Cathode erosion rates are reported (or copper electrodes in a simulated plasma torch operating at atmospheric pressure. The are current was 100A (or most experiments; the magnetic field used to move the arc varied between 0.001 and 0.15 T. Different plasma gases were used (Ar, He, air, N2, CO, and mixtures of the noble gases with O2, N2, CO, CH4, Cl2, and H2S) at flow rates varying between 0.2 and 20 liters/min. Different criteria (arc velocity, arc attachment residence time, arc current density) were used to analyze the erosion results.