Tensile Analysis of TIG Welded Steel Rods with Varying Joint Angles

Welding is one of the most widely used joining processes in structural and mechanical applications, where joint configuration plays a critical role in determining the mechanical performance of welded components. In the present work, an experimental investigation is carried out to study the tensile behavior of TIG welded mild steel rods with varying joint angles. Five mild steel specimens of equal dimensions were prepared with joint angles of 0° (horizontal), 15°, 30° and 45°. The specimens were joined using Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding under similar welding conditions to ensure consistency. Tensile testing was performed on all welded specimens using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) to evaluate load carrying capacity, deformation behavior, and failure characteristics. Load–displacement data obtained during testing was used to plot stress–strain curves for comparative analysis. The experimental results indicate that joint angle has a significant influence on tensile strength and ductility of welded joints. The horizontal (0°) joint exhibited the highest ductility and stable fracture behavior, while inclined joints showed reduced elongation due to stress concentration effects. Higher joint angles induced combined shear and bending stresses, leading to premature failure, predominantly near the weld metal and heat affected zone (HAZ). The study concludes that lower joint angles provide better stress distribution and improved tensile performance in TIG welded mild steel rods. The findings of this research are useful for optimizing joint design in welded structures subjected to tensile loading and provide a basis for further investigations involving fatigue behavior, microstructural analysis, and numerical simulation.