Patent ID: 7342197

Claim:
In a plasma arc torch of the type having a tubular rear housing section with a cylindrical rear electrode mounted coaxially within the tubular rear housing, said cylindrical rear electrode having a closed inner and an open outer end, an annular vortex generator member disposed adjacent the outer end of the rear electrode and a front electrode adjacent a collimating nozzle with an exposed face surface and an inner exit bore therethrough, the collimating nozzle releasably coupled to the tubular rear housing in coaxial alignment with said rear electrode and the vortex generator member, the improvement comprising: (a) an anti-corrosive cladding layer on the exposed face surface of the collimating nozzle, the cladding layer being a metal alloy of a predetermined thickness sufficient to preclude penetration by a secondary arcing at torch operating power levels in excess of 500 KW.