5/29/2021 Avoiding Porosity When Welding Aluminium - TWI

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AVOIDING POROSITY WHEN

WELDING ALUMINIUM

  

Porosity in aluminium welds is caused by gas that becomes trapped in the weld pool

when the metal freezes before all of the gas in the weld pool has a chance to escape.

The main cause of porosity is entrapment of gases such as air and shielding gases. Gases

can be entrapped when turbulence occurs in the weld pool. When welding aluminium by

the MIG process, turbulence can occur if too low a welding current is used because large

droplets are transferred across the arc. However, excessive currents deposit metal over a

gas bubble before it escapes, giving irregular shaped porosity. Hence, the welding current

should be su ciently high to stabilise the droplet transfer, whilst avoiding excessive

currents. Erratic wire feeding can also cause turbulence. Erratic wire feeding may be caused

by drive-roll slip, excessive bending of the guide liner, using the wrong size liner, kinks in the

wire or poorly wound spools.

When using the TIG process porosity is most likely to be caused by contamination or loss of

gas shielding.

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5/29/2021 Avoiding Porosity When Welding Aluminium - TWI

The main cause for porosity in aluminium is hydrogen, which has very high solubility in

molten aluminium but very low solubility in solid, where there is a decrease of solubility in

the order of 20 times as solidi cation takes place. Hydrogen gas is therefore evolved as the

weld pool solidi es. If the cooling rate is too high, the gas remains in the metal in the form

of porosity. Thus, any compound containing hydrogen and contaminating the ller wire or

work surface can cause porosity.

Oil, moisture or other contaminants may be present on the ller wire. In addition, the oxide

layer of aluminium tends to get hydrated and improper cleaning of the oxide layer

immediately preceding welding could be a cause for porosity. Ensuring that the plate is

clean before welding and switching to clean, high quality electrodes will reduce the

likelihood of forming porosity.

The amount of porosity depends on how fast the weld pool solidi es. Increasing the

welding current and/or decreasing the travel speed will increase the heat input, and help

retard the cooling rate, allowing gases to escape from the weld pool and thereby reducing

the risk of porosity.

Filler wires should ideally be kept in their packaging until needed; wire that is left out in

open workshop conditions will absorb moisture into its oxide layer. It is advisable when TIG

welding aluminium to wipe each wire prior to use with a clean rag dipped in acetone.

For more information please email:

contactus@twi.co.uk

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5/29/2021 Avoiding Porosity When Welding Aluminium - TWI

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+44(0)1223 899000

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