US3672850A - Low current electrical contact comprising a layer of iron-nickel alloy and a layer of ruthenium - Google Patents

Low current electrical contact comprising a layer of iron-nickel alloy and a layer of ruthenium Download PDF

Info

Publication number: US3672850A
Authority: US; United States
Prior art keywords: layer; ruthenium; contact; iron; nickel alloy
Prior art date: 1969-05-06
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.): Expired - Lifetime

Application number

US27779A

Other languages

English (en)

Inventor

Walter Reichelt

Konrad Ruthardt

Hermann Speidel

Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)

WC Heraus GmbH and Co KG

Original Assignee

WC Heraus GmbH and Co KG

Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)

1969-05-06

Filing date

1970-04-13

Publication date

1972-06-27

1970-04-13 Application filed by WC Heraus GmbH and Co KG filed Critical WC Heraus GmbH and Co KG

1972-06-27 Application granted granted Critical

1972-06-27 Publication of US3672850A publication Critical patent/US3672850A/en

1989-06-27 Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Status Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

KJTLSVCANCCWHF-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ruthenium Chemical compound [Ru] KJTLSVCANCCWHF-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title abstract description 23
229910052707 ruthenium Inorganic materials 0.000 title abstract description 23
229910001030 Iron–nickel alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 title abstract description 9
239000013078 crystal Substances 0.000 abstract description 6
QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N mercury Chemical compound [Hg] QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
229910052753 mercury Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 3
BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N platinum Chemical compound [Pt] BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
230000001681 protective effect Effects 0.000 description 3
-1 April 15 Chemical compound 0.000 description 2
XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
KDLHZDBZIXYQEI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Palladium Chemical compound [Pd] KDLHZDBZIXYQEI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
239000000969 carrier Substances 0.000 description 2
239000008151 electrolyte solution Substances 0.000 description 2
239000012535 impurity Substances 0.000 description 2
239000000696 magnetic material Substances 0.000 description 2
239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
229910000510 noble metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
229910052697 platinum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 2
238000005299 abrasion Methods 0.000 description 1
229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 description 1
239000012876 carrier material Substances 0.000 description 1
239000007795 chemical reaction product Substances 0.000 description 1
238000009833 condensation Methods 0.000 description 1
230000005494 condensation Effects 0.000 description 1
239000000356 contaminant Substances 0.000 description 1
230000008021 deposition Effects 0.000 description 1
239000003792 electrolyte Substances 0.000 description 1
239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 1
239000011261 inert gas Substances 0.000 description 1
229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 1
229910052763 palladium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
239000011148 porous material Substances 0.000 description 1
238000007740 vapor deposition Methods 0.000 description 1
239000012808 vapor phase Substances 0.000 description 1

Images

Classifications

- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H1/00—Contacts
- H01H1/02—Contacts characterised by the material thereof
- H01H1/0201—Materials for reed contacts
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10S428/922—Static electricity metal bleed-off metallic stock
- Y10S428/923—Physical dimension
- Y10S428/924—Composite
- Y10S428/926—Thickness of individual layer specified
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10S428/922—Static electricity metal bleed-off metallic stock
- Y10S428/9265—Special properties
- Y10S428/928—Magnetic property
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10S428/922—Static electricity metal bleed-off metallic stock
- Y10S428/9335—Product by special process
- Y10S428/938—Vapor deposition or gas diffusion
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10T428/12—All metal or with adjacent metals
- Y10T428/12465—All metal or with adjacent metals having magnetic properties, or preformed fiber orientation coordinate with shape
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10T428/12—All metal or with adjacent metals
- Y10T428/12493—Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
- Y10T428/12771—Transition metal-base component
- Y10T428/12861—Group VIII or IB metal-base component
- Y10T428/12875—Platinum group metal-base component
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10T428/12—All metal or with adjacent metals
- Y10T428/12493—Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
- Y10T428/12771—Transition metal-base component
- Y10T428/12861—Group VIII or IB metal-base component
- Y10T428/12944—Ni-base component
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10T428/12—All metal or with adjacent metals
- Y10T428/12493—Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
- Y10T428/12771—Transition metal-base component
- Y10T428/12861—Group VIII or IB metal-base component
- Y10T428/12951—Fe-base component

