Aluminium
Fume will be produced during welding and cutting of aluminium and its alloys. The fume is composed of particulate fume, which you can see, and gaseous fume, which you cannot see. For all aluminium alloys any particulate fume produced during welding or cutting will be composed mainly of aluminium oxide. How much is produced depends largely on the process and the consumables being used. MIG welding and plasma cutting tend to produce the most particulate fume, while TIG, plasma, and gas welding processes tend to produce least fume. MMA welding, when used, will give particulate fume containing aluminium chlorides and fluorides. The open arc processes, such as MIG, TIG, and plasma welding tend to generate ozone at high currents, and this is the most significant component of the gaseous fume. Production of fume is influenced by the welding parameters used. In general, the higher the current the more fume there is. The shielding gas, where one is used, can also have a significant effect, argon-rich gases tending to generate more ozone than helium-rich gases. In terms of health effects the particulate aluminium oxide fume is not thought to be harmful but ozone certainly is. It is a highly reactive, toxic, gas and respiratory protection may be needed to reduce exposure to as low a level as practicable.
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