Gas Welding: Dr. Vishvesh J. Badheka, Associate Professor, School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University

Gas welding
Dr. VISHVESH J. BADHEKA,

Associate Professor, School of Technology,
Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University
Gas welding
• Gas welding is one of the oldest methods of welding and, for
many years, was the most widely used method of metal-
melting; however, its use is a lot less common today.
• Nevertheless, it is a versatile method, using simple and

relatively cheap equipment.
• It is suitable for repair and erection work, for welding

pipes/tubes and structures with a wall thickness of 0.54 mm
in materials particularly prone to cracking, such as cast iron
and non-ferrous metals.
• It is also widely used for cladding and hardfacing.

• The heat is generated by the combustion of acetylene in
oxygen, which gives a flame temperature of about 3100 °C.
• This is lower than the temperature of an electric arc, and the

heat is also less concentrated.
• The flame is directed onto the surfaces of the joint, which

melt, after which filler material can be added as necessary.
• The melt pool is protected from air by the reducing zone and
the outer zone of the flame.
• The flame should therefore be removed slowly when the weld

is completed.
• The less concentrated flame results in slower cooling, which is
an advantage when welding steels that have a tendency to
harden, although it does make the method relatively slow,
with higher heat input and the added risk of thermal stresses
and distortion.
• In addition to welding, gas flames are also often used for

cutting, and are very useful for heating and flame
straightening.
Equipment
Figure. A gas welding set.
• A set of equipment as shown in Figure consists essentially of

gas bottles, pressure regulators, gas hoses, flashback
arresters and welding torches.
Welding gases and their storage
• Gas bottles for combustible gases must be stored outdoors or
in a well-ventilated area.
• Special warning signs must be displayed on the outside of the

storage area.
• Acetylene and oxygen bottles must be kept well apart.

Acetylene
• Acetylene (C2H2) is the fuel gas for gas welding.
• It consists of 92.3 % of carbon by weight, and 7.7 % of

hydrogen.
• Its combustion in oxygen produces a higher combustion

temperature than that of any other hydrocarbon gas.
• In addition, its flame is the most concentrated in comparison

with other gases.
• Acetylene ignites very easily, and produces an explosive
mixture in air over a wide range of concentrations (2.3-82 %).
Check carefully that there are no leaks.
• Acetylene is chemically unstable under pressure, even

without the presence of air and, under certain conditions, it
can explosively decompose to its constituents (carbon and
hydrogen).
• To enable the gas to be stored, the bottles are filled with a

porous mass, saturated with acetone, which absorbs the gas
when it is filled.
• The pressure in the bottles is 2 MPa. However, explosive

decomposition can occur in the pipes from the bottle if the
pressure exceeds 1.5 MPa.
TABLE. Important characteristics of
fuel gases.
Oxygen
• Oxygen is stored as a compressed gas or liquid. In bottles, it is

usually stored at a pressure of 20 MPa.
• Large users usually receive the gas in liquid form.
• Make sure that all connections are clean and tight, in order to
avoid leakage.
• Never apply oil or grease to connections.

Pressure regulators
• The purpose of the pressure regulator is to reduce the high

and variable pressure in the bottle to a suitable working
pressure.
• It keeps the gas flow rate constant throughout the life of the
bottle charge, despite any variations in back pressure caused
by the heating of the welding torch.
Gas hoses
• Gas hoses are colour-coded: red for acetylene and blue for
oxygen.
• In addition, in order to protect against mistakes, the

acetylene connection has a left-hand thread, while the
oxygen connection has a right-hand thread.
Flashback arrester
• A flashback means that the flame burns backwards into the

torch with a popping sound.
• It occurs if the combustion speed of the flame exceeds the

speed at which the gas is being supplied, so that the flame
front moves backwards.
• A flashback arrester fitted at the regulator prevents a

flashback from going any further back.
• The reason for a flashback occurring is that a mixture of
oxygen and acetylene has occurred in the hoses, e.g. by
oxygen having entered the acetylene hose and formed an
explosive mixture.
• The flashback arrester prevents the flame from reaching the

