DISCHARGE ELECTRODE MATERIAL AND ITS MANUFACTURE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a discharge electrode material which has higher perfor mance than a tungsten electrode added with thorium oxide and which can endure use under more severe conditions and a method for manufacturing the same. SOLUTION: A discharge electrode material contains 0.1 to 15.0 wt.% Re, 0.1 to 1.0 wt.% rare earth oxides, and the rest substantially being tungsten, the rare earth oxides being at least one kind selected from among La2 O3 , CeO2 , and Y2 O3 and being excellent in arc ignitability and wear resistance. In a method for manufacturing the discharge electrode material, plastic working is performed on an ingot obtained when tungsten powders, Re powders, and rare earth oxide powders are mixed to achieve the above composition, then press molded, temporarily sintered, and sintered. The rare earth oxides consist of at least one kind selected from among La2 O3 , CeO2 , and Y2 O3 .