Cathode　cooling　degree　influences　electron　emmision　and　deposited　rare　earth　atoms　transferring　behaviours　in　tungsten-based　arcing　process.　Experimental　study　was　carried　out　with　three　different　types　of　tungsten-based　cathodes　(lanthanized,　thoriated　and　yttriated)　in　no　cooling　mode　and　water　cooling　mode,　respectively.　Compared　with　no　cooling　mode,　the　height　of　high　temperature　cathode　region　(HTCR)　in　water　cooling　mode　is　constricted　in　the　welding　current　ranging　100A-500A.　The　tungsten　erosion　height　of　three　types　of　cathode　in　water　cooling　mode　is　smaller　than　that　in　no　cooling　mode.　Among　of　them,　lanthanized　tungsten　cathode　has　a　minimum　erosion　height　(1.64　mm),　thoriated　tungsten　cathode　followed　(1.67　mm)　and　yttriated　tungsten　cathode　has　a　maximum　(1.69　mm)　in　no　cooling　mode　at　500　A.　Tungsten　tip　region　is　divided　into　four　parts　according　to　the　SEM　micrographs.　The　leading　three　parts　from　the　tungsten　tip　are　roughly　the　same　in　two　cooling　degrees.　In　no　cooling　mode,　rare　earth　element　atoms　on　the　tungsten　surface　in　region　edging　to　the　leading　arcing　cathode　region　are　higher　than　those　in　water　cooling　mode　in　the　three　kinds　of　tungsten.　The　research　results　give　basic　knowledge　for　the　energy-saving　torch　designing.　(C)　2018　Elsevier　Ltd.　All　rights　reserved.