Time variation in copper cathode erosion rate for long-duration arcs

摘要: It has generally been assumed that the erosion rate of arc cathodes is independent arcing time. Results are given from two different systems which show this not true for water-cooled copper over 45 and 100 A arcs were rotated up to one hour in air at atmospheric pressure several speeds. In all cases an increasing function with time can be represented by a power law. The results seem support recent model it suggested relatively thick oxide films occurs globules leaving submicron-diameter craters depth order thickness.