Chemical pollutants in the respiratory zone of welders: Determination of concentrations and hazard analysis

Work ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 591-598
Author(s):  
Younes Mehrifar ◽  
Sara Karimi Zeverdegani ◽  
Masoud Rismanchian
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Exposure ◽  
Arc Welding ◽  
Hazard Analysis ◽  
Gas Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Shielded Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Direct Reading ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Welding Processes

BACKGROUND: Welding pollutants have potentially dangerous effects on the health of welders. Analysis of exposure risks is an appropriate method for industrial hygiene occupational exposure. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to determine the concentrations of exposure and risk evaluation of welders to fumes and gases in three common types of welding including Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out at a steel company. Samples were taken from manganese, chromium and nickel fumes with NIOSH 7300 method and for NO, NO2, CO and O3 gases using direct reading instruments. SQRCA method was used to assess the level of exposure risk. RESULTS: Our study showed that the highest and lowest concentrations of exposure to gases were observed in MIG and GTAW welding, respectively. Also, the highest and lowest concentrations of exposure to metals were observed in SMAW and GTAW processes, respectively. Mean exposure to M, Cr and Ni metals was 2.302, 3.195, and 1.241 mg/m3, respectively. Also, mean exposure to CO, NO, NO2 and O3 was 43.05, 27.88, 4.30, and 0.41 ppm, respectively. Results of risk analysis showed that O3, NO2 and Cr had high and very high risk levels in all welding processes. CONCLUSIONS: MIG and SMAW welders have a high occupational exposure to metal and toxic gases in welding. Preventive measures such as assessment of workplace air, installation of the ventilation systems, and providing appropriate respiratory protection devices for welders should be taken.

A study on sustainability assessment of welding processes

2019 ◽  
Vol 234 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaber Jamal ◽  
Basil Darras ◽  
Hossam Kishawy
Keyword(s):  
Arc Welding ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Gas Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Welding Process ◽  
Friction Stir ◽  
Gas Tungsten Arc ◽  
Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Sustainability Assessments ◽  
Welding Processes

The concept of “sustainability” has recently risen to take the old concept of going “green” further. This article presents general methodologies for sustainability assessments. These were then adapted to measure and assess the sustainability of welding processes through building a complete framework, to determine the best welding process for a particular application. To apply this methodology, data about the welding processes would be collected and segregated into four categories: environmental impact, economic impact, social impact, and physical performance. The performance of each category would then be aggregated into a single sustainability score. To demonstrate the capability of this methodology, case studies of three different welding processes were performed. Friction stir welding obtained the highest overall sustainability score compared to gas tungsten arc welding and gas metal arc welding.

Tandem laser-gas metal arc welding joining of 20 mm thick super duplex stainless steel: An experimental and numerical study

2020 ◽  
Vol 234 (5) ◽  
pp. 697-710
Author(s):  
A Mathieu ◽  
I Tkachenko ◽  
JM Jouvard ◽  
I Tomashchuk
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Heat Source ◽  
Laser Beam ◽  
Arc Welding ◽  
Gas Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Image Correlation ◽  
Angular Distortion ◽  
Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Welded Structure ◽  
Welding Processes

The present work covers the topic of strains and stresses prediction in case of welded steel structures. Steel sheets of 20 mm thickness made in UR™2507Cu are welded using a laser and gas metal arc welding processes combination. The focused laser beam leads the arc in a Y-shape chamfer geometry. Both sources are 20 mm apart from each other in order to avoid any synergic effect with each other. In order to predict residual strain, a 3D unsteady numerical simulation has been developed in COMSOL finite element software. A volume heat source has been identified based on the temperature measurements made by 10 K-type thermocouples, implanted inside the workpiece. The 50 mm deep holes are drilled in the workpiece using dye-sinking Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) machine. Before the implantation in the hole, each thermocouple is surrounded by Inconel sheathing. Hot junctions of the thermocouples are positioned in a way to feel two advancing molten pools. The equivalent heat source is composed of three sources. First one is a Goldak source that represents the molten pool induced by gas metal arc welding. The second one is a cylinder with an elliptic cross-section that represents the focused laser beam penetrating into the workpiece. The third one is a surface Gaussian source that represents energy radiated by arc and blocked by workpiece surface. Concerning mechanical simulation, an elasto-plastic behavior with isotropic hardening is implemented. A weak coupling is established between equations governing heat transfer and mechanics thanks to the temperature dependent coefficient of linear expansion. This numerical simulation made with some simplifying assumptions predicts an angular distortion and a longitudinal shrinkage of the welded structure. The numerical results are consistent with the displacements measured by digital image correlation method.

