Metal Inert Gas Arc Research Articles

Some Characteristics of the MIG Arc and Their Influence on Metal Transfer

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is a process in which a continuously fed wire electrode is passed through a nozzle in the welding torch where it picks up current from a contact tube and gets melted in an arc. The wire, as it comes out and the arc are shielded by an inert gas issuing out of the nozzle. The process has become very popular comparatively recently.

Studies of rolling element lubrication and fatigue life in a reduced pressure environment : D. W. Reichard, R. J. Parker and E. V. Zaretsky, ASLE Trans., 11 (3) (1968) 275–281; 6 figs., 1 table, 6 refs.

In this study, the FeS/ferroalloy composite coating with the upper FeS coating and the lower ferroalloy welding coating was prepared on the 1045 steel by a compound technology—metal-arc inert-gas (MIG) welding and low temperature ion sulfurizing. The surface morphologies, phase structure and mechanical properties of the FeS/ferroalloy composite coating have been characterized by surface analysis methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nano-indentation tester. The SEM images showed that the surface of the FeS/ferroalloy composite coating was homogeneous and smooth, and the thickness of the FeS layer obtained from ion sulfurizing was about 3 μm. The EDS analysis results proved that the light gray belt zone in the cross-section morphology was the FeS layer. The XRD patterns implied the FeS/ferroalloy composite coating was composed of FeS, α-Fe and Fe–C solid solution. The coated disc slided against an AISI 52100 ball under dry friction condition. The results showed that the FeS/ferroalloy composite coating exhibited low friction coefficient and high wear-resistance.