Zirconated

Zirconated tungsten electrodes — 0.8% zirconium oxide, white tip — from UNIMIG and North Welding Products in 1.6mm to 4.8mm. This is the classic AC tungsten for aluminium and magnesium: it forms a stable balled end, resists spitting tungsten into the weld pool and tolerates the extra heat AC puts back into the electrode.

Why choose zirconated tungsten for AC aluminium work?

On AC, the electrode-positive half-cycle hammers the tungsten with heat. Zirconated tungsten keeps a clean, stable molten ball under that load, where a sharp DC-style tungsten would erode and contaminate the weld. Size up rather than down — an overloaded thin tungsten spits, and tungsten inclusions in aluminium are an X-ray fail.

WeldCo's Melbourne and Adelaide branches stock zirconated tungstens with the aluminium filler to match.