Definitions

the present invention relates to electrical contacts and more particularly to electrical contacts for low current adapted to be encapsulated in a glass, or other carrier filled with a protective gas.
Low power contacts must have low contact resistance which does not change over the life of the relay contact element.
the life of such contacts must be at least one hundred million operations (10 It is diflicult to find contact materials which meet these requirements.
Usual low current relay contacts consist of two componentsa contact carrier and an actual contact layer.
Magnetically operated electronic relay contacts utilize contact carriers of magnetic material, for example, resilient, springy carriers formed of an iron-nickel alloy. In certain applications, pole faces, or pole shoes of soft iron may serve as the contact carrier.
the contact layer itself usually is a noble metal or a noble metal alloy, in order to prevent undesired reaction of the contact elements with the components of the inert gas filling the encapsulating space. Reaction products of the contact material with the protective gas increase the electrical resistance of the contact layer and contribute to arcing during switching, which rapidly destroys the contacting layer.
ruthenium is vapor deposited on a contact carrier, for example of an iron-nickel alloy, at pressures of 10- mm. mercury, or less, to form a layer of from 1 to 3011.
the contact layer is formed to have adjacently located ruthenium crystal columns extending essentially perpendicular to the surface of the contact carrier, facing the contact layer.
the electrical power threshold causing welding of the contacts, or adhesion in excess of the restoring force of the resilient contact carrier material is substantially higher in the ruthenium contact layers having the above referred to characteristics.
the contacts will become soft only at substantially higher current densities than contacts utilizing other contacting layers.
the contact in accordance with the present invention had the surprising and unusual characteristics of being capable of high current densities, in comparison to known contacts of similar size, with extremely high switching cycles, while retaining an invarying, and low contact resistance throughout the life of hundreds of millions of switching cycles.
the single drawing illustrates, schematically, a contact in accordance with the present invention.
Contact layer 2 has a thickness of from about 1 to 30,, and is a homogeneous layer of ruthenium, directly deposited on the contact carrier 1 by condensation by vapor deposition at a vacuum of 10- mm, mercury, or less, preferably at a very high vaccum of even less than 10- mm. mercury.
the resultant contact layer 2 then will have essentially parallel crystal columns, extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface of contact carrier 1 facing layer 2.
Low current electrical contact comprising (i) a contact carrier, said contact carrier comprising a resilient magnetic iron-nickel alloy; and (ii) a contact layer which comprises homogeneous, vapor deposited ruthenium of a thickness of from about 1 to 30a, directly condensed on said carrier.
the layer of ruthenium comprises adjacent crystal columns extending in essentially perpendicular direction to the surface of the contact area facing the contact layer.

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Contacts (AREA)
Physical Vapour Deposition (AREA)

US27779A 1969-05-06 1970-04-13 Low current electrical contact comprising a layer of iron-nickel alloy and a layer of ruthenium Expired - Lifetime US3672850A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number	Priority Date	Filing Date	Title
DE19691923010 DE1923010B2 (de)	1969-05-06	1969-05-06	Schwachstromschaltkontakt und verfahren zu seiner herstellung

Publications (1)

Publication Number	Publication Date
US3672850A true US3672850A (en)	1972-06-27

Family

ID=5733366

Family Applications (1)

Application Number	Title	Priority Date	Filing Date
US27779A Expired - Lifetime US3672850A (en)	1969-05-06	1970-04-13	Low current electrical contact comprising a layer of iron-nickel alloy and a layer of ruthenium

Country Status (5)

Country	Link
US (1)	US3672850A (de)
CH (1)	CH509645A (de)
DE (1)	DE1923010B2 (de)
FR (1)	FR2047327A5 (de)
GB (1)	GB1308021A (de)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number	Priority date	Publication date	Assignee	Title
US4790674A (en) *	1987-07-01	1988-12-13	Printronix, Inc.	Impact printer having wear-resistant platings on hammer springs and pole piece tips
DE19930449A1 (de) *	1999-07-02	2001-01-18	Heraeus Gmbh W C	Palladiumfreier Kontaktwerkstoff

1969
- 1969-05-06 DE DE19691923010 patent/DE1923010B2/de not_active Withdrawn
1970
- 1970-03-26 CH CH464070A patent/CH509645A/de not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1970-04-13 US US27779A patent/US3672850A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1970-05-04 GB GB2142170A patent/GB1308021A/en not_active Expired
- 1970-05-05 FR FR7016407A patent/FR2047327A5/fr not_active Expired

Also Published As

Publication number	Publication date
DE1923010A1 (de)	1971-05-19
DE1923010B2 (de)	1971-10-28
GB1308021A (en)	1973-02-21
FR2047327A5 (de)	1971-03-12
CH509645A (de)	1971-06-30

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US3016436A (en)	1962-01-09	Vacuum circuit interrupters
US3818163A (en)	1974-06-18	Vacuum type circuit interrupting device with contacts of infiltrated matrix material
EP0031159B1 (de)	1984-09-26	Elektrischer Kontakt
GB1565708A (en)	1980-04-23	Electrical contacts
WO2017008716A1 (zh)	2017-01-19	一种新型银基低压触点材料及其制备方法
US3672850A (en)	1972-06-27	Low current electrical contact comprising a layer of iron-nickel alloy and a layer of ruthenium
US4088803A (en)	1978-05-09	Electrical contact and process of manufacture
US3663777A (en)	1972-05-16	Reed switch
US3889098A (en)	1975-06-10	Switching device having contacts of two or more layers
CA2122525C (en)	2002-10-01	Electrical contact containing a braze diffusion barrier
EP1147070B1 (de)	2005-02-16	Elektrisch leitende keramikschichten
US3826886A (en)	1974-07-30	Contact material
US3114811A (en)	1963-12-17	Reduction of sticking of mercury-wetted contacts
US3627963A (en)	1971-12-14	Vacuum interrupter contacts
US3305324A (en)	1967-02-21	Tungsten powder bodies infiltrated with copper-titanium-bismuth or copper-titanium-tin
US3337338A (en)	1967-08-22	Tungsten powder bodies infiltrated with copper-titanium bismuth or copper-titanium-tin
US3819897A (en)	1974-06-25	Vacuum switch with contact material containing a minor percentage of aluminum
CN1026637C (zh)	1994-11-16	银-氧化锡电接触材料及其制造方法
US2793273A (en)	1957-05-21	Electrical contact elements
US3852879A (en)	1974-12-10	Electrical contact material
US3281563A (en)	1966-10-25	Vacuum switch having an improved electrode tip
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US3668355A (en)	1972-06-06	Reed material for sealed contact application
GB1473249A (en)	1977-05-11	Electrical switching contacts