Abstract
Electrical contact materials (ECMs) play a pivotal role in maintaining the stability and efficiency of electrical instruments and electronic devices by regulating the current flow. As an essential member of ECMs, W-Ag matrix composite ECMs (W-Ag-MC-ECMs) are integral, demonstrating commendable resistance to welding and arc erosion. However, the limited wettability between the two phases curtails their broader applications. Herein, Ag-Cu and Ag-Ni bimetallic layer-encapsulated tungsten powders were designed and successfully synthesized through a two-step electroless plating process. Subsequently, the W-Ag-MC-ECMs were fabricated following the powder metallurgy route, including the solution ball milling process and the spark plasma sintering technique. The results indicated that Cu-Ag solid solution and Ni with a metal binder effect could strengthen the interface bonding, which can dramatically improve the microhardness (up to 182HV), strength (up to 600 MPa), ductility (up to 24 %) and resistance to arc erosion (nearly two times longer service life). In addition, during the arc erosion, attributed to the Cu-Ag solid solution effect of W@Ag@Cu/Ag-MC-ECMs and solution-strengthening effect of W@Ag@Ni/Ag-MC-ECMs, the work function increases and the arc energy decreases, which reduces mass loss and extends the service life of the contacts.
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