AWS G2.4/G2.

4M:2014
An American National Standard

Guide for the

Fusion Welding
of Titanium and
Titanium Alloys

®
 AWS G2.4/G2.4M:2014
An American National Standard

Approved by the
American National Standards Institute
May 5, 2014

Guide for the

Fusion Welding of Titanium
and Titanium Alloys

2nd Edition

Supersedes AWS G2.4/G2.4M:2007

Prepared by the
American Welding Society (AWS) G2 Committee on the Joining of Metals and Alloys

Under the Direction of the

AWS Technical Activities Committee

Approved by the
AWS Board of Directors

Abstract
The standard Guide for the Fusion Welding of Titanium and Titanium Alloys provides instructional guidance for the welding of
titanium and titanium alloys. This guide explains processes, equipment, materials, workshop practices, joint preparation, welding
technique, tests, and the repair of defects.
AWS G2.4/G2.4M:2014

ISBN: 978-0-87171-848-8
© 2014 by American Welding Society
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America

Photocopy Rights. No portion of this standard may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
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<www.copyright.com>.

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 AWS G2.4/G2.4M:2014

Statement on the Use of American Welding Society Standards

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American National Standards Institute (ANSI). When AWS American National Standards are either incorporated in, or
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American Welding Society, 8669 NW 36 St, # 130, Miami, FL 33166.

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Personnel
AWS G2 Committee on the Joining of Metals and Alloys
F. S. Babish, Chair Sandvik Materials Technology
G. Dunn, Vice Chair ExxonMobil Development Company
A. L. Diaz, Secretary American Welding Society
R. E. Avery Consultant to Nickel Institute
S. O. Luke Black & Veatch
R. C. Sutherlin ATI Wah Chang
D. J. Tillack Consultant to Nickel Institute

AWS G2D Subcommittee on Reactive Alloys

R. C. Sutherlin, Chair ATI Wah Chang
A. L. Diaz, Secretary American Welding Society
S. S. Delmore CK Worldwide, Incorporated
B. Krueger Los Alamos National Laboratory
K. T. Tran Naval Surface Warfare Center
G. E. Trepus Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Advisors to the G2D Subcommittee on Reactive Alloys

R. D. Kellum Williamette Welding Supply Company
H. Kotaki Consultant to The Japan Titanium Society
S. L. Luckowski United States Department of the Army
J. A. McMaster MC Consulting
J. Simpson International Titanium Association
S. D. Sparkowich Nerac, Incorporated

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Foreword
This foreword is not part of AWS G2.4/G2.4M:2014, Guide for the Fusion Welding of
Titanium and Titanium Alloys, but is included for informational purposes only.

This specification makes use of both U.S. Customary Units and the International System of Units (SI). The measurements
are not exact equivalents; therefore each system must be used independently of the other, without combining values in any
way when referring to filler metal properties. In selecting rational metric units, the AWS A1.1, Metric Practice Guide for
the Welding Industry, and the International Standard ISO 544, Welding consumables — Technical delivery conditions for
welding filler metals — Type of product, dimensions, tolerances and markings, are used where suitable. Tables and
figures make use of both U.S. Customary and SI Units, which, with the application of the specified tolerances, provide
for interchangeability of products in both the U.S. Customary and SI Units.
A vertical line in the margin or underlined text in clauses, tables, or figures indicates an editorial or technical change
from the 2007 edition.
Comments and suggestions for the improvement of this standard are welcome. They should be sent to the Secretary, AWS G2
Committee on Joining Metals and Alloys, American Welding Society, 8669 NW 36 St, # 130, Miami, FL 33166.

