The color of the tungsten electrode means the varieties of the TIG welding rods used for the TIG welding. Weldings make the world innovative, with new tools, products, and new techniques of welding helping the welder to stable weld which looks pleasant.
The right tungsten rod must be selected depending on the task. According to the task, the welder should decide the size of the rod, the material being welded, the power source utilized, and the thickness of the material. Tungsten electrode comes in different colors which shows the different rods used for TIG welding.
How to Select the Tungsten Electrode?
It is important to know about the different types of tungsten electrodes for welding. The varieties of these rods are pure tungsten, Lanthanated tungsten, ceriated tungsten, zirconiated tungsten, and thoriated tungsten.
Below is the chart so that one can easily select or can easily buy tungsten welding rods:
| TIG Mode | Tungsten Type | Color | Inverter Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC | PURE | Green | NA |
| DC OR AC/DC | CERIATED | Grey | YES |
| DC OR AC/DC | LANTHANATED | Gold | YES |
| DC OR AC/DC | LANTHANATED | Blue | YES |
| DC | THORIATED | Red | YES |
| AC | ZIRCONIATED | Brown | NA |
| DC OR AC/DC | CERIATED | Orange | YES |
Pure Tungsten:
It has a lower thermal conductivity and a higher chance of contamination which is why it is not preferable among welders.
Thoriated tungsten:
The rod is widely used by welders because of its decreasing radioactive nature, this rod is now used less by the welders. Because of this reason industries also move to alternative types such as Ceriated, Lathanated, and rare earth tungsten.
Ceriated Tungsten:
This rod is the better choice for welding steel components because of its features including the stable arc, improved performance at lower amperages, and a lower burn-off rate.
Lanthanated Tungsten:
This electrode provides stability and longevity in welding operations because it has the same characteristics as ceriated tungsten. It is well known for its excellent starting arc capabilities.
Rare Earth Tungsten:
The rare Earth Tungsten welding rods are a mixture of tungsten and rare earth oxide. It offers resistance to weld contamination and high-temperature stability.
Tungsten Colour Coding:
The tungsten electrode consists of many electrodes that are indicated by the different colors. Some of the rods of tungsten are Green TIG Welding Electrodes, Grey TIG Welding Electrodes, Gold TIG Welding Electrodes, Blue TIG Welding Electrodes, Red TIG Welding Electrodes, Brown TIG Welding Electrodes, and Orange TIG Welding Electrodes. Let us talk about these rods in brief:
Green TIG Welding Electrodes:
These electrodes are made up of pure tungsten, which is easily available in nearby hardware shops and one can easily buy Green TIG Welding Electrodes. These rods are used for welding the magnesium and aluminum materials with current supplies of AC conductors. It has become more popular among welders because it is affordable as compared to other choices. It is suitable while working with AC. This rod is perfectly chosen for the purpose of wave building. It is good for magnesium and aluminum welds, as it forms the clean balled tip that results in welding good arc stability.
Grey TIG Welding Electrodes:
These electrodes are made up of a minimum of tungsten and it is combined with cerium. This rod is good for DC welding while using a lower current, it can also be used with AC welds.
These rods are mainly popular for welding the smaller and more delicate parts because of these features welders buy Grey TIG Welding Electrodes. This rod is also known as grey ceriated electrodes. These electrodes are mainly used for welding titanium, nickel alloys, and steels. It can also be used in welding thin sheet metal, pipe fabricating, and more.
Gold TIG Welding Electrodes:
These electrodes are made up of a minimum of tungsten and it is combined with Lanthanated. It is mainly referred to as lanthanted tungsten welding electrodes. These are mainly remarkable and is easy to buy Gold TIG Welding Electrodes due to their ability to form an excellent arc start. It has a slow consumption rate, excellent re-ignition, and arc stability. It has the same benefits and characteristics when compared to the ceriated electrodes. They work on both AC and DC applications with an electrode-negative pointed end. These rods are capable of maintaining the quite well-sharpened point. It is considered most favorable while working on the materials of stainless steel and other steel.
Red TIG Welding Electrodes:
These electrodes are made up of a minimum of tungsten and a mixture combined with thorium. A welder can buy Red TIG Welding Electrodes for performing, maintaining, and establishing a sharp edge. These rods are good for working with materials of steel and metals. Due to the presence of thorium, it enhances the arc stability, improves the electrode’s electron emission qualities, and enables the welders to maintain or increase the current capacity. As they are able to work below of their melting point, they achieve a lower burn rate or consumption rate. This is a long-lasting electrode.
Blue TIG Welding Electrodes:
These rods are a mixture of two tungsten and lanthanum oxide which gives a similar result as red color tungsten electrode. They are popular among welders that’s the reason to buy Blue TIG Welding Electrodes because of their long lifetime and fast and easy arc ignition features. They are used for welding materials such as high and low-alloy steels, magnesium, nickel, titanium, copper, and aluminum. It is the best and most popular general-purpose rod while working on DCEN and AC welding. It provides a wide amperage range, excellent stability, and a significantly enhanced arc start.
Brown TIG Welding Electrodes:
These electrodes are made up of a minimum of tungsten and zirconium which makes them resist cracking. This rod minimizes the contamination of the weld pool and establishes a stable arc. Coming to the amperage this rod is capable of carrying a current that is comparable to managed by the current managed by thoriated electrodes. It has high resistance to contamination, has good retention of the balled tip, is best for working on AC welding, provides a stable arc, and is highly resistant to tungsten spitting that is why welders Buy Brown TIG welding electrodes.
Orange TIG Welding Electrodes:
These electrodes are made up of a mixture containing a minimum percent of tungsten and an amount of cerium in it. This rod performs well when working with DC welding at a lower current. But can also be used in the AC processes. It has become more popular in applications such as orbital tube and pipe fabricating, welding small and delicate parts, and thin sheet metal work because of its excellent arc at low amperages. As thorium, it is best for welding carbon steels, titanium, nickel alloys, and stainless steel. It has the same characteristics as compared to ceriated tungsten electrodes. Because of their features and properties welders buy Orange TIG Welding Electrodes
Conclusion
In the above text, we have seen about the TIG welding rods and discussed about their types, and color-coded tungsten welding rods in brief. There are many choices for Gas tungsten arc welding rods, welders have to choose an appropriate type and diameter for the welding based on their work.
