Monolithic contact system and method of forming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10008341-B2
Application number	US-201414571739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 16, 2013
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A circuit breaker having a monolithic structure and method of making is disclosed. The monolithic structure includes an arm portion having copper and a contact portion having a composite material. The composite material has a metallic matrix and a second phase disposed in the metallic matrix. The method of making the monolithic structure includes introducing a first powder into a first region of a mold, introducing a second powder into a second region of the mold, and consolidating the first powder and the second powder together. The first region of the mold corresponds to a contact portion, and the second region corresponds to an arm portion of the monolithic structure of the circuit breaker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit breaker, comprising:
a monolithic structure comprising:
an arm portion comprising copper; and
a contact portion comprising a composite material, the composite material comprising a metallic matrix and a second phase disposed in the metallic matrix, the composite material having a gradient in chemical composition; and

an interface region disposed between the arm portion and the contact portion, wherein the interface region comprises a eutectic composition.

2. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the metallic matrix comprises copper, silver, or combinations thereof.

3. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the second phase comprises a carbide, an oxide, carbon, or combinations thereof.

4. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the metallic matrix comprises copper and the second phase comprises tungsten carbide.

5. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the metallic matrix comprises silver and the second phase comprises cadmium oxide.

6. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the second phase comprises a metal.

7. The circuit breaker of claim 6 , wherein the metallic matrix comprises silver and the second phase comprises nickel, tungsten, molybdenum, or combinations thereof.

8. The circuit breaker of claim 7 , wherein the composite material comprises about 50 wt % to 80 wt % of tungsten.

9. The circuit breaker of claim 6 , wherein the metallic matrix comprises silver.

10. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic structure further comprises a binder or sintering aid.

11. The circuit breaker of claim 10 , wherein the binder or the sintering aid comprises zinc, tin, aluminum, magnesium, silver, cobalt, nickel, iron, or combinations thereof.

12. The circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the contact portion has less than about 10 volume percent of voids in an interface region.

13. A circuit breaker comprising:
a monolithic structure comprising:
an arm portion comprising copper; and
a contact portion comprising a composite material, the composite material comprising a metallic matrix and a second phase disposed in the metallic matrix, the composite material having a gradient in chemical composition;

wherein the gradient is from an arcing portion of the contact portion to an interface between the arm portion and the contact portion.

14. A circuit breaker, comprising:
a monolithic structure comprising:
an arm portion comprising copper; and
a contact portion comprising a composite material, the composite material comprising a metallic matrix and a second phase disposed in the metallic matrix, the composite material having a gradient in chemical composition;

wherein the gradient is from an arcing portion of the contact portion to a center of the contact portion; and
an interface region disposed between the arm portion and the contact portion, wherein the interface region comprises a eutectic composition.

15. The circuit breaker of claim 14 , wherein the second phase has a higher concentration at the center than at the arcing portion.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Nayak Mohandas
• Karkada Nagaveni
• Thimmegowda Shalini
• Thammaiah Mallikarjuna Heggadadevanapura
• Narayanan Janakiraman
• Jacobs Linda Yvonne

Classifications

• C22C32/0084

  carbon or graphite as the main non-metallic constituent · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title

• B22F7/06

  of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools {(B22F7/002 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B22F3/16

  in successive or repeated steps · CPC title

• B22F3/14

  simultaneously · CPC title