acetylene bottle and triggering an explosive decomposition.
Welding torches
• One can distinguish between two types of welding torches:
injector torches for low pressure acetylene and high pressure
torches.
• In high pressure torches, the acetylene and oxygen flows are

self-powered by the pressure in their storage bottles, and mix
in the mixing chamber section of the torch.
• In low-pressure torches, the oxygen flows into the torch

through a central jet, producing an injection effect that draws
in acetylene from the surrounding peripheral connection.
Figure. Gas welding torch.
• From here, the gases continue to the mixing section prior

to combustion.
Gas flames
• The basic requirement for a good weld is that the size and
type of the flame should be suited to the type of work.
• The size of the flame depends on the size of the torch nozzle
and on the pressure of the gases flowing through it.
• This pressure should be maintained within certain limits. If it

exceeds the normal pressure, there will be a considerable jet
effect and the flame will become 'hard'. Below the correct
pressure, the jet effect will be reduced and the flame will be
'soft'.
Figure. A normal welding flame.
• Carbon monoxide and hydrogen are formed in the innermost

reaction zone.
• They produce a reducing zone (in the middle), with

combustion continuing in the outer zone with oxygen from the
surrounding air.
• There are three different types of flames, depending on their
chemical effect on the melt pool.
• neutral,
• carburizing, and
• oxidizing.
Neutral flame
• The normal flame is that which is used most. It (previous

Figure.) is easily recognized by the three clearly distinguished
combustion zones.
• The innermost zone, the cone, is a mixing zone and glows

white. Acetylene is burning here, to form carbon monoxide
and hydrogen which produce a colourless tongue around the
cone.
• This second zone is chemically reducing, and so it reduces any

metal oxides and keeps the melt pool clean.
• The outer, blue zone of the flame is where carbon monoxide
and hydrogen are burning with oxygen from the air, forming
the final combustion products of carbon dioxide and water
vapour.
• It prevents oxygen in the air from coming into contact with

the molten metal, and so acts as a shielding gas.
The carburizing flame
• If the proportion of acetylene in a neutral flame is increased,

there is insufficient oxygen to burn the surplus acetylene in
the core zone.
• The acetylene therefore continues to the second zone, where

it appears as a highly luminous yellow-white flame.
• To some extent, the length of second zone indicates the

amount of excess acetylene.
Figure. Carburizing flame.

The oxidizing flame
• If the quantity of oxygen in the weakly reducing flame is

further increased, the flame changes to an oxidizing flame.
• The core length is reduced, and the flame takes on a violet

tinge with low luminosity.
Figure. Oxidizing flame.

Forehand and backhand welding
• Two different methods of welding are used when gas
welding:
1. forehand and
2. backhand.
• The flame in forehand welding is directed away from the

finished weld, while in backhand welding it is directed
towards it (Figure.)
• Thin sheet metal (less than 3 mm) is normally carried out

using forehand welding.
• This method is generally used for non-ferrous metals,

although thicker materials can also be backhand welded.
• Steel over 3 mm thick should be backhand welded, as the size
of the melt pool is so large, when welding thick materials,
that the gases and slag cannot escape from the pool without
assistance.
• Backhand welding is faster than forehand welding, and so the

work piece is subjected to high temperature for a shorter
time.
• As a result, backhand welding thick materials have a finer

crystalline structure and retain their toughness better than
would have been the case if they had been forehand welded.
Figure. Forehand welding (left) and backhand welding (right).
• Flux is used when welding easily oxidized materials, where
the welding flame itself is insufficient to prevent oxides
forming.
• This is likely to be the case when welding stainless steels and

non-ferrous metals.
• The flux is brushed onto the joint surfaces before welding,

and must be thoroughly removed after welding in order to
prevent corrosion.
Benefits of gas welding
Gas welding is very suitable for welding pipes and
tubes, it is both effective and economic for applications such
as HVAC systems, for the following reasons:
• The ability to even out the temperature in the weld at low

temperatures.
• Slow heating and cooling can avoid the risk of hardening.
• Metal thicknesses up to about 6 mm can be welded with an I-

joint.
• Speed, as only one pass is needed.

