Thermite welding

A process for welding rail sections, comprising:

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

A process for welding rail sections, comprising:

• (a) providing first and second rail sections, wherein the first and second rail sections are to be welded together, and wherein the welded rail sections include a weld fusion zone that further includes a weld terminus at each rail section;
• (b) providing thermite welding dies for use in welding the rail sections together;
• (c) adding an oxide displacing or oxide dissolving flux to the thermite welding dies, wherein the flux is added as an insert to the thermite welding dies to cover the weld terminus at each rail section;
• (d) positioning the thermite welding dies on the rail sections in the region where the rail sections are to be joined together;
• and
• (e) initiating an exothermic reaction between the thermite welding dies and the rail sections by introducing molten metal into the region where the rail sections are to be joined together, wherein the exothermic reaction creates a weld between the rail sections.