Fay Butler Fab/Metal Shaping

Benefits of Welding Purification

This is an elaborate system we designed and built with advice from the manufacturers (see picture on left). A simpler configuration will suffice.

As to what the benefits are to cleaning the inert argon gas for TIG and MIG welding, well it is quite significant, to the point that without it, quality welds in reactive materials like aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and stainless are difficult. This product has had a significant impact on the quality of welds in industry, where high quality welds are required. The ASM Stainless Steels Specialty Handbook references the benefits of this product.

This system can be elaborately plumbed into your shielding gas (as pictured, that I have done with the ability to back gas welds using two lines) or it can be very simply added between your pressure regulator on the tank and the gas solenoid valve on the welder.  I can help with advice on this installation. 

Of course this unit cannot remove the problems already present on and in the metal to be welded and on the filler rods. That is up to the person welding to make sure metal weld surfaces and welding rods are thoroughly cleaned. The welding environment must be monitored for other potential contaminants that will decrease weld quality.  But after all standard preparation steps are done, the quality of the argon gas becomes the one large problem that cannot be solved without this purification system.

I am carrying two size units in stock.  A small unit WA-150 for $1,402. will clean approximately 30 cylinders (250cfh) of argon gas, and a much larger unit WA-500 for $2,653. will clean approximately 100 cylinders of argon gas.  Shipping charges are extra and not included in these prices. Both purifiers clean the gas to the same levels, the difference is in the number of cylinders they will clean  over time. I have them in stock for immediate delivery.

It can be very simply added between your pressure regulator on the tank and the gas solenoid valve on the welder. Here are some of the benefits:

1. REMOVES CONTAMINANTS TO BELOW PARTS PER BILLION. Oxygen, hydrogen, CO₂, moisture, oils and heavy hydrocarbons are removed to <10 parts per billion (PPB). The company knows that impurities are actually lower to parts per trillion (PPT) at the immediate outlet of the purifier. The current allowable limits of these contaminants, by the American Welding Society for standard argon gas that you are most likely now purchasing, are 50 parts per million (PPM). 


2. ELIMINATES CRACKING IN ALUMINUM AND STAINLESS STEEL. With the removal of these contaminants, grain boundaries are narrowed, drastically increasing ductility to welds. The carbon/carbides and "junk" in the weld, when the puddle is solidifying, are pushed out to the grain boundaries. These stretch boundaries are then very susceptible to cracking. 


3. INCREASES PUDDLE FLUIDITY. Removing the contaminants listed above keeps the surface of the puddle cleaner, eliminating superficial surface oxides, decreasing its surface tension. This allows the puddle to be more fluid for initial wetting and to allow the "toes" of the weld (the sides of the weld bead) to flow out easier giving increased weld penetration. 


4. ELIMINATING POROSITY. In the molten aluminum puddle, hydrogen gas can be up to 1,000 times more soluble than when solidified. Removing the hydrogen gas will eliminate porosity.


5. 100% ARGON GAS CAN BE USED IN MIG WELDING. With the removal of these contaminants, pure argon gas can be used in the MIG process, eliminating spatter and giving extremely high quality MIG welds. Some engine crank shaft rebuilders have used this cleaned gas to successfully weld up crank shafts for regrinding, getting x-ray quality welds with no porosity and the elimination of spatter. Argon / helium blends can be used to increase the heat and weld penetration. Conventional MIG welding processes use “custom gas blends typically Argon/ oxygen or argon / CO₂. Use of such blends may increase arc stability but the oxygen or carbon dioxide present in the gas is left behind in the weld as oxides and carbides/carbon, thereby reducing weld quality. With NANOCHEM purifiers, MIG welds as good as TIG welds have been demonstrated by the company while welding aluminum also.


6. WELDING CURRENT DROPS WITH BETTER WELD PENETRATION. Once moisture is removed, weld current can drop as ionization of the arc is easier.  

Argon cylinders are made of steel. If the cylinder valve is accidentally left open when the cylinder is empty, moisture can condense on the side walls of the cylinder and create rust. This rust acts as a sponge to trap more moisture during subsequent refills and from them on, the cylinder will constantly release some moisture in the gas to the weld. Thus, a cylinder needs to only be contaminated just once to constantly deliver contaminated gas over its lifetime, even after many refills.

Cylinders are hydrostatically pressure-tested (with water) every five years or so by gas manufacturers.This process can also cause rust and potential contamination of gas with moisture.

For further information read Shielding Gas Purification Improves Weld Quality, an article in 3 parts.			Also read How Hose materials Affect Gas Quality, an article in 6 parts.
	Part 1 Part 2 Part 3			Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Contact Fay for more information and to arrange for purchase.