Oxide contributions on arc plasma in tungsten inert gas welding of magnesium alloy

Abstract

To study the effects of oxide activating flux on the arc plasma, the investigation is carried out in tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding on magnesium alloy. In this study, five oxides, ZnO, MnO₂, Cr₂O₃, CeO₂ and CdO, are selected to study the roles of activating flux on the plasma characteristics (shape, electron temperature and electron density) and the arc voltage. The mechanism is also discussed by comparisons between single TIG welding processes with and without fluxes. Results reveal that the electron temperature of arc plasma decreases sharply under the influence of oxide; however, the electron density and the arc voltage get enhanced. The reasons for the increase in arc voltage are the greater electricity resistances that result from the improved welding current density and the constriction of conduction channel.

Keywords:

• Tungsten inert gas
• Activating flux
• Electron temperature
• Electron density
• Arc voltage

The authors gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship from Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (no. IRT1008) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 51004022).