Breakdown Voltage in Argon, Nitrogen, and Sulfur Hexafluoride Gases As a Function of Temperature

The maximum intensity of the electrostatic field used in the study of its influence on the properties of magnetoactive coordination compounds is limited by the breakdown phenomenon. The breakdown of the gas medium is developed, as a rule, in the region of location of the studied sample and results in its destruction. The determination of optimum intensities of the electrostatic field is very important for successful accomplishment. The breakdown voltage in argon, nitrogen, and sulfur hexafluoride is studied in a temperature range of 80–300 K. The theory of breakdown appearance in gases makes it possible to assume an increase in the breakdown voltage with a decrease in the temperature of the studied gas. The following data are obtained by measuring the breakdown voltage under atmospheric pressure in the gas media between the planar electrodes remote at 0.7 mm: for nitrogen with decreasing temperature from 300 to 80 K, the breakdown voltage averaged over several measurements increases from 2.8 kV (field intensity Е ≈ 40 kV/cm) to 5.6 kV (Е ≈ 80 kV/cm); for argon with decreasing temperature from 300 to 90 K, this value increases from 1.4 kV (20 kV/cm) to 2.2 kV (31 kV/cm); and for elegas in the temperature range from 300 to 210 K, the average breakdown voltage increases from 5 kV (71 kV/cm) to 7.9 kV (113 kV/cm).