Re: Tungsten,2% Thoriated or Pure?

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Teslacoil Workshop" <workshop@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Bingo!!! You got it 100% right... Radioactivity doesn't help in a TC
application and we are ablating too much tungsten dust compared to welding
to make cross comparisons about the relative safety of adding alpha emitters
to tungsten.

Jeff


> Joe,
>
> The objection to the use of thoriated gap elements is that thorium is
> a naturally radioactive alpha particle emitter.  There is a small but
> measurable amount of gap erosion during TC operation, with some of
> that electrode material being converted to fine airborne radioactive dust.
> I think that many coilers are willing to sacrifice a small amount of
> gap efficiency to reduce the risk of lung cancer.
> Dave
>