RECENT MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE IN MHD CHANNELS AND AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT.

Analysis of the electrode walls suggest that anode lifetimes of approximately 1000 hours and cathode lifetimes of greater than 1000 hours can be realized. The progressive improvements in slagging cold electrode durability has established these wall designs as the baseline for future large-scale generator tests. Studies of electrochemical effects in molten slag/seed mixtures and of electrical current transfer through slag layers have provided an understanding of degradation mechanisms.