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Table of Contents
Page No.
Personnel ......................................................................................................................................................................v
Foreword.....................................................................................................................................................................vii
List of Tables................................................................................................................................................................xi
List of Figures..............................................................................................................................................................xi

1. General Requirements .........................................................................................................................................1

1.1 Scope ..............................................................................................................................................................1
1.2 Units of Measurement s ..................................................................................................................................1
1.3 Safety .............................................................................................................................................................1
2. Normative References..................................................................................................................................1
3. Terms and Definitions ..........................................................................................................................................2
4. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................4
4.1 Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Iron, and Titanium..............................................................................................5
4.2 Surface Oxide Film .......................................................................................................................................5
5. Arc Welding Processes .......................................................................................................................................6
5.1 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) .............................................................................................................6
5.2 Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) .................................................................................................................6
5.3 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)..........................................................................................................................6
6. Equipment............................................................................................................................................................7
6.1 Power Source ................................................................................................................................................7
6.2 Welding Torch...............................................................................................................................................7
6.3 Tungsten Electrodes......................................................................................................................................8
7. Materials ..........................................................................................................................................................10
7.1 Base Metals.................................................................................................................................................10
7.2 Filler Metals ................................................................................................................................................10
7.3 Procedure Qualification ..............................................................................................................................12
8. Workshop Practice ...........................................................................................................................................12
8.1 Workshop Layout........................................................................................................................................12
8.2 Material Identification and Storage..............................................................................................................12
8.3 Inert Gas Protection ....................................................................................................................................12
8.4 Inert Gas Distribution .................................................................................................................................13
8.5 In-Chamber Welding...................................................................................................................................13
8.6 Open-Air Welding.......................................................................................................................................14
8.7 Shielding Gases...........................................................................................................................................17
8.8 Argon Safety ...............................................................................................................................................17
9. Joint Preparation........................................................................................................................................ 17
9.1 Joint Design .......................................................................................................................................... 17
9.2 Cutting ........................................................................................................................................................18
9.3 Preliminary Preparation ..............................................................................................................................19
9.4 Cleaning for Welding ..................................................................................................................................20
9.5 Fitup and Tack Welding ..............................................................................................................................20

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Page No.
10. Welding Technique .........................................................................................................................................21
10.1 Welding Parameters......................................................................................................................................21
10.2 Preheating ....................................................................................................................................................21
10.3 Filler Metal Practice .....................................................................................................................................21
10.4 Starting and Stopping the Arc.......................................................................................................................21
10.5 Electrode Practice.........................................................................................................................................22
10.6 Wire Feeding................................................................................................................................................22
10.7 Interpass Cleaning ........................................................................................................................................22
10.8 Interpass Temperatures .................................................................................................................................22
11. In-Process Weld Quality Tests .......................................................................................................................22
11.1 Visual Inspection..........................................................................................................................................22
11.2 Dew Point Testing ........................................................................................................................................24
11.3 Bend Testing ................................................................................................................................................24
11.4 Hardness Testing ..........................................................................................................................................24
12. Nondestructive Test ........................................................................................................................................25
12.1 Radiography .................................................................................................................................................25
12.2 Liquid Penetrant Testing...............................................................................................................................25
12.3 Ultrasonic Inspection....................................................................................................................................26
13. Repair of Defects ............................................................................................................................................26
13.1 Fabrication Defects.......................................................................................................................................26
13.2 Repairs Following Service Failures...............................................................................................................26
13.3 Porosity ........................................................................................................................................................26
13.4 Filler Metals for Welding Titanium Alloys Metal Joints ................................................................................26
Annex A (Informative)—Requirements of Base Metals..................................................................................................27
Annex B (Informative)—Requirements of Filler Metals ................................................................................................31
Annex C (Informative)— Informative References .................................................................................................35
Annex D (Informative)—Classifications for Titanium and Titanium Alloys..................................................................37
Annex E (Informative)—Guidelines for the Preparation of Technical Inquiries.................................................................. 41
List of AWS Documents on Joining Metals and Alloys..................................................................................................43

