Morphology of Welding Fume Derived from Stainless Steel Arc Welding

firstₚage Download PDF settings Order Article Reprints Font Type: Arial Georgia Verdana Font Size: Aa Aa Aa Line Spacing:    Column Width:    Background: Open AccessAbstract Morphology of Welding Fume Derived from Stainless Steel Arc Welding † by Joanna Wyciślik-SośnierzJoanna Wyciślik-Sośnierz SciProfiles Scilit Preprints. org Google Scholar 1, *, Jolanta MatusiakJolanta Matusiak SciProfiles Scilit Preprints. org Google Scholar 1, Janusz AdamiecJanusz Adamiec SciProfiles Scilit Preprints. org Google Scholar 2, Michał UrbańczykMichał Urbańczyk SciProfiles Scilit Preprints. org Google Scholar 1, Marcin LemanowiczMarcin Lemanowicz SciProfiles Scilit Preprints. org Google Scholar 3, Robert KusiorowskiRobert Kusiorowski SciProfiles Scilit Preprints. org Google Scholar 4 and Anna GerleAnna Gerle SciProfiles Scilit Preprints. org Google Scholar 4 1 Łukasiewicz Research Network—Upper Silesian Institute of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland 2 Faculty of Material Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 40-019 Katowice, Poland 3 Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland 4 Łukasiewicz Research Network—Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials, 31-983 Cracow, Poland * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. † Presented at the 31st International Conference on Modern Metallurgy Iron and Steelmaking 2024, Chorzów, Poland, 25–27 September 2024. Proceedings 2024, 108 (1), 8; https: //doi. org/10. 3390/proceedings2024108008 Published: 29 August 2024 Download keyboardₐrrowdown Download PDF Download PDF with Cover Download XML Download Epub Browse Figures Versions Notes Keywords: welding fume; morphology; stainless steel; arc welding; laser diffraction; scanning electron microscopy 1. IntroductionFume morphology is the science of the structures, forms, shapes, fractions, and chemical composition of particles. It is a factor that determines their interactions with lung epithelial cells and, consequently, the effectiveness of their deposition in various regions of the lung 1. During welding and allied processes, welding dust (a two-phase condensing aerosol) is emitted into the work environment, comprising a mixture of solid particles (fume) and gases 2. Solid particles are formed as a result of the condensation and oxidation of metal vapors. The mechanism of fume formation is presented in Figure 1. Metallurgical processes occurring during welding have a significant impact on the formation of welding fumes. These processes can be divided into three groups 4, 5, 6, 7, 8: (1) Physical phenomena and chemical reactions occurring in the area of the electric arc on the contact surface of molten metal drops and the gas atmosphere of the arc; (2) Chemical reactions occurring in the weld pool and between the pool and the protective atmosphere; (3) Phenomena occurring in the heat-affected zone. Welding dust-created fumes have been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a group of agents with proven carcinogenic effects in humans 9. The assessment of the risk related to exposure to welding fume emissions depends on the amount of fume generated, chemical composition, and morphology. The combined analysis of these factors determines the toxicity of the fume and its impact on the human body. 2. Research ResultsThe fume morphology analysis was carried out for samples generated during MIG welding of corrosion-resistant steels of grades 1. 4301 and 1. 4828. Grade 1. 4301 (X5CrNi18-10) is an austenitic stainless steel with good corrosion resistance and ductility. This grade is resistant to most oxidizing acids, foodstuffs, sterilizing solutions, most organic chemicals and dyes, and inorganic chemicals 10. The steel is also characterized by good weldability. It is used in the food, processing, dyeing, and construction industries, among others 10, 11. Steel grade 1. 4828 (X15CrNiSi20-12) belongs to the group of austenitic heat-resistant steels and is widely used in industry. Its maximum operating temperature is 1000 °C, and it is characterized by good weldability and very good resistance to corrosion and oxidation. It can also be used in sulfate environments at temperatures exceeding 850 °C. This grade is mainly used in the production of industrial furnaces and heating elements, in the production of annealing equipment, in aerospace engineering, and in the automotive industry (e. g. , in exhaust systems) 12, 13. The analysis of the structure (shape and dimensions) of welding fume particles was carried out using the following analytical methods: Laser diffraction;High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM). 