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Re: Spark Gap Gasses Experiment

At 07:05 PM 9/1/98 -0700, you wrote:
SNIP..........>
>
>	The quenched gaps used in the old "wireless" days used 
>copper electrodes, typically round, and spaced of the order 
>of 0.010" apart.  There was a recess in each ring around the 
>"working" electrode, and outside that was a fiber gasket 
>which sealed the inside of each individual gap (pair of 
>electrodes) so as to be air tight.  As mentioned, the oxygen 
>was gone almost instantly, leaving an atmosphere which was 
>mostly nitrogen with a bit of argon.  After many hours of 
>operation the gap surface would be clean and pink, although 
>VERY slightly pitted.  I have such an old gap here, which 
>works great on a small coil and is NOISELESS(!)	in 
>operation.  I have taken it apart and find the electrodes 
>are indeed clean and pink after an hour or so of running.
>
>Ed
>
>

This is very interesting!  My argon gap also leaves the copper a clean but
pink color.  Much like freshly etched copper.  If nitrogen could be used to
make an inert gap, it would provide a gas which would me much easier to
find :-))  I believe that you can burn a candle or other flammable
substance in an enclosed space to remove the oxygen.  If the remaining
products (nitrogen, argon, CO2, water vapor, etc. will not damage the
copper, then we would have a very simple way to provide an "inert" gas for
a spark gap!

	Terry Fritz