Novel gas tungsten powder filler metal arc welding process

In the present investigation, an innovative and patented welding process referred to as gas tungsten powder filler metal arc welding (GTPFAW) has been developed, utilizing a micro powder mixture as a filler metal in lieu of conventional welding wires. This approach presents numerous advantages, encompassing a refined welding microstructure, enhanced mechanical properties, adaptability in composition tailored for various welding applications, and the elimination of the necessity for utilizing prefabricated welding wires. Steel grade S275 JR was employed as the foundational metal to be joined with the powder filler metal, which possessed a composition corresponding to that of the standard solid wire ER 70-S3. The evaluation of the weldability of gas tungsten powder filler metal arc welding (GTPFAW) methodology was conducted through a comprehensive analysis of the overall joint integrity and its corresponding mechanical attributes. The findings indicated that GTPFAW exhibited user-friendliness and yielded effective welding outcomes. The joint properties that resulted from the novel approach of GTPFAW were methodically contrasted with the joint properties generated by the traditional gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) technique in combination with solid wire ER 70-S3, ensuring equivalent joint dimensions and the same steel parent metal classification S275 JR. The microstructural examination disclosed a significant acicular ferrite morphology characterized by its ultra-fine nature, markedly finer than the conventional microstructure produced by the solid filler. Furthermore, the weld metal produced exhibited a consistent hardness range (135-143 HV5) throughout its entire cross-section. This innovative technique possesses the capacity to enable a broad spectrum for the enhancement of filler metal formulations, thus providing substantial opportunities for the union of metals that display or possess particular or distinctive compositions. Moreover, this novel welding approach may be regarded as an environmentally sustainable practice and a proponent of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.