A vacuum interrupter includes a fixed side contact and a movable side contact; a fixed side electrode rod connected to the fixed side contact; a movable side electrode rod connected to the movable side contact; a fixed side reinforcement plate which is arranged between the fixed side electrode rod and the fixed side contact, and whose rim portion has a step portion to be arranged apart from the back of the fixed side contact; and a movable side reinforcement plate which is arranged between the movable side electrode rod and the movable side contact, and whose rim portion has a step portion to be arranged apart from the back of the movable side contact.

It is a method for producing an electrode material containing Cu, Cr and a heat-resistant element. A heat-resistant element powder and a Cr powder are mixed together such that the heat-resistant element is less than the Cr by weight. A resulting mixed powder is baked. A resulting sintered body containing a solid solution of the heat-resistant element and the Cr is pulverized, and a resulting solid solution powder is classified, to have a particle size of 200 m or less. 10-60 parts by weight of the classified solid solution powder and 90-40 parts by weight of a Cu powder are mixed together, followed by sintering to obtain the electrode material. If a low melting metal powder having a median size of 5-40 m is mixed with a mixed powder of the solid solution powder and the Cu powder, the deposition resistance property is further improved.

An electrical contact component and a method for the production thereof. The contact component has a sintered contact element and a contact carrier cast onto the contact element. The grains of the contact element are oriented in a preferential direction.

A process for producing an electrode material by infiltrating a highly conductive metal such as Cu into a porous object containing heat-resistant elements. Before an infiltration step in which the highly conductive metal is infiltrated, a HIP treatment is given to a powder containing the heat-resistant elements (or to a molded object obtained by molding a powder containing the heat-resistant elements). The composition is controlled so that the HIP treatment yields a porous object which has a degree of filling of 70% or higher, more preferably 75% or higher. The highly conductive metal is infiltrated into the porous object having the controlled composition.

Disclosed is a vacuum circuit breaker (1) including a vacuum interrupter (3) accommodated in a ground tank (2) filled with insulating gas. At least one of a fixed electrode (10) and a movable electrode (11) of the vacuum interrupter (3) uses an electrode material in which particles containing a solid solution of a heat resistant element and Cr are finely and uniformly dispersed and in which Cu textures as a high conductive component are finely and uniformly dispersed. The electrode material contains 20 to 70% by weight of Cu, 1.5 to 64% by weight of Cr and 6 to 76% by weight of the heat resistant element relative to a weight of the electrode material. The particles of the solid solution in the electrode material have an average particle size of 20 m or smaller.

What is disclosed is an electrode material including a sintered body containing a heat resistant element and Cr and being infiltrated with a highly conductive material. A powder mixture of a heat resistant element powder and a Cr powder is subjected to a provisional sintering in advance, thereby causing solid phase diffusion of the heat resistant element and Cr. After a MoCr solid solution obtained by the provisional sintering is pulverized, the pulverized MoCr solid solution powder is molded and sintered. A sintered body obtained by sintering is subjected to a HIP treatment. The highly conductive metal is disposed on the sintered body after the HIP treatment, and infiltrated into the sintered body by heating at a predetermined temperature. By conducting the HIP treatment, the withstand voltage capability and current-interrupting capability of the electrode material are improved.

It is an electrode material that is used as an electrode contact of a vacuum interrupter and that contains one or more parts by weight of a heat-resistant element and one part by weight of Cr, the remainder being Cu and an unavoidable impurity. A part of Cr powder and the heat-resistant element powder are mixed together, and this mixed powder is sintered such that a peak corresponding to Cr element disappears in X-ray diffraction measurement. A solid solution powder obtained by pulverizing a sintered body of the heat-resistant element and Cr obtained by the sintering is mixed with the remaining Cr powder, and this mixed powder is shaped and then sintered. A sintered body obtained by this sintering is infiltrated with Cu.

It is a method for manufacturing an electrode material containing Cu, Cr, a heat-resistant element, and a low melting metal. A Cr powder and a heat-resistant element powder are mixed together in a ratio such that the Cr is greater than the heat-resistant element by weight. The mixed powder of the heat-resistant element and the Cr powder is baked. A MoCr solid solution obtained by the baking and containing a solid solution of the heat-resistant element and the Cr is pulverized and then classified. The classified MoCr solid solution powder, a Cu powder, and a low-melting metal powder are mixed together, followed by sintering at a temperature that is 1010 C. or higher and is lower than 1038 C., thereby obtaining the electrode material.

It is a method for producing an electrode material containing Cu, Cr and a heat-resistant element. A heat-resistant element powder and a Cr powder are mixed together in a ratio such that the heat-resistant element is less than the Cr by weight. A mixed powder of the heat-resistant element powder and the Cr powder is baked. A sintered body obtained by the baking and containing a solid solution of the heat-resistant element and the Cr is pulverized, and a solid solution powder obtained by the pulverizing is classified, to have a particle size of 200 m or less. 10-60 parts by weight of the classified solid solution powder and 90-40 parts by weight of a Cu powder are mixed together, followed by sintering to obtain the electrode material. If a low melting metal powder having a median size of 5-40 m is mixed with a mixed powder of the solid solution powder and the Cu powder, the deposition resistance property is further improved.

An improved electrical contact alloy, useful for example, in vacuum interrupters used in vacuum contactors is provided. The contact alloy according to the disclosed concept comprises copper particles and chromium particles present in a ratio of copper to chromium of 2:3 to 20:1. The electrical contact alloy also comprises particles of a carbide, which reduces the weld break strength of the electrical contact alloy without reducing its interruption performance.