Tungsten, Thoriated,Pure,Ceria or Lanthana?

[Meach]

I've been reading a book by The James E. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation that was included with my Lincoln Precision TIG 185. (Cool Machine) I was taught to use 2% Thoriated tungsten for steel and pure tungsten for aluminum. The book talks about tungstens that include ceria, lanthana and zirconia. It makes a reccomendation of using a tungsten of
2% zirconia over pure tungsten for aluminum due to their better ability to retain the ball shaped end, the fact that they are not radioactive, and they have a higher resistance to contamination. It also mentions 1, 11/2 and 2% lanthana can be used for both ac and dc, last longer than thoriated and have better arc starting and stability. This is the first I have heard of these although they have been around since 1984 it says. Of course price is not mentioned except in passing to say pure tungsten is the least expensive. Can you all shed some light on the subject?

[Timinmb]

I'm just a hobbyest, so not a professional. I am using 2% lanthanated electrodes on mild steel and find they work just as well as 2% thoriated. I like them because they are not radioactive, and I am welding here at home (kids around). I do note that their current capability is slightly less than that of thoriated. I am also told by other members of this board that 2% lanthanated may not be the best percentage, and that 1.5% is more the standard when using lanthanate. Not sure. Our local welding store sells pretty much only thoriated. The lanthanated rods would have been 4x the price locally, so I ordered some from a supplier on Ebay and paid about the same as for thoriated.

[paco]

yea .. my shop didnt even know what the **** i was talking about when i asked for lathanated tugs .. i told them they sold me the wrong tug for alum , they sold me pure , pure is not recomended for inverter welders AND I CAN SEE WHY .. on top of not knowing what lathanted was it cost 40bucks for a 10 pack . crazy .. ebay has them for 6-13 bucks on sized .

[Bigger Valves]

I really like 1.5% lanthanated myself. Use a 3/32 for lots of stuff. It has a higher current carrying capacity than thoriated, isn't toxic in the shop, and works great on aluminum w/ inverters. It's also great for restarting arcs. No need for anything else. =]