EP0736217A1 - Sintered contact material, process for producing the same and contact pads made thereof - Google Patents

Sintered contact material, process for producing the same and contact pads made thereof

Info

Publication number
EP0736217A1
EP0736217A1 EP95903252A EP95903252A EP0736217A1 EP 0736217 A1 EP0736217 A1 EP 0736217A1 EP 95903252 A EP95903252 A EP 95903252A EP 95903252 A EP95903252 A EP 95903252A EP 0736217 A1 EP0736217 A1 EP 0736217A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
nickel
silver
contact
sintered
particle size
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP95903252A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0736217B1 (en
Inventor
Claudia Peuker
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Siemens AG
Original Assignee
Siemens AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens AG filed Critical Siemens AG
Publication of EP0736217A1 publication Critical patent/EP0736217A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0736217B1 publication Critical patent/EP0736217B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00—Contacts
    • H01H1/02—Contacts characterised by the material thereof
    • H01H1/021—Composite material
    • H01H1/023—Composite material having a noble metal as the basic material
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10T428/12—All metal or with adjacent metals
    • Y10T428/12014—All metal or with adjacent metals having metal particles
    • Y10T428/12028—Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, etc.]

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a sintered contact material made of silver and nickel, to a method for the production thereof and to contact pads made therefrom.
  • contact materials made of silver (Ag) and nickel (Ni) have proven useful for switching currents in switching devices in energy technology.
  • the manufacture of such contact materials as well as the manufacture and testing of related contact pieces is described in Int. J. Powder Metallurgy and Powder Technology, Vol. 12 (1976), p. 219-228, described in detail.
  • silver and nickel powder are usually mixed wet in a mixer, dried, compression-molded and sintered under a reducing atmosphere to produce a contact material made of silver and nickel.
  • the fineness of the structure essentially depends on the size of the starting powder used. Such relationships are described in detail in the monograph by H. Schreiner "Powder Metallurgy of Electrical Contacts", Springer-Verlag (1976), pages 105 to 140. In particular, an AgNi material with average grain sizes of 1 ⁇ m produced using precipitation powder is specified.
  • JP-OS 66/33090 already discloses a method for producing materials for silver-based electrical contacts is known in which such a metal is selected as a further component, which has no or only low solubility in silver.
  • This metal is in particular nickel, iron, tungsten or another metal which does not form a mixed crystal with silver or in which, for thermodynamic reasons, there is a tendency towards segregation in accordance with the state diagram.
  • JP-OS 6633090 a mixed crystal-like constitution of the material is sought.
  • electrolyte / silver powder and carbonyl-nickel powder are mixed in a ball mill with steel balls under so-called styrene gas over longer periods, for example up to 300 h, in order to obtain a mechanically alloyed powder.
  • the powder obtained in this way should have grain sizes of less than 0.01 ⁇ m.
  • the disappearance of nickel reflections and thus the presence of an amorphous alloy was confirmed in an X-ray diffraction analysis.
  • secondary precipitations should be possible, but the grain size of the nickel particles should be limited to 1 ⁇ m.
  • the object of the invention is to provide a remedy here.
  • a contact material made of silver and nickel is to be created which has improved contact properties compared to conventional silver-nickel materials.
  • the associated manufacturing process and corresponding contact requirements are specified.
  • the object is achieved according to the invention in a sintered contact material made of silver and nickel in that the mass fraction of nickel is between 5 and 50% and that the nickel in the silver structure with average particle sizes 1 ⁇ m ⁇ d ⁇ 10 ⁇ in a largely homogeneous distribution is present.
  • the mean particle size of nickel is preferably d ⁇ 5 ⁇ m, in particular d ⁇ 3 ⁇ m. With the specified particle size distributions, the average distance D between the nickel particles should be between 5 and 10 ⁇ m.
  • the process for producing the specified sintered contact material from silver and nickel is characterized according to the invention in that, prior to sintering, the nickel is introduced into the silver structure in the manner of mechanical alloying, this process taking place in an air atmosphere.
  • the nickel is introduced into the silver structure in the manner of mechanical alloying, this process taking place in an air atmosphere.
  • Nickel powder or granules of silver and nickel are used. Particle size distributions of less than 500 ⁇ m, preferably less than 100 ⁇ m, in particular less than 50 ⁇ m, are preferred.
  • Mixing in the manner of mechanical alloying takes place in a ball mill until a lamellar structure has formed with Ni lamella widths very much smaller than the particle diameter of the starting powder. With such a degree of refinement of the structure, one is already in the range of the detection limit of a light microscope.
  • contact layers can be produced from the silver-nickel powder produced in the manner of mechanical alloying by compression molding, such as extrusion or molding technology, and sintering under a reducing atmosphere.
  • the contact pads are preferably designed as strips or profiles or as contact pieces and are used in a switching device in power engineering.
  • mechanical alloying is not carried out under protective gas in the invention. Instead, normal atmospheric air is used. Mixing does not take place as long as possible, in particular in JP-OS 6633090, in order to obtain an alloy powder which is as fine as possible. Rather, it is consciously used to carry out the mechanical alloying process in air.
  • oxide skins are formed on the particles, which have the same effect as additives that reduce perspiration.
  • the oxides on the surface of the particles contribute to the embrittlement of the composite particles and thereby to faster structure refinement.
  • the mechanical alloying process is considerably shortened compared to mechanical alloying under inert gas.
  • Figure 1 shows the micrograph of a material AgNilO and Figure 2 shows the micrograph of a material AgNi40.
  • Silver powders with a particle size distribution ⁇ 300 ⁇ m and nickel powder with a particle size distribution ⁇ 150 ⁇ m are used as starting materials for the production of the materials AgNilO and AgNi40. After appropriate weighing, the powders are placed in a ball mill (attritor) and mechanically alloyed there until the nickel that forms is ⁇ 3 ⁇ m in size and is homogeneously present in the silver.
  • the ball mill works in an air atmosphere and without waxes as further additives.
  • the structure refinement resulting from mechanical alloying is accompanied by a change in the powder particle shape and size. Processing in an air atmosphere consciously accepts that oxide skins form on the particles.
  • contact layers are produced in a known manner by compression molding and sintering in a reducing atmosphere.
  • extrusion molding for the production of strips or profiles or the so-called molding technique for the production of individual contact pieces can be considered as a method of pressure forming. It is also advantageous to produce two-layer contact pads or contact pieces with a first layer made of silver-nickel and a second layer made of pure silver, in order to ensure a secure connection technique with the contact piece carrier.
  • the micrographs according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the material AgNilO on the one hand and AgNi40 on the other.
  • the table shows measured values for welding force Fs, burn-up A and the contact resistances Rk when switching on and off.
  • the switching properties of contacts No. 2 and No. 4 produced according to the invention are shown using the example of the material compositions AgNilO and AgNi40, which are compared with the properties of conventionally produced contacts No. 1 and No. 3 of the same composition are.
  • the contact resistance test was carried out under 10 A.
  • the burnup was determined by weighing both contact pieces and averaging. The volume erosion was derived from this, taking into account the theoretical density.
  • the nickel-rich melt resulting from the silver-nickel material according to the invention compared to a previously known AgNi material with the same nickel concentration has a higher viscosity.
  • less material is sprayed during melting, which means that contact burn-off is less with mechanically alloyed material.
  • the gas dissolved in the melt is only added released to a lesser extent, so that when the material solidifies, pores are formed in the switching structure which reduce the mechanical strength and thus the welding force.
  • Example grain size welding force composition [mOhm] [mOhm] [mm 3 ]

