JPH0541309A - Manufacturing method of potential nonlinear resistor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the title manufacturing method of potential nonlinear resistor wherein the no-contact region mainly in the interface of a metallic oxide sintered body mainly comprising zinc oxide and layer electrodes is reduced while enhancing the discharge breakdown strength and reliability of said resistor as well as the bond properties of said layer electrodes making the formation of the layer electrodes easy in high productivity. CONSTITUTION:A mixed particles mainly comrising zinc oxide and containing at least a bismuth compound and silicon compound as additive components is molded and then this molded body is baked to make a metallic oxide sintered body 1 further forming layer electrodes 2 on the polished surface 1a of this metallatic oxide sintered body 1. At this time, the polished surface 1a is coated with a noble metal paste such as a silver paste, etc., so as to make the noble metal paste seize up on this polished surface 1a in a pressure-reduced atmosphere.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a voltage non-linear resistor mainly used in a gapless lightning arrester or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A small amount of zinc oxide is contained as a main component.
Metal oxide sintered body containing _{SiO 2, Sb 2 O 3,} Bi 2 O 3, Co 2 O 3, additive such as MnO _2, since the show excellent voltage non-linearity, use the lightning arrester, etc. Has been done.

That is, when an electrode is attached to the polished surface of the above metal oxide sintered body and used as a lightning arrester, even if an excessively large current flows instantaneously due to a lightning strike or the like, the metal oxide sintered body has an excessive voltage. Correspondingly, the resistance becomes low and it is grounded through this metal oxide sintered body. This prevents accidents due to lightning strikes.

In order to produce such a voltage non-linear resistor, it is necessary to attach a layered electrode to the polished surface of the metal oxide sintered body so that a voltage can be applied. The most common method as such is to form electrodes made of aluminum metallikon or the like by a metal spraying method on a pair of opposed polishing surfaces of a disk-shaped metal oxide sintered body. Then, the disc-shaped metal oxide sintered bodies are stacked and the layered electrodes are brought into contact with each other. This reduces the contact resistance between the resistors when stacking the voltage non-linear resistors, and
The current flowing inside each resistor is distributed uniformly.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned resistor, since the metal sprayed electrode having large particles is used, a portion where the electrode is not in contact with minute irregularities on the surface of the sintered body is generated. was there. As a result, when the surge arrester operates due to a large current surge such as lightning impulse current,
Since partial discharge occurs and the current does not flow evenly in the sintered body, the original characteristics of the voltage non-linear resistor cannot be fully exerted, and there is a drawback that breakdown occurs at a low surge current.

A method for uniformly forming fine particle metal electrodes on the surface of a sintered body by a vapor deposition method is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-17110.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-5, the electrode on the surface of the sintered body is broken by a surge current and does not exhibit a stable effect unless the electrode has a certain thickness of 5 to 10 μm or more. It is economically difficult to achieve a thickness of 10 μm or more. That is, in order to form a noble metal film by, for example, a vapor deposition method, not only a large-scale apparatus that is inconvenient to handle is required, but also the film deposition rate is slow, the processing area is small, and the processing rate is slow.

There is also a method in which a silver paste is applied to the polished surface of the sintered body and baked to form an electrode.
However, silver in the silver paste is mainly present in the form of Ag ₂ O, and the following reactions occur during baking of the silver paste. Ag ₂ O → 2Ag + 1 / 2O _{2, that} is, oxygen is generated during baking of the silver paste, and thus pores are generated in the electrode after baking. Particularly important are pores generated at the interface between the layered electrode and the sintered body, and the layered electrode and the sintered body do not come into contact with each other in this pore portion. For this reason, not only the adhesion between the layered electrode and the sintered body is lowered, but also the discharge withstand capability is lowered due to partial discharge. Especially, the varistor voltage (V _1mA ) is 300 V
In a voltage non-linear resistor for a gapless lightning arrestor having a value of / mm or more, this problem is serious, and there is a need to solve it.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the non-contact area mainly at the interface between the metal oxide sintered body containing zinc oxide as a main component and the layered electrode to reduce the discharge withstand voltage of the voltage non-linear resistor.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing method that improves reliability and adhesion of a layered electrode, facilitates formation of the layered electrode, and has high productivity.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a mixed powder containing zinc oxide as a main component and at least a bismuth compound and a silicon compound as an additive component is molded, and the molded product is fired to obtain a metal oxide sintered product. Produced, when forming a layered electrode on the polished surface of the metal oxide sintered body, a precious metal paste is applied to the polished surface, the precious metal paste is baked onto the polished surface under a reduced pressure atmosphere to form the layered electrode. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a voltage non-linear resistor, which is characterized by being formed.

[0010]

The features of the manufacturing method of the present invention will be described with reference to the schematic view of FIG. First, the mixed powder is molded, and the molded body is fired to produce the metal oxide sintered body 1. A preferred embodiment of this step will be described later. Then, the layered electrode 2 is formed on the polished surface 1a of the metal oxide sintered body 1.

