Abstract: The selection of shielding gas as a key factor in GTAW welding process affects the arc morphology and arc thermal efficiency, which further has a profound impact on the quality of weld formation and the welding efficiency. The influence mechanism of different gases in GTAW welding were introduced firstly, and it was found that single shielding gas exhibited limitations, then the advantages of the mixed shielding gas were presented, and then the numerical simulation and experimental study of GTAW welding with binary and ternary shielding gases were taxonomic reviewed. The influence of different atmosphere protection on the physical properties of arc, joint quality and microstructure were clarified, and the mechanism of the physical properties of the arc affecting the forming of the molten pool is further discussed. Comprehensively comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of arc performance, and optimization of the shielding gas ratio to improve welding quality and efficiency were proposed. Finally, the review provided an outlook on the future direction of research on GTAW gas mixtures, importance of developing new low cost, high performance ternary shielding gases which meet a wider range of welding needs and the application scenarios were further emphasized.