Selecting the correct tungsten electrodes is important to getting high-quality welds and making your welding easier. Some important factors to be considered in making the right choice are type of power source (Inverter or transformer), material to be welded (steel, aluminum or stainless steel) and the thickness of the material.

HTP offers the following premium quality tungsten ground to a high quality finish. All tungsten is 7" long and can be purchased individually.

Pure Tungsten (TP) - green tip - Pure tungsten readily forms a ball on the end. It is generally used with transformer-based power sources for AC welding of aluminum.

2% Thoriated Tungsten (TT2) - red tip - This tungsten is the most common tungsten currently being used. It is generally utilized for DC welding of steel and stainless steel and offers good overall performance. A drawback is that this tungsten has a low level radiation hazard.

2% Ceriated Tungsten (TC2) - grey tip - 2% ceriated is an excellent substitute for 2% thoriated tungsten if you are using a transformer-based power source for DC welding. This tungsten is popular for thinner materials because it requires less amperage to start. It offers a stable arc and can be used for both AC and DC welding with inverter power sources.

2% Lanthanated Tungsten (TL2) - blue tip - 2% lanthanated is probably the most popular substitute for 2% thoriated tungsten. It offers good arc starting characteristics and longer life than 2% thoriated. It can be used for both AC and DC welding with both inverter and transformer power sources.