Abstract: A method for treatment of products in gas-discharge plasma consists in that a two-step vacuum-arc discharge is initiated between an anode (3) and an integrally cold cathode (2), featuring a metal-gaseous step of plasma and a gaseous step of plasma. The gaseous step of plasma is established by ionizing the working gas with electrons separated from the metal-gaseous step of plasma. Then a product (5) under treatment is preheated to working temperature and held in a preset temperature range. To this end, provision is made in the device for a means (13) for electron separation from the metal-gaseous step of plasma, which means is situated in the zone of the integrally cold cathode (2) and is impermeable to the metal ions generated by the cathode (2). In a particular case the means (13) is made as a set of V-shaped plates (14).

Abstract: An electric arc metal evaporator has a cathode (2) extending along its longitudinal axis which is made of an evaporating material and has an evaporation surface extending along its longitudinal axis, and power supply leads (7,8) connected to opposite ends (5,6) of cathode (2) and connected to control switches (10) and (11) which are connected through individual activating members (12,13) to a control unit (14) and a direct current power supply (15) which is also is connected to an anode, and a unit for determining the current position of the cathode spot (16) on the evaporation surface (3) of cathode (2) which is connected to a control unit (14.) The cathode (2) itself can be used as a current position detector (17) and its power supply leads (7,8) serve as the detector (17) power supply leads.