A contact carrier of a contact element for a vacuum switch is provided, which includes predominantly of a first conductive material or composite material and has a plurality of inlets of a second material distributed over the circumference, which bring about the formation of a magnetic field and thereby a movement of an arising arc on a predefined path during a switching process of the vacuum switch, wherein the second material has a lower level of conductivity relative to the first material or composite material and is introduced into the first material during the shaping of the contact carrier basic form. A production method for a contact carrier of this type is also provided.

A contact assembly for a vacuum switching apparatus includes a contact member and a reinforcing member adapted to structurally reinforce the contact member. The contact member includes first and second opposing sides, and a contact thickness. The reinforcing member has a reinforcement thickness, which is less than the contact thickness. The contact member is made from a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, and the reinforcing member is made from a second different material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion. The first coefficient of thermal expansion is substantially the same as the second coefficient of thermal expansion.

Provided are a method for producing an electrode material for a vacuum circuit breaker, whereby withstand voltage, high current interruption performance and capacitor switching performance can be improved; an electrode material for a vacuum circuit breaker; and an electrode for a vacuum circuit breaker. A contact material for an electrode for a vacuum circuit breaker has an integral structure consisting of a central member and a CuCr outer peripheral member, the central member having been produced as described above and comprising 30 to 50 wt % of Cu of a particle diameter of 20 to 150 m and 50 to 70 wt % of MoCr of a particle diameter of 1 to 5 m, while the outer peripheral member being formed of a material, which is highly compatible with the central member, shows excellent interruption performance and had high withstand voltage, and being provided outside the central member and fixed thereto.

A powder includes a collection of a plurality of particles containing metal elements, the particles each including a matrix and a plurality of precipitates dispersed in the matrix, the matrix including a first component, the precipitates each including a second component, the standard error of the content of the first component in the particles on mass basis being 1.2 or less, the standard error of the content of the second component in the particles on mass basis being 1.2 or less.

A short-circuit current limiter has a vacuum switch in a main current path and a current-limiting unit connected in parallel therewith in a commutation current path. The vacuum switch has switching contacts. A material of contact pieces of the switching contacts is selected such that a mean value of the chopping current is at least 8 amperes.