March/April 2014

THE REAL WORLD FOR WELDING PROFESSIONALS

Preventing weld
defects through
consumable care

Better brazing
tips and techniques

An official publication of the Fabricators &

Manufacturers Association, International®
www.practicalwelding.com
Oxyfuel brazing
primer
Info, tips, and tricks
for an optimal
process

By Robert Henson and

David Gailey

O
xyfuel brazing is a simple yet
effective method for joining
metal that produces sound,
leakproof connections. In brazing, an
oxyfuel torch is used to heat the base
metal to the correct temperature—above
the melting point of the filler metal but
below the base metal’s melting point.
Capillary action then draws the melt-
ed filler metal between the two closely
fitted surfaces to form an ideal seal.
When oxyfuel brazing is chosen
over welding for metal joining it is
because the process is simple to perform,
does not melt or otherwise distort the
base metals, and allows for high toler-
ance control. Another reason that many
people opt for brazing is the ability to
produce joints without the need for
secondary finishing and to allow joining
of dissimilar materials.
Manual oxyfuel brazing of copper is
common throughout industry, especially
in air-conditioning and refrigeration
applications. Here’s a primer on the
popular process.

Oxyfuel brazing is a simple yet effective metal

joining method that produces sound, leakproof
connections. Be sure you are familiar with the
common brazing alloys, how to prepare the base
metal and fittings, and navigate through poten-
tial pitfalls to ensure optimal results.
Cover Story

Differentiating Between melting point. This alloy family is the lar abrasive will work just fine. Use
Soldering and Brazing most frequently used for copper brazing commercial solvents to remove oil and
(it is not designed to braze steel or other grease and then wipe down the tube and
One of the main differences between ferrous metals). fitting surfaces with a clean, dry cloth.
brazing and soldering is working tem- BAg (Ag = Silver). This alloy typi- If one metal is brass or bronze, you
perature. Soldering takes place below cally contains roughly 20 to 72 percent must use a flux. Apply a thin layer of
840 degrees F and uses tin as the pri- silver and can be used to braze copper flux with a brush and assemble the tubes
mary alloying element. Braze alloys are with a flux, but most often is used to and fittings. Maintain support so that
copper-based and tend to melt at higher braze copper to other metals like brass the workpiece remains aligned properly,
temperatures—above 1,190 degrees or steel. at least until a few seconds after brazing.
F for copper joining. Both soldering HVAC, medical gas, and other criti-
and brazing provide seals via the previ- Make Sure Tubes and Fittings cal applications require an inert gas—
ously mentioned capillary action, where
the melted filler flows into the space
Are Square and Clean typically nitrogen—to purge the inside
Properly prepared base metal is a key of the tube during brazing. The nitrogen
between a tube and fitting, known as the displaces the oxygen and prevents oxide
capillary space, and adheres to the tube factor in successful brazing. Cut the
tube or pipe with a tube cutter to scale from forming inside the tube.
and fitting surfaces. Brazing delivers
greater fatigue resistance and developed exact length and square. If you are using
a hacksaw, be sure to use a sawing fixture
Remember to Add Heat
joint strength than soldering.
Brazing is used in both repair and to achieve a square cut. Also, remove Uniformly
high-volume manufacturing. While any burrs from the inside and outside Most oxyfuel brazing processes call for
repair entails manual brazing, manu- diameters and make sure that the tube is a slightly carburizing or neutral flame.
facturing uses manual and automated not out of round (see Figure 1). A neutral flame has a bright-blue,
brazing in operations large and small. The joint surface areas must be clean, well-defined inner cone, while a carbu-
For example, residential air condition- so remove oil, grease, or oxide contami- rizing flame has a less defined, or feath-
ers, with thousands sold of each model, nation. A stainless steel wire brush, ered, inner cone. Carburizing flames,
requires automated flame brazing of emery cloth, Scotch Brite®, or simi- if correctly set, remove surface oxides
copper U-bends in an assembly line
production method. Commercial air-
conditioning units, on the other hand,
are often batch-produced in smaller
volumes. For these assemblies, manual
brazing provides the necessary versatility
and efficiency.

