Electrical contact alloy for vacuum contactors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10468205-B2
Application number	US-201615377258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

An improved electrical contact alloy, useful for example, in vacuum interrupters used in vacuum contactors is provided. The contact alloy according to the disclosed concept comprises copper particles and chromium particles present in a ratio of copper to chromium of 2:3 to 20:1. The electrical contact alloy also comprises particles of a carbide, which reduces the weld break strength of the electrical contact alloy without reducing its interruption performance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical contact alloy comprising:
a homogenous mixture of copper particles;
chromium particles;
wherein the copper particles to chromium particles relative to each other have a weight ratio of 55:45;
particles of a carbide present in an amount ranging from 0 to 73 wt. % relative to the alloy; and
sintering activation elements present in an amount less than 0.5 wt. % to increase density.

2. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the carbide is selected from the group of silicon carbides and metal carbides.

3. The alloy recited in claim 2 wherein the metal carbides are selected from the group consisting of tungsten carbide, molybdenum carbide, vanadium carbide, chromium carbide, niobium carbide, and tantalum carbide, titanium carbide, and hafnium carbide.

4. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the sintering activation elements are selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, nickel-iron, and iron aluminide.

5. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the carbide is tungsten carbide.

6. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the carbide is molybdenum carbide.

7. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the carbide is vanadium carbide.

8. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the carbide is niobium carbide.

9. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the carbide is tantalum carbide.

10. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the carbide is chromium carbide.

11. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the carbide is titanium carbide.

12. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the carbide is hafnium carbide.

13. The alloy recited in claim 1 wherein the chromium is present in an amount ranging from 5 to 60 wt. % relative to copper, the balance being copper.

14. An electrical contact for use in a vacuum interrupter comprising:
an electrically conductive contact member formed from an alloy comprised of:
a homogenous mixture of copper particles and chromium particles, wherein the copper particles to chromium particles have a weight ratio relative to each other of 55:45;
particles of a carbide present in an amount ranging from 0 to 73 wt. % relative to the alloy; and

sintering activation elements present in an amount less than 0.5 wt. % to increase density.

15. The contact recited in claim 14 wherein the carbide is selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, molybdenum carbide, vanadium carbide, chromium carbide, niobium carbide, tantalum carbide, titanium carbide, and hafnium carbide.

16. An electrical contact alloy comprising:
a homogenous mixture of copper particles;
chromium particles;
wherein the copper particles to chromium particles have a weight ratio relative to each other ranging from 2:3 to 20:1 by weight;
particles of a carbide present in an amount ranging from 0 to 73 wt. % relative to the alloy; and,
sintering activation elements present in an amount less than 0.5 wt. % to increase density.

17. The alloy recited in claim 16 wherein the sintering activation elements are selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, nickel-iron, and iron aluminide.

18. The alloy recited in claim 16 wherein the carbide is selected from the group of silicon carbides and metal carbides.

19. The alloy recited in claim 18 wherein the metal carbides are selected from the group consisting of tungsten carbide, molybdenum carbide, vanadium carbide, chromium carbide, niobium carbide, and tantalum carbide, titanium carbide, and hafnium carbide.

20. The alloy recited in claim 16 wherein the chromium is present in an amount ranging from 5 to 60 wt. % relative to copper, the balance being copper.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Campbell Louis Grant
• Balasubramanian Ganesh Kumar
• Rosenkrans Benjamin Alex

Classifications

• B22F1/09

  Mixtures of metallic powders · CPC title

• H01H1/0233

  and containing carbides · CPC title

• H01H1/0203

  specially adapted for vacuum switches · CPC title

• C22C30/02

  containing copper · CPC title

• B22F3/16

  in successive or repeated steps · CPC title