Experimental Investigation of the A-TIG Welding Process of Incoloy 800H

This work attempts to investigate the influence of different flux powders in the activated-TIG welding process of the Incoloy 800H super alloy. Three different fluxes (SiO2, ZnO, and 50% ZnO +50% SiO2) were used and welded under the same conditions and process parameters. The oxide fluxes used were in the form of nanoparticle powders. The metallurgical characteristics and mechanical properties were analyzed, and it was found that the SiO2 flux could increase the depth of penetration whereas a ZnO flux was detrimental to this effect. Although a SiO2 flux increased the depth of penetration, it led to a sensitization issue in the grain boundary. The combination of the fluxes 50% ZnO +50% SiO2 produced a moderate increase in the depth of penetration compared to ZnO flux-coated weldments, but revealed a dendritic structure in the weld region.