Extended Aging of Ag/W Circuit Breaker Contacts: Influence on Surface Structure, Electrical Properties, and UL Testing Performance

Abstract

Samples of 120 V, 30 A commercial circuit breakers were subjected to various aging treatments and the resulting microstructures at the surfaces of the Ag/W contacts were studied using a combination of x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy techniques. Breakers aged naturally in a hot, humid climate were compared to those subjected to accelerated aging in dry and humid environments. The most extensive oxidation was observed for contacts from breakers subjected to accelerated humid aging; these contacts exhibited thick surface layers consisting of Ag2O, Ag2WO4, Cu(OH)2∙H2O, and WO3 phases. Far less surface degradation was observed for dry-aged contacts. Naturally aged contacts showed variations in degradation with more oxidation at the surface regions outside the physical contact area on the contact face. A correlation was found between the contact resistances measured from these samples following ASTM standard B 667-97 and the observed surface microstructures. To evaluate the effects of the surface oxides on breaker performance, humid-aged breakers were subjected to standardized UL overload/temperature-rise, endurance, and short-circuit testing following UL489. The contacts in these breakers exhibit similar microstructural and property changes to those observed previously for as-manufactured contacts after UL testing. These data illustrate the robust performance of this contact technology even after being subjected to aggressive artificial aging.