BRAZING AND BRAZE WELDING

INTRODUCTION You will often see the word tinning used in

Braze welding and silver brazing are similar in connection with silver brazing and braze welding. The
surface of the base metal is said to be tinned when a very
many ways, but they are two different welding
thin continuous film of tiller metal precedes the main
processes. In silver brazing, a silver-base alloy is used part of the filler metal. Tinning can only occur on metal
as a filler metal and the base metal is NEVER melted. that has been cleaned, fluxed, and heated to the correct
The filler metal is distributed throughout the joint by temperature. If tinning does not occur, the main part of
capillary attraction. In braze welding, a copper-base the filler metal will not adhere to the base metal. Tinning
alloy is used as a filler metal and it is deposited in groove will be discussed later in this chapter.
and fillet welds exactly at the points where it is to be
used. Limited base metal fusion may also occur in braze
welding; capillary attraction is not a factor. SILVER BRAZING
Silver brazing is a process where coalescence is
produced by heating with a gas flame. It uses a silver
alloy filler metal with a melting point above 800°F, but
below the melting point of the base metal. The filler
metal is distributed in the joint by capillary attraction.
Let’s consider some everyday examples of the
process used in silver brazing. When you use a blotter,
the ink is drawn up into the blotter by capillary

9-1
attraction. The wick on an oil lamp can be lit because
the oil rises in the wick by capillary attraction. In each
of these examples, we have a liquid that moves into an
opening in a solid by the process called capillary
attraction. A basic rule of the process is that the distance
the liquid will be drawn into the opening in the solid
depends on the size of the opening in the solid. The
smaller the opening, the farther the liquid will be drawn
in.
This same capillary attraction causes the melted
filler metal used in silver brazing to be drawn into the
narrow clearance between the joining members.
Capillary attraction will not work unless the tiller metal
is in a fluid state and the size of the opening is quite
small (usually 0 to 0.012 depending on pipe or tube
size). Therefore, the application of heat and the use of
a very small clearance between joining members are Figure 9-1.—Lightweight oxyacetylene torches with flexible
essential to silver brazing. The heat is necessary to melt extension tubes.
the filler metal and to keep it molten. The small
clearance is necessary to allow capillary attraction to
draw the molten metal into the space between the joint
members.
You will often hear silver brazing called SILVER
SOLDERING or HARD SOLDERING. Silver brazing
is similar in many respects to soldering. The basic
distinction between a welding process and a soldering
process is that the metals or alloys used for a welding
process have melting points above 800°F, while those
used for a true (or SOFT) soldering process have
melting points below 800°F.

TORCHES
Figure 9-2.—Tip designs.
Silver brazing depends largely upon the operator’s
manipulation of the torch to control the application of
heat. A lightweight torch with or without a flexible The size of tip selected for the torch should be
extension tube (fig. 9-1) simplifies the silver brazing determined by the size and type of work to be done. For
procedure and helps reduce operator fatigue. The silver brazing sheet stock, for instance, you would
flexible extension tube is made of soft copper. It can be ordinarily use size 4, 5, or 6. Table 9-1 may be used as
bent as needed to heat the surfaces to be joined. a general guide.
Since one tip size cannot be used for making joints
on all thicknesses of metal, torches are provided with SILVER BRAZING FILLER METALS
various sizes of tips. Tips are designed to heat a large
area and still allow little or no “bounce” (reflected heat).
Figure 9-2 shows the shapes of the flame at the ends of Silver brazing filler metals are nonferrous metals or
different kinds of tips. alloys that have a melting temperature above 800°F, but
below the melting point of the base metal being joined.
The tip shown in view A of figure 9-2 has the lowest You may have heard these silver brazing filler metals
velocity and heats the largest area. This tip should be referred to as silver solder, hard solder, or brazing
used in joining with silver alloys. alloys, but the correct term is silver brazing filler metals.

