Hydrogen -oxagen welding.

Laren Allred · Oct 15, 2009

I worked in an aircraft factory when I was very young and I remember them using Hydrogen-ox. torch for welding the aluminum fuel tanks and cowling for the AC.
Does anyone have any info on this process and is it still used today? As I remember it was superior to a TIG weld for some applications.

Mike C. · Oct 17, 2009

Last H/O rig I saw was in a plastic shop. They used it to polish cut edges on clear plastic. Therefore, I know the setup is still available.

jim rozen · Oct 17, 2009

Oxy-hydrogen torches are also used by glassblowers to work quartz. That
combination of gasses, while providing less energy per amount of gas consumed,
does provide the single highest temperature flame available.

Jim

adh2000 · Oct 17, 2009

Nope. Acetylene burns hotter than hydrogen:

For acetylene:
Acetylene when combined with oxygen burns at a temperature of 3200 °C

For hydrogen:
The maximum temperature of about 2800 °C is achieved with a pure stoichiometric mixture, about 700 degrees hotter than a hydrogen flame in air

Hydrogen torches are only used when a super clean flame is needed. No carbon, no black dots or soot of any kind with hydrogen.

Alan

Conrad Hoffman · Oct 17, 2009

There was just a nice article in HSM by Kent White on welding various things, including aluminum. He does it all with O/A, but does list hydrogen in his fuel table. Home Shop Machinist, November/December for part III, plus the last two issues.

macona · Oct 17, 2009

One thing you really need to be careful with is that the flame when burning hydrogen is virtually invisible. And it can produce appreciable amounts of UV. Normal glasses will block over 99% though.

randyc · Oct 17, 2009

macona said:
One thing you really need to be careful with is that the flame when burning hydrogen is virtually invisible. And it can produce appreciable amounts of UV. Normal glasses will block over 99% though.

So true. Saw one serious burn resulting from misuse of a hydro/oxy torch under fluorescent lighting (no flame visibility) !

Hydrogen-oxygen mixtures were used in the semiconductor industry extensively back in the days when I was involved - oh yeah, that was in the LAST CENTURY. Nice, clean, reducing atmosphere for furnace brazing, especially ! Eutectically braze just about any clean surface to another, without flux.

macona · Oct 17, 2009

randyc said:
So true. Saw one serious burn resulting from misuse of a hydro/oxy torch under fluorescent lighting (no flame visibility) !

Hydrogen-oxygen mixtures were used in the semiconductor industry extensively back in the days when I was involved - oh yeah, that was in the LAST CENTURY. Nice, clean, reducing atmosphere for furnace brazing, especially ! Eutectically braze just about any clean surface to another, without flux.

No, No, Not last century, Last Millennium! Has a better ring!

Search

Largest Manufacturing Technology Community on the Web

Search

Hydrogen -oxagen welding.

Laren Allred

Aluminum

Mike C.

Diamond

jim rozen

Diamond

adh2000

Titanium

Conrad Hoffman

Diamond

macona

Diamond

randyc

Stainless

macona

Diamond

Similar threads