[Milsurplus] Copper oxide rectifiers

[Bruce Gentry]

Copper oxide rectifiers are unusually durable as long as they don't get 
wet or reside in extreme humidity. They are less efficient than selenium 
or silicon, but very tolerant with regard to transients. If they don't 
show signs of corrosion, peeling paint, or overheating at the center,  
raise the AC  voltage on them gradually to check them out. A little rust 
on the fins isn't a problem as long as the wafers and discs at the 
center remain sealed with the varnish or paint. The fins are for cooling 
only, the copper oxide is on washers at the center, unlike a selenium 
rectifier where the selenium is spead over one side of the the entire 
plate.  I put many of them back in service in elevator controllers that 
had been idle for many years, and they rarely failed.

     Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY


On 8/20/13 9:10 PM, hwhall at compuserve.com wrote:
>   Does anyone have experience with copper oxide rectifier stacks? I'm helping with a Link Trainer restoration project for a local museum and there are two such in the instructor's control chassis. Approx 1940s vintage. Do these things fail easily or might these be usable still?
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Wayne
> WB4OGM
>
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