Electrical breakdown characteristics of ozonized water treated oxygen-freecopper electrodes in a vacuum and their surface conditions

The influence of ozonized water treatment on the conditioning effect of a v acuum gap was investigated by applying impulse voltages. With regard to a 3 0 min treatment, the breakdown field improved from 37.6 MV/m at first volta ge application to 261 MV/m after 500 breakdowns. This conditioned breakdown field was lowered to 27.0 MV/m when the electrodes were exposed to air for 3 weeks. Reconditioning, however, was rapidly achieved, and the value was as high as that before being exposed to air. The electrodes exposed to air for 2 months after reconditioning showed similar results to that of those e xposed to air for 3 weeks, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.