Argon/oxygen blends are mostly widely used for conventional and pulsed spray transfer on clean (little or no scale or residual oil), plain carbon and stainless steel. These blends, typically 1, 2 or 5% oxygen, provide good arc stability and very low levels of spatter and fume. Higher levels of oxygen will also increase puddle fluidity that may make out-of-position welding more difficult.
Generally used for welding heavy section carbon steel for farm equipment, military transports, ships and automotive assemblies. These blends are also used for spray arc welding of both ferritic and austenitic stainless steel components.
Looking for the key to consistent welds under the most challenging situations? Look to Linde® StarGold™ argon-based shielding gases. Our argon-based family of blends is available for top-quality welding in a variety of precision formulations. Linde StarGold blends are also designed to meet your specific Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW or MIG/MAG) application requirements.
Mixture | Ar % | O2 % | Cylinder Style | Volume (ft3) | Pressure (psig) | Part Number | More Information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
StarGold™ O-1 | 99 | 1 | T K | 331 247 | 2,640 2,200 | AR STAR1-T AR STAR1-K | Argon Oxygen Blends for GMAW (MIG/MAG Welding) StarGold™ O-1 Information |
StarGold™ O-2 | 98 | 2 | T K | 331 247 | 2,640 2,200 | AR STAR2-T AR STAR2-K | Argon Oxygen Blends for GMAW (MIG/MAG Welding) StarGold™ O-2 Information |
StarGold™ O-5 | 95 | 5 | T K | 331 247 | 2,640 2,200 | AR STAR4-T AR STAR4-K | Argon Oxygen Blends for GMAW (MIG/MAG Welding) StarGold™ O-5 Information |
This blend is primarily used for spray transfer on stainless steels. One percent oxygen is usually sufficient to stabilize the arc and improve the droplet rate and bead appearance.
This blend is used for spray arc welding of carbon steels, low-alloy steels and stainless steels. It provides greater wetting action than the 1% oxygen mixture. Weld mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of welds made with 1% and 2% oxygen additions are similar. However, bead appearance will be darker and more oxidized for the 2% blends with stainless steels.
This blend provides a more fluid but controllable weld pool. It is the most commonly used argon-oxygen mixture for general carbon steel welding. The additional oxygen also permits higher travel speeds.