Abstract
When two electrodes are immersed in close proximity in a dielectric fluid, connected to a pulsed power source, and the field strength in the gap is sufficiently high, a spark is produced as a result of the breakdown of the dielectric. In the present study, fine particles of various metals have been prepared by spark erosion in various dielectrics. Instead of the usual tool/workpiece arrangement used in electrodischarge machining, two electrodes with pieces of charge between them were employed to increase the powder production rate by at least two orders of magnitude. Powders of alloys, semiconductors, and compounds have been prepared, and it is shown that spark erosion can maintain a high production rate at low power consumption if the electrode/charge arrangement is used. PM/0479
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