IIW Specialist Syllabus

Welding Processes and Equipment

1.2 Oxyfuel Gas Welding
Trainer: Eng. Pedro Vilaa June 2011

The basis of this presentation was developed by

0

 OXYFUEL GAS WELDING (OFW) is a manual process in which the metal surfaces to be joined are melted progressively by heat from a gas flame and are caused to flow together and solidify without the application of pressure to the parts OFW can be applied with or without filler metal The most important source of heat for OFW is the oxyacetylene welding (OAW)
1

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

 Oxygen and fuel are stored in separate cylinders The gas regulator attached to each cylinder, whether fuel gas or oxygen, controls the pressure at which the gas flows to the welding torch The mixed gases then pass through the welding tip and produce the flame at the exit end of the torch tip

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

 The equipment is versatile, low-cost, self-sufficient, and usually

portable

It can be used for preheating, postheating, welding, braze welding, and

torch brazing, and it is readily converted into oxygen cutting

The process can be adapted to short production runs, field work,

repairs, and alterations

The oxy-acetylene welding process (OAW) is by far the most important,

and probably the most versatile, of the oxy-fuel gas welding (OFW) processes but is tending to be superceded by other welding processes, e.g., the Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding process
4

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

The gas acetylene (C2H2) is the most important fuel gas employed, because it has the highest calorific (heat) value. Other hydrocarbon

gases are also used, e.g. Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), Propane, etc.
deg C Oxy-acetylene Oxy-propane Oxy-hydrogen Oxy-coal-gas Air-acetylene Air-coal-gas Air-propane 3,100 to 3,300 2,500 2,370 2,200 2,460 1,871 1,750 Table: Approximate Maximum Flame Temperatures

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

 In practical applications the oxy-acetylene welding process (OAW) is the only one applied in welding Higher heat power density Hotter for all the distances from the center of the flame More reducing action Easy to adjust with Oxygen The oxi-propane flame is more applied in brazing when temperature and heat power should be lower Propane and butane are more safe to use fuel gases The propane, butane and natural gas allow greater autonomy as they can be easily stored in large volumes.
6

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

 Acetylene (C2H2) storing:

When under pressure of 203 kPa and above, acetylene is unstable, and a slight shock can cause it to explode, even in the absence of oxygen or air By dissolving purified and dried acetylene in liquid acetone, a cylinder such as that shown in Figure can

be used to store about 7.79 m3 of acetylene under a

pressure of 1.7 MPa The cylinders must be stored in an upright position to

keep the acetone from escaping during use

7

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

 Manifolded supplies may be used for both acetylene and oxygen cylinders, although where the oxygen consumption is high it is more practical to use an oxygen generator/evaporator plant, the oxygen being delivered and stored in the more compact liquid form. In each instance the gas is stored away from the workshop in a special building designed to relevant safety requirements, the gas is piped from the store to the supply points in the workshop. The acetylene is conveyed in steel tubes (copper is not used because of the danger of producing the explosive compound: copper acetylide).

The line is protected by non-return valves and flash-back arresters at each outlet. The cylinder is also protected by large-capacity flashback arresters.

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

Oxygen cylinder
(Capacity, 220ft3 at 2 000 lb / in2, Weight 145 lb)

Acetylene cylinder
(Capacity, 250ft3 at 250 lb / in2, Weight 215 lb)
9

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

OXYFUEL GAS WELDING (OFW) STATION - Equipment

10

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

10

1. Welding torch: efficient and light, producing a flame of the right shape and temperature with controls that are easy to adjust allowing for the quick and easy changing of nozzle tips, thus affording a wide range of blowpipe power 2. Oxygen and acetylene gas regulators: to reduce the high pressure in a gas storage cylinder to a lower working pressure, and at the same time maintaining a steady supply, free from pressure fluctuations

