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Method of making a cathode from tungsten and iridium powders using a strontium peroxide containing material as the impregnant

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6427585

This invention relates in general to a method of making a long-life high-current-density cathode and in particular, to a method of making such a cathode from a mixture of tungsten and iridium powders using a strontium peroxide containing material as the impregnant. The general object of this invention is to provide an improved method of making a long life high current density cathode. A more specific object of the invention is to provide such a method in which lower temperatures can be used than were used in S.N. 204,327 for the impregnation of the tungsten-iridium billet. It has now been found that the aforementioned objects can be attained by a method that uses a strontium peroxide-containing material as the impregnant. More particularly, according to the invention, a suitable porous billet of tungsten, or tungsten-iridium, or tungsten-osmium or tungsten-rhodium is impregnated with a strontium peroxide containing material in a hydrogen atmosphere and slowly heated to above 215 C to decompose the strontium peroxide, SrO/sub 2/ to form strontium oxide, SrO, and oxygen, O/sub 2/.

Research Organization:
Department of the Army, Washington, DC (USA)
Assignee:
Department of the Army, Washington, DC
Patent Number(s):
None
OSTI ID:
6427585
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English