9-2
 Table 9-1.—Tip Sizes and Gas Pressures for Silver Brazing Various Thicknesses of Metal

Tip No. (Bulbous- Drill Metal thickness Oxygen pressure Acetylene pressure
type tips) size (inches) (psi) (psi)

1 68 1/16 1.0 1.0

2 62 3/32 2.0 2.0
3 56 1/8 3.0 3.0
4 54 3/16 4.0 4.0
5 51 1/4 5.0 5.0
6 48 5/16 6.0 6.0
7 44 3/8 7.0 7.0
8 40 1/2 7.0 7.0
9 35 5/8 7.5 7.5
10 30 3/4 & over 9.0 9.0

Silver brazing filler metals covered in Grade V is used when the characteristics of grade
specifications have the following major characteristics: IV are required, but where close tolerances cannot be
maintained or when the addition of a filler is desired.
Low melting point Grade V should be used for brazing hard materials.
High tensile strength
FLUXES
High resistance to corrosion
Flows readily at the lower brazing temperatures All silver brazing operations require the use of a
flux. The flux prevents the oxidation of the metal
Brazes readily to copper and to copper alloys surfaces and removes oxides already present. Flux also
The metals commonly used for silver brazing filler increases the flow of the brazing filler metal and
metals include silver, copper, zinc, phosphorus, increases its ability to adhere to the base metal. It brings
cadmium, and nickel. The percentage of the various the brazing filler metal into immediate contact with the
metals determines the color, strength, melting point, and metals being joined and permits the tiller to penetrate
flow point of the filler metal. All grades of silver brazing the pores of the metal. Silver brazing flux (as specified
alloy can be obtained in strips, wires, pigs, shot, or in table 9-3) must be applied evenly to each brazing
chips, as required. surface.
Table 9-2 lists the silver brazing filler metals For best results, a flux must become active at a
commonly used. There are six different filler temperature slightly below the melting point of the filler
metals: grades 0, I, II, III, IV, and V. metal, and must remain fluid at the brazing temperature.
Regardless of the type of flux you select, you need to
Grades 0, I, and II are suitable for joining ferrous apply it in such a manner that all oxide film is removed.
metals. They cost less and are often used for large
quantities of work. You can get flux in three forms: liquid, paste, and
powder. When used either in paste form or in liquid
Grade III is used for brazing copper and
form, the flux is applied with a brush to both parts of
copper-base alloys. It is not intended for use with
the joint and to the filler metal. Use a circular motion to
ferrous metals.
brush it on, and let the flux extend outside the joint or
Grade IV is used for joining ferrous and nonferrous fitting. For best results, flux should be applied after
metals, except those having melting points lower than cleaning and before heating. Brush the flux on with a
the filler metal. circular motion to give a uniform coating and lessen the

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 Table 9-2.—Silver Brazing Metals Commonly Used

Brazing Filler Grade Melting and

Metal No. Composition (%) Flow Point1 Shape Color Suggested Use

Copper-silve r 0 Silver .................. 20 1430°F Strip Yellow Seal joints operating up to

1230°F. Suitable for
Copper ................ 45 1500°F joining ferrous metals.

Zinc ..................... 35

Copper-silve r I Silver .................. 45 1250°F Strip or Nearly Seal joints operating up to

wire. white. 1050°F. Suitable for
Copper ................ 30 1370°F joining ferrous metals.

Zinc ..................... 25

Copper-silve II Silver .................. 65 1280°F strip White High silver content

primarily for color match.
Copper ................ 20 1325°F Suitable for joining ferrous
metals.
Zinc ..................... 15

Copper-silver III Silver .................. 15 1200°F Strip or Gray- For brazing copper and
wire. white. copper-base alloys.
Copper ................ 80 1300°F

Phosphorous ..... 5

Copper-silve IV Silver .................. 50 1160°F Strip or Yellow- For brazing all ferrous and
wire. white. nonferrous metals except
Copper ................ 15 1175°F those having lower melting
points. Use only where
Zinc ..................... 17 proper tolerances can be
maintained.
Cadmium ............ 18

Copper-silve V Silver .................. 50 1195°F Strip or Yellow- For same applications as

wire. white. grade IV but where close
Copper ................ 15 1270°F tolerances cannot be
maintained. For brazing
Zinc ..................... 15 hard metals.

Cadmium ............ 17

Nickel ................... 3
1
In all instances, the lesser temperature indicates melting point and the higher temperature indicates flow point of the
brazing filler metal.

possibility of bare spots that will oxidize during heating. borax contains approximately 47 percent water of
Flux the filler metal by heating the filler rod and dipping crystallization (water that is chemically combined in a
it into the flux. Enough flux to do the job will stick to crystallized substance). When the borax is heated, this
the hot rod. water is driven off, and the borax appears to boil. Borax
Borax or a mixture of borax and other chemicals is may be mixed with water to form a paste. However,
most often used as a flux. Up to a certain point, heat borax can hold water, and it will quickly take up the
causes borax to swell and bubble. Common crystalline water and become crystalline borax again. If

9-4
 Table 9-3.—Types of Silver Brazing Fluxes Table 9-4.—Maximum Permissible Diametrical Clearances