Abstract

A sintered contact material made of silver and nickel is characterised in that it contains from 5 to 50 % by mass nickel, and in that nickel is homogeneously distributed in the silver structure as particles of 1 mu m to 10 mu m average size (<o>d</>). An appropriate process for producing this sintered contact material is characterised in that the nickel is introduced into the silver structure before sintering, as when an alloy is mechanically produced. This process takes place in an air atmosphere. Contact pads made of this material may be extruded as strips or sections, compression moulded as individual contact pieces or be designed as two-layered pieces.

Description

Beschreibung description
Sinterkontaktwerkstoff, Verfahren zu dessen Herstellung sowie diesbezügliche KontaktauflagenSintered contact material, process for its production and related contact pads
Die Erfindung bezieht sich auf einen Sinterkontaktwerkstoff aus Silber und Nickel, auf ein Verfahren zu dessen Herstel¬ lung sowie daraus gefertigte Kontaktauflagen.The invention relates to a sintered contact material made of silver and nickel, to a method for the production thereof and to contact pads made therefrom.
Für das Schalten von Strömen in Schaltgeräten der Energie¬ technik haben sich in der Vergangenheit Kontaktwerkstoffe aus Silber (Ag) und Nickel (Ni) bewährt. Die Herstellung solcher Kontaktwerkstoffe sowie die Fertigung und Prüfung von diesbe¬ züglichen Kontaktstücken wird in Int. J. Powder Metallurgy and Powder Technology, Vol. 12 (1976), p. 219-228, im einzelnen beschrieben.In the past, contact materials made of silver (Ag) and nickel (Ni) have proven useful for switching currents in switching devices in energy technology. The manufacture of such contact materials as well as the manufacture and testing of related contact pieces is described in Int. J. Powder Metallurgy and Powder Technology, Vol. 12 (1976), p. 219-228, described in detail.
' Zur Herstellung eines Kontaktwerkstoffes aus Silber und Nickel werden beim Stand der Technik üblicherweise Silber- und Nickelpulver in einem Mischer naß gemischt, getrocknet, druckverformt und unter reduzierender Atmosphäre gesintert. Die Feinheit des Gefüges ist im wesentlichen abhängig von der Größe der verwendeten Ausgangspulver. Derartige Zusammenhänge werden im einzelnen in der Monographie von H. Schreiner "Pulvermetallurgie elektrischer Kontakte", Springer-Verlag (1976), Seiten 105 bis 140, beschrieben. Insbesondere wird ein mittels Fällungspulver hergestellter AgNi-Werkstoff mit mittleren Korngrößen von 1 um angegeben.In the prior art, silver and nickel powder are usually mixed wet in a mixer, dried, compression-molded and sintered under a reducing atmosphere to produce a contact material made of silver and nickel. The fineness of the structure essentially depends on the size of the starting powder used. Such relationships are described in detail in the monograph by H. Schreiner "Powder Metallurgy of Electrical Contacts", Springer-Verlag (1976), pages 105 to 140. In particular, an AgNi material with average grain sizes of 1 μm produced using precipitation powder is specified.
Es wurde bereits vermutet, daß bei Kontaktwerkstoffen aus Silber und Nickel die Nickelteilchen möglichst klein und feinverteilt im Silber vorliegen müssen, damit der Kontakt gute Schalteigenschaften aufweist. Dafür bietet sich im Prin¬ zip die bekannte Methode des mechanischen Legierens an. Be- reits aus der JP-OS 66/33090 ist ein Verfahren zur Herstel¬ lung von Materialien für elektrische Kontakte auf Silberbasis bekannt, bei der als weitere Komponente ein solches Metall gewählt ist, das keine oder nur geringe Löslichkeit im Silber hat.It has already been assumed that in the case of contact materials made of silver and nickel, the nickel particles must be as small and finely divided as possible in the silver so that the contact has good switching properties. In principle, the known method of mechanical alloying lends itself to this. JP-OS 66/33090 already discloses a method for producing materials for silver-based electrical contacts is known in which such a metal is selected as a further component, which has no or only low solubility in silver.
Dieses Metall ist insbesondere Nickel, Eisen, Wolfram oder ein anderes Metall, das keinen Mischkristall mit Silber bildet oder bei dem aus thermodynamisehen Gründen entspre¬ chend dem Zustandsdiagramm das Bestreben einer Entmischung vorliegt.This metal is in particular nickel, iron, tungsten or another metal which does not form a mixed crystal with silver or in which, for thermodynamic reasons, there is a tendency towards segregation in accordance with the state diagram.
Bei der JP-OS 6633090 wird eine Mischkristall-ähnliche Kon¬ stitution des Werkstoffes angestrebt. Dafür werden Elek¬ trolyt/Silber-Pulver und Carbonyl-Nickel-Pulver in einer Ku¬ gelmühle mit Stahlkugeln unter sogenanntem Styrol-Gas über längere Zeiträume, beispielsweise bis zu 300 h, gemischt, um ein mechanisch legiertes Pulver zu gewinnen. Das so erhaltene Pulver soll Korngrößen unter 0,01 um haben. In einer Röntgen- beugungsanalyse wurde dabei das Verschwinden von Nickelrefle¬ xen und damit das Vorliegen einer amorphen Legierung bestä- tigt. Bei Fertigung von Kontakten aus einem solchermaßen her¬ gestellten Legierungspulver mit abwechselnden Sinter- und Preßschritten sollen sekundäre Ausscheidungen entstehen kön¬ nen, wobei aber die Korngröße der Nickelteilchen auf 1 μm be¬ grenzt sein soll.In JP-OS 6633090 a mixed crystal-like constitution of the material is sought. For this purpose, electrolyte / silver powder and carbonyl-nickel powder are mixed in a ball mill with steel balls under so-called styrene gas over longer periods, for example up to 300 h, in order to obtain a mechanically alloyed powder. The powder obtained in this way should have grain sizes of less than 0.01 μm. The disappearance of nickel reflections and thus the presence of an amorphous alloy was confirmed in an X-ray diffraction analysis. When producing contacts from an alloy powder produced in this way with alternating sintering and pressing steps, secondary precipitations should be possible, but the grain size of the nickel particles should be limited to 1 μm.
