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Welding Mild Steel to Stainless Steel: What You Need to Know

Welding Mild Steel to Stainless Steel

For many welders, welding mild steel to stainless steel can be challenging. This is because it requires using two different metals with different properties and different techniques for successful welding. This blog will discuss the common methods used for mild welding steel and stainless steel together, as well as some tips on how to do it properly.

Welding mild steel to stainless

When welding mild steel and stainless steel together, you must consider the metals’ differences to weld them properly. Mild steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, while stainless steel is an alloy of chromium, nickel, and molybdenum. These composition differences affect how they react when exposed to heat during the welding process. As such, you must follow specific instructions to ensure that the two metals are welded correctly.

It’s possible with both MIG and TIG welding methods, but that doesn’t mean it’ll come easily – special techniques are needed to ensure maximum structural integrity and corrosion-resistance.

The most common method for mild and stainless steel welding is TIG (inert tungsten gas) welding. This type of welding requires a tungsten electrode that emits an electric arc when heated by a torch that contains argon or helium gas. The arc melts both metals simultaneously, creating a strong bond between them. It’s important to note that this method requires more time than other methods due to its complexity but it produces very strong bonds between materials with different properties.

GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding) is another method used for mild welding steel and stainless steel together, but it’s less popular than TIG due to its higher cost and complexity. This method also uses a tungsten electrode with an electric arc. Still, instead of using argon or helium gas, it uses a combination of nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide which enhances the strength of the welded joint but adds additional cost due to its higher expense per unit volume of gas used compared to argon or helium gas. Additionally, GTAW has slower travel speeds than TIG, so it takes longer overall when compared to TIG welds completed at similar travel speeds.

Conclusion

Welding mild steel and stainless steel is possible but requires specific techniques in order to be done correctly and safely. Following these steps can help ensure that your welds are successful each time you attempt them! TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding is by far the most popular method for joining these two metals since it produces strong bonds without added complexity or cost associated with other methods, such as GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding).

 

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