THE SELENIUM RECTIFIER was introduced in the United States by the International Telephone and Telegraph Company in 1938. It previously had been commercially introduced in Europe in 1928, and its development there paralleled the development of the copper oxide rectifier in this country.
The selenium rectifier has had a meteoric rise in popularity since its introduction. Its electrical characteristics, long life, and light weight made it suitable for many applications in military as well as civilian equipment.
The demand by the armed forces for better performance and protection against all weather conditions gave great impetus to development during the war years. Work on rectifiers for aircraft applications resulted in the production of long-life plates of higher efficiency through their ability to withstand increased reverse voltages. Mechanical improvements in design also resulted from wartime developments.
These developments are available now in rectifiers which will withstand 45 percent higher back voltage per...
