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reverse ow phenomenon by changing the sign of the welded by means of a brush or a spray before welding.
surface tension temperature gradient from a negative value Signicant increases in the penetration capability of up to
to a positive one. Zacharia et al. [7] developed a 300% compared with the conventional TIG process have
multidimensional mathematical model to simulate the been achieved when using activating ux consisting of
convection and heat transfer of the GTA weld pool by oxides and halides. For the plant of 12 mm thick, there is no
considering the surface tension temperature gradient as a groove preparation, which can be welded in a single pass.
function of temperature and sulfur concentration. From the Therefore, A-TIG welding should bring about large
previous review, it can be said that the effects of sulfur on benets in terms of productivity.
uid ow and weld penetration have been quite well The activating uxes were mixed with acetone to form a
modeled and understood. However, the activating ux for sort of paste and then brushed on the desired area of the
A-TIG welding of stainless steel is made from oxides workpiece before welding. The acetone evaporated,
combination, and the effects of oxygen in activating ux on leaving a layer of the ux adhering to the surface of the
uid ow and weld penetration have not been quite well material to be welded. Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of
modeled and understood. This article is focused on the TIG welding with activating ux. The layer of the ux
effect of activating ux on uid ow and welding was less than 0.3 mm thick. The mean quantity of ux was
penetration and simulates the convection and heat transfer constant at about 0.20.5 g/m. Now, we have developed
of the GTA weld pool by considering the surface tension the activating uxes for stainless steel and carbon steel. It
temperature gradient as a function of temperature and can increase weld penetration by as much as three times.
oxygen concentration by means of the PHOENICS soft- Possibility produce single-pass square-groove full pene-
ware. The predictions of the computational model were tration welds up to 12 mm without lining, as shown in
veried by comparing the numerically predicted and Fig. 2.
experimentally observed fusion zone size and shape. Arc
contraction could be veried by video camera observation.
The uid ow behavior was visualized in real-time scale by
micro focused X-ray transmission video observation
system. With the help of X-ray transmission real-time
observation system, further insight into the uid ow
behavior within the weld pool was obtained.
Fig. 2 Macrostructure of Type 304 stainless steel welded joints (12-mm-thick): (a) without ux (TIG); (b) with ux (A-TIG).
Rui-Hua ZHANG et al. The mechanism of penetration increase in A-TIG welding 111
The activating uxes change the weld metal ow such clockwise and on the foreside of the weld pool, which is
that penetration is increased, while the quality of the weld caused by the negative surface-tension temperature gra-
is improved. Repeated testing has proven that the dient. The second vortex is counterclockwise and at the
mechanical properties, weldability, and corrosion resis- center of the weld pool, which is caused by the negative
tance are not affected in most of the cases. surface-tension temperature gradient also. The third vortex
is clockwise at the end of the weld pool, which is caused by
the positive surface-tension temperature gradient. A
3 The numerical simulation of the negative g=T exists at over most of the weld pool
effects of activating ux in A-TIG welding surface. Due to the assumed Gaussian distribution of the
incident thermal ux, the maximum surface temperature
Based on the continuum formulation, the continuity, occurs at the center of the weld pool. Hence, the surface
momentum, and energy equations in the Cartesian tension increases outward from the center as the tempera-
coordinate system and the boundary conditions are given ture decreases outward, causing the liquid metal on the
in Refs. [812]. The physics model of a moving arc TIG surface to ow outward, as shown in Fig. 4. Because heat
welding was created in the PHOENICS-VR environment. from the arc is carried by the outward ow, the convective
The physics space is 150 mm 40 mm 10 mm. In order heat transport is consequently directed away from the axis,
to improve the accuracy of the calculation 300 40 20, resulting in a atter weld pool shape. The last two vortexes
unevenly spaced grids were used for the calculation meet at the end of the weld pool, and uid ow will be
domain. Finer spacing was used in the weld pool region inward along the surface of the weld pool toward the center
because of the higher temperature gradient and uid ow and then down, as shown in Fig. 4. This uid ow pattern
[1314]. The oxygen content in the weld metal was efciently transfers heat to the weld root and produces a
analyzed using an oxygen analyzer (Horiba, EMGA- relatively deep weld penetration at the end of the weld
622W). The thermo physical properties of Type 304 pool.
stainless steel and welding conditions used in the present
study are the same as those in Ref. [15]. 3.2 Result with activating ux
3.1 Result without activating ux The activating ux for A-TIG welding of stainless steel is
made up of oxides, which include Al2O3, Fe2O3, SiO2,
The change in the weld pool shape is related to the different Cr2O3, TiO2, MnO, and B2O3 [1718]. With the activating
ow patterns that occur in each weld pool [16]. Figure 3 ux dissolved in the weld pool, the oxygen atoms come
shows the fusion zone shape of welded and simulated when into the weld pool, and they can segregate the surface of the
without ux (cO= 32 ppm, 1 ppm = 106). The velocity weld pool to produce a positive surface tension temperature
vectors and temperature elds are shown in Fig. 4 for coefcient. The positive g=T signicantly inuences the
metals containing oxygen at 32 ppm. It is seen that, ow eld [1920]. The velocity vectors and temperature
generally, there are three vortexes: The rst vortex is elds are shown in Fig. 5 for metals containing 168 ppm of
oxygen (analyzed by EMGA-622W). It is seen that a
positive g=T exists almost all over the weld pool surface.
