Magnetic field influence on pulsed air arc anode mass loss

Abstract

Anode mass loss was studied in pulsed air arcs between two electrode pairs, 99.99% Ni/Ni and 99.5% Cu/Cu, in a transverse magnetic field. In both cases the anode mass loss decreased (by a factor of 2 for Cu and by a factor of 6 for Ni) when the magnetic field was increased up to 15–20 Oe and then remained approximately constant for Cu and decreased weakly for Ni. The observed dependences of anode mass loss were explained by the published behaviour of an arc motion in a magnetic field. The lattice parameter was decreased by the discharge treatment. The decrease was attributed to residual tensile stress produced on the arced surface. The lattice parameter of Ni increased with magnetic field, while for Cu it did not change substantially. The different behaviour is attributed to the magneto-plastic effect on magnetic Ni, which increases the plasticity with magnetic field.