2. 1. Laser Particle Size AnalysisTo determine the particle size distribution, the laser diffraction technique is applied. It uses the phenomenon of light scattering on particles. Light hitting an object is scattered, and the angle of deflection of the wave is strictly dependent on the size of the particle (the smaller the particle, the larger the scattering angle) 14. The spectrum of scattered light is analyzed and the particle size distribution is obtained. The size distribution of fume particles deriving from arc welding of 1. 4828 steel is shown in Figure 2. In fume deriving from arc welding of the tested steel grades, 1. 4301 and 1. 4828, it was shown that the most numerous group included particles in the size range of 10–20 µm. In fume samples, the volume share of this fraction was over 31%. In fume samples, the second highest volume fraction, ranging from 21. 65 to 22. 77%, was found in the range with particle sizes of 20–30 µm. In turn, the volume fraction of particles from the 0–10 µm fraction ranged from 15. 7 to 17. 7%. The analysis of the results showed that fume particles smaller than 20 µm accounted for nearly 50% of the total sample, and particles smaller than 30 µm accounted for more than 2/3 of the sample. In all tested fume samples, nearly 99% were particles whose size did not exceed 100 µm. The volume fraction of particles larger than 100 µm did not exceed 1%. The results obtained showed no influence of the grade of the base material on the particle size distribution. The differences for individual fractions depending on the steel grade did not exceed 2%. In order to evaluate the risk related to fume emissions, the exact size distribution of particles belonging to the finest fraction (range from 0 to 10 µm) was determined. Fume particles belonging to the respirable fraction, those whose size does not exceed 3 µm, and the tracheal fraction, whose size ranged from 3 to 10 µm, are specified. The analysis of the results showed that over 3% of the fume from arc welding of corrosion-resistant steels belongs to the respirable fraction, i. e. , particles reaching and penetrating the ciliated respiratory tract, and 12–14% to the tracheal fraction—particles penetrating outside the larynx. The tests were carried out on fume samples collected on filters, where, as a result of increased mobility due to high temperature, the particles create larger clusters. 2. 2. Research Results Obtained Using High-Resolution Scanning Electron MicroscopyWelding fume samples were examined using a high-resolution MIRA 3 scanning electron microscope from TESCAN. It allows for research at magnification up to 250, 000×. The observations confirm the information obtained during the literature review and analyzes performed using a digital microscope. Fume occurs in the form of single particles with an elongated or spherical shape, or in the form of chains or agglomerates (Figure 3). Measurements of the size of fume particles were carried out; the results are shown in Figure 4. The morphology of the particles and their chemical composition were analyzed using the EDS method. The fume particles shown in Figure 4a have a diameter of 2. 4–2. 5 µm and contain mainly iron. At 25, 000× magnification, it was possible to determine fume particles with dimensions of 0. 3–0. 5 µm (Figure 4b). 3. SummaryThe results of the fume particle size distribution and the analysis of the shape and chemical composition using HR SEM with EDS in connection with the determination of the fume emission rate enable us to obtain an overall assessment of the health risk associated with welding fume. Such assessment is particularly important during the welding processes of corrosion-resistant steels due to the presence of chromium and nickel compounds in the fume, which are classified as substances with proven carcinogenic effects in humans (Group 1 according to IARC guidelines). It was found that 15–17% of particles deriving from arc welding belong to the respirable and tracheal fractions, which are the most harmful due to their penetration beyond the