Welding Gases
Acetylene | Air | Argon | Carbon Dioxide(CO2) | Helium
Hydrogen | Nitrogen | Oxygen | Propane
Argon
Argon (Ar) is a monatomic, chemically
inert gas composing slightly less than 1% of the air. Its gaseous
specific gravity is 1.38 and its boiling point is -302.6 degrees F
(-185.9 degrees C). Argon is colorless, odorless, tasteless,
noncorrosive, nonflammable, and nontoxic. Commercial argon is the
product of cryogenic air separation, where liquefaction and distillation
processes are used to produce a low-purity "crude" argon
product. Oxygen must be removed from the "crude" argon
by combining it with hydrogen to produce water. Then argon is then
purified to form the commercial product.
Straight
argon is generally used as a shielding gas in tig welding while mig
welding is usually best suited to a mixture of argon and CO2 as its shielding gas.
Argon is used primarily for its properties an inert gas in applications
such as arc welding, steelmaking, heat treating, and electronics
manufacturing. It is also widely used as a fill gas
in incandescent and fluorescent lamps. In
its welding application, straight argon is generally used as a shielding
gas in tig welding, while mig welding is usually best suited to a
mixture of argon and CO2 as its
shielding gas.
As an inert shielding gas, argon provides the most stable arc combined with the most effective cleaning action. Argon offers welders excellent control of the welding arc and puddle. Straight argon is generally used as the shielding gas in tig welding, while mig welding is usually best suited to a mixture of argon and CO2 as its shielding gas.
| DOT Name: Argon | ||
| DOT Hazard Class: | Nonflammable Gas (2.2) | |
| DOT Label: | Nonflammable Gas | |
| DOT ID No.: | UN 1006 | |
| CAS No.: | 7440-37-1 | |
| Valve Outlet: | CGA580 | |
Physical State in High Pressure Cylinder: Gas |
||
| Toxicity: | Non-toxic | |
| Fire Potential: | Non-flammable | |
| Compatible Materials: | ||
| Major Hazards: | High Pressure Suffocation | |
| Physical Properties of Argon | ||
| Formula: | Ar | |
| Molecular Weight: | 39.95 lb/mol | |
| Specific Volume at 70°F and 1 atm: | 9.67 ft3/lb (0.60 m3/kg) | |
| Specific Heat: | 4.98 BTU/lbmol-deg F@ 70 deg. F. | |
| Specific Gravity: | 1.38 | |
| Gas Density: | 0.1034 lb/ft3 @ 70 deg. F. 14.7 PSIA | |
| Boiling Point: | Temperature: -302.6 deg. F | |
| Liquid Density: | 87.01 lb./ft3 | |
| Latent Heat: | 69.5 BTU/lb. | |
Critical Point: |
||
| Temperature: | -188.4 deg. F | |
| Pressure: | 705.4 PSIA | |
Melting Point: |
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| Temperature: | -308.8 deg. F | |
| Pressure: | 9.97 PSIA | |
Compressed Argon Cylinders
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