SUMMARYIn SF 6 circuit breakers, the result of the interruption, during the dielectric post-arc phase, depends on the capability of the arcing region to withstand the applied recovery voltage. An idealized model breaker experiment is designed to investigate the SF 6 recovery characteristics minimizing the effect of various factors such as metal vapor pollution, arc roots stagnation and gas-flow modifications. The gas heating is obtained by a power arc in movement. The experimental simulation of the interruption allows the study of the gas recovery behavior as a function of the decaying plasma properties. The so-obtained recovery characteristics exhibit distinct phases with recovery time increment and also dependencies on geometrical and electrical test parameters.