Welding-Proof Materials
Contents
Basics
- (^This may need a better title, but anyways)
- This page aims to go over materials that are capable of being used in Welding PPE especially in areas near the arc / "splash zone"
- Mainly
- Welding Gloves
- Welding Helmets
- Stick Welding Electrode Holders
- Ground Clamps
- Tools used in manipulating objects being welded such as Chipping Hammers , Pliers , Locking Pliers / Vice Grips etc
Metal
- Assuming it is either large enough to adsorb + radiate/conduct heat away it shouldn't melt/become ductile so works in many applications
- Main issue is electrical + thermal conductivity
- Also gradual oxidation / "burning" leading to failure of pins and other small components
Leather / Leather Like Materials
- Leather is essentially *skin that has been chemically modified to not rot*, it can char and acts as a sort of Ablative Material + Insulator + Cut Resistant Material all in one
- Leather Like Materials (NOT Pleather as that is just plastic designed to look/feel like leather, not act like it in engineering applications) are either Cell Culture Based, or can also be Biomaterials processed in a similar manner to similar properties
- SCOBY Leather is the main example
- These also have the advantage of being able to be in near infinite sheets and rolls, rather than being limited to the size + shape of corpse you can get
- Also removes any ethical issues and *may* reduce cost (Pile of factors, and agricultural subsidies and whatnot in play, as well as Economies of Scale )
Insulation and Fire Retardant Materials
Things that may ordinarily burn such as Cotton / Reformed Cellulose and Plastics can be used if they are made to contain Fire Retardant Additives and/or are made insulating enough that heat + fire can not propagate far from the spark/slag
- Metallization can also help with the Radiant Heat
- Need more info on the durability of Aluminized Welding Gloves etc (Also electrical conductivity / capacitance hazard?)
