Re: titanium or silver for spark gap ?

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: titanium or silver for spark gap ?
• From: "Edward Wingate" <ewing7-at-rochester.rr-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 17:35:34 -0700
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Tesla List wrote:

> Original Poster: "Jon Lagler" <rockcrawl-at-netzero-dot-net>
>
> Hello,
>  I have available to me some titanium contactor tips about 1/2-3/4" round.
> They are designed for switching low voltage (24-48v) loads at up to 500 amps
> DC. They have a lifetime warranty for their intended use. I was wondering if
> they would hold up in a static or rotary spark gap. What about silver
> contact tips?
>
> Thanks,
> Jon
>
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Jon,

Titanium for contactor points? Titanium burns in air in a fashion similar to
magnesium. It also forms a very thin oxide coating almost immediately on
exposure to air. I have no idea why it would be used for contacts.

We have machined a great deal of titanium for the space program at the
prototype
shop where I work at the Big Yellow Box and we have to be very careful with
small machining chips and grinding dust from titanium. Fine titanium dust will
spontaneously combust if not wetted by coolant or water and burns with a white
hot flame.

At any rate, I would definitely not use it for either stationary or rotary gap
electrodes. Ditto silver because silver won't hold up.

You can tell for sure if you have real titanium or high titanium content alloy
by grinding it on a belt sander or bench grinder. It produces bright pure white
sparks that are unmistakeable!

Ed Wingate RATCB

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