Influence of the current magnitude and working gas temperature on electrode erosion in the discharge chambers of high-power pulsed plasmatrons

Results are presented from experimental studies of the erosion of different electrode materials in the discharge chambers of high-power pulsed plasmatrons—the main component of light-gas electric-discharge accelerators of solid bodies. The specific erosion as a function of both the discharge current and the mass-average temperature of the working gas (hydrogen) is determined. The experiments were carried out at discharge currents of 300–1400 kA, average gas temperatures of 700–4500 K, electric charges of 70–700 C, initial hydrogen pressures of up to 42 MPa, and pulsed gas pressures in the chamber of 100–520 MPa.