Lanthanated tungsten electrode
A non-consumable electrode for GTAW doped with lanthanum oxide to improve ignition characteristics and arc stability. It serves as a universal replacement for thoriated electrodes.
Lanthanated tungsten electrodes are basically the all-rounder among tungsten electrodes. The lanthanum oxide inside ensures that the arc starts well and burns stably – even with AC. You can use them for almost anything, from thin sheet to heavier parts, and they can handle higher current densities than pure tungsten electrodes. It's important that you grind the electrode cleanly – lengthwise to the axis, not crosswise. If you overheat it, the lanthanum oxide at the tip can be lost, then ignition gets worse. You can recognize this by the tip looking glassy or discolored. Then the tip breaks down and you need to regrind. Otherwise: don't touch the tip with your fingers, that only contaminates it.