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Re: Tool Steel's



Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Hey Glen...

"oxidation" is going to occur on any type of metal used in a spark gap... the reason we use copper is for the cooling properties and electrical conductivity. Other metals cool alot slower than copper and eventually will become hot enough to maintain an arc alot longer then copper. The voltages used in a sparkgap are high enough to destroy almost anything conductive ( not too sure about diamonds tho) save the money and use the copper :)

Scot D"

Many of the spark gaps used in "wireless telegraphy" had electrodes made of zinc. Don't know its relative merits but copper was probably no more expensive so "there must have been a reason" - maybe.

Ed