O/T Welding with Argon Question

Does anyone know what happens with the argon once you've welded? Does it break down to a non-dangerous level or does it remain 25/75 and still dangerous if you're not in a ventilated area?? I know it's not poisonous but it does not support life and is heavier than air. Thanks for any information!!
John

Argon is about one percent of the content of air. (In fact it is extracted from air in the first place.) The small amount released during welding isn't going to affect that very much at all, even in a confined space.

Correct!
Typical small shop sized argon tank is 80 cubic feet of argon.
If you were working in a sealed space 10' X 20' X 8' and let ALL the argon out at once it would still only amount to about 5% of the air in that room.
So there would be plenty of oxygen left for you to breathe.

I have a fify% diability from MIG weldin with both argon and CO2. Either gas combined with metals in the steel causes all kinds of weird things to form. Did you know even new steel is made from old cars and contain minute smounts of Chrome-cad and much others stuff. Steel meets government specks which allows this to happen. At the point of the weld there is a tremendous ozone that makes all kinds of mutations take place. Thank god I had a good doctor and attorney and safty expert. It was a two year battle but we proved it. BE CARFUL.
gitrib

The problem is the weird combination of gases caused by the ozone.
gitrib

Problem is, when you're using 25% argon/75% CO2, you're also releasing 3 times as much CO2 as you are argon. In a confined space, that CO2 will displace the available oxygen...THAT's where the need for ventilation comes into play, because it's the CO2 removed from the bloodstream via the lungs that the body expels, and the body seeks to replace that with oxygen-rich air....which it can't get in a CO2-rich atmosphere.

I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV...but I have welded with Ar/CO2 mix.

Not disagreeing with you Buzzman.
Just saying whatever mix you ae using it would still only be 5% of the volume in that small room if you let all of the gas out of the bottle at once.
[i:654c4848f0]"I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV"[/i:654c4848f0]
Me either, but I did stay at the Holiday Inn.
wink

Buzz, MIG welding gas is 75 percent Argon, not 75 percent CO2. Either way, the amount gas released is relatively small in a typical welding operation, compared to the volume of air in your shop.

Argon is an NOBLE/INERT gas which DOES NOT interact with ANY other element. I think Argon is heavier than air. CO2 is heavier than air and will have a tendency to sink to ground level. This is ONE of the reasons CO2 is good for fighting fires. The other is it displaces O2 as another poster mentioned. Atmospheric wind will mix these ground level gases through the atmosphere.

Kent

Argon is heavier than air. You shouldn't do any welding with either in a confined space without a proper respirator and/or fresh air supply. It isn't uncommon for welders that do a lot of TIG welding with pure argon to stand on their heads after welding for a few hours to let the argon get out of their system. CO2 displaces oxygen. Dave

Health effects of argon
Routes of exposure: The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation.

Inhalation risk: On loss of containment this liquid evaporates very quickly causing supersaturation of the air with serious risk of suffocation when in confined areas.

Effects of exposure: Inhalation: Dizziness. Dullness. Headache. Suffocation. Skin: On contact with liquid: frostbite. Eyes: On contact with liquid: frostbite.

Inhalation: This gas is inert and is classified as a simple asphyxiant. Inhalation in excessive concentrations can result in dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, and death. Death may result from errors in judgment, confusion, or loss of consciousness which prevent self-rescue. At low oxygen concentrations, unconsciousness and death may occur in seconds without warning.

The effect of simple asphyxiant gases is proportional to the extent to which they diminish the amount (partial pressure) of oxygen in the air that is breathed. The oxygen may be diminished to 75% of it's normal percentage in air before appreciable symptoms develop. This in turn requires the presence of a simple asphyxiant in a concentration of 33% in the mixture of air and gas. When the simple asphyxiant reaches a concentration of 50%, marked symptoms can be produced. A concentration of 75% is fatal in a matter of minutes.

Symptoms: The first symptoms produced by a simple asphyxiant are rapid respirations and air hunger. Mental alertness is diminished and muscular coordination is impaired. Later judgment becomes faulty and all sensations are depressed. Emotional instability often results and fatigue occurs rapidly. As the asphyxia progresses, there may be nausea and vomiting, prostration and loss of consciousness, and finally convulsions, deep coma and death.

Oxygen saturation...is a danger too. As in from an oxy/acetylene setup. A friend of mine started his day off at Minneapolis Brown Tank the usual way, got the welder going, put on his sleeves, struck an arc

and went up in flames...nightshift guy left the oxy tank open and had the cutting torch laying on the handle..

the family just had a new baby too.....sad

Oxygen by itself does not burn. There would have had to be acetylene left left on as well for there to be an explosion. Oxygen accelerates combustion but you need to have something combustable(fuel) in the first place. Dave