TIG Welding Titanium: Tips For Pure Welding

Titanium is a strong metal; however, its tensile strength–approximately 140 MPa–is much lower than that of stainless steel–350 MPa. It compensates by being roughly half as dense: 4.51 g/cm3 for titanium and 7.8-8 g/cm3 for stainless steel. Titanium's light weight and strength, resistance to cavitation, erosion, and corrosion, and biocompatibility make it a preferred choice for many critical applications such as invasive medical devices, high-speed automotive, and aerospace and military systems.

Welding titanium is complex and requires that the weld area be kept free of any contaminants. This and other essential best practices are listed below.

As shown in the table above, every effort should be made to minimize or eliminate, if possible, any air from the area where melted titanium is present. This is best accomplished by combining several targeted activities. For example, using a small nozzle for backfilling the weld area increases the probability that the titanium will become brittle due to high temperature. Additionally, introducing air into the weld area should be avoided. This includes using air-powered tools that may blow away the gas coverage.

Gas Coverage Is Key to Welding Titanium

Exposure to gases such as nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen will result in contamination and a ruined weld. The severity of the damage and, consequently, acceptability can vary but can be estimated by observing the surface color after cooling, as the titanium weld color code below illustrates.

When TIG welding titanium, argon gas, which does not adversely interact with the metal, is used to provide coverage. A purge dam helps keep the area clean by forcing air out of the weld area and into the atmosphere.

Optimizing Your Titanium TIG Welding Process

Welding titanium requires the creation of high-quality welds, which is why the relatively slow GTAW process is often implemented. The precision of GTAW or TIG welding helps ensure the purity necessary for titanium welds. The best method for maximizing the precision of the TIG welding process while also protecting the welder and others from chemical exposure is to employ orbital welding for your titanium project.

Orbital welding gives welders and operators greater control over the TIG process. The ability to view the weld in higher dimension detail and adjust weld parameters as necessary, without the physical/dexterity demands of manual welding, enables much greater precision and the creation of pure, high-quality bonds. Fully leveraging the advantages of orbital welding for titanium GTAW necessitates that you utilize the best equipment and tools available.