Effect of Post-Weld Heat Treatment on Hardness in Superduplex Stainless Steel ASTM A890/A890M - Grade 6A

2020 ◽  
Vol 1012 ◽  
pp. 296-301
Author(s):  
Clélia Ribeiro de Oliveira ◽  
Eloá Lopes Maia ◽  
Solange T. da Fonseca ◽  
Marcelo Martins ◽  
Julián Arnaldo Ávila Díaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Treatment ◽  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Arc Welding ◽  
Treatment Condition ◽  
Heat Treatment Condition ◽  
Shielded Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Superduplex Stainless Steel ◽  
Secondary Austenite ◽  
Welding Processes

Superduplex stainless steel alloy exhibit high mechanical and corrosion resistance, which main industrial application is in the petrochemical industry. The manufacture and maintenance of such equipment usually involve welding processes, followed by post-welded heat treatment and it often becomes impossible to apply heat treatments. Thereby, the purpose of this work is to verify the effect of a post-welded heat treatment on shielded metal arc welding in steel grade ASTM A890/A890M - grade 6A. The microstructure in the as-welded condition consisted of austenite, secondary austenite, and ferrite phases and, the post-welded heat treatment condition exhibited only austenite and ferrite. The hardness in the melt zone reached values of 300 HV after welding and, the value was reduced to 260 HV in the post-welded heat treatment condition.

Advanced gas metal arc welding processes

2012 ◽  
Vol 67 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 655-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Kah ◽  
R. Suoranta ◽  
J. Martikainen
Keyword(s):  
Arc Welding ◽  
Gas Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Welding Processes

Noncontact Ultrasonic Sensing for Seam Tracking in Arc Welding Processes

1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 600-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. B. Zhang ◽  
Y. M. Zhang ◽  
R. Kovacevic
Keyword(s):  
Arc Welding ◽  
Focal Length ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Gas Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Transmission Efficiency ◽  
Seam Tracking ◽  
High Frequency Ultrasound ◽  
Tracking Accuracy ◽  
Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Welding Processes

A novel seam tracking technology based on high frequency ultrasound is developed in order to achieve high accuracy in weld seam identification. The transmission efficiency of the ultrasound is critical for obtaining a sufficient echo amplitude. Since the transmission efficiency is determined by the difference in impedance between the piezoelectric ceramic and air, match layers are designed to optimize the transmission efficiency by matching impedance. Since the air impedance depends on the density and velocity of the ultrasound, which both depend on the temperature, the optimization has been done for a wide bandwidth. Also, the receiving circuit is designed so that its resonance frequency matches the frequency of the ultrasound. As a result, the sensitivity of the noncontact ultrasonic sensor is improved 80-fold. By properly designing the focal length of the transducer, a high resolution ultrasound beam, 0.5 mm in diameter, is achieved. Based on the proposed sensing technology, a noncontact seam tracking system has been developed. Applications of the developed system in gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and CO2 gas metal arc welding (GMAW) processes show that a tracking accuracy of 0.5 mm is guaranteed despite the arc light, spatter, high temperature, joint configuration, small gap, etc.

Fracture Mechanics of Conventional and Narrow Groove Pulse Current Gas Metal Arc Welds of HSLA Steel

2012 ◽  
Vol 710 ◽  
pp. 451-456
Author(s):  
Ravi Ranjan Kumar ◽  
P. K. Ghosh
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Weld Metal ◽  
Tensile Properties ◽  
Arc Welding ◽  
Hsla Steel ◽  
Gas Metal Arc Welding ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Compact Tension ◽  
Shielded Metal Arc Welding ◽  
Metal Arc Welding

Mechanical and fracture properties of 20MnMoNi55 grade high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel welds have been studied. The weld joints were made using Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) and Pulse Gas Metal Arc Welding (P-GMAW) methods on conventional V-groove (V-Groove) and Narrow groove (NG-13). The base metal and weld metal were characterised in terms of their metallurgical, mechanical and fracture toughness properties by following ASTM procedures. The J-Integral fracture test was carried out using compact tension C(T) specimen for base and weld metal. The fracture toughness and tensile properties of welds have been correlated with microstructure. In conventional V-groove welds prepared by P-GMAW shows the improvement in initiation fracture toughness (JIC) as compared to the weld prepared by SMAW. Similar improvements in tensile properties have also been observed. This is attributed to reduction in co-axial dendrite content due to lower heat input during P-GMAW process as compared to SMAW. In the narrow groove P-GMA weld prepared at f value of 0.15 has shown relative improvement of JIC as compared to that of the weld prepared by SMAW process.

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