Method for manufacturing an Ag-based electrical contact material, an electrical contact material and an electrical contact obtained therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11923153-B2
Application number	US-202017034882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2020
Priority date	Oct 1, 2019
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

A material and method for manufacturing an Ag-based electrical contact material includes synthesizing an intermetallic compound of Me x Sn y type; ball milling the intermetallic compound; mixing the so obtained intermetallic compound powder with silver powder; packing the mixed powders into a green body; and forming a MeO-SnO 2 cluster structure by internally oxidizing the intermetallic compound Me x Sn y while sintering the green body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing an Ag-based electrical contact material characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
a. synthesizing an intermetallic compound of Me x Sn y type, wherein Me is an additive metal;
b. ball milling the intermetallic compound;
c. mixing the so obtained intermetallic compound powder with silver powder;
d. packing the mixed powders into a green body; and
e. forming a MeO-SnO 2 cluster structure by internally oxidizing the intermetallic compound Me x Sn y while sintering the green body.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
f. densifying an obtained material by repressing and re-sintering to release extra strain.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein Me is selected among:
copper, molybdenum, iron, manganese, nickel, indium, antimony.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein Me is copper.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein synthesizing step (a) is performed by mixing Me powder with Sn powder; melting the mixed powders; and
quenching and annealing the intermetallic compound.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (b) of ball milling is performed so as to obtain particles of intermetallic compound with a diameter d comprised between 1 μm and 20 μm.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said diameter d is less than 5 μm.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the powders packing step (d) is performed by pressing the powders at a pressure comprised between 50 MPa and 200 MPa.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after step (e) a further step (f) is performed which comprises:
f. densifying an obtained material.

10. An Ag-based electrical contact material obtained by:
a. synthesizing an intermetallic compound of Me x Sn y type, wherein Me is an additive metal;
b. ball milling the intermetallic compound;
c. mixing the so obtained intermetallic compound powder with silver powder;
d. packing the mixed powders into a green body; and
e. forming a MeO-SnO 2 cluster structure by internally oxidizing the intermetallic compound Me x Sn y while sintering the green body.

11. An Ag-based electrical contact comprising at least one portion of a material obtained by the process of claim 10 .

12. An Ag-based electrical contact material characterized in that it comprises a MeO-SnO 2 cluster structure.

13. An Ag-based electrical contact material according to claim 12 , wherein Me is selected among: copper, molybdenum, iron, manganese, nickel, indium, antimony.

14. An Ag-based electrical contact material according to claim 13 , wherein Me is copper.

15. An Ag-based electrical contact comprising at least one portion of a material obtained by the process of claim 14 .

16. An Ag-based electrical contact comprising at least one portion of a material obtained by the process of claim 13 .

17. An Ag-based electrical contact comprising at least one portion of a material obtained by the process of claim 12 .

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Tang Yinglu
• Boehm Moritz
• Bodry Sam

Classifications

• H01H11/048 Primary

  by powder-metallurgical processes · CPC title

• B22F3/14

  simultaneously · CPC title

• B22F9/04 Primary

  starting from solid material, e.g. by crushing, grinding or milling ({C22C1/1084 takes precedence}; crushing, grinding or milling, in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B02C) · CPC title

• H01H1/02376

  containing as major component SnO2 · CPC title

• B22F2009/041

  by mechanical alloying, e.g. blending, milling · CPC title