Torch Brazing with Hydrogen
I was recently asked about torch brazing with hydrogen, and why I don’t use hydrogen for brazing. The main reason I choose not to torch braze with hydrogen is because of the safety issues. I use a larger torch, and I don’t like using hydrogen for brazing because I cannot see the flame. Also, hydrogen molecules are extremely small, and can leak out of joints and even through some material fairly readily.
A dangerous amount of hydrogen can easily go undetected. In theory, I could have enough hydrogen leak out of the tank overnight to create a very big safety hazard in the morning, and not even notice or realize that it had happened upon entering the building.
In no way at all am I disparaging hydrogen for brazing or the people that use it. I just do not believe that is fits in my operation. Brazing with hydrogen can be a very advantageous depending on the persons operation or set up. In fact, hydrogen is widely used as a brazing gas by jewelers. The biggest advantage for using hydrogen in this application is that hydrogen is a very clean gas. It can even be said to clean as it burns. Jewelers use a much smaller torch, making the safety risks much more minimal.
Tags: Brazing, hydrogen, torch brazing
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