The temperature profiles in wall-stabilized atmospheric-pressure arcs in pu
re argon and in argon-carbon dioxide mixtures have been obtained at current
s of 5-40 A and for molar percentages of CO2 ranging from 0.9 % to 25 % usi
ng spectroscopic techniques. With the addition of CO2 to a pure-Ar are, we
show the formation of a core of higher temperatures with a larger gradient
of the radial temperature distribution at the are centre. These investigati
ons show that the addition of even a few percent of CO2 to Ar has a marked
effect both upon extinction of the are according to current values and upon
the temperature profiles. Few measurements have been done in Ar-CO2 mixtur
es in a wall-stabilized are.