I do a bit of welding in my free time. In TIG (Tungsten inert gas) I use a tungsten electrode containing Lanthanum (1.5%). Is there any way to extract the Lanthanum from the electrode? I looked elsewhere online and came up empty.
Lanthanum's melting point is 1,688°F; fairly low compared to Tungsten's 6,192°F, so the metals must be chemically bonded somehow (not just an alloy).
Extracting the Lanthanum by heat is not really feasible because of the compound's high melting point. Is there some way to do it chemically?
Please advise.