Argon

Argon - an inert gas with an atomic weight 39.9, under normal conditions - a colorless, odorless and tasteless, is about 1.38 times heavier than air. Argon is the most readily available and relatively cheap among the inert gases.

Argon is the third largest in the atmosphere (after nitrogen and oxygen), it accounts for about 1.3% by weight and 0.9% of the Earth's atmosphere.

In industry, the main way of obtaining an argon - a method of low-temperature fractionation of air to produce oxygen and nitrogen, and argon extraction incidental. Argon is also obtained as a by-product of obtaining ammonia.

Argon gas is stored and transported in steel cylinders (GOST 949-73). Balloon with pure argon is painted gray, with the inscription "pure argon" green.

GOST 949-73

According to GOST 10157-79 gaseous and liquid argon is supplied in two forms: first-class (with a volume fraction of argon is not less than 99.993%, the volume fraction of water vapor no more than 0.0009%) and first grade (with a volume fraction of argon is not less than 99.987%, the volume fraction of water vapor no more than 0.001%).

Argon is not explosive and non-toxic, but at high concentrations in the air can be dangerous to life, with a decrease in the volume fraction of oxygen below 19% there is an oxygen deficiency, but with a substantial decrease in the oxygen content arise choking, unconsciousness and even death.

Safety precautions when handling argon:

• remote monitoring of oxygen in the air with hand or automatic devices, the amount of oxygen in the air must be at least 19%;
• when working with liquid argon that can cause frostbite of the skin and mucous membrane of eye damage, you should use safety goggles and protective clothing;
• when working in an atmosphere of argon to use hose-mask or self-contained oxygen apparatus.

The use of argon welding
Argon is used as an inert shielding gas for arc welding , including as the basis for the protective gas mixture (oxygen, carbon dioxide). Is the main protective environment for welding aluminum, titanium, rare metals and active.

Argon is also used in welding, plasma as the plasma gas, the laser welding as a plazmopodavlyayuschego and shielding gas.

Depending on the required consumption of argon can be used several schemes to provide. With the volume of consumption up to 10 000 m 3 / d is usually taken to argon cylinders. With the volume of consumption of over 10 000 m 3 / d it is advisable to carry argon in liquid form in special containers by rail or road. When transporting by rail tank cars used specialized 8G-513 or 15-558. In road transport, the most commonly installed type of universal gas tank capacity of the TCA cycle from 0.5 to 10 m 3 . These containers can be transported as oxygen and nitrogen.

In a centralized supply schemes providing argon welding stations are as follows:

• directly from the transport capacity through the transfer pump and a stationary gasifier in the network (see figure below);
• the transport capacity of the stationary tank with further gasification and fed into the network;
• filled balloons from the transport gasification plant.

See also:
argon welding
laser welding
plasma welding technology

Welding materials:

welding electrodes welding wire welding flux for arc welding carbon dioxide helium

argon protective gas mixture acetylene propane-butane IAF