The link takes me to Gold Gas StainMix which as you note contains 3% carbon dioxide with 97% argon making up the balance. That is different from Airgas' StainMix 3 which contains argon, helium, and carbon dioxide.

Whereas the shielding gas is an essential variable, it is important to know exactly what the gas mix is. Propriety blends are good for the supplier, but they can be disastrous for the user if the supplier decides to discontinue marketing it because the margin is too slim or for some other business related reason.

I insist on listing the generic blend and if the supplier will not provide it, I go elsewhere for my shielding gas. Locking yourself to a single supplier is a stupid move in today’s business world. Companies are bought and sold like baseball cards on a grammar school playground. Suppliers come and go month by month.

There are worse things, but it is still no walk in the park to have some counter jockey give the welder the wrong gas mix with a comment like, “This is almost the same, it just has a slightly different mix.” The slightly different mix may well invalidate the WPS, PQR, and all the welding performed with the “incorrect gas.” Meanwhile the welder is left scratching his head and wondering why the welding machine is acting so peculiar.

Thanks for your help. It was well intended and I appreciate your effort. However, it reinforces my position that designating shielding gases by propriety brand names is bad business from the end user's prospective. The names maybe similar, but the gas blends may be very different.

Best regards - Al