Metals Fluxes MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE DIAMETRICAL

CLEARANCES1
Brass, copper, tin . . . Rosin
Lead . . . . . . . . . . Tallow, rosin Pipe or Tube Maximum Clearances (Inches)
Iron, steel . . . . . . . Borax sal ammoniac Size (Inches) at Ambient Temperature
Galvanized iron . . . . Zinc chloride
Class P-3a Class P-3b
Zinc . . . . . . . . . . Zinc chloride
Aluminum . . . . . . . Stearine, special flux 1/4 to 1/2 0.005 0.010
Inclusive
Over 1/2 to 1 0.006 0.010
Inclusive
commercial powdered borax is used, see that it is kept
in sealed glass jars. Over 1 0.008 0.012
1
If a prepared flux is not available, a mixture of 12 In fitting up joints for brazing, it is the respon-
parts of borax and 1 part boric acid may be used as a sibility of the fabricator to use a clearance within the
flux for brazing. limits established by this table, which assures
When you apply flux or assemble the parts, avoid conformity to inspection or test requirements set
handling the polished parts of the joint or you will defeat forth in this document or in other specifications or
the purpose of cleaning. If the parts are not assembled standards governing brazed piping systems.
immediately, the fluxed surfaces should be protected so
that the flux will not be contaminated by dirt or washed
or brushed off. If the coating of flux dries before the
parts are assembled, remove the old flux and apply a High-strength butt joints can be made if a joint
fresh coat of flux. It should always be applied as soon clearance between 0.001 and 0.003 inch can be
as a joint area is cleaned, even though it will not be maintained in the finished braze. The edges of the joint
brazed immediately. Joints that have been assembled must be perfectly square so that you have a uniform
but not brazed within 24 hours must be disassembled, clearance between all portions of the joint surfaces. Butt
recleaned, and refluxed before brazing. After you finish joints are usually used where you do not want the double
the brazing, allow the work to cool below 200°F before thickness of a lap joint. In these situations, the scarfjoint
cleaning the joint with warm water to remove the is probably better.
residue left by the flux. A scarf joint provides an increased area of bond
without increasing the thickness of the joint. The area
TYPES OF JOINTS of bond, however, depends on the angle at which the
edges of the joint are scarfed. Usually, you will want an
The filler metal used in silver brazing must be area of bond two to three times that of a butt joint in the
distributed by capillary action. Therefore, the joints same thickness of material. A 30-degree scarf angle
must be of a type that requires closeness of fit. In silver gives a bond area twice that of a 90-degree butt joint,
brazing there are three basic joint designs: lap, butt, and and a 19 1/2-degree scarf angle gives a bond area three
scarf. The joint members in which these designs are times that of a butt joint.
used may be flat, round, tubular, or irregular in cross
section. You will use modifications of these basic joint
designs. In some instances, you will add the silver
The lap joint design is used most frequently in silver brazing filler metal when the proper temperature has
brazing, especially in pipe work. Good practice requires been attained. In other instances, you will preplace the
a length of lap at least three times the thickness of the filler metal in the joint before heat is applied. This
metal being joined. The maximum permissible technique is common in pipe work where special
diametrical clearances used in silver brazing range from fittings containing preinserted rings of silver brazing.
0.01 to 0.012 depending on the pipe or tube size and filler metal are used. The technique is also used in sheet
the classification of the brazed piping system. (See table metal work involving locked scams. Here, you will
9-4.) place the silver brazing filler metal in the seam before

9-5
it is locked. The preplaced insert method produces a
strong leaktight joint in both sheet metal and pipe work.

SILVER BRAZING TECHNIQUES

You will need some knowledge of the principles of

heat flow through metals to understand silver brazing
techniques.
The following points are particularly important:
1. Heat always flows from a hotter area to a colder
area.
2. The process by which heat flows from molecule
to molecule through a metal (fig. 9-3) is called
conduction. Conduction takes place quite rapidly in
most metals, but air is a very poor conductor of heat.
Therefore, if two pieces of metal that are to be joined
by silver brazing are not in contact with each other, each
piece must be heated separately. If the two pieces are in
contact with each other, you can heat both by applying
heat to one of them. The second piece will be heated by Figure 9-4.—Flow of heat.
conduction from the first piece. These principles are
shown in figure 9-4.
3. In the molten state, filler metal flows from the
colder toward the hotter areas on a heated surface.
Therefore, you might say that the filler metal flows in a
direction OPPOSITE to the direction of flow of the heat.
This principle is shown in figure 9-5.
4. The filler metal and the flux used in silver
brazing cannot occupy the same space at the same time.
Therefore, a clearance must be provided in the setup of
the joint so that the filler metal can flow in and the flux
can flow out. Heat should be applied in the manner
shown in figure 9-6 so that the flux will flow out when Figure 9-5.—Flow of molten filler metal.
the filler metal reaches the bonding temperature.

