Study effect of active flux on mechanical properties of TIG welding process

• The use of new composite fluxes (50 % SiO2 + 50 % MnO2). • Focus on hardness and tensile strength of the welded joints. • The composite flux resulted in a maximum tensile strength. • The highest hardness value was using composite fluxes. The mechanical properties of low carbon steel welded using TIG process are studied in relation with the active fluxes, silicon oxide (SiO₂), manganese oxide (MnO₂), and the composite of 50 % SiO₂ and 50 % MnO₂. The research aims to investigate the impact of using different active fluxes, such as silicon oxide (SiO₂), manganese oxide (MnO₂), and a composite mixture of them (50 % SiO₂ + 50 % MnO₂), on the low-carbon steel welds' mechanical characteristics. This paper analyzes the analysis conducted in the paper, shows the effects of using active fluxes to improve weld quality, and provides more efficient and reliable welding techniques. The effect of these materials on the weld hardness and tensile strength was analyzed through precise mechanical tests, including tensile testing and hardness measurement, in addition to microstructure analysis in the weld zones and the heat-affected zone (HAZ). The results demonstrated that the addition of active fluxes significantly enhanced weld properties for the composite mixture, as the welds with the composite mixture had a maximum tensile stress of 447 MPa, whereas those that were not with the active flux had a tensile stress of 343 MPa. Using the compound fluxes also increased the hardness in the weld zone to 294 HV, as opposed to 236 HV for the untreated samples. Results for these findings show the possibilities of active fluxes for quality and reliability improvements of the welds with the proper usage of recent developments in efficient welding techniques.