At this stage, in the present invention, the noble metal paste is applied to the polishing surface 1a, and the noble metal paste is baked onto the polishing surface 1a to form the layered electrode 2. Then, when baking the precious metal paste, the firing atmosphere is depressurized. As a result, the oxygen contained in the precious metal paste is
With heating in a reduced pressure atmosphere, the paste layer escapes into the atmosphere.

As a result, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, the bubbles 2a do not remain much in the layered electrode 2 after baking. On the other hand, if the noble metal paste is applied to the polished surface 1a and baked according to the conventional technique, all oxygen gas generated by the decomposition of the noble metal oxide causes bubbles. That is, as shown schematically in FIG. 3, a large number of amorphous bubbles 12a are formed in the layered electrode 12.

Thus, according to the manufacturing method of the present invention,
Since it is possible to suppress the formation of bubbles or cavities inside the layered electrode 2, there are few non-contact portions at the interface between the layered electrode 2 and the metal oxide sintered body 1, and the two are in close contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent local discharge and potential concentration at the interface between the two, so that the discharge withstand capability of the resistor is improved and the reliability is also increased. And the layered electrode 2 and the metal oxide sintered body 1
Such an effect of improving the adhesion with is particularly remarkable in the voltage nonlinear resistor for the gapless arrester, which has the varistor voltage (V _1mA ) of 300 V / mm or more.

Moreover, since the layered electrode is formed by applying and baking the noble metal paste, the production facility is easy to handle, the production rate is high, and the cost can be kept low unlike the vapor deposition method and the like.

Silver paste is particularly preferable as the noble metal paste. The atmosphere pressure when baking the noble metal paste is preferably 0.01 Torr or more and less than 500 Torr, and more preferably 1.0 Torr or more and 100 Torr or less. If it is less than 0.01 Torr, the varistor characteristic of the resistor tends to deteriorate, and if it exceeds 500 Torr, the effect of decompression is poor.

The baking of the noble metal paste is
Can be performed at 500-850 ° C, but usually 500-550
Often done at ° C. If this temperature exceeds 550 ° C., the high resistance layer (glass layer) on the side surface of the resistor may melt. When this baking is performed, even if the atmosphere is depressurized at a low temperature of less than 350 ° C., the above effect of the present invention is poor, and the discharge withstand capability is not so improved. Therefore, it is preferable to reduce the pressure of the atmosphere at least when the baking temperature reaches 350 ° C. The effect of the present invention is further enhanced by reducing the pressure of the atmosphere at a temperature of 400 ° C. or higher.

As described above, the manufacturing method of the present invention is particularly useful for a voltage non-linear resistor having a varistor voltage (V _1mA ) of 300 V / mm or more. In this sense, the content of silica in the metal oxide sintered body is preferably 4.0 mol% or more, and if it is less than this, it is difficult to obtain a high varistor voltage. On the other hand, when the silica content exceeds 10.0 mol%, the electrical characteristics of the resistor deteriorate.

[0018]

EXAMPLE To obtain a voltage nonlinear resistor containing zinc oxide as a main component, first, a zinc oxide raw material adjusted to a predetermined particle size and bismuth oxide, cobalt oxide, manganese oxide, antimony oxide adjusted to a predetermined particle size, A predetermined amount of an additive made of chromium oxide, preferably amorphous silicon oxide, nickel oxide, boron oxide, silver oxide or the like is mixed. In this case, silver nitrate or boric acid may be used instead of silver oxide or boron oxide. Bismuth borosilicate glass containing silver is preferably used. Alternatively, the additive may be calcined at 800 to 1000 ° C. and then pulverized to adjust the particle size to a predetermined value, and the zinc oxide raw material may be mixed. At this time, a predetermined amount of polyvinyl alcohol aqueous solution or the like is added to these raw material powders. Also preferably an aluminum nitrate solution is added.

Next, vacuum deaeration is performed preferably at a vacuum degree of 200 mmHg or less, and the water content of the mixed slurry is adjusted to about 30 to 35 wt%.
The viscosity of the mixed sludge is preferably 100 ± 50 cp. Next, the obtained mixed sludge is supplied to a spray dryer to produce a powder having an average particle size of 50 to 150 μm, preferably 80 to 120 μm, and a water content of 0.5 to 2.0 wt%, more preferably 0.9 to 1.5 wt%. Granulate granules. Next, the obtained granulated powder is molded into a predetermined shape under a molding pressure of 800 to 1000 Kg / cm ^{2 in} a molding step.

Then, the molded body is heated and lowered at a temperature of 10 to 100 ° C.
/ Hr at a temperature of 400 to 700 ° C to scatter and remove organic components to obtain a degreased body. Next, the degreased body is heated to 800 ~ at a heating rate of 50 ~ 70 ° C / hr.
Baking is performed at 1000 ° C. for a holding time of 1 to 5 hours to obtain a calcined body.
Next, a high resistance layer is formed on the side surface of the calcined body. In this example B
A mixture paste for insulation coating containing 30 to 300 μm of a mixture of insulating materials such as ethyl cellulose, butyl carbitol, and n-butyl acetate as an organic binder in a predetermined amount of i ₂ O ₃ , Sb ₂ O ₃ , ZnO, SiO _2, etc.
To the side of the calcined body.