Es wurde festgestellt, daß bei Verwendung von mechanisch le¬ gierten Silber-Nickel-Pulvern mit vorstehend beschriebenem amorphen Charakter unerwünschte Nebeneffekte auftreten kön¬ nen, welche zu vergleichsweise schlechten Kontakteigenschaf- ten führen.It was found that when using mechanically alloyed silver-nickel powders with the amorphous character described above, undesirable side effects can occur which lead to comparatively poor contact properties.
Aufgabe der Erfindung ist es, hier für Abhilfe zu sorgen. Es soll ein Kontaktwerkstoff aus Silber und Nickel geschaffen werden, der gegenüber üblichen Silber-Nickel-Werkstoffen ver- besserte Kontakteigenschaften hat. Gleichzeitig sollen das zugehörige Herstellungsverfahren und entsprechende Kontakt- auflagen angegeben werden.The object of the invention is to provide a remedy here. A contact material made of silver and nickel is to be created which has improved contact properties compared to conventional silver-nickel materials. At the same time, the associated manufacturing process and corresponding contact requirements are specified.
Die Aufgabe ist erfindungsgemäß bei einem Sinterkontaktwerk¬ stoff aus Silber und Nickel dadurch gelöst, daß der Massen- anteil von Nickel zwischen 5 und 50 % beträgt, und daß das Nickel im Silbergefüge mit mittleren Teilchengrößen 1 μm < d < 10 μ in weitgehend homogener Verteilung vorliegt.The object is achieved according to the invention in a sintered contact material made of silver and nickel in that the mass fraction of nickel is between 5 and 50% and that the nickel in the silver structure with average particle sizes 1 μm <d <10 μ in a largely homogeneous distribution is present.
Vorzugsweise ist die mittlere Teilchengröße von Nickel d < 5 μm, insbesondere d < 3 um. Bei den angegebenen Teil¬ chengrößenverteilungen sollte der mittlere Abstand D der Nickelteilchen zwischen 5 und 10 μm liegen.The mean particle size of nickel is preferably d <5 μm, in particular d <3 μm. With the specified particle size distributions, the average distance D between the nickel particles should be between 5 and 10 μm.
Das Verfahren zur Herstellung des angegebenen Sinterkontak - Werkstoffes aus Silber und Nickel ist erfindungsgemäß dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß vor dem Sintern das Nickel nach Art des mechanischen Legierens in das Silbergefüge eingebracht wird, wobei dieser Vorgang unter Luftatmosphäre erfolgt. Als Aus¬ gangsmaterialien werden dabei entweder Silberpulver und. Nickelpulver oder aber Granulat aus Silber und Nickel ver¬ wendet. Vorzugsweise kommen- Teilchengrößenverteilungen unter 500 um, vorzugsweise unter 100 μm, insbesondere unter 50 μm, in Frage. Das Mischen nach Art des mechanischen Legierens erfolgt in einer Kugelmühle solange, bis sich ein lamellares Gefüge gebildet hat mit Ni-Lamellenbreiten sehr viel kleiner als der Teilchendurchmesser des Ausgangspulvers. Bei einem solchen Verfeinerungsgrad des Gefüges befindet man sich be¬ reits im Bereich der Nachweisgrenze eines Lichtmikroskopeε.The process for producing the specified sintered contact material from silver and nickel is characterized according to the invention in that, prior to sintering, the nickel is introduced into the silver structure in the manner of mechanical alloying, this process taking place in an air atmosphere. Either silver powder and . Nickel powder or granules of silver and nickel are used. Particle size distributions of less than 500 μm, preferably less than 100 μm, in particular less than 50 μm, are preferred. Mixing in the manner of mechanical alloying takes place in a ball mill until a lamellar structure has formed with Ni lamella widths very much smaller than the particle diameter of the starting powder. With such a degree of refinement of the structure, one is already in the range of the detection limit of a light microscope.
Bei der Erfindung können aus dem nach Art des mechanischen Legierens hergestellten Silber-Nickel-Pulver durch Druckver¬ formen, wie Strangpressen oder Formteiltechnik, und Sintern unter reduzierender Atmosphäre Kontaktauflagen gefertigt werden. Vorzugsweise sind die Kontaktauflagen als Bänder bzw. Profile oder als Kontaktstücke ausgebildet und werden bei einem Schaltgerät der Energietechnik eingesetzt. Im Gegensatz zum Stand der Technik wird bei der Erfindung das mechanische Legieren nicht unter Schutzgas durchgeführt. Es wird vielmehr mit normaler Atmosphärenluft gearbeitet. Dabei erfolgt das Mischen auch nicht, wie speziell bei der JP-OS 6633090, möglichst lange, um ein möglichst feines, legiertes Pulver zu erhalten. Vielmehr wird bewußt ausgenutzt, den Vor¬ gang des mechanischen Legierens unter Luft durchzuführen. Da¬ durch bilden sich Oxidhäute auf den Partikeln, welche die gleiche Wirkung wie verschweißmindernde Additive haben. Weiterhin tragen die Oxide auf der Oberfläche der Partikel zur Versprödung der Verbundteilchen und dadurch zur schnel¬ leren Gefügeverfeinerung bei. Im Vergleich zum mechanischen Legieren unter Inertgas