Erosion characteristics of copper-based composite electrodes in an electric arc of variable length with transverse gas blowing

We present experimental data on the erosion of electrodes made of copper-based pseudoalloys during contact breaking at current amplitudes up to 150 kA in nitrogen at a pressure of $\sim$2 MPa with transverse gas blowing. The electric-erosion characteristics of copper–iron pseudoalloy CuFe (85/15%) electrodes obtained by laser layer melting, as well as CuFe (70/30%) and CuW (25/75%) pseudoalloy electrodes fabricated by traditional powder technology (sintering of pressed powder compacts) are reported. The specific erosion of electrodes in variable-length arc amounts to $\sim$1 mg/C, which somewhat exceeds the value observed for a fixed-length arc discharge gap.