• Filler wires can be changed without having to pause for
grinding.
• Good control of melting, as the welder can see at all times

that he has the desired pear-shaped opening in the bottom of
the melt pool.
• Root defects are avoided by taking care to ensure good burn-

through.
• Pipes and tubes often have to be welded in very confined

spaces.
• In such cases, gas welding is often preferable, bearing in mind
the less bulky protective equipment required (goggles, as
against a normal arc welding helmet or visor, and compact
torch) to perform the work.
• The equipment is easy to transport and requires no electricity

supply.
• It is possible to use the light from the flame to locate the joint
before welding starts.
• The size of the HAZ can be reduced by surrounding the weld

area with damp (fireproof!) material.
Application
• Other applications for gas welding include welding of hot
water pipes, gas bottles, nuclear heat exchangers and boilers.
Warning
Note the risk of fire when carrying out
temporary welding or cutting work in the vicinity of
flammable materials or parts of buildings.

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Gas welding

Dr. VISHVESH J. BADHEKA,

• Nevertheless, it is a versatile method, using simple and

• It is suitable for repair and erection work, for welding

• It is also widely used for cladding and hardfacing.

• This is lower than the temperature of an electric arc, and the

• The flame is directed onto the surfaces of the joint, which

• The flame should therefore be removed slowly when the weld

• In addition to welding, gas flames are also often used for

Figure. A gas welding set.

• A set of equipment as shown in Figure consists essentially of

• Special warning signs must be displayed on the outside of the

• Acetylene and oxygen bottles must be kept well apart.

• Acetylene (C2H2) is the fuel gas for gas welding.

• It consists of 92.3 % of carbon by weight, and 7.7 % of

• Its combustion in oxygen produces a higher combustion

• In addition, its flame is the most concentrated in comparison

• Acetylene is chemically unstable under pressure, even

• To enable the gas to be stored, the bottles are filled with a

• The pressure in the bottles is 2 MPa. However, explosive

• Oxygen is stored as a compressed gas or liquid. In bottles, it is

• Large users usually receive the gas in liquid form.

• Never apply oil or grease to connections.

• The purpose of the pressure regulator is to reduce the high

• In addition, in order to protect against mistakes, the

• A flashback means that the flame burns backwards into the

• It occurs if the combustion speed of the flame exceeds the

• A flashback arrester fitted at the regulator prevents a

• The flashback arrester prevents the flame from reaching the

• In high pressure torches, the acetylene and oxygen flows are

• In low-pressure torches, the oxygen flows into the torch

• From here, the gases continue to the mixing section prior

• This pressure should be maintained within certain limits. If it

• Carbon monoxide and hydrogen are formed in the innermost

• They produce a reducing zone (in the middle), with

• The normal flame is that which is used most. It (previous

• The innermost zone, the cone, is a mixing zone and glows

• This second zone is chemically reducing, and so it reduces any

• It prevents oxygen in the air from coming into contact with

• If the proportion of acetylene in a neutral flame is increased,

• The acetylene therefore continues to the second zone, where

• To some extent, the length of second zone indicates the

Figure. Carburizing flame.

• If the quantity of oxygen in the weakly reducing flame is

• The core length is reduced, and the flame takes on a violet

Figure. Oxidizing flame.

• The flame in forehand welding is directed away from the

• Thin sheet metal (less than 3 mm) is normally carried out

• This method is generally used for non-ferrous metals,

• Backhand welding is faster than forehand welding, and so the

• As a result, backhand welding thick materials have a finer

• This is likely to be the case when welding stainless steels and

• The flux is brushed onto the joint surfaces before welding,

• The ability to even out the temperature in the weld at low

• Slow heating and cooling can avoid the risk of hardening.

• Metal thicknesses up to about 6 mm can be welded with an I-

• Speed, as only one pass is needed.

• Good control of melting, as the welder can see at all times

• Root defects are avoided by taking care to ensure good burn-