The Natural Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) estimates that the average annual effective dose welders are exposed to when working with thoriated tungsten electrodes regularly, is a maximum of Sixteen millirem. The amount of background and medical doses incurred by members of the U.S. population each year is about Two hundred fifty to 1,000+ millirem, so the exposure due to the thoriated tungsten electrodes is small. However, common sense safety precautions should be taken to avoid excessive exposure, including not carrying electrodes close to the body, and wearing standard welding equipment while performing TIG welding. Welders should wear a mask while grinding thoriated tungsten electrodes to avoid breathing in particulates from the grinding process.
Electrodes That Contain Thorium
Thoriated tungsten electrodes are made from tungsten combined with One to Two percent thorium in the form of thorium dioxide. Thoriated tungsten electrodes result in improved welding properties over pure tungsten electrodes. By using thoriated tungsten electrodes, welders find it easier to start the arc and maintain the arc, reduce weld contamination, carry a higher level of current, and achieve a longer electrode life through reduction in wear.
Concerns
Thorium is a radioactive element, so thoriated tungsten electrodes do emit some radioactivity, but the amount is relatively low. Thorium mainly emits alpha particles, which can't pass through a sheet of paper, but could potentially damage skin tissue with prolonged exposure. Thoriated tungsten electrodes should be stored in a steel container marked with the radiation trefoil as an identifier.
Benefit of Tungsten Welding Rods Containing ThoriumTungsten inert Gauze (TIG) welding, as well avowed as Gauze tungsten arc welding (GTAW), is an arc welding method that uses a tungsten electrode to repay the electric arc to the elbow grease group. Unlike other arc welding methods, the tungsten electrode does not feed information to the weld, so a seperate filler rod is needed for that animus. Some tungsten electrodes are fictional with a inconsiderable dimensions of thorium, which is a radioactive information and improves the welding qualities of the electrode.Welding With Tungsten
Tungsten has the highest melting end of all metals, so the electrode data does not melt when exposed to the great temperatures of the arc. Tungsten can be used to weld metals and particular alloys designed To possess a big melting point. Even though the tungsten electrode doesn't melt during the welding process, the electrode can wear or chip over time. The electrode can be reshaped to a conical or rounded shape using a grinder.
