MetFab - Welding Fume Handbook - Flipbook - Page 25
8 Effect of shielding gas: particulate fume
8.3 Aluminium welding
MIG
Shielding gases for MIG welding of aluminium and its alloys
are normally either pure argon or mixtures of argon and
helium. Figure 15 shows the effect of argon and two argon/
helium mixtures on fume emission rate.
I
60
I
40
I
30
I
20
I
10
I
Fume emission rate mg/s
52.8
50
46.1
48.9
0
Argon
25% Ar/75% He
Alumaxx® Plus
shielding gas
Figure 15: The effect of shielding gas on fume emission rate
during MIG welding of aluminium alloy using spray transfer
The emission rates are all very high, but there is little
advantage in using one shielding gas over another when
considering particulate fume.
TIG
Shielding gases for TIG welding of aluminium are pure argon,
pure helium, argon/helium mixtures or argon with small
additions of hydrogen or nitric oxide. The particulate fume
emission rate with any of these gases is very low.
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