Common Brazing Alloys for Copper

Copper-to-copper joining primarily
employs two families of brazing alloys,
designated by the American Welding
Society as BCuP and BAg.
BCuP (B = Brazing; Cu = Cop-
per; P = Phosphorus). This is a
copper-phosphorous alloy that contains
anywhere from 0 to 18 percent silver.
Phosphorus serves as a deoxidizer, which
eliminates the need for a separate chemi-
cal flux. It also lowers the alloy’s melt-
ing point. Silver acts as a wetting agent
to improve adherence, and its addition FIGURE 1
also contributes to lowering the alloy’s Be sure to remove any burrs from the tube inside and outside diameters in preparation for brazing.
from the copper and help improve the
appearance. Avoid an oxidizing flame.
Remember, the goal is cleaning and flux-
ing to remove metal oxide and protect
the part during heating. The oxidizing
flame promotes oxidation, which will
inhibit braze-alloy flow.
To start, apply the flame at a point
just adjacent to the fitting and heat the
tube first (see Figure 2).
Then work the flame alternately
around the tube and fitting (see Figure
3) using short motions until both reach
brazing temperature.
Keep in mind that flux is a good
temperature indicator. Continue heat-
ing until the flux completes a bubbling
phase and becomes quiet, fluid, and
transparent—like water. This is a vi-
sual cue that parts are close to brazing
temperature. To maintain uniform heat
FIGURE 3
in the tube and fitting, sweep the flame After first heating the tube, work the flame alternately around the tube and fitting using short mo-
back and forth along the axis of the tions until both reach brazing temperature.
tube, joint, and fitting.
Next up is adding the brazing alloy. Again, do this only after the base If the brazing alloy must move
metals have been heated to brazing vertically up from the tube into the
Apply Brazing Alloy, temperature. Direct the flame to the tip joint, apply heat to the tube first, then
Ensure Joint Fill of the brazing alloy to begin the melting the fitting, ultimately bringing both
The brazing alloy, in wire or rod form, process and continue sweeping the flame pieces to temperature evenly. Keep
should be fed into the joint between the back and forth over the tube and fitting the flame directed toward the fitting,
tube and fitting (see Figure 4). as the alloy is drawn into the joint. because if the tube overheats, the
brazing alloy may run down the tube
rather than into the joint.
The alloy will fill all joint areas,
assuming that you have prepared the joint
properly, reached brazing temperature,
and selected the appropriate brazing alloy.
There’s no need to feed more brazing
alloy once the joint is filled; doing so
offers no added benefits and only wastes
the alloy.
As soon as the brazing alloy has set, use
a wet swab or brush on the joint end to
remove any flux residue. An emery cloth
or a wire brush can be used if necessary.
For proper inspection and pressure
testing, be sure to remove all residue. If
the process is performed properly, brazing
will deliver a fully sealed joint.

FIGURE 2 Avoid Typical Brazing Pitfalls

To start the heating process, apply the flame at a point just adjacent to the fitting and heat the As with any joining process, there
tube first. are pitfalls. Here are some common
coating of flux will help.
Pitfall No. 3: The brazing alloy
balls up instead of running into the
joint. Either the base metals have not
reached brazing temperature, and the
alloy has been melted by the torch
flame, or the joint has overheated,
resulting in flux that no longer is active.
Review the heating procedure. Another
possibility is that the base metals are
not properly cleaned.
Pitfall No. 4: The brazing alloy
flows away from, instead of into, the
joint. The fitting may not have reached
the proper brazing temperature. Direct
the flame toward the fitting.
Pitfall No. 5: The brazing alloy
cracks after it solidifies. With copper
connections especially, a likely cause is
insufficient braze penetration into the
joint. This may cause the brazing alloy
to crack under stress or vibration. Be
sure to hold to recommended clearance
and review your brazing technique.
This also can occur if you are brazing
FIGURE 4 dissimilar base metals, especially if they
Feed the brazing alloy into the joint between the tube and fitting. The alloy will fill all joint areas
are quenched too quickly. Let the joint
as long as you’ve properly prepared the base metal, reached the correct brazing temperature, and
selected the correct alloy. Don’t feed more brazing alloy once the joint is filled. cool for a longer period before you wash
off the flux residue. n

problems that you may encounter as fitting to raise the inside temperature. Robert Henson is technical director and
well as some advice on how to fix them. Pitfall No. 2: The flux has broken David Gailey is manager of specialty products
Pitfall No. 1: The outside of the down due to excessive heat. Flux at Harris Products Group, a Lincoln Electric
joint is hot, but the inside is not hot can become saturated with oxides if it Company, 4501 Quality Place, Mason, OH
45040, 513-754-2000, www.harrisproducts
enough. Remember to heat the tube is overheated, preventing flow of the group.com.
first, which will conduct heat into the brazing alloy. A softer flame or a heavier

Eprinted and posted with permission to Harris Products Group from PRACTICAL WELDING TODAY®
March/April © 2014 FMA Communications Inc.

Harris Products Group

Consumable Customer Service 1-800-733-4043
Equipment Customer Service 1-800-241-0804
www.harrisproductsgroup.com