80/20 gas mix?

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Anyone ever use 80% argon 20% co2 mix? My local welding supplier gave me a bottle and said its close to 75/25 only 80/20 will pentrate alittle more with less splatter. I ran it today and couldn't notice any difference.Ya gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:20% co2 is considered the maximum amount in a mix in order to be able to run spray arc.  It will not penetrate more but will give you less spatter and the ability to go into spray at higher voltage settings.  Higher wire feed speed with high voltage and the resulting spray will allow you to increase deposition rate.
Reply:I have a bottle of 85/15 I am using and comparing to 90/10 and 75/25. Here is what I have come up with on these 3 gases. 90/10 is good for spray and works for short circuit but you have to crank up the voltage and although spatter doesn't change the sound does change to a sound that is more like when you are running too much voltage with 75/25. You have to do that thought to get the bead to flatten out. The 85/15 is better for short circuit but once again the voltage must be higher then 75/25 to get the bead to lay out flatter and the zen sound goes away. The 85/15 isn't as nice for spray as it seems like it maxes out my 252 and you can't put down as much weld in spray as the 90/10. The 75/25 is still the best for short circuit that I have tried. I filled the 85/15 to see if I could have both options without having to switch out gases. It will definately work for that but needs some getting used to and I do believe I will stick with 2 different gases. Maybe even try some different spray mixes. When I cut apart and etch the 75/25 has the most broad penetration and the 90/10 has a narrower but slightly deeper penetration. Not a whole lot of difference though in that aspect. My lws says alot of people in the area use 90/10 for all around but I can't stand it for short circuit and the 85/15 isn't quite what I like yet but might just need to continue using to see if it comes around for me. Hope this all makes sense and helped you somewhat.Millermatic 252Lincoln 175 plusTA 185tswTA 161stlhypertherm pmax 45Victor torchHenrob torchAn S10 for each day of the week
Reply:It will have the ability to penetrate more, but only at high amperage ranges where C25 starts to get unstable.  I personally think it works great for SC, but the machines ive used it on have always been new inverters.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:WelderShaneAr / 15% - 20% CO2 is usually used for solid wire welding carbon steel, however up to 25% CO2 can still be used, (you may notice a more globular transfer with the higher CO2 mix).The 25% Co2 is mainly used for cored wire where spray transfer is not much value for wires in this category.Ideally, just use Ar / Co2 mixes (< 20% CO2), for CS GMAW. Forget tri-mix gas, it's an expense not worth it, providing no real benefit whatsoever. In fact the O2 may tie up valuable grain refining elements as oxides in weld, however this is only really considered in LAS material, or materials where LT CVN prpoerties are important.Cheers
Reply:welder shane,Not sure what purpose that gobblygook in the last post (chrispc) served.  Confusion maybe?Not sure why your local gas supplier would give you an 80/20 mix.  Just seems like a mix that wouldn't be the best at anything.C25 or (75%Argon?25%CO2) has been around forever (it seemes) and has established itself as an excellent gas for short arc welding.  At the volts/wfs used for this process (short arc) it's been proven to provide adequate penetration (due to the heat from the CO2) and minimal spatter.  I wouldn't expect to see a great difference between C25 and C20 (80%Argon/20%CO2).  If I get a chance in the not too distant future, I'll run a 80/20 mix and compare it to the C25 (I use the Thermco and Smith mixers for mixing my own gases).Where the whole picture becomes less clear is when people start looking for the "ideal gas" that does both short circuit and spray well.  Unfortunately, I don't think that "silver bullet mix" exists.When using mixes of 18% or more of CO2, with volt/amp settings normally associated with spray transfer, what happens is you generally get a more globular transfer (increased spatter).  That's why, a mix with about 8-10% CO2 added to the Argon is generally used in true spray transfer.  This yields similar results as a 98%Argon/2%O2 mix, although the O2 mix will still run a little hotter.Basically, I think of these "all purpose mixes" sorta like a motorsailer in yachting.  Yea, the boat will sail and it can operate under power, but it doesn't do either as well as the "purpose designed" boat.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIIINot sure why your local gas supplier would give you an 80/20 mix.  Just seems like a mix that wouldn't be the best at anything.
Reply:Hey Shane,My LWS also gave me an exchange one day with C20 as they were out of C25. I used it & it worked well with no issues. I wouldn't have too much concern.DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."