Transport properties in an electrode vapour contaminated arc in air

The electrical and thermal conductivities of air contaminated with electrode metal vapour from copper electrodes has been measured up to 8200 °K at atmospheric pressure using a modified form of Maecker's wall stabilized arc with a stabilizing hole 5 mm in diameter. The results of the study are compared with those of an uncontaminated arc in air. Both the conductivities are much greater than those for uncontaminated arc in air. This is believed to be due to the increased electron density by virtue of the lower ionization potential of copper. Energy transport by radiation is neglected in this study.