Electrical contact material

Abstract

Abstract AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT MATERIAL CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF TUNGSTEN OR ITS CARBIDES, A METAL OF HIGH ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY SUCH AS SILVER OR COPPER, AND MAGNESIUM OXIDE. TUNGSTEN OR ITS CARBIDES ARE USED TO PROVIDE THE CONTACT MATERIAL WITH A HIGH MELTING TEMPERATURE CONSTITUENT. THE SILVER OR COPPER IS USED TO PROVIDE THE CONTACT MATERIAL WITH A CONSTITUENT OF HIGH ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY. THE MAGNESIUM OXIDE CONSTITUENT IS USED TO PROVIDE THE CONTACT MATERIAL WITH IMPROVED ARC EROSION RESISTANCE AND IMPROVED ARC INTERRUPTION CHARACTERISTICS WHEN COMPARED TO THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS OF A CONTACT MATERIAL CONSISTING ESSENTIALLG OF TUNGSTEN OR ITS CARBIDES, AND SILVER OR COPPER. THE TUNGSTEN OR ITS CARBIDES WITH SILVER OR COPPER TYPE CONTACT MATERIAL OF THE PRESENT INVENTION CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF 90 TO 10 WEIGHT PERCENT SILVER OR COPPER, 0.25 TO 7 WEIGHT PERCENT MAGNESIUM OXIDE, THE REMAINDER ESSENTIALLY TUNGSTEN OR CARBIDES. THE PRESENCE OF SMALL AMOUNTS OF IMPURITY ELEMENTS IS NOT BELIEVED TO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE INVENTION. IT IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE INVENTION CONTEMPLATS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE ADDITION OF OTHER ELEMENTS TO ELECTRICAL CONTACT MATERIAL AS LONG AS SUCH ADDITIVES DO NOT HAVE A HARMFUL EFFECT ON THE FUNCTION OF THE MAGNESIUM OXIDE IN THE CONTACT MATERIAL.

Inventors

• 👤 L Neely

Bibliographic Details