The answer to this is a resounding no. The tungsten will disintegrate with out any shield gas. There will be no welding happening period. I read the other guys answer and it's so far out to lunch it's a joke. First off its spelled porosity not perosity and this other bullshit about by the the other

To strike the welding arc, a high frequency generator (similar to a Tesla coil) provides an electric spark. This spark is a conductive path for the welding current through the shielding gas and allows the arc to be initiated while the electrode and the work piece are separated, typically about 1.5–3