The following article will describe the other part content of thoriated tungsten electrode radioactivity.

Is there a concern to the user?
The risk of internal exposure during welding is negligible in most circumstances since the thoriated electrode is consumed at a very slow rate. During the grinding of the thoriated tungsten electrodes, radioactive dust is created, posing the potential hazard of internal radiation exposure by inhalation or ingestion unless care is taken to control the dust.

What to do with the collected dust particles?
1. Regularly remove the dust generated by grinding.
2. Properly dispose of the dust and spent electrodes in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.

Summary
Several of the information sources listed indicate that the risk of occupational exposure to radiation during storage, handling, and welding with thoriated tungsten electrodes is negligible where simple precautions are taken. Special care should be taken to control and collect dust from grinding these electrodes in order to prevent a potential ingestion and inhalation exposure to radioactive dust particles resulting from this operation.



 

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Because tungsten owns a lot of good properties, such as, high melting point, high hardness, high hardness and high purity and the like, which is the main content of tungsten needle. Tungsten needle can be prepared in some way and be used in some fields. The diameter of some tungsten needles is similar to tungsten electrodes. Or we can understand it as when the tungsten electrode is thick enough, the products can be called tungsten needle. And when the tungsten wire is bold enough, the products can be called tungsten needle after cutting into a set length. Therefore, tungsten needle has some similar applications as tungsten electrodes and tungsten wire.

Tungsten needles can be made needles of flash lamp in camera, needles of sodium lamps and needles of halogen lamps and metal halide lamps. They also can be applied to welding. Another important application of tungsten needle is to be used as material to purify the air.

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Thoriated tungsten electrode contains thorium, which is a radioactive material that can pose health and environmental risks at elevated exposure levels. Thorium is a low-level radioactive material that primarily emits alpha particles, some beta and gamma radiation as well. The electrode is normally sharpened by grinding as part of the standard procedure while preparing to perform GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding). Dust particles from this grinding process can cause internal radiation exposure if the dust is accidentally ingested or inhaled, so caution is necessary. Concern regarding radiation exposure to the external body from the electrode is minimal. Thoriated tungsten electrode has a wide application because they make good welds and are long lasting and quite easy to use. A thoriated tungsten electrode operates at a temperature well below its melting temperature compared to a pure tungsten electrode. This result in a much lower rate of consumption of the electrode during welding, which eliminates much of the “arc wander” associated with balled pure tungsten. Other reasons for their use include easier arc initiation, reduced weld metal contamination, higher current carrying capacity, the ability to sharpen the electrode, and a longer life. 



 

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GTAW - Gas Tungsten Arc Weld, also called Tungsten Inert Gas, TIG for short.

The following part will describe something about results on GTAW Arc Stability Test Results in High Pressure.

(1) To carry out the experiment, GTAW test apparatus for the high pressure environment appliance is designed, the apparatus consists of seven parts, they are: a high pressure gas pipeline system, high pressure gas deployment tank, high pressure welding test chamber, the welding process high-speed picture pick-up system, high pressure gas control system, cabin inner scene and welding process monitoring system and all-position automatic welder.

 (2) The test is arc stability test carried out under high pressure, the results shows that, at the condition of 0.2 / 0.4 / 0.7MPa, GTAW arc can burn steadily.

(3) The test also showed that several factors what influence the arc stability, including the state of the workpiece surface, tungsten electrode, and a shielding gas effect. Tungsten electrode damage will seriously affect the stability of the arc.

Arc stability refers to the degree that arc remains stable combustion without causing broken arc, drift and arc blow.



 

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