Next, this is heated and cooled at a rate of 20 to 100 ° C / h.
r, maximum holding temperature 1000 ~ 1300 ℃, preferably 1050 ~ 1250
The main calcination is performed under the condition of 3 ° C. for 3 to 7 hours. Then, a glass paste prepared by adding ethyl cellulose, butyl carbitol, n-butyl acetate as an organic binder to glass powder is applied on the high resistance layer on the side surface to a thickness of 50 to 300 μm,
It is preferable to form the glass layer by heat treatment in the air at a temperature rising / falling rate of 50 to 200 ° C / hr, 400 to 800 ° C, and a holding time of 0.5 to 4 hours.

Thereafter, both end faces of the obtained voltage non-linear resistor are polished with a diamond grindstone or the like. Then, after cleaning the polished surface, according to the present invention, a noble metal paste is applied to the polished surface and baked under a reduced pressure atmosphere.

The results of actually measuring various characteristics of voltage nonlinear resistors within and outside the range of the present invention will be described below. Example 1 A silver paste was used as the noble metal paste, and the effect was confirmed by changing the atmospheric pressure when baking the silver paste. First, according to the method described above, the diameter
A disc-shaped metal oxide sintered body having a thickness of 40 mm and a thickness of 20 mm was produced. This composition is Bi ₂ O ₃ : 1.0 mol%, Sb ₂ O ₃ : 1.0 mol%, Cr ₂ O ₃ : 0.5 mol%, MnO ₂ : 0.5 mol%, Co ₃ O
₄ : 0.6 mol%, SiO ₂ : 1.0 mol%, NiO: 1.0 mol%, Al ³⁺ : 50 ppm, balance ZnO. When the above composition is 100 parts by weight, 0.02 parts by weight of Ag ₂ O and
02 parts by weight of B ₂ O ₃ are further added.

Then, the silver paste was applied to the polished surface of the metal oxide sintered body as described above and baked at 550 ° C. to form a layered electrode. The atmosphere pressures shown in the table below were maintained throughout this baking process. For each voltage nonlinear resistor thus obtained, the limiting voltage V _1mA / mm and its standard deviation σ _n-1 (n = 50), switching surge resistance, ΔV _1mA
The rate of change and the electrode-device interface state were measured.

The switching surge resistance is 500 A
The number of surges before the destruction by adding the switching surge of was shown. Regarding the ΔV _1mA change rate, the change rate (%) of the varistor voltage (V _1mA ) after applying a current of 100 KA with a current waveform of 4/10 μs was obtained. Regarding the electrode-element interface state, the evaluation sample was cut with a diamond cutter, etc., and its cross section was polished, after which it was scanned with a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
As a result of observing the bubble distribution state at the electron-device interface in Table 1, those without bubbles were considered as no bubbles, those without bubbles of 50 μm or more were considered as small bubbles, and those with bubbles exceeding 50 μm were considered as large bubbles. The results of these measurements are shown in Table 1.

[0026]

[Table 1]

As can be seen from Table 1, the electrode-element interface state, the surge resistance and the ΔV _{1 mA} change rate are improved by reducing the atmosphere when baking the silver paste. The atmospheric pressure is preferably 0.01 to 500 Torr, and more preferably 1.0 to 100 Torr.

Example 2 A metal oxide sintered body was produced in the same manner as in Example 1. Then, a silver paste was baked on this polished surface in the same manner as in Example 1 at 500 ° C.
Further, as the atmospheric pressure, 1.0 Torr, which had the best characteristics in Example 1, was selected.

Then, the atmospheric pressure is kept at 1 Torr from room temperature to each temperature shown in Table 2, that is, below each temperature shown in Table 2, and when the temperature shown in Table 2 is exceeded, the atmospheric pressure is changed. Returned to 760 Torr. Thus, each voltage non-linear resistor was produced, and the same measurement as in Example 1 was performed for each. The measurement results are shown in Table 2.

[0030]

[Table 2]

As can be seen from Table 2, when the atmospheric pressure is set to 1 Torr particularly at a temperature of 350 ° C. or higher, the effect is large,
If the atmosphere pressure is set to 1 Torr at the above temperature, the effect is further enhanced.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, bubbles can be reduced particularly at the interface between the layered electrode and the metal oxide sintered body, and both can be brought into close contact with each other. As a result, the discharge resistance of the voltage nonlinear resistor, the reliability, and the adhesion of the layered electrode could be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where a layered electrode 2 is provided on a polished surface 1a of a metal oxide sintered body 1.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the fine structure of the layered electrode 2.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a fine structure of a layered electrode 12 according to a conventional manufacturing method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Metal oxide sintered body 1a Polished surface 2,12 Layered electrode 2a, 12a Bubble

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A metal oxide sintered body is produced by molding a mixed powder containing zinc oxide as a main component and at least a bismuth compound and a silicon compound as additive components, and firing the molded body. In forming the layered electrode on the polished surface of the sintered body, a precious metal paste is applied to the polished surface, and the precious metal paste is baked onto the polished surface under a reduced pressure atmosphere to form the layered electrode. , A method for manufacturing a voltage non-linear resistor.