What Causes Spatter In Welding (Why It Is Crucial To Solve)

Spattering problems may occur in welding for various reasons, such as incompatible welding metals, dirt or contaminated materials, inappropriate welder settings, wrong welding technique, incorrect welding gas, equipment problems, etc.

What Is Spatter In Welding?

Spatter welding is a kind of welding defect which consist of droplets of molten metal or non-metallic material around the site of a weld during the welding procedure.

It results in unsightly globules of material due to the disturbance of the pool of molten material. The metal particles from the weld are jammed in the area adjacent to the welding zone.

Simply put, the welds are not coming out as clean and fresh as you expected. They are splashed or scattered during the welding procedure.

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What Causes Spatter In Welding?

Spattering problems in welding can happen for dozens of reasons.

Here, we are going to mention some common causes of this issue.

Reason: 01 — Incompatible Welding Metals

Some welders use incompatible and cheap metals to save a few bucks or due to negligence.

Not all metals are ideal for use as fillers for welding a particular type of metal.

For example, you can’t use weld aluminum and steel, titanium and steel, carbon or stainless steel, etc., together to join them. They are non-weldable jointly.

If you use these to weld, it will result in spattering problems. You want to use the right type and compatible filler material, filler rod, and welding wire.

Solution

To eliminate the spattering problem, you want first to determine desired weld characteristics

Besides, you want to choose high-quality materials for welding. It has a reasonable ductility to withstand deformation properly without breaking.

Choose a filler metal with a good mechanical strength and toughness combination.

Plus, be cautious while choosing filler wires.

It must have adequate mechanical and chemical properties to handle the welding task and minimize the risk of cracking, corrosion, and/or weld defects

In addition, choose the right filler rods based on the requirement of strength and application. You also want to consider joint type, stock thickness, base metal composition, etc.

Reason: 02 — Dirty or Contaminated Materials

Any dirt or contaminant substances on the welding surface will result in molten metal spitting, leading to a weld spatter.

It reduces a material’s weldability. Oil, dirt, dust, and other bad substances might be present on the welding surface.

Dirt or impurities can lead to slag inclusions. It will result in negative impacts on the mechanical properties

 Moreover, welding on dirty or contaminated surfaces may cause porosity that is mainly a weak, bubble-filled weld with a small hole or pores.

Solution

A welding metal may contain rust, paint, dirt, or mill scale. Perfectly preparing the metal is crucial for a successful welding operation.

Proper cleaning will have a positive impact on the appearance of the final weld. This will reduce the overall operating costs for rework and labor.

You can use common industrial solvents, such as Acetone, to get off contaminants or impurities from the metal surface before welding.   

Apart from rust and paint, you may also need to get off lingering particles from the welding surface.

Make sure to use a clean rag. A wire brush also comes in handy to remove rust or heat discoloration.

Reason: 03 — Inappropriate Welder Settings

Whether you are following TIG, MIG, or Stick welding technique, maintaining the correct voltage and amperage is crucial.

For example, your welding wire speed for MIG welding will determine the ideal amperage. If you use too high an amperage, it will cause spattering problems.

Likewise, a too-low voltage will result in spattering issues in MIG welding.

Incorrect polarity or insufficient gas shielding can cause spattering problems. It will lead to poor joint preparation and weaken the joint. You may also see a complete failure of the weldment

Solution

Following the right welding parameter is essential to avoid spatter problems.

 For example, 13 to 15 voltage is required for 0.024-inch wire while keeping the wire feed speed of 130 to 160 ipm in MIG welding.

But if the wire size is 0.30-inch, you will need 15 to 17 voltage and 75 to 100 ipm wire feed speed.

Regardless of your welder type, always go through the owner’s manual. It has much essential information about proper operation and safety guidelines.

But, if you are still experiencing the spatter issues, adjust the setting and test it on a rough item before finally welding the main object.

Reason: 04 — Wrong Welding Technique

Are you 100% sure that you are following the right welding technique?

Using the wrong arc length, travel angle, and travel speed can cause spattering problems.

For example, if the arch length is too long, it will produce a ball on the end of the electrode.

When the ball is detached and dropped into the puddle, it will lead to a spatter.

Likewise, when you move the arch too fast, it rapidly pours an excessive amount of filler metal into the weld. It will cause spattering issues.

Solution

Depending on the particular welding method, your welding technique will vary.

For example, it is necessary to maintain 15 degrees for the welding gun in MIG welding. But, 90 degrees angle is essential for a butt joint.

The torch angle should be between 15 to 20 degrees for TIG welding. Don’t hold the torch at 45 degrees. Otherwise, you will lose a lot of the coverage from shielding gas.

 Besides, for flux-core or MIG welding, the arch length should be between ⅜ to ½ inch while maintaining ⅛ inch between the rod tip and workpiece.

But for TIG welding, the ideal arch length depends on the electrode diameter. If the electrode diameter is 1 inch long, the arch length should be 1.5 inches.

Reason: 05. Incorrect Welding Gas

Are you using the right welding gas for your welding?

Apart from affecting weld penetration profiles, arc stability, and mechanical properties, a wrong welding gas may cause spattering problems.  

This issue mainly occurs when used incorrect mixtures or insufficient layers of welding gas are present.

Shielding gases of inferior quality can affect the spatter level too.

Solution

Regarding MIG/MAG welding, you can use Argon or argon/helium mixtures for almost all welding grades.

The mixture should contain 75%/ argon and 25% carbon dioxide to get good weld penetration and flow.

On the contrary, you can use pure argon gas for TIG welding. In addition, using 100% Ar for TIG welding is completely okay.

However, you may need to use tri-mix gas in some cases. For instance, He/Ar/CO2 is the best shielding gas to weld stainless steel materials.

How To Prevent Spatter In Welding?

1. Ensure a constant current flow and maintain the same output for welding from the very first to the last.
2. If you want to create consistent, precise welds, don’t forget to maintain constant wire feed operation, especially for high-specification applications.
3. Keeping the outer air or draft less exposed to the welding workpiece is a good rule of thumb because it disturbs the delivery of the shielding gas during the welding process.
4. Make sure to use the correct drive roll tension. It should not be too loose or tight. Otherwise, it will cause spatter issues.
5. Test the right welding technique before finally using it on the main welding piece. It can be pushed or pulled. Your main goal should be avoiding or minimizing spatter problems.

Summing Up

A welding spatter can happen for various reasons. Your main goal is to figure out the root cause of this problem and deal with it. Once you find the main reason for this issue, ensure it doesn’t repeat in the future to achieve a precise welding result.