METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A COMPOSITE ELECTRODE FOR A PLASMA ARC TORCH

• Main Authors: LU, ZHIPENG, COUCH, RICHARD, W, FERLAND, KIRK, H, HACKETT, CHARLES, M, COOK, DAVID, J, YANG, YOUNG
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 18.04.2012
• Subjects: CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; TRANSPORTING; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

A plasma arc torch that includes a torch body having a nozzle mounted relative to a composite electrode in the body to define a plasma chamber. The torch body includes a plasma flow path for directing a plasma gas to the plasma chamber in which a plasma arc is formed. The nozzle includes a hollow, body portion and a substantially solid, head portion defining an exit orifice. The composite electrode can be made of a metallic material (e.g., silver) with high thermal conductivity in the forward portion electrode body adjacent the emitting surface, and the aft portion of the electrode body is made of a second low cost, metallic material with good thermal and electrical conductivity. This composite electrode configuration produces an electrode with reduced electrode wear or pitting comparable to a silver electrode, for a price comparable to that of a copper electrode.