Electrical contact materials containing silver cadmium oxide

Claim 2

IN A METHOD OF MAKING AN ELECTRICAL CONTAIN MATERIAL OF THE AG-CDO TYPE INCLUDING THE STEPS OF FORMING A BODY CONTAINING AN ALLOY OF AG-CD, OXIDIZING A SURFACE OF THE BODY, THE FORM A ZONE INCLUDING AG-CDO AT THE SURFACE OF THE BODY, THE ZONE BEING OF A RELATIVELY THIN THICKNESS IN RELATION TO THE TOTA THICKNESS OF THE BODY, JOINING A WETTABLE AND THERMALLY AND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL TO THE AG-CDO CONTANING ZONE OF THE BODY TO FORM A MASS, AND INTERNALLY OXIDIZING THE

Claim 3

In the method of claim 1, wherein the step of oxidizing the body to form a relatively thin zone containing Ag-CdO at the surface of the body includes the step of subjecting the surface of the body to a heated oxygen containing atmosphere for an effective period of time up to about 30 minutes.

Claim 4

In the method of claim 1, including the additional step of joining a metal containing backing material having good mechanical strength and thermal and electrical conductivity to the wettable and thermally and electrically conductive material.

Claim 5

In the method of claim 1, wherein the wettable and thermally and electrically conductive material is non-oxidizable material.

Claim 6

In the method of claim 3, wherein the wetable and thermally and electrically conductive material is selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au and mixtures thereof, and the backing material is stainless steel.

Claim 7

In the method of claim 5, wherein the wettable and thermally and electrically conductive material is Ag.

Claim 8

In a method of making a Ag-CdO electrical contact material including the steps of forming a Ag-Cd alloy body, oxidizing a surface of the body to form a zone of Ag-CdO at the surface of the body, the zone of Ag-CdO being a relatively thin thickness in relation to the total thickness of the Ag-Cd alloy body, joining Ag material to the zone of Ag-CdO at the surface of the body to form a mass, internally oxidizing Cd of the Ag-Cd alloy of the body to the extent necessary to form a Ag-CdO material suitable for use as an electrical contact material, and joining stainless steel to the Ag material joined to the body.

Claim 9

In a method of making a Ag-CdO electrical contact material including the steps of forming a Ag-Cd alloy body, oxidizing a surface of the body to form a zone of Ag-CdO at the surface of the body, the zone of Ag-CdO being a relatively thin thickness in relation to the total thickness of the Ag-Cd alloy body, joining Ag material to the zone of Ag-CdO at the surface of the body to form a mass, internally oxidizing Cd of the Ag-Cd alloy of the body to the extent necessary to form a Ag-CdO material suitable for use as an electrical contact material, and joining stainless steel to the Ag material joined to the body.

Claim 10

In the method of claim 7, wherein the Ag-Cd alloy body is in the form of strip.

Claim 11

In the method of claim 7, wherein the step of oxidizing the Ag-Cd alloy body to form a zone of Ag-CdO at the surface of the body includes step of subjecting the surface of the body to an oxygen containing atmosphere heated to a temperature of about 700*C to about 850*C for an effective period of time up to about 30 minutes.

Claim 12

In the method of claim 7, wherein the zone of the material suitable for use as an electrical contact material has a coarser CdO particle size than the CdO particle size of the material immediately adjacent to the zone.

Claim 13

In the method of claim 10, wherein the zone of the material suitable for use as an electrical contact material is substantially free of massive amounts of CdO relative to other sections of the body.