US2653266A - Vapor electric device - Google Patents

Vapor electric device Download PDF

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Publication number
US2653266A
US2653266A US187111A US18711150A US2653266A US 2653266 A US2653266 A US 2653266A US 187111 A US187111 A US 187111A US 18711150 A US18711150 A US 18711150A US 2653266 A US2653266 A US 2653266A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
cathode
nickel
vapor
cesium
temperature
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US187111A
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English (en)
Inventor
Robert J Ballard
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
CBS Corp
Original Assignee
Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to BE509873D priority Critical patent/BE509873A/xx
Application filed by Westinghouse Electric Corp filed Critical Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority to US187111A priority patent/US2653266A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2653266A publication Critical patent/US2653266A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J17/00—Gas-filled discharge tubes with solid cathode
    • H01J17/02—Details
    • H01J17/04—Electrodes; Screens
    • H01J17/06—Cathodes

Definitions

  • fi gamut I m ATTORN EY vide a cathode havin fla high emission -teristic per unit of surface-area.
  • My invention relates to a vapor electric device and particularly to asdevice-utilizing the vapors .of certain-alkali metals.
  • Fo-r-;examp1e, a'cathode capable of delivering a current of theorder of .l,0,00amperes would have a totalsurface area of the order of 350 square inches and a-total :weight, as now constructed, of -the order of 36 .pounds.
  • the best possible commercially available cathodes for cesium tubes were con- .structed of substantially pure nickel, but because ,of the mechanicalweakness of nickel, the size and shape ,of the. cathode has been materially circumscribed. :I-Iowever, lI-have found that the cathode can now beconstructed of suitable materials havingsuflicientstrengthsuch as steel, and the coating of nickel and nickel phosphide-aptplied to the-surface of the cathode and still produoe a-satisfactory emission device far 1 superior to the heretofore known nickel cathodes.
  • :It is accordingly an obj ects of my; invention to provide a cesium-vapor-electrio; devicehaving an ,increased currentcapacity.
  • Figure 1 is an elevation partially in sec ig'n .of a vapor. electric device according to rny invention
  • Fi 2 is a a mmatic illustrat on c the emission characteristics of nickel and nickel phosphide cathodes.
  • Fig. 3 is anenlargedsection of apertiongfthe cathode of Fig. ,1.
  • the vapor electric device comprises an anodeJ 0, preferably in the form of a cylindrical container having an opening at one end in which the cathode member 1,2 is inserted and sealed by -means of a glass-metal seal [3 resistant to the action of alkali metal vapor to provide a substantially closed-container.
  • a qua i o c sium.i ip acedinithe. containe to provide the actuating vapor and as is, knoy vn the cesium deposits in a probablynon-atomic layer on allofthe metal surfaces in the container.
  • nickel platring deposited by this process does indeed contain impurities, mostly in the form of phosphides,
  • nickel phosphide particularly nickel phosphide.
  • Heat treating reduced the phosphide content to substantially 3%.
  • the improved cathode I2 is produced by constructing the basic body elements hi and ll of any metal having the desired mechanical properties and depositing by chemical reduction a nickel plate 2
  • the resultant plate or active surface 2% is composed of about 93% nickel and about 7% impurities mostly in the nature of p-hosphides.
  • is heat treated at 1100 C. in a non-oxidizing atmosphere for about a half hour when the phosphides are found to be reduced to about 3% of the total plate.
  • the plate 21 can be deposited from either of the following baths:
  • the cathode structure 52 may be made of steel or iron alloy which is easy to fabricate and has inherently great strength even when hot. Also the weight can be somewhat reduced as the density of the iron alloy is less than that of nickel which has heretofore been required.
  • the improved cathode of the present invention can be utilized either to increase the anode-cathode current per tube, or obviously if the current per tube is to remain constant, a great decrease in the size and weight of the tube will be immediately possible.
  • a vapor electric valve comprising a container, a cathode in insulated relation to said container, a heater maintaining said cathode at emitting temperature, at least the emitting surface of said cathode consisting of nickel containing a small portion of nickel phosphide and a quantity of cesium providing a working vapor in said containerand cooperating with said emitting surface to produce high electron emission at low temperature of said surface.
  • a vapor electric valve comprising a container, a cathode in insulated relation to said container, a heater maintaining said cathode at emittingtemperature, at least the emitting surface of said cathode consisting of nickel containing 3 to 7 per cent of nickel phosphide and a working vapor in said container cooperating with said emitting surface to produce high electron emission at low temperature of said surface.
  • An electric discharge device comprising an anode, a cathode in spaced insulated relation to said anode, heating means maintaining said cathode at an electron emitting temperature, the surface of said cathode consisting of nickel containing impurities of the order of 3 to '7 per cent, said impurities being essentially nickel phosphide,
  • a hot-cathode vapor electric discharge device utilizing a metal vapor, selected from the group comprising cesium, rubidium and potassium, as the ionizable medium, a cathode comprising a metal body, at least one other electrode, and an enclosing housing, characterized 'by atleast the activeportion of said cathodebody having a surface-coating layer composed of nickel containing small quantities of phosphides, particularly nickel phosphide.
  • a cathode comprising a metal body, at least one other electrode, and an enclosing housing, characterized by at least the active portion of said cathode-body having a surface-coating layer composed of nickel containing from 3 to 7 per cent of phosphides, particularly nickel phosphide.
  • a cathode body constructed of a ferrous metal alloy and an active surface coating layer composed of nickel containing a small percentage of phosphides, particularly nickel phosphide.
  • a cathode body constructed of a ferrous metal alloy and an active surface coating layer composed of nickel containing 3 to 7 per cent of 10 phosphides, particularly nickel phosphide.

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  • Physical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
US187111A 1950-09-27 1950-09-27 Vapor electric device Expired - Lifetime US2653266A (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE509873D BE509873A (tr) 1950-09-27
US187111A US2653266A (en) 1950-09-27 1950-09-27 Vapor electric device

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US187111A US2653266A (en) 1950-09-27 1950-09-27 Vapor electric device

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2653266A true US2653266A (en) 1953-09-22

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US187111A Expired - Lifetime US2653266A (en) 1950-09-27 1950-09-27 Vapor electric device

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US (1) US2653266A (tr)
BE (1) BE509873A (tr)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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Publication number Publication date
BE509873A (tr)

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