Oxyacetylene Welding Equipment:.
The most common gas welding process uses acetylene fuel and is called Oxyacetylene Welding. Developed in the early 1900's, this process utilizes the heat generated by the combustion of acetylene gas (C2H2) in a mixture with oxygen in a torch. The equipment used in oxyacetylene gas welding is low in cost, usually portable, and versatile enough to be used for a variety of related operations, such as bending and straightening, preheating, post heating, surfacing, brazing, and braze welding.
Burning Steel (Oxy-Acetylene Flame Cutting).
If Steel is heated to its kindling temperature (approximately 1600 F) and placed in an atmosphere of sufficient oxygen (87% or better) it will burn. Steel is a good fuel. That is, once it is burning it produces more than enough heat too sustain combustion, provided that the oxygen in the surrounding atmosphere is above 87%. .
In flame cutting, the preheat flame brings the steel up too its kindling temperature and when the cutting lever is depressed on the cutting torch a jet of pure oxygen causes the steel too burn. Combustion accounts for 70% of the material consumed during the cutting. There is also a washing action caused by the cutting oxygen jet stream which erodes away some 30% of the molten metal. The result of the combustion and the erosion is the kerf. The quality of this kerf is the result of several factors:.
1) Correct Tip size.
2) Oxygen and fuel gas pressures .
3) Feed rate.
4) Preheat flame adjustment.
5) Preheat Cone clearance.
Thermit Welding:.
Thermit Welding (TW) gets its name from Thermite, which based on the word Therm, meaning heat; the word Thermite is a registered trade make. The process involves exothermic (heat producing) reactions between metal oxides and metal reducing agents. In other words, Thermit welding (TW) is a welding process which produces coalescence of metals by heating them with superheated liquid metal from a chemical reaction between a metal oxide and aluminum with or without the application of pressure.