5. Heat travels faster through some metals than

through others (fig. 9-7). All metals and alloys have
high conductivity as compared with most other
substances, but there is a good deal of variation in the
speed with which various metals and alloys will conduct
heat. Copper, for example, is a very rapid conductor of
heat. When two pieces of different metals are to be
joined by silver brazing, the difference in heat
conductivity of the two metals causes some problems
in heating. For example, if you are trying to join a steel
part and a copper part by silver brazing, you will find
that the steel part reaches the joining temperature more
Figure 9-3.—Conduction of heat. rapidly and has a tendency to overheat because the heat

9-6
 Figure 9-6.—Flow of flux and filler metal.

is carried away from it more slowly. The copper part,

on the other hand, conducts heat away from the brazing
area more rapidly than does the steel part. Therefore,
more heat is required to bring the copper part to the
brazing temperature.
Control of heat is one of the most difficult parts of
silver brazing. To do it properly, you must manipulate
the torch correctly, and you must remember the points
just discussed concerning the flow of heat through
metals. Basically, the problem of heat control in silver
brazing is one of bringing BOTH parts to the correct
temperature at the same time. If one piece is hot enough
but the other is not, the filler metal will flow onto the
hot piece, but it will not bond to the cooler piece.
If you have heavy and thin metal sections that must Figure 9-7.—Relative rate of heat flow through copper,
be silver brazed, be careful to avoid overheating the thin nickel-copper alloy, and steel.
part. A good example is the silver brazing of thin copper
tubing to a heavy cast fitting. If the same amount of heat preheated for best brazing results. Preheating may be
were applied to the tubing as to the casting, the tubing done with a forge, a furnace, or a welding torch.
would be overheated and probably burned. Therefore, Joints must be clean and properly fitted for
most of the heat must be directed toward the heavier satisfactory silver brazing. All parts to be brazed must
part. Frequently, heavy parts and large areas must be be thoroughly cleaned to remove surface scale, oxide,

9-7
 Figure 9-8.—Applying heat for silver brazing a tube and fitting.

oil, and grease. Any one or a combination of the Rust and corrosion should be removed by sanding,
following methods must be used for the cleaning of grinding, sandblasting, wire brushing, or filing. Oil and
scale and oxides or other foreign substances: grease should be removed with solutions of
trichloroethylene or trisodium phosphate, not by heat.
Abrasive cloth, followed by wiping with an The cleaned surfaces should not be handled un-
acetone-, alcohol-, or water-damp clean cloth. necessarily. When parts have been cleaned and the
Stainless steel wire brush, hand or rotary, elapsed time before fluxing is more than 8 hours, the
parts should be recleaned. Brazing alloy should be free
followed by wiping with an acetone-, alcohol-,
of all visible oxides, grease, oil, or other foreign
or water damp clean cloth. substances when assembled or fed into the joint. Never
Metallic stainless steel wool followed by wiping try to braze dirty metal.
with an acetone-, alcohol-, or water-damp clean Use a slightly carburizing flame to apply heat with
cloth. the oxyacetylene torch for brazing with a silver-base
filler metal. Select a torch tip to suit the type of work
Commercial cleaning solutions or degreasing you are doing. Ordinarily a size 4, 5, or 6 tip is suitable
baths may be used when included in an approved for silver brazing. Keep the inner cone of the flame from
brazing procedure or specification. one-fourth to one-half inch away from the metal. Play