wird der mechanische Legierungsvor¬ gang beachtlich verkürzt.In the invention, contact layers can be produced from the silver-nickel powder produced in the manner of mechanical alloying by compression molding, such as extrusion or molding technology, and sintering under a reducing atmosphere. The contact pads are preferably designed as strips or profiles or as contact pieces and are used in a switching device in power engineering. In contrast to the prior art, mechanical alloying is not carried out under protective gas in the invention. Instead, normal atmospheric air is used. Mixing does not take place as long as possible, in particular in JP-OS 6633090, in order to obtain an alloy powder which is as fine as possible. Rather, it is consciously used to carry out the mechanical alloying process in air. As a result, oxide skins are formed on the particles, which have the same effect as additives that reduce perspiration. Furthermore, the oxides on the surface of the particles contribute to the embrittlement of the composite particles and thereby to faster structure refinement. The mechanical alloying process is considerably shortened compared to mechanical alloying under inert gas.
Weitere Einzelheiten und Vorteile der Erfindung ergeben sich aus der nachfolgenden Beschreibung von Ausführungsbeispielen, wobei auf Gefügebilder mit zugehöriger Ausschnittsvergröße¬ rung und eine Tabelle mit den Ergebnissen einer elektrischen Prüfung Bezug genommen wird. Es zeigen in 400facher Vergröße¬ rungFurther details and advantages of the invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments, reference being made to micrographs with associated detail enlargement and a table with the results of an electrical test. They show a magnification of 400 times
Figur 1 das Schliffbild eines Werkstoffes AgNilO und Figur 2 das Schliffbild eines Werkstoffes AgNi40.Figure 1 shows the micrograph of a material AgNilO and Figure 2 shows the micrograph of a material AgNi40.
Zur Herstellung der Werkstoffe AgNilO und AgNi40 werden Sil¬ berpulver mit einer Teilchengrößenverteilung < 300μm und Nickelpulver mit einer Teilchengrößenverteilung < 150 μm als Ausgangsmaterialien verwendet. Nach entsprechender Einwaage werden die Pulver in eine Kugelmühle (Attritor) gegeben und dort solange mechanisch legiert, bis im sich ausbildenden Gefüge das Nickel eine Größe von < 3 μm aufweist und homogen im Silber vorliegt. Dabei wird in der Kugelmühle an Luft¬ atmosphäre und ohne Wachse als weitere Zusätze gearbeitet. Die beim mechanischen Legieren entstehende Gefügeverfeinerung geht einher mit einer Änderung der Pulver-Teilchenform und -Teilchengröße. Durch die Bearbeitung unter Luftatmosphäre wird bewußt in Kauf genommen, daß sich Oxidhäute an den Par- tikeln bilden.Silver powders with a particle size distribution <300 μm and nickel powder with a particle size distribution <150 μm are used as starting materials for the production of the materials AgNilO and AgNi40. After appropriate weighing, the powders are placed in a ball mill (attritor) and mechanically alloyed there until the nickel that forms is <3 μm in size and is homogeneously present in the silver. The ball mill works in an air atmosphere and without waxes as further additives. The structure refinement resulting from mechanical alloying is accompanied by a change in the powder particle shape and size. Processing in an air atmosphere consciously accepts that oxide skins form on the particles.
Nach dem Mischen nach Art des mechanischen Legierens werden in bekannter Weise Kontaktauflagen durch Druckverformen und Sintern unter reduzierender Atmosphäre hergestellt. Als Methode des Druckverformens kommt alternativ das Strang¬ pressen zur Fertigung von Bändern bzw. Profilen oder die sogenannte Form eiltechnik zur Fertigung einzelner Kontak - stücke in Frage. Vorteilhaft ist dabei auch, Zweischicht- Kontaktauflagen bzw. -Kontaktstücke mit einer ersten Schicht aus Silber-Nickel und einer zweiten Schicht aus Reinsilber herzustellen, um eine sichere Verbindungstechnik mit dem Kontaktstückträger zu gewährleisten.After mixing in the manner of mechanical alloying, contact layers are produced in a known manner by compression molding and sintering in a reducing atmosphere. Alternatively, extrusion molding for the production of strips or profiles or the so-called molding technique for the production of individual contact pieces can be considered as a method of pressure forming. It is also advantageous to produce two-layer contact pads or contact pieces with a first layer made of silver-nickel and a second layer made of pure silver, in order to ensure a secure connection technique with the contact piece carrier.
Die Gefügebilder gemäß Figur 1 und Figur 2 zeigen den Werk- Stoff AgNilO einerseits und AgNi40 andererseits. Deutlich wird die homogene Verteilung der Nickelpartikel, deren mittlere Teilchengrößen in Figur 1 etwa 3 μm und in Figur 2 durchweg < 10 μm sind. Aus dem Bildausschnitt zu Figur 1 ist erkennbar, daß bei Nickelteilchen mit einer Teilchengröße in der Größenordnung von «^ = 3 μm der mittlere Abstand D zweier Partikel etwa beim Doppelten, also bei D = 6 μm liegt. Auch dieser Wert D ist ein signifikanter Parameter zur Kennzeich¬ nung des Werkstoffes.The micrographs according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the material AgNilO on the one hand and AgNi40 on the other. The homogeneous distribution of the nickel particles, whose mean particle sizes are approximately 3 μm in FIG. 1 and consistently <10 μm in FIG. 2, becomes clear. It can be seen from the image detail in FIG. 1 that for nickel particles with a particle size in the order of magnitude of ^ = 3 μm, the mean distance D between two particles is approximately twice, that is to say D = 6 μm. This value D is also a significant parameter for identifying the material.
