1/1/2020 Atomic hydrogen welding - Wikipedia

Atomic hydrogen welding

Atomic hydrogen welding (AHW) is an arc welding process
that uses an arc between two tungsten electrodes in a shielding
atmosphere of hydrogen. The process was invented by Irving
Langmuir in the course of his studies of atomic hydrogen. The
electric arc efficiently breaks up the hydrogen molecules, which
later recombine with tremendous release of heat, reaching
temperatures from 3400 to 4000 °C. Without the arc, an
An atomic hydrogen blowpipe, circa
oxyhydrogen torch can only reach 2800 °C.[1] This is the third- 1930.
hottest flame after dicyanoacetylene at 4987 °C and cyanogen at
4525 °C. An acetylene torch merely reaches 3300 °C. This device
may be called an atomic hydrogen torch, nascent hydrogen torch or Langmuir torch. The
process was also known as arc-atom welding.

The heat produced by this torch is sufficient to weld tungsten (3422 °C), the most refractory metal.
The presence of hydrogen also acts as a shielding gas, preventing oxidation and contamination by
carbon, nitrogen or oxygen, which can severely damage the properties of many metals. It eliminates
the need of flux for this purpose.

The arc is maintained independently of the workpiece or parts being welded. The hydrogen gas is
normally diatomic (H2), but where the temperatures are over 6,000 °C (10,800 °F) near the arc, the
hydrogen breaks down into its atomic form, absorbing a large amount of heat from the arc. When the
hydrogen strikes a relatively cold surface (i.e. the weld zone), it recombines into its diatomic form,
releasing the energy associated with the formation of that bond. The energy in AHW can be varied
easily by changing the distance between the arc stream and the workpiece surface.

In atomic hydrogen welding, filler metal may or may not be used. In this process, the arc is
maintained entirely independent of the work or parts being welded. The work is a part of the electrical
circuit only to the extent that a portion of the arc comes in contact with the work, at which time a
voltage exists between the work and each electrode.

This process is being replaced by gas metal-arc welding, mainly because of the availability of
inexpensive inert gases.

Video documentation
The Inside of Atomic Hydrogen Arc Welding, Part 1 - 1943 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ
wYMyHlWXk)
The Inside of Atomic Hydrogen Arc Welding, Part 2 - 1943 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz
-S5wLGHwI)

See also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_hydrogen_welding 1/2
1/1/2020 Atomic hydrogen welding - Wikipedia

Oxy-fuel welding and cutting#Hydrogen

References
1. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080111004750/http://www.lateralscience.co.uk/At
omicH/atomicH.html). Archived from the original (http://www.lateralscience.co.uk/AtomicH/atomic
H.html) on 2008-01-11. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
Norton science encyclopedia 1st and 6th edition copyright 1921–1950 and 1976
Van Nostrand's Encyclopedia of Science (Pg. 1311)
Welding Handbook Vol. 2 Library of Congress number 90-085465 copyright 1991 by American
Welding Society
Kalpkjian, Serope and Steven R. Schmid. Manufacturing Engineering and Technology textbook
Fifth edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006
"Atomic Hydrogen Welding" (http://www.specialwelds.com/articles/atomic-hydrogen-welding.asp).
Specialty Welds. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
"Atomic-Hydrogen Welding" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080111004745/http://www.lateralscien
ce.co.uk/AtomicH/AHW.html). Odhams Practical & Technical Encyclopaedia. 1947. Archived from
the original (http://www.lateralscience.co.uk/AtomicH/AHW.html) on 11 January 2008. Retrieved
2008-01-26.
"Atomic Hydrogen Blowtorch" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080111004750/http://www.lateralsci
ence.co.uk/AtomicH/atomicH.html). Lateral Science. Archived from the original (http://www.lateral
science.co.uk/AtomicH/atomicH.html) on 11 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-26.

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