当今复杂的焊接技术要求了解焊剂的配方、制造、性能和使用。在美国，覆盖电极、埋弧、药芯焊丝、电渣、钎焊和氧乙炔技术中使用的焊剂总量每年可能超过4亿磅。在今天的美国，涂层焊条的平均覆盖率约为每年6-7亿磅生产量的25%，这一事实表明了焊剂的重要性。导致适当焊剂配方的技术很少被了解。希望通过介绍焊剂技术的一些原理，能够提高通过熔渣/金属反应获得的焊缝金属质量。在制备助焊剂时，化合物的选择和精确配方将取决于许多因素，包括技术和生产经济。

The complex welding technology of today demands an understanding of the formulation, manufacture, performance, and use of welding fluxes. The volume of fluxes used in covered-electrode, submerged-arc, flux-cored wire, electroslag, brazing, and oxyacetylene techniques, has grown to a total of probably over 400 million pounds per year in the United States. The fact that in the U. S. today the covering on coated electrodes averages approximately 25% of the 600 to 700-million pound annual production is an indication of the importance of welding fluxes. The technology leading to proper flux formulation has been little understood. It is hoped that a presentation of some of the principles of welding flux technology will provide an appreciation of improved quality of weld metal obtained through slag/metal reactions. The choice of compounds and the exact formulation in the preparation of a flux will depend upon many factors, including both technical and production economies.