RT Journal Article ID 74c511b750127d50 A1 Chapelle, P. A1 Bellot, J.P. A1 Jardy, A. A1 Czerwiec, T. A1 Robbe, X. A1 Champin, B. A1 Ablitzer, D. T1 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE ELECTRIC ARC DURING VACUUM ARC REMELTING JF High Temperature Material Processes: An International Quarterly of High-Technology Plasma Processes JO HTM YR 2000 FD 2000-12-01 VO 4 IS 4 OP 14 AB An industrial vacuum arc remelting (VAR) furnace has been instrumented, enabling the electric arc to be observed for the first time during the remelting of a zirconium alloy. The system employed combined high speed video monitoring with synchronized high frequency recording of the arc voltage and was used to study the arc behavior and the mechanisms of liquid metal transfer from the electrode to the ingot. For current densities of the order of 10 to 20 A/cm2 and arc lengths less than 6 cm, the arc is of the diffuse multicathode spot type. The metal droplet transfer mechanisms depend mainly on the arc length. For small lengths, transfer is very often preceded by a drip-short, causing transitory extinction of the arc. For long arcs (> 3 cm), transfer is mainly by gradual erosion of the liquid induced by the cathode spots. PB Begell House LK https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/57d172397126f956,716943414ca572fc,74c511b750127d50.html