In der Tabelle sind Meßwerte für Schweißkraft Fs, Abbrand A und die Kontaktwiderstände Rk beim Ein- und Ausschalten angegeben. Aufgeführt sind die Schalteigenschaften der erfindungsgemäß hergestellten Kontakte Nr. 2 und Nr. 4 am Beispiel der WerkstoffZusammensetzungen AgNilO und AgNi40, die mit den Eigenschaften konventionell hergestellter Kon¬ takte Nr. 1 und Nr. 3 gleicher Zusammensetzung verglichen sind.The table shows measured values for welding force Fs, burn-up A and the contact resistances Rk when switching on and off. The switching properties of contacts No. 2 and No. 4 produced according to the invention are shown using the example of the material compositions AgNilO and AgNi40, which are compared with the properties of conventionally produced contacts No. 1 and No. 3 of the same composition are.
Die elektrische Prüfung erfolgte an balligen Kontakten (r = 80 mm) der Abmessung 10 mm x 10 mm mit 1000 Ein- und Ausschaltvorgängen unter AC 1000 A, 220 V, cosφ = 0,4 und der Kontaktkraft 60 N. Die Prellzeit der ersten drei Sprünge be¬ trug 5 ms mit einer Schließgeschwindigkeit von 1,0 m/s und einer Öffnungsgeschwindigkeit von 0,8 m/s bei einem Ein¬ schaltwinkel von 0° und einem Ausschaltwinkel von 80° sowie einem Blasfeld B = 0,5 T/A. Die Kontaktwiderstandsprüfung er¬ folgte unter 10 A. Der Abbrand wurde durch Wägen beider Kon¬ taktstücke und Mittelwertbildung ermittelt. Daraus wurde unter Berücksichtigung der theoretischen Dichte der Volumen¬ abbrand abgeleitet.The electrical test was carried out on crowned contacts (r = 80 mm) measuring 10 mm x 10 mm with 1000 switch-on and switch-off processes under AC 1000 A, 220 V, cosφ = 0.4 and the contact force 60 N. The bounce time of the first three Jumps were 5 ms with a closing speed of 1.0 m / s and an opening speed of 0.8 m / s with a switch-on angle of 0 ° and a switch-off angle of 80 ° and a blowing field B = 0.5 T / A. The contact resistance test was carried out under 10 A. The burnup was determined by weighing both contact pieces and averaging. The volume erosion was derived from this, taking into account the theoretical density.
Die Tabelle zeigt deutlich, daß sich die durch erfindungs¬ gemäße Verfahren hergestellten Kontaktwerkεtoffe Nr. 2 und Nr. 4 durch geringere Schweißkraftwerte sowie durch erheblich niedrigere Abbrandraten auszeichnen.The table clearly shows that the contact materials No. 2 and No. 4 produced by methods according to the invention are distinguished by lower welding force values and by considerably lower burn-off rates.
Umfangreiche Untersuchungen haben ergeben, daß sich bei Ver¬ wendung von mechanisch legiertem Silber-Nickel-Material für Schaltkontakte ein gegenüber konventionell hergestellten Werkstoffen gleicher Zusammensetzung nickelreicheres Schalt- gefüge bildet, da in der kurzen Lichtbogeneinwirkzeit das feinverteilte Nickel zu einem höheren Anteil in der Schmelze gelöst werden kann. Dieses Nickel scheidet sich beim Abkühlen der Schmelze feinverteilt wieder aus.Extensive investigations have shown that when mechanically alloyed silver-nickel material is used for switch contacts, a switching structure that is nickel-rich compared to conventionally produced materials of the same composition is formed, since the finely divided nickel dissolves to a greater extent in the melt in the short arc exposure time can be. This nickel is separated out again when the melt cools down.
Die vom erfindungsgemäßen Silber-Nickel-Material gegenüber einem vorbekannten AgNi-Werkstoff gleicher Nickel-Konzentra¬ tion entstehende nickelreichere Schmelze besitzt eine höhere Viskosität. Dadurch wird beim Aufschmelzen weniger Material verspritzt, wodurch der Kontaktabbrand beim mechanisch le- gierten Material geringer ist. Weiterhin wird bei der höher¬ viskosen Schmelze das in der Schmelze gelöste Gas nur zu einem geringeren Teil freigegeben, so daß beim Erstarren des Materials verstärkt Poren im Schaltgefüge entstehen, die die mechanische Festigkeit und damit die Schweißkraft absenken. The nickel-rich melt resulting from the silver-nickel material according to the invention compared to a previously known AgNi material with the same nickel concentration has a higher viscosity. As a result, less material is sprayed during melting, which means that contact burn-off is less with mechanically alloyed material. Furthermore, in the case of the higher-viscosity melt, the gas dissolved in the melt is only added released to a lesser extent, so that when the material solidifies, pores are formed in the switching structure which reduce the mechanical strength and thus the welding force.
Tabelletable
Elektrische Prüfbedingungen: 1000 A, 220 V, 1000 nElectrical test conditions: 1000 A, 220 V, 1000 n
Ni- Fs 99,8 %Ni-Fs 99.8%
Kontaktwerkstoff¬ Rk1 99,9 % Rk3 99,9 % AbbrandContact material Rk1 99.9% Rk3 99.9% burn-off
Beispiel Korngröße Schweißkraft zusammensetzung [mOhm] [mOhm] [mm3]Example grain size welding force composition [mOhm] [mOhm] [mm 3 ]
|μm] [N]| μm] [N]
Nr.No.
1 AgNi 90/10 Vergleichsbeispiel <40 324 0,04 1,69 59,51 AgNi 90/10 comparative example <40 324 0.04 1.69 59.5
2 AgNi 90/10 Ausführungsbeispiel <3 257 0,05 2.19 38,02 AgNi 90/10 embodiment <3 257 0.05 2.19 38.0
3 AgNi 60/40 Vergleichsbeispiel <40 330 0,06 3,10 14,03 AgNi 60/40 comparative example <40 330 0.06 3.10 14.0
4 AgNi 60/40 Ausführungsbeispiel <3 194 0,05 1,50 7,74 AgNi 60/40 embodiment <3 194 0.05 1.50 7.7

