采用Mo，WCu和W分别作为三种气体火花开关的主电极材料，进行放电条件下电极烧蚀实验，研究开关电极烧蚀率和烧蚀形貌，分析电极烧蚀特征。结果表明，Mo，WCu和W开关的主电极烧蚀率分别为3.32×10-2 C-1·m-2， 2.63×10-2 C-1·m-2和1.74×10-2 C-1·m-2，W开关主电极烧蚀率最小。实验后开关的主电极中心烧蚀严重，呈现明显裂纹和烧蚀坑。Mo主电极表面呈现明显熔融态，阴极表面形成大量裂纹(宽度达10 μm)和孔隙(孔径达10 μm)；WCu和W主电极表面形成少量圆球状W突起(粒径达20 μm及以上)。开关外壳内壁沉积了喷溅颗粒。WCu开关外壳沉积颗粒较大(粒径达10 μm)，Mo开关外壳沉积颗粒居中(粒径为2 μm)，W开关外壳沉积颗粒最小(近1 μm)。因此可优先选用具有优异抗烧蚀性能的W作为气体火花开关电极材料。

Electrode erosion of gas spark gaps (GSGs) with Mo, WCu, and W main electrodes in current discharge was studied. Micrographs and erosion rates of GSG electrodes after erosion were investigated. Characteristic of electrode erosion was also analyzed. The main electrode erosion rates of Mo, WCu, and W GSG switches are 3.32×10-2, 2.63×10-2, and 1.74×10-2 C-1·m-2, respectively. The W GSG exhibits the minimum main electrode erosion rate. The experimental results indicate that main electrodes are heavily ablated at the center and present cracks and holes evidently. The main electrodes of Mo GSG exhibit melted state on the surface and Mo cathode presents a great quantity of cracks with 10 μm in width and pores with 10 μm in diameter. A few sphere W saliences with 20 μm in diameter form on the surface of main electrodes of WCu and W GSG switches. Splashing particles are deposited on the inwall of sleeve of GSG. The WCu, Mo and W switches present the biggest deposited particles with 10 μm in diameter, mediate particles with 2 μm in diameter, and the smallest particles with diameter less than 1 μm, respectively. Therefore, tungsten which presents excellent anti-erosion performance could be selected firstly as main electrode materials of GSG.