Transport properties in non-equilibrium argon, copper and argon–copper thermal plasmas

We present calculated values of transport properties (viscosity, thermal and electrical conductivities) of argon, copper and argon–copper thermal plasmas at equilibrium and non-equilibrium. In addition, combined ordinary and thermal diffusion coefficients, as defined by Murphy, are also given. The calculations are performed in the temperature range 300–25 000 K and at atmospheric pressure. For all these calculations, we use a recent theory developed by Rat to determine the transport properties like, for example, viscosity or combined diffusion coefficients in non-equilibrium plasma (note that equilibrium is only a specific case). We also take great care in evaluating the collision integrals necessary to calculate the transport coefficients (especially the Cu–X interactions). At equilibrium, our results are compared with published values obtained theoretically and experimentally. Moreover, to our knowledge, there are no accessible data for these non-equilibrium argon–copper plasmas.