3. Supplies of oxygen and acetylene gases, which must be safely stored in

cylinders and suitably piped to the welding areas

11

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

11

4. Protection equipment, such as suitable colour-tinted goggles, manufactured to the appropriate standard, e.g. BS 679, and other protective clothing, such as chrome-Ieather gloves, aprons, etc Filter glasses for goggles are invariably green, their main function being to reduce the glare from the flame cone and

molten metal to a level comfortably acceptable to the eyes of

the welder, while also protecting the eyes from hot sparks They are produced in different densities or shades, appropriate

to light or heavy glare. Modern filters are photo chromatic, i.e.

they change shade automatically
12

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

12

 Protection goggles

Fire lighters

13

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

13

5. Supplies of suitable filler rods in convenient diameters and lengths. These are usually from 1,2mm to 4,8mm in diameter and 1mm in length 6. Certain other equipment, such as flexible, high-pressure rubber hoses, coloured red for fuel gas and black for oxygen, with properly designed connections, threaded left-hand for fuel gas and right-hand for oxygen, to

prevent accidental exchange

Also, safety devices, such as flash-back arresters, or hydraulic backpressure valves. Equipment such as refractory-surfaced work tables, gas economizers,

etc are desirable but cannot be regarded as absolutely essential

14

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

14

 Types of torches/burners architecture

Features of high-pressure with no injector blowpipe

15

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

15

 Procedure for adding a filler rod into the weld pool

16

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

16

 Fluxes: A flux prevents the oxidation of molten metal. The flux (material) is fusible and non metallic During welding, flux chemically reacts with the oxides and a slag is formed that floats to and covers the top of the molten puddle of metal

and thus helps keep out atmospheric oxygen and other gases
Except for lead, zinc, and some precious metals, OFW of nonferrous metals, cast irons, and stainless steels generally requires a flux In welding carbon steel, the gas flame shields the weld adequately,

and no flux is required

Adjustment for correct flame atmosphere is important, but the absence of flux results in one less variable to control
17

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

17

18

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

18

 The maximum temperature of the oxy-acetylene flame is 3,100 to 3,300 C and the centre of this heat concentration is just off the extreme tip of the white cone. Combustion is recognised as taking place in two main stages of combustion

19

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

19

 Types of Flames in OAW

In oxy-acetylene welding the character of the flame is most important. Certain technical terms must be learned in this connection When the acetylene and oxygen are in equal proportions the resultant flame is said to be neutral; when there is an excess of oxygen the flame is said to be oxidising; and if more acetylene is present than oxygen the flame is

said to be carburising, or reducing

A reducing flame is on that, because of its need for oxygen will reduce surface oxides, such as iron oxide. A strictly neutral setting is correct, but the slightest excess of acetylene may keep scaling (oxidation) to a minimum, particularly when welding stainless steels For example, non-ferrous alloys and carbon steels may require a reducing flame, while zinc-bearing materials may need an oxidising flame
20

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

20

 Three types of flame setting: mixture ratio

21

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

21

FERROUS AND NONFERROUS METALS THAT CAN BE WELDED BY OAW:

(a) - Match base metal ; (b) - No Flux required

22

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

22

 Combustion with other fuel gases

Acetylene: 2 C2H2+5 O2=4 CO2+2 H2O

Propane: C3H8+5 O2=3 CO2+4 H2O

Natural Gas: CH4+2 O2=CO2+2 H2O

23

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

23

 Lighting a blowpipe The correct pressures, as recommended for the appropriate nozzle, should first be set, initially the fuel gas by opening slightly the blowpipe acetylene

valve and regulating it to the correct pressure by the pressure-regulator screw

This procedure is repeated for the oxygen supply, the oxygen valve then being closed. The fuel gas is turned on, ignited and adjusted so that the flame just ceases to form soot but is not blown away from the nozzle tip The oxygen is now turned on at the blowpipe valve and adjusted until the acetylene feather just disappears, to obtain a neutral flame setting
24

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

24

 Lighting a blowpipe (cont.)

To extinguish the flame, the fuel gas should be turned off first, followed by the oxygen. In the event of backfires with either design of torch, the fuel gas should be turned off first to prevent the internal temperatures from being destructively high and damaging the blow-pipe body

25

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

25

Use of grooves to facilitate oxyfuel gas welding of t> 4.8 mm thick plates

26

1.2 Oxy Gas Welding

26