What color tungsten is best for aluminum?

The following electrodes can be used for TIG welding aluminum, but there are a few rules and caveats that will need to be discussed below:

Orange: 2% ceriated (on AC)
Blue: 2% lanthanated (AC and DC)
Gold 1.5 lanthanated (AC and DC)
Red: 2% thoriated (DC only)
Green: pure tungsten (DC only)

Also question is, what color tungsten is for aluminum?

1. TIG Welding Tungsten Electrodes 2% Lanthanated 3/32” x 7” (Blue, WL20)- TOP PICK. These premium quality 2% Lanthanated TIG Welding Tungsten Electrodes do a great job at welding aluminum, mild steel, and special metals.

Also Know, can you use purple tungsten for aluminum? Re: Purple Tungsten AC Aluminum Problems E3 Purple is not an all around but it is primarily good for DCEN and better than anything else for DCEN. 2% Lanthanated Blue is an all around, primarily good for DCEN but better at AC than E3.

Likewise, what type of electrode is best for aluminum?

For most materials, including steel, a two percent thoriated tungsten electrode is recommended, but since aluminum is welded with AC rather than DC, the electrical characteristics are different and the amount of energy put into the tungsten electrode is higher when AC welding.

What is the best tungsten for aluminum?

The following electrodes can be used for TIG welding aluminum, but there are a few rules and caveats that will need to be discussed below:

Orange: 2% ceriated (on AC)
Blue: 2% lanthanated (AC and DC)
Gold 1.5 lanthanated (AC and DC)
Red: 2% thoriated (DC only)
Green: pure tungsten (DC only)

35 Related Question Answers Found

What size tungsten should I use?

Tig Welding Guide

Metal Gauge	Joint Type	Tungsten Size
1/8" - 3.2mm	BUTT	1.6mm
1/8" - 3.2mm	FILLET	1.6mm
3/16" - 4.8mm	BUTT	2.4mm
3/16" - 4.8mm	FILLET	2.4mm, 3.2mm

What is purple tip tungsten for?

They are universal and suitable for all applications in the whole range of AC and DC welding of non-alloyed and high-alloyed steel, aluminium, titanium, nickel, copper and magnesium alloys. Because of their great ignition properties they are also suitable for automated welding.

What is gray tungsten used for?

Ceriated (Grey)

They perform best with titanium alloys, copper alloys, magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys, nickel alloys, non-corroding steels, and low-alloyed steels.

How dangerous is thoriated tungsten?

The Thorium used in 2% thoriated tungsten is a radioactive element and therefore can be dangerous to the health of those exposed to it and to the environment. during the grinding of electrode tips there is generation of radioactive dust, with the risk of internal exposure.

What kind of tungsten is purple?

Re: Purple tungsten

They are universal and suitable for all applications in the whole range of DC and AC welding for non-alloyed and high-alloyed steel, aluminium, titanium, nickel, copper and magnesium alloys. Because of their great ignition properties they are also suitable for automated welding.

What color tungsten to use?

Pure Tungsten (Color Code: Green)

Pure tungsten also provides good arc stability for AC sine wave welding, especially on aluminum and magnesium. It is not typically used for DC welding because it does not provide the strong arc starts associated with thoriated or ceriated electrodes.

What Tungsten is used for mild steel?

2% Thoriated Tungsten Electrodes – Red Tipped

Containing 1.7% to 2.2% thorium oxide, this radioactive tungsten electrode works well with mild steel, stainless steel and other non-corroding metals.

How do you sharpen tungsten carbide?

Carbide tools require diamond for sharpening, due to their hardness. Wet grinding using an abrasive wheel on an automatic grinder is a very precise method of sharpening. It is also possible to sharpen a tool by using a diamond lap, but this is very imprecise and time-consuming.

Why does my Tungsten split?

When you sharpen your tungsten you want to go ahead and put a point on it and then blunt it. the main cause of the splitting is getting the end too hot when sharpening it. you never want it to get red hot. cool it in water during sharpening if needed.

What angle do you sharpen tungsten?

90° angle

What polarity is used for welding aluminum?

To defeat this, always TIG weld aluminum with the polarity set to alternating current (AC). TIG welding in AC (Figure 2B) allows the electrode positive (EP) portion of the cycle to blast away the aluminum oxide while the electrode negative (EN) portion melts the base metal.

How do you make a tungsten ball?

To properly ball the end of the tungsten, simply apply the AC amperage recommended for a given electrode diameter and the ball on the end of the tungsten will form itself. The diameter of the balled end should not exceed 1.5 times the diameter of the electrode (for example, a 1/8-in. electrode should form a 3/16-in.

How do you shape tungsten?

Tungsten can be fabricated into many simple shapes and configurations. It can be folded, bent, formed, spun, flow-turned, sheared, stamped, punched, and riveted. On the other hand, tungsten is a strong, hard, crack-sensitive metal that is usually brittle at room temperature.

What is rare earth tungsten?

The "rare earth" are the elements added to pure tungsten in place of thorium oxide. Thorium oxide produces alpha particles, which do not promote good health. The rare earths, as mentioned by Henry, replace the thorium oxide so no alpha particles are emitted, thus eliminating the health hazards associated with them.

Is it possible to stick weld aluminum?

MIG, which is DC, is much faster than TIG, but it is not nearly as controllable because you cannot melt the base metal without adding filler metal. Neither TIG nor MIG can weld aluminum in breezy conditions. However, stick welding aluminum is possible with a DC stick welder and it actually works better than I expected.

Do you use AC or DC to weld aluminum?

AC current is used to weld aluminum because its positive half cycle provides a "cleaning" action and its negative half cycle provides penetration. In the mid-1970s, Miller Electric Mfg. Co. set the standard for AC TIG welding technology when it developed its first Syncrowave® AC/DC welder.

Is it difficult to weld aluminum?

Aluminum is perhaps slightly more difficult to weld than mild steel, however it does generally require slightly more specialized equipment.