larynx. Author ContributionsJ. W. -S.: Research concept and design, Data analysis and interpretation, Writing the article; J. M.: Critical revision of the article, Final approval of the article; J. A.: Critical revision of the article, Final approval of the article; M. U.: Data analysis; M. L.: Collection and/or assembly of data, Data analysis and interpretation, Critical revision of the article; R. K.: Collection and/or assembly of data, Data analysis and interpretation, Critical revision of the article; A. G.: Data analysis and interpretation; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. FundingSubvension from Ministry of Science and Higher Education for current activities in 2024 for Łukasiewicz Research Network—Upper Silesian Institute of Technology in Gliwice. Institutional Review Board StatementNot applicable. Informed Consent StatementNot applicable. Data Availability StatementData sharing is not applicable to this article. Conflicts of InterestThe authors declare no conflict of interest. ReferencesJuda-Rezler, K. ; Toczko, B. 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Welding Metallurgy, Vol. 1 Fundamentals; American Welding Society: New York, NY, USA, 1965. Google ScholarLinnert, G. E. Welding Metallurgy, Vol. 2 Technology; American Welding Society: New York, NY, USA, 1967. Google ScholarWelding Metallurgy Module 3. Available online: https: //www. nrc. gov/docs/ML1215/ML12157A607. pdf (accessed on 9 May 2024). Welding Fume—A Known Carcinogen. Available online: https: //www. wilhelmsen. com/contentassets/4a01dfdc0db448c6b9bb02d20ce0daf8/welding-fumesᵢnfographics. png (accessed on 9 May 2024). Stal nierdzewna AISI 304/1. 4301—Przydatne Informacje. Available online: https: //siatkitkane. com. pl/blog/13ₛtal-nierdzewna-aisi-304-14301-przydatne-informacje. html (accessed on 9 May 2024). Description of 1. 4301 Steel. Available online: https: //www. aperam. com/product/304-1-4301/ (accessed on 9 May 2024). Datasheet of 1. 4828 Steel. Available online: http: //www. metalcor. de/en/datenblatt/56/ (accessed on 9 May 2024). X5CrNiSi20-12, 1. 4828, AISI 309-Heat Resistant Steel. Available online: https: //virgamet. com/x15crnisi2012-1-4828-aisi-309-uns-s30900-heat-resistant-steel (accessed on 9 May 2024). Available online: https: //apinstruments. pl/aparatura/malvern-panalytical/rodzina-mastersizer/mastersizer-3000/ (accessed on 9 May 2024). Figure 1. The mechanism of welding fume formation 3. Figure 1. The mechanism of welding fume formation 3. Figure 2. The particle size distribution of fume deriving from arc welding of 1. 4828 steel. Figure 2. The particle size distribution of fume deriving from arc welding of 1. 4828 steel. Figure 3. Fume from steel MIG welding: (a) 1. 4301 grade, (b) 1. 4828 grade. Figure 3. Fume from steel MIG welding: (a) 1. 4301 grade, (b) 1. 4828 grade. Figure 4. Fume from MIG welding of steel 1. 4301: (a) fume structure at 15, 000× magnification, (b) fume morphology at 25, 000× magnification. Figure 4. Fume from MIG welding of steel 1. 4301: (a) fume structure at 15, 000× magnification, (b) fume morphology at 25, 000× magnification. Disclaimer/Publisher's Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author (s) and contributor (s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor (s). MDPI and/or the editor (s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https: //creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4. 0/). Share and Cite MDPI and ACS Style Wyciślik-Sośnierz, J. ; Matusiak, J. ; Adamiec, J. ; Urbańczyk, M. ; Lemanowicz, M. ; Kusiorowski, R. ; Gerle, A. Morphology of Welding Fume Derived from Stainless Steel Arc Welding. Proceedings 2024, 108, 8. https: //doi. org/10. 3390/proceedings2024108008 AMA Style Wyciślik-Sośnierz J, Matusiak J, Adamiec J, Urbańczyk M, Lemanowicz M, Kusiorowski R, Gerle A. Morphology of Welding Fume Derived from Stainless Steel Arc Welding. Proceedings. 2024; 108 (1): 8. https: //doi. org/10. 3390/proceedings2024108008 Chicago/Turabian Style Wyciślik-Sośnierz, Joanna, Jolanta Matusiak, Janusz Adamiec, Michał Urbańczyk, Marcin Lemanowicz, Robert Kusiorowski, and Anna Gerle. 2024. "Morphology of Welding Fume Derived from Stainless Steel Arc Welding" Proceedings 108, no. 1: 8. https: //doi. org/10. 3390/proceedings2024108008 Article Metrics No No Article Access Statistics Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view.