical/electronics industry. A
few applications can also be found in the
car manufacturing industry. Laser powers
generally do not exceed 2 kW. Since the
wavelength of the Nd:YAG laser exhibits
little or no interaction with shielding gases, their choice only needs to take
account of metallurgical factors.
Accordingly, argon in LASPUR quality is
commonly used, although helium, nitrogen and gas mixtures are also suitable.
Case of a heart pacemaker
welded with a Nd:YAG laser

Photo: Lumonics

25

Linde Publications,
Application Notes and Training Materials

Special Publications
92 Effect of Welding Conditions on
Airborne Contaminants Generated
in Gas-Shielded Arc Welding, and
Effect of the Workplace Conditions

Data Sheets

Brochures

Safety Data Sheets (on request)

Centralised Gas Supply Systems

Safety instructions (on request)

LASPUR Gases for Laser Technology

LASPUR Guide for Laser Users

Gases and Supply System

101 MAGM Welding Stainless Steel Effect of Type of Shielding Gas

Acetylen there is no better fuel gas

for oxy-fuel gas processes

105 Demands on Welding Systems
and Manipulating Equipment
Design in Fully Mechanised and
Automated MAG Welding

Heat Treatment

with Linde Supplied Gases

Storage Tanks

145 Shielding Gases and Process

Technology in Welding with HighAlloy Cored Wire
146 MAGM Welding (GMAW) of
Corrosion-Resistant Duplex Steel
- 22 Cr 5 (9) Ni 3 Mo
Effect of Shielding Gases
and Process Variations
156 Application Technology Criteria for
Orbital TIG (GTA) Welding of
Electropolished High-Alloy Steel
Tubes
158 Shielding Gas for Welding and
Backup purging - Factors to Be
Taken into Account
03/90 Control of the Arc Welding
Process in Manufacturing
22/93 Gas-Shielded Arc Welding of
Aluminium
34/97 Pulsed MAGM Welding of Nickel
Alloys
36/97 High-performance MAG Welding
with the LINFAST Concept
38/97 TIG Welding of Aluminium Alloys

26

27

Competence Where You

Need It With Linde Gases
Advice

Service

Production

Know-how

Competent, thorough
advice
Service on the spot

Printed on chlorine-free bleeched paper

Application
and supply
equipment

Air separation plant

Metallurgy and chemistry

Medicine

Supply

ECOVAR

Glass

Environmental technology

Cylinders

8767/0

0598 . 0998 - 2.2 ma

Power engineering

Application

Pipeline
Industrial cleaning
Tanks
Food processing
Metal working

Microelectronics

Linde industrial gases are used for welding,

freezing or driving purposes, and where
heating, industrial cleaning, artificial respiration
or testing is required. They improve the quality
of life, helping you to produce more economically and thus safeguarding your future.
We offer advice, know-how, customer-specific
hardware, and carry out tests for our customers
and do all the gas-related handling.
It goes without saying that we tailor-make an
economic supply-concept according to customer specifications: Gas cylinders and cylinder bundles, tank supply of cryogenic liquid
gases, the ECOVAR supply concept and
pipeline supply.

Your sales and distribution centre:

Linde AG
Industrial Gases Division
Seitnerstrae 70
82049 Hllriegelskreuth
Telefon (0 89) 74 46 - 0
Telefax (0 89) 74 46 -12 30
http://www.Linde.de/Linde-Gas