If you’re new to welding and have no idea what the different terms mean, no worries. Between stick welding, TIG welding, MIG welding/MAG welding, various welding equipment, and welding wire… there's just so much to learn.
We’ve got you covered with all the details you could ask for here at Ecenrode Welding Supply, LLC. One question we get asked all the time is about the role of flux in welding – what exactly is this mysterious substance, and how integral is it to the overall welding process?
In this brief guide, we’ll break down the purpose of flux and how it relates to welding. We’ll discuss flux's role in different kinds of welding, from arc welding to flux core welding.
The Role of Flux in Welding
First off, let’s explain the purpose of flux in welding. Its primary purpose is to protect the weld from the negative effects of oxidation and other forms of contamination. As you may or may not know, oxygen in the atmosphere can bond with metals, especially when that metal is being heated during the welding process.
Oxidation can have all kinds of negative effects on the integrity of a weld, including rust and corrosion. Other negative effects include porosity and other kinds of contamination.
Porosity is something that you want to avoid during a welding process. A porous weld means a weld that, as the name would suggest, is full of tiny holes that form due to oxygen and other gasses bonding with welded metals.
This results in a much more brittle weld that is much more susceptible to breakage and bending over time. If you want a strong weld that won’t be impacted by these issues, you’ll need to use welding flux. Other forms of contamination can occur due to various particulates and gasses getting involved.
So how exactly does flux protect a weld from these negative effects? Well, welding flux is composed of various metals that, when burned, will emit external shielding gas to protect the weld from these harmful effects.
These released gasses effectively form an atmosphere that shields the overall welding process from gasses you would encounter in just about any environment. It’s no secret that oxygen is present throughout our atmosphere – the same is true of nitrogen and methane.
If unaccounted for, these other metals can involve themselves in your welding process, resulting in weaker welds.
Types of Welding Fluxes
As you likely know, just about everything in nature can be measured by how acidic it is. This same rule applies to flux, and therefore the basicity index was developed as a way that flux can be categorized.
According to the basicity index, there are four major types of flux: acid, neutral, basic, and highly basic. These four major subcategories allow welders to determine what kinds of flux they want to utilize when working with different metals and utilizing various welding processes.
Generally, more acidic fluxes will generally result in higher oxygen levels in weld jobs. This means that the welding process will go more smoothly, but the overall toughness of the weld won’t be as pronounced. A more basic flux will result in a welding process with lower oxygen levels, making the process more challenging but resulting in a stronger weld.
More acidic flux is useful when working with metal types that are notoriously hard to join. A more basic flux is useful if you’re looking for the strongest welds for high-pressure environments, such as joining pipes, building bridges, or bonding structural platforms that will bear lots of weight and traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
We understand that, at this point, you might have a few questions about utilizing flux in general. As it isn’t a topic that commonly comes up with welding, you might be wondering these things.
What are the advantages of using flux in welding?
The obvious advantage of using flux in welding is that you’re more likely to end up with a strong, stable weld with no significant structural issues. Welding is tough to do correctly; if you’re inexperienced, it can be challenging to determine whether or not you did a job well. Flux helps give you a little peace of mind about whether or not a job you did performed well.
Can fluxes be used for all types of welding?
Flux is only used in welding processes that don’t necessitate shielding gasses. It is used in flux core arc welding, shielded metal arc welding, and submerged arc welding. However, it isn’t utilized in electric arc welding, tungsten arc welding, or plasma arc welding.
Because of the more volatile nature of these welding types, most welders will prefer to use a continuously fed stream of shielding gas to protect the welding process. This is preferable because using flux can have some downfalls, including the creation of slag.
Slag can interfere with the integrity and aesthetic of certain types of welds, so it’s best to be avoided when working with certain metals.
Can fluxes be harmful to the welder?
As long as safety standards are met and welders take proper precautions, fluxes shouldn’t cause harm. However, the answer to this question is yes – if proper ventilation isn’t utilized during welding, then the fumes and gasses emitted by burnt flux can harm a person.
You will want to ensure that you are welding in a properly ventilated area and wearing the right kind of safety equipment when working with any type of flux. This will help to ensure you stay safe.
What Else Is There to Know About Flux?
In this guide, we have covered all the essential information about flux and flux core welding that you need to know. While there are some variations and more complicated subjects that you’re likely to run into if you get involved with welding, you should feel a little more confident about getting started.
We understand that working with new materials can be nerve-wracking for beginners, but for the most part, flux is a pretty easy part of welding to understand.
You should always consult manufacturer materials when working with a new flux cored electrode to understand what kinds of weld metal and base metal you are supposed to be working with when utilizing various types of flux.
We hope that this guide on flux has proved useful to you and that you successfully make use of flux in your future welding endeavors.