Electrode for a plasma cutting torch, assembly having said electrode, plasma cutting torch having said electrode, and method for plasma cutting

1 . An electrode for a plasma cutting torch, comprising:

an electrode holder and an emission insert which are connected to one another with one of a force fit, form fit and by material bonding;

said emission insert consists of an alloy at least of tungsten and at least one of zirconium, hafnium, zirconium oxide, and hafnium oxide; and

the remaining proportion of said alloy of said emission insert to make up 100% of the volume or the mass is formed to at least 20% to at least 30% from one of copper, silver, and copper and silver.

2 . The electrode of claim 1 further comprising, the proportion of zirconium, hafnium, zirconium oxide, and hafnium oxide is at least 0.1% to at least 0.3% of the volume or the mass of said alloy of said emission insert.

3 . The electrode of claim 1 further comprising, the proportion of zirconium, hafnium, zirconium oxide, and hafnium oxide is at most 5% to at most 2% of the volume or the mass of said alloy of said emission insert.

4 . The electrode of claim 1 further comprising, the proportion of tungsten is at least 95% to 99% of said alloy of said emission insert.

5 . The electrode of claim 1 further comprising, the electrode has a front end and a rear end and extends along a longitudinal axis (L), and said emission insert is located at said front end.

6 . The electrode of claim 5 further comprising, at least a part of said emission insert protrudes or projects from said electrode holder in the direction of said front end of the electrode.

7 . The electrode of claim 6 further comprising, said emission insert protruding or projecting from said electrode holder has a section tapering in the direction of said front end.

8 . The electrode of claim 7 further comprising an outer face, extending toward said front end along said longitudinal axis (L), of said section forms an angle (β) of from 15° to 30° between said outer face and said longitudinal axis (L).

9 . The electrode of claim 5 further comprising, said electrode holder has a section tapering toward said front end.

10 . The electrode of claim 9 further comprising an outer face, extending toward said front end along said longitudinal axis (L), of said section, forms an angle (α) of from 15° to 30° between said outer face and said longitudinal axis (L).

11 . The electrode of claim 10 further comprising, said angles (α) and (β) are equal or have a difference of at most 10° or at most 5°.

12 . The electrode of claim 6 further comprising, said emission insert has a circular face at said front end of the electrode, said circular insert has a diameter (D3) of at most 1.5 mm to at most 0.6 mm.

13 . The electrode of claim 6 further comprising, said emission insert has a circular face at said front end of the electrode, said circular insert has a diameter (D3) of at least 0.2 mm to at least 0.4 mm.

14 . The electrode of claim 6 further comprising, said emission insert has a greatest outer diameter (D2) and said electrode holder has a smallest outer diameter (D1), the difference between (D1) and (D2) lying between 0.2 mm and 1 mm.

15 . The electrode of claim 1 , further comprising a nozzle.

16 . The electrode of claim 1 , further comprising:

a nozzle having an inner face; and

wherein the angles between said outer face of said section of the electrode and said longitudinal axis (L) and between said inner face of said nozzle, lying opposite said outer face, and said longitudinal axis (L) are equal or have a difference of at most 10° to at most 5°.

17 . The electrode of claim 15 further comprising:

said nozzle comprising a nozzle channel; and

for a distance L 1 between said front end of the electrode and a rear end of said nozzle channel of said nozzle, L 1 is one of L 1 ≤1.5 mm, L 1 ≤1.5*D4, and L 1 ≤1.5 mm and L 1 ≤1.5*D4, with D4 being the smallest diameter of said nozzle channel.