Abstract: A process for welding metallic sections that includes providing first and second metallic sections to be welded together, and wherein the welded rail sections will include a weld fusion zone that further includes a weld terminus at each rail section; providing thermite welding dies for use in welding the metallic sections together; covering the thermite welding dies with an oxide displacing or oxide dissolving flux added locally to the edges of the thermite welding dies that are immediately adjacent to the weld fusion zone and the metallic sections; positioning the thermite welding dies on the metallic sections in the region where the metallic sections are to be joined together; and initiating an exothermic reaction between the thermite welding dies and the metallic sections by introducing molten metal into the region where the metallic sections are to be joined together, wherein the exothermic reaction creates a weld between the metallic sections.

Abstract: A process for welding metallic sections that includes providing first and second metallic sections to be welded together, and wherein the welded rail sections will include a weld fusion zone that further includes a weld terminus at each rail section; providing thermite welding dies for use in welding the metallic sections together; covering the thermite welding dies with an oxide displacing or oxide dissolving flux added locally to the edges of the thermite welding dies that are immediately adjacent to the weld fusion zone and the metallic sections; positioning the thermite welding dies on the metallic sections in the region where the metallic sections are to be joined together; and initiating an exothermic reaction between the thermite welding dies and the metallic sections by introducing molten metal into the region where the metallic sections are to be joined together, wherein the exothermic reaction creates a weld between the metallic sections.

Abstract: A system for drawn arc stud welding that includes a drawn arc stud welding device; a substrate; a stud for attachment to the substrate; a modified ferrule; and modified flux. The ferrule is placed around the stud in the welding device prior to attaching the stud to the substrate and further includes a ferrule body having inner and outer surfaces and top and bottom surfaces. The ferrule body has been modified to include tapered inner walls, smoothed inner surfaces, beveled inner surfaces, notched bottom surfaces, or combinations thereof. The flux has been bound to or integrated with the inner surfaces and bottom surfaces of the ferrule body and has been modified to have a particle size of less than about 1200 ?m. The flux is placed outside of the arc path generated by the stud welding device.