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List of Tables
Table Page No.
1 Approximate Current Ranges Depending upon the Electrode Diameter................................................................9
2 ASTM Specifications for Product Forms ..........................................................................................................10
3 Recommended Filler Metals .............................................................................................................................11
4 Recommended Shielding Gas Purity and Dew Point .........................................................................................13
5 Typical Joint Designs.......................................................................................................................................18
6 Typical Parameters for GTAW, GMAW, and PAW.........................................................................................................21
7 Surface Color in Titanium Welds......................................................................................................................23
8 Bend Test Requirements for Titanium Alloys....................................................................................................25
A.1 Chemical Composition Requirements of Base Metals (from ASTM B265).......................................................27
A.2 Tensile Strength Requirements of Base Metals...............................................................................................................29
B.1 Symbols for Chemical Composition and Composition Requirements ...............................................................32
D.1 Guidelines for Compatible Filler Materials .......................................................................................................37
D.2 Base Material Grouping S-51.................................................................................................................................................. 38
D.3 Base Material Grouping S-52...........................................................................................................................................38
D.4 Base Material Grouping S-53...........................................................................................................................................39
D.5 Base Material Grouping S-54...........................................................................................................................................40
D.6 Filler Material Grouping A-51B.......................................................................................................................................40
D.7 Filler Material Grouping A-52B.......................................................................................................................................40
D.8 Filler Material Grouping A-53B.......................................................................................................................................40

List of Figures
1 Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) Structure....................................................................................................................3
2 Hexagonal Close-Packed (HCP) Structure......................................................................................................3
3 Interstitial Elements.........................................................................................................................................4
4 Substitutional Elements ....................................................................................................................................4
5 Titanium Surface Oxide Formed by Heating in Air...........................................................................................5
6 Large-Diameter Gas Cup and Lens for Titanium Welding ................................................................................7
7 Tungsten Electrode Tip Shape...........................................................................................................................8
8 Collapsible Plastic Chamber Purged with Argon .............................................................................................14
9 Typical Trailing Shield Design........................................................................................................................15
10 Examples of Backup Shields for Manual GTAW.............................................................................................16
11 Color Sequence in Titanium............................................................................................................................23
12 Contamination of Tungsten Electrode from Air Entrainment ...........................................................................24

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 AWS G2.4/G2.4M:2014

Guide for the Fusion Welding of

Titanium and Titanium Alloys

1. General Requirements
1.1 Scope. This guide provides information on welding processes and procedures that are recommended for use in tita-
nium fabrication. The document presents detailed and up-to-date technical information on the best practices to allow first
time fabricators of titanium as well as established fabricators to join titanium parts into high quality components.
1.2 Units of Measurements. This standard makes use of both the U.S. Customary Units and the International System of
Units (SI). The latter are shown within brackets ([ ]) or in appropriate columns in tables and figures. The measurements
may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system must be used independently.
1.3 Safety. Safety and health issues and concerns are beyond the scope of this standard and therefore are not fully
addressed herein. Safety and health information is available from the following sources:
American Welding Society:
(1) ANSI Z49.1, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes
(2) AWS Safety and Health Fact Sheets
(3) Other safety and health information on the AWS website
Material or Equipment Manufacturers:
(1) Material Safety Data Sheets supplied by materials manufacturers
(2) Operating Manuals supplied by equipment manufacturers
Applicable Regulatory Agencies
Work performed in accordance with this standard may involve the use of materials that have been deemed hazardous,
and may involve operations or equipment that may cause injury or death. This standard does not purport to address all
safety and health risks that may be encountered. The user of this standard should establish an appropriate safety program
to address such risks as well as to meet applicable regulatory requirements. ANSI Z49.1 should be considered when
developing the safety program.

2. Normative References
The following standards contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute mandatory provisions of this
AWS standard. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced standard shall apply. For dated references,
subsequent amendments to, or revision of, any of these publications do not apply. (Informative standards and specifica-
tions for titanium fabrication are available in Annexes C and D.)
AWS Documents:1
AWS A3.0M/A3.0, Standard Welding Terms and Definitions, Including Terms for Adhesive Bonding, Brazing, Soldering,
Thermal Cutting, and Thermal Spraying;

1 AWS standards are published by the American Welding Society, 8669 NW 36 St, # 130, Miami, FL 33166.