Claims

Patentansprüche claims
1. Sinterkontaktwerkstoff aus Silber und Nickel, d a ¬ d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß der Massenan- teil von Nickel zwischen 5 und 50 % beträgt, und daß das Nickel im Silbergefüge mit mittleren Teilchengrößen (d) 1 μm < d < 10 μm in weitgehend homogener Verteilung vor¬ liegt.1. Sintered contact material made of silver and nickel, since ¬ characterized in that the mass fraction of nickel is between 5 and 50%, and that the nickel in the silver structure with average particle sizes (d) 1 μm <d <10 μm in largely homogeneous distribution ¬ lies.
2. Sinterkontaktwerkstoff nach Anspruch 1, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß die mittlere Teilchen¬ größe (d) des Nickels d < 5 μm ist.2. sintered contact material according to claim 1, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the mean particle size (d) of the nickel is d <5 microns.
3. Sinterkontaktwerkstoff nach Anspruch 1, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß die mittlere Teilchen¬ größe {d) des Nickels d < 3 μm ist.3. Sintered contact material according to claim 1, so that the average particle size {d) of the nickel is d <3 μm.
4. Sinterkontaktwerkstoff nach Anspruch 1, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß der mittlere gegenseitige Abstand (£>) der Nickelteilchen zwischen 5 und 10 μm liegt.4. Sintered contact material according to claim 1, so that the mean mutual distance (£>) of the nickel particles is between 5 and 10 μm.
5. Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Sinterkontaktwerkstoffes aus Silber und Nickel gemäß Anspruch 1 oder einem der Ansprü¬ che 2 bis 4, bei dem eine Mischung von Silber- und Nickel- Pulver zumindest einer festigkeitssteigernden Wärmebehandlung (Sintern) unterzogen wird, d a d u r c h g e k e n n ¬ z e i c h n e t , daß vor dem Sintern das Nickel insbeson¬ dere nach Art des mechanischen Legierens unter Luftatmosphäre in das Silbergefüge eingebracht wird.5. A method for producing a sintered contact material made of silver and nickel according to claim 1 or one of claims 2 to 4, in which a mixture of silver and nickel powder is subjected to at least one strength-increasing heat treatment (sintering), characterized in that before sintering, the nickel is introduced into the silver structure in an air atmosphere, in particular in the manner of mechanical alloying.
6. Verfahren nach Anspruch 5, d a d u r c h g e k e n n ¬ z e i c h n e t , daß für das mechanische Legieren entweder Silber und Nickel-Pulver oder ein Granulat aus Silber und Nickel verwendet wird, und daß ein Gefüge mit homogen ver- teilten Nickelteilchen der Teilchengrößenverteilung l μm < rf < 10 μm erzeugt wird. 6. The method according to claim 5, characterized ¬ characterized in that either silver and nickel powder or a granulate of silver and nickel is used for the mechanical alloying, and that a structure with homogeneously distributed nickel particles of the particle size distribution l microns <rf <10 μm is generated.
7. Verfahren nach Anspruch 6, d a d u r c h g e k e n n ¬ z e i c h n e t , daß das Nickel-Pulver oder das Granulat mit einer Teilchengrößenverteilung < 500 μm verwendet wird.7. The method of claim 6, d a d u r c h g e k e n n ¬ z e i c h n e t that the nickel powder or the granules are used with a particle size distribution <500 microns.
8. Verfahren nach Anspruch 7, d a d u r c h g e k e n n ¬ z e i c h n e t , daß das Nickel-Pulver oder das Granulat mit einer Teilchengrößenverteilung < 100 μm verwendet wird.8. The method of claim 7, d a d u r c h g e k e n n ¬ z e i c h n e t that the nickel powder or the granules are used with a particle size distribution <100 microns.
9 Verfahren nach Anspruch 8, d a d u r c h g e k e n n - z e i c h n e t , daß das Nickel-Pulver oder das Granulat mit einer Teilchengrößenverteilung < 50 μm verwendet wird.9 The method of claim 8, d a d u r c h g e k e n n - z e i c h n e t that the nickel powder or the granules are used with a particle size distribution <50 microns.
