On the application of W/Cu materials in the fields of power engineering and plasma technology

The application of tungsten/copper materials produced by powder metallurgy as contacts and electrode materials in power engineering and plasma technology is discussed. These materials are suitable for use as electrodes in spark gaps, CO₂ lasers, and excimer lasers. By means of varying microstructure and tungsten content, as well as by introducing suitable additives, it is possible to optimize the material for quite a number of specialized tasks. The ways to influence the switching properties or the discharge behavior, respectively, are demonstrated with the aid of experimental results obtained in various applications of copper-tungsten materials. Application examples include switchgear, circuit breakers, transformer tap changer, vacuum contactors, vacuum load switches, contactors in a protective atmosphere, and electrodes for gas lasers