Study on A-TIG Welding Technology for 12 mm Thick 304 Stainless Steel Plate

A-TIG welding is a new variant of high-efficiency TIG weld technology, the weld penetration can be improved by using surface activating fluxes. In the present work, 12 mm thick stainless steel plates were welded by A-TIG method utilizing self-developed oxide-based composite activating flux. Results showed that for 12 mm thick stainless steel plates, weld joint of full penetration and one-side welding with back formation and good weld appearance could be achieved by A-TIG welding. Furthermore, compared with traditional TIG welding, the microstructure of A-TIG weld was finer, directivity of dendritic crystals near weld bond line was weaker, and mechanical properties of weld joints was also superior.