10. Verfahren nach einem der Ansprüche 5 bis 9, d a ¬ d u r c h k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß das mechanische Legieren in einer Kugelmühle so lange erfolgt, bis im ent¬ stehenden lamellaren Gefüge Nickel-Lamellenbreiten vorliegen, die sehr viel kleiner sind als der Teilchendurchmesser des Nickel-Ausgangspulvers, vorzugsweise < 1 μm.10. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 9, since ¬ characterized in that the mechanical alloying takes place in a ball mill until nickel lamella widths are present in the resulting lamellar structure, which are very much smaller than the particle diameter of the nickel starting powder , preferably <1 μm.
11. Verfahren nach Anspruch 5, d a d u r c h g e ¬ k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß zur Herstellung von Kontakt¬ auflagen das mechanisch legierte Pulver druckverformt und unter reduzierender Atmosphäre gesintert wird.11. The method according to claim 5, so that the mechanically alloyed powder is compression-molded and sintered under a reducing atmosphere in order to produce contact pads.
12. Verfahren nach Anspruch 11, d a d u r c h g e ¬ k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß während des Sintervorgangs eine Einformung der Nickellamellen zu globularen Teilchen mit einer Teilchengrößenverteilung {d) 1 μm < d < 10 μm und einem Teilchenabstand (£>) zwischen 5 und 10 μm erfolgt.12. The method of claim 11, d a d u r c h g e ¬ k e n n z e i c h n e t that during the sintering process, the nickel flakes are formed into globular particles with a particle size distribution {d) 1 μm <d <10 μm and a particle spacing (£>) between 5 and 10 μm.
13. Verfahren nach Anspruch 11, d a d u r c h g e ¬ k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß das Druckverformen durch Strangpressen erfolgt. 13. The method according to claim 11, dadurchge ¬ indicates that the compression molding is carried out by extrusion.
14. Verfahren nach Anspruch 11, d a d u r c h g e ¬ k e n n z e i c h n e t , daß das Druckverformen als Form¬ teiltechnik für Kontaktstücke erfolgt.14. The method according to claim 11, d a d u r c h g e ¬ k e n n z e i c h n e t that the compression molding is carried out as a molding technology for contact pieces.
15. Kontaktauflage aus einem Sinterkontaktwerkstoff nach Anspruch 1 oder einem der Ansprüche 2 bis 4, hergestellt insbesondere nach einem Verfahren gemäß Anspruch 13, g e ¬ k e n n z e i c h n e t durch die Ausbildung als Bänder bzw. Profile.15. Contact pad made of a sintered contact material according to claim 1 or one of claims 2 to 4, produced in particular by a method according to claim 13, g e ¬ k e n n z e i c h n e t by the formation of strips or profiles.
16. Kontaktauflage aus einem Sinterkontaktwerkstoff nach Anspruch 1 oder einem der Ansprüche 2 bis 4, hergestellt insbesondere nach einem Verfahren gemäß Anspruch 14, g e ¬ k e n n z e i c h n e t durch die Ausbildung als Kontakt- stücke.16. Contact pad made of a sintered contact material according to claim 1 or one of claims 2 to 4, produced in particular by a method according to claim 14, g e ¬ k e n n z e i c h n e t by training as contact pieces.
17. Kontaktauflage nach Anspruch 15 oder Anspruch 16, g e k e n n z e i c h n e t durch die Ausbildung als Zwei- Schichter mit einer ersten Schicht aus Silber-Nickel und einer zweiten Schicht aus Reinsilber.17. Contact pad according to claim 15 or claim 16, g e k e n n z e i c h n e t by training as a two-layer with a first layer of silver-nickel and a second layer of pure silver.
18. Kontaktauflage nach einem der Ansprüche 15 bis 17, g e k e n n z e i c h n e t durch die Verwendung in einem Schaltgerät der Energietechnik. 18. Contact pad according to one of claims 15 to 17, g e k e n n z e i c h n e t by use in a switching device of energy technology.
EP95903252A 1993-12-23 1994-12-22 Sintered contact material, process for producing the same and contact pads made thereof Expired - Lifetime EP0736217B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE4344322 1993-12-23
DE4344322A DE4344322A1 (en) 1993-12-23 1993-12-23 Sintered contact material
PCT/DE1994/001527 WO1995017759A1 (en) 1993-12-23 1994-12-22 Sintered contact material, process for producing the same and contact pads made thereof

