Welding with Laughing Gas ?!!

[v8250]

Now here's a part humorous, part serious question...is it possible to weld with laughing gas?

Chatting with one of the technicians in the office today [like us he's a BIG petrol head, into drag racing with 700-800bhp, serving as part time team mechanic at w/e's] and jokingly we wondered if laughing gas could be used as a welding gas? Sounds odd? Well laughing gas is of course nitrous oxide, which at room temperature is quite stable but, of course, provides quite a PUNCH when used in different applications and when exposed to compression and heat [ignition].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide

So what's answer chaps...?

[black and green]

I suspect not, nitrous when heated liberates oxygen which would cause the weld to oxidise or burn. Just my 2p, I'm not a scientist.

[liner33]

No as said nitrous is an oxidiser plus welding gases are cheaper

Its the extra fuel that gives the punch not the nitrous that just allows the fuel to burn

[SV8Predator]

The clue's in the name: MIG

Metal INERT Gas. (Thus it shields.)

Nitrous is not inert (as posted above).

[PaulKemp]

There is also MAG, Metal Active Gas
Welding course I did was called MIG/MAG welding

[liner33]

I presumed he was talking about gas welding not electric

[Mr2Mike]

liner33 said:

I presumed he was talking about gas welding not electric

Nitrous oxide is not a fuel so it couldn't be used by itself. It could be mixed with a fuel gas e.g. propane, but it wouldn't be as good as pure oxygen because 1) it's mainly composed of nitrogen which could spoil the weld, 2) Oxygen is cheaper.

[Upatdawn]

tell him to try it

please put the video on youtube