Overview

As building materials have evolved from using earth, wood, stone, and eventually iron so too did the fabrications. In today’s age, challenging in-service conditions (i.e., temperatures, pressures, corrosive environments) push the limits in development of new alloys to meet those demands. In turn new alloys push fabrications into ever harsher in-service conditions. Our explorations of space, the depths of the sea, cryogenic environments, to high temperature and pressures have made it necessary to use alloys other than ferrous metals such as aluminum, titanium, zirconium, etc.. The reasons to need different alloys can be as simple as higher strength to weight ratios for fuel economy or to create fabrications that will survive harsher conditions and longer service life.

This chapter will discuss welding various non-ferrous metals that includes the metals’ properties, common welding processes, filler metals, and uses in industry today. Most welding programs will offer aluminum welding but this may vary depending upon the local need and size of your welding school. Other metals such as the reactive metals will not be offered in your school, however you may encounter these metals through local employers that weld specialty metals. Due to this possibility it is important to mention them along with the importance of GTAW welding so you can plan your classes accordingly to include more GTAW if this is a career direction for you.

Attributions

1. Chapter opening image: Aluminum Forming Effluent Guidelines by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Public Domain; United States government work.