Publications (2)

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EP0736217A1 true EP0736217A1 (en) 1996-10-09
EP0736217B1 EP0736217B1 (en) 1997-11-05

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US5679471A (en) * 1995-10-16 1997-10-21 General Motors Corporation Silver-nickel nano-composite coating for terminals of separable electrical connectors
JP4257755B2 (en) * 1998-10-31 2009-04-22 キヤノンファインテック株式会社 Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus
TW487742B (en) * 1999-05-10 2002-05-21 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Electrode for PTC thermistor, manufacture thereof, and PTC thermistor
CN102808097B (en) * 2012-08-20 2014-04-16 温州宏丰电工合金股份有限公司 Silver/nickel/metallic oxide electrical contact material preparation method
WO2014029210A1 (en) * 2012-08-20 2014-02-27 温州宏丰电工合金股份有限公司 Preparation method for electrical contact materials
US20140326605A1 (en) * 2013-05-03 2014-11-06 Tyco Electronics Corporation Electroplating contacts with silver-alloys in a basic bath
CN103996426B (en) * 2014-05-28 2016-05-11 东北大学 Silver-colored nickel composite electric contact material of a kind of nickel net distribution and preparation method thereof

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FR2511041B1 (en) * 1981-08-07 1986-12-05 Louyot Comptoir Lyon Alemand SILVER AND NICKEL OXIDE MATERIALS FOR USE IN MAKING ELECTRICAL CONTACTS AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME
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BR9408402A (en) 1997-08-05
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US5763105A (en) 1998-06-09
DE4344322A1 (en) 1995-06-29
EP0736217B1 (en) 1997-11-05
DE59404552D1 (en) 1997-12-11
ES2109804T3 (en) 1998-01-16

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