Hence, there are two large opposite vortexes carrying
downward the heat from the arc and creating a deep and
narrow penetration. In this case, the surface tension
increases with an increasing temperature. The surface
tension is the highest near the center (hotter) region of the
weld pool. Fluid ow will be inward along the surface of
the weld pool toward the center and then down, as shown in
Fig. 5. This uid ow pattern efciently transfers heat to
the weld root and produces a relatively deep and narrow
Fig. 3 Fusion zone shape of (a) welded and (b) simulated for weld. Figure 6 shows the fusion zone shape of welded and
TIG welding. simulated when with ux. The simulation results of the
112 Front. Mater. Sci. 2011, 5(2): 109118
molten pool shape provide good agreement with the (Lorentz force), and then, an increase in penetration depth
practice welding results. The maximum surface velocities can be achieved in A-TIG welding [3,21]. The effect of arc
are 0.2 m/s near the center of the weld pool. constriction on the penetration can be considered in the
It is reasonable to expect that a higher oxygen simulation model by altering the value of the arc heat ux
concentration facilitates deeper penetration. However, distribution parameter q in the Gaussian heat term and
only a very small increase in penetration is found when electromagnetic source terms according to the arcs shape
the oxygen concentration is increased to 300 ppm or with and without ux. When the value of the arc heat ux
more. distribution parameter q changed from 0.005 to 0.004,
there is a little variation in the bead width of weld, and the
3.3 Effect of arc constriction penetration variation is not so distinct.
In the case of GTA welding with ux, the plasma is 3.4 Effect of voltage
constricted at the center in the lower part of the arc. The
constricted anode root should lead to higher current density The voltage stepped up can be observed during A-TIG
at the anode, which should also promote the inward welding [2223]. Because the current is self-adjusted, the
recirculatory ow driven by the electromagnetic force increase in voltage probably corresponds to a proportional
Rui-Hua ZHANG et al. The mechanism of penetration increase in A-TIG welding 113
Fig. 7 The compare of uid ow elds (a) without and (b) with ux.
ture; hence, the point with the maximum surface tension 4.2 Effect of ux on arc constriction
is near the edge of the weld pool instead of near the center
of it, leading to a shallow penetration, as shown in Arc plasma was observed when welds were produced.
Fig. 7. Figure 9 shows the photos captured from the video. These
images demonstrated the process of arc constriction when
TIG arc moved from the bare plate to the ux-coated area.
4 The observations of molten pool When the TIG arc moved into the ux-coated region, TIG
behaviours during A-TIG welding
arc plasma was constricted gradually both in the horizontal
4.1 Experimental procedures direction and in the vertical direction. Consequently, a
smaller arc surrounded with a thin layer of blue plume
The effects of ux on uid ow of the weld pool surface appeared above the pool surface pasted with ux.
and arc proles were observed in conventional TIG
welding and in A-TIG welding by using high-speed
video camera. The camera was put in a horizon position
for capturing the front prole of arc plasma. As for the
observation of the weld pool, the camera was put in an
orientation with 45 to the workpiece. The uid ow in
welding pool behavior was visualized in real-time scale by
microfocused X-ray transmission video observation sys- Fig. 9 Images showing arc constriction (argon shielding): (a)
tem, as shown in Fig. 8. The specimens with W particles in without ux; (b) with ux.
the butt-joint interfaces were specially prepared for the
observation of the liquid ow or convection within the Figure 10 shows the images derived from the video
molten pool [2426]. observation of TIG welding with helium shielding gas. As
Rui-Hua ZHANG et al. The mechanism of penetration increase in A-TIG welding 115
Fig. 11 Observation results of molten pool surface and tracer during TIG welding.
Fig. 12 Observation results of molten pool surface and tracer during A-TIG welding.
116 Front. Mater. Sci. 2011, 5(2): 109118
relatively deep weld penetration at the end of the weld that without the ux. The ux can make the melt ows
pool. The tracer speed is faster than that without of the ux. move faster.
It was reasonable to link this phenomenon with a stronger From the experimental observation with X-ray transmis-
and rapid inward ow inside the weld pool in the presence sion system, it was conrmed that the outward uid ow
of an activating ux. The driven force would be surface pattern could be identied in the case of conventional TIG
tension. welding without ux, and a stronger and rapid inward melt
ow pattern could be apparently identied in the case of A-
4.4 X-ray transmission observation of uid ows inside TIG welding.
molten pool Figure 14 schematically illustrates the motion of W
particles inside the molten pools under both conditions
The motion of W particles in the molten pool was observed
without and with a ux.
by the X-ray transmission method. In order to obtain the
uid ows inside a weld pool both without and with a ux,
several W particles were buried into the workpiece prior to 5 Conclusions
welding. High-speed video was recorded at the rate of 1200
frames per second. (1) The oxygen content through the ux in the weld pool
In the case of TIG welding, W particle moved from the plays an important role in increasing the weld penetration
center to outside. At the subsurface of the weld pool, it by the reverse of the surface tension gradient in the weld
rotated in an anticlockwise cycle, as shown in Fig. 13(a). pool from a negative value to a positive value. The change
When the ux was presented, the motion behavior of W in the surface tension gradient in the molten pool is
particle was quite different from the case of TIG welding. considered to be the principal mechanism for increased
W particle moved rapidly toward the central of the weld penetration.
puddle and then down to bottom of molten pool. At the (2) Arc construction and increase in voltage can cause
subsurface of the weld pool, it rotated in a clockwise cycle, the width of the weld to become narrower but have little
as shown in Fig. 13(b). The W particle speed is faster than effect on penetration.
Fig. 13 Observation results of tungsten particle behavior: (a) without ux; (b) with ux.
Rui-Hua ZHANG et al. The mechanism of penetration increase in A-TIG welding 117
Fig. 14 Schematic of melt ows inside molten pool: (a) without ux; (b) with ux.
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