9-8
the flame over the surface with a circular, sweeping surface not yet up to temperature. Play the torch over a
motion so that you obtain uniform heating of the parts 2- or 3-inch section of the fitting. That will cause the
to be joined. The flame should be soft so that it will not fitting to stretch or open up and let whatever remaining
blow or boil the molten filler metal. flux is present run out. Hold the torch off the work and
Bring up the temperature of the parts until the flux the fitting will return to normal size and force the filler
on them is melted. Continue heating the parts to be metal to the edge of the fitting. You may be sure that a
joined until they are hot enough to melt the tiller rod. good joint is formed when you can see the filler metal
The filler should be melted by the heat of the joint, not at one or both edges of the joined area. Figure 9-9 shows
by the flame. It should flow like water wherever the flux the step-by-step process of brazing by the insert method.
has been applied. Avoid overheating. Use just enough
heat to get the parts of the joint hot enough to melt the
filler metal so that it can flow.
Two methods are used to make joints with silver-
base brazing filler metal: the insert method and the
feed-in method (more commonly referred to as face
feeding). With either method, the parts must be
adequately supported during heating to maintain
alignment and tolerances or fit. The work must be held
firmly in position until the silver brazing tiller metal
has completely solidified.
When you use the insert method, insert a strip of the
silver-base filler metal in the joint before assembly.
Before brazing the parts, clean them with emery cloth,
sandpaper, or some other abrasive, and apply flux with
a brush. Next, fit the two parts together and align them.
Then, light-off the torch and direct the heat on the tube
or thinner portion, as shown in figure 9-8. The lines
drawn on the tube indicate the path of the torch while
the tube is being heated.
Heat applied to the tubing causes it to swell. This
brings the surface of the tube into contact with the inside
surface of the fitting. The clearance area is closed,
forcing the flux from either end of the joint. Be sure to
heat the entire circumference of the tube until the flux
begins to flow. Flux flow tells you that the tube has
expanded sufficiently, and signals you to proceed to the
second phase of heating. The flux flows freely shortly
after fluidity becomes apparent. At that time, direct the
flame to that portion of the fitting hub farthest from the
junction of the tube and the fitting. Sweep the flame
over the joint segment in a circular motion until the
brazing filler metal appears at the junction of the pipe
and fitting. At that moment, flick the torch away so that
the flame wipes toward the pipe. This completes one
segment of the joint. Repeat the procedure until all
segments are completed. A satisfactory joint shows a
continuous ring of filler metal at the end of the fitting.
The ring must be smooth and concave.
In the insert method, the filler metal will not leave
the recess unless both parts are at the proper bonding
temperature. One of the parts may be up to temperature
while the other is not. At that point, the filler metal will
not flow because it will be cooled or quenched by the Figure 9-9.—Insert method of silver brazing.

9-9
 The feed-in method, sometimes called the face- shipbuilding, overhaul, or component specification.
feed method, is accomplished by feeding the filler Unless otherwise specified, all P-3a special category
metal by hand into the area to be joined. Remember systems (often referred to as P-3a critical systems)
that the filler metal always flows along a heated will be flushed according to one of the following
surface from the cooler to the hotter section. In procedures:
other words, the filler metal flows toward the
—Hot flush with fresh water for 1 hour while
source of heat or to the point where the heat is
being applied. Feed the tiller metal to the outer ensuring that the temperature at any part of the system
edge of the joint while you direct heat to the inner does not go below 110°F.
edge of the joint. Figure 9-10 illustrates the step-
by-step technique for brazing a joint by the feed-in
method.
The parts to be joined are cleaned and fluxed in
the same manner as in the insert method. When
the parts are fitted together, the clearance area is
tilled with flux. After aligning the parts, apply
heat as previously described. Then apply heat to
the fitting or the inner edge of the joint at the same
time that the filler metal is fed at the outer edge of
the joint. The filler metal will flow toward the
hottest section. This means it will flow through the
joint toward the point at which heat is being applied.
It is left entirely to your judgment to decide when
both parts are properly heated and when to feed the
filler metal. It is also left to your judgment to decide
when enough filler metal has been fed into the joint
to completely fill the space between the two parts
being joined. Skillful torch manipulation is
necessary to apply heat to the proper point to cause
the filler metal to flow from the cooler to the hotter
section. Filler metal visible at the edge of the joint
does not necessarily indicate that the entire joint is
filled.
The difference, then, between making a joint by
the insert method and by the feed-in method is in
procedure. When using the insert method, you heat
a section and remove the torch with a wiping
motion, which causes the filler metal to flow from
the insert. In the feed-in method, after you heat a
section, you must direct the flame to the inside
edge of the joint while the filler metal is being fed in
at the outside edge of the fitting.
After the joint has cooled, clean the joint area
with a wire brush and warm water to remove flux,
scale, and discoloration. If flux is allowed to
remain on the joint area, it will cause corrosion
and future failure of the joint. After cooling and
prior to performance of pressure or leak testing,
completed piping systems should be cleaned and
flushed to the extent necessary to ensure
satisfactory operation of the system and components
in service. Special cleaning, when required, will
be according to the specified requirements in the