Abstract
In an argon-oxygen gas mixture, pure iron plate was welded by gas tungsten arc welding process. The oxygen absorption behavior by the pure iron weld metal has been investigated metallurgically. The oxygen content of the weld metal increases with an increasing welding current and a decreasing arc length. Traveling speed has only minor effect on the oxygen content of weld metal. With a rising oxygen partial pressure, the oxygen content in weld metal considerably increases, and then gradually increases. In the high oxygen partial pressure region, the oxygen absorption behavior in unlike in comparison with that of the gas metal arc welding process. It is possibly caused by the slow down of oxygen absorption rate in gas tungsten arc welding process.
