Tungsten Electrodes  Manufacturers, Traders, Suppliers

TIG welding (tungsten inert gas welding) is a welding process in which, unlike other electrical welding processes, the electrode material is not melted and any additional material that may be required is introduced through an additional wire. For this reason, the electrodes for TIG welding must also be made of a material that does not melt in the extremely hot arc, does not undergo any chemical change and is well electrically conductive. Therefore, only tungsten, which may also be mixed with different oxides of other metals, can be used. At 3422°C, the melting point of tungsten is the highest of all metals and is only exceeded by 220°C by carbon, which would not be able to withstand the high currents during welding and would burn off immediately in the event of accidental contact with air due to an interruption in the protective gas supply. In the past, tungsten electrodes with an addition of thorium oxide were also used, but this is associated with health risks because thorium is always slightly radioactive. However, the improved ignition properties and increased conductivity can also be achieved today with the oxides of lanthanum, cerium or other rare earths.