Thoriated tungsten welding rods?

[Mr. Benn]

Are these still in common use? Do they offer any significant advantage over other materials?

[pcb1962]

You'll find a lot of knowledgeable and helpful people, many of them professional welders, over here:

search of the forum will probably answer your question.

[Andy Dingley]

Never heard of them. I think you mean non-consumable TIG electrodes, which aren't "rods" as such,

They're still around, but little used. OK to weld with, but the COSH aspects of grinding points onto them are an issue these days.