A material and method for manufacturing an Ag-based electrical contact material includes synthesizing an intermetallic compound of Me.sub.xSn.sub.y type; ball milling the intermetallic compound; mixing the so obtained intermetallic compound powder with silver powder; packing the mixed powders into a green body; and forming a MeO-SnO.sub.2 cluster structure by internally oxidizing the intermetallic compound Me.sub.xSn.sub.y while sintering the green body.

A surface layer including a base material made of a conductor and dispersed particles dispersed in the base material is formed on a surface of a fixed contact, and the dispersed particles each include a base particle that is metal oxide and a coating layer formed on an outer surface of the base particle.

A surface layer including a base material made of a conductor and dispersed particles dispersed in the base material is formed on a surface of a fixed contact, and the dispersed particles each include a base particle that is metal oxide and a coating layer formed on an outer surface of the base particle.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to an alloy. The alloy includes elemental silver. The alloy further includes a metal oxide phase in the elemental silver. The metal oxide phase includes a wetting agent layer that coats the metal oxide phase.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to an alloy. The alloy includes elemental silver. The alloy further includes a metal oxide phase in the elemental silver. The metal oxide phase includes a wetting agent layer that coats the metal oxide phase.

A method for producing a contact material on the basis of silver-tin oxide or silver-zinc oxide is disclosed. Tin oxide particles and/or zinc oxide particles are mixed with a powder of a metal different from silver. The mixture is heated beyond the melting point of the metal powder such that the tin oxide particles and/or zinc oxide particles are wetted with liquid metal. The mixture is exposed to an atmosphere containing oxygen and the metal is thereby oxidized. Thereafter, the mixture product formed by the oxidation step is embedded as a powder into a silver matrix. The product further relates to a corresponding contact material.

Device for making and/or breaking a current including a pair of permanent contacts (3, 4), at least one of the contacts (3, 4) being movable. At least one permanent contact (3, 4) including a main portion (3.1, 4.1) having a free end and an end protection portion (3.2, 4.2) secured to the free end of the main portion (3.1, 4.1), designed to be in mechanical and electrical contact with the other permanent contact (4, 3) only during an operation for opening or closing the pair. The end protection portion (3.2, 4.2) is made of a single transition metal having a melting temperature that is strictly higher than that of the main portion (3.1, 4.1) to which it is secured, or of an oxide or carbide of such a metal, or even of zinc oxide. For application in particular to high- or medium-voltage circuit breakers.

Device for making and/or breaking a current including a pair of permanent contacts (3, 4), at least one of the contacts (3, 4) being movable. At least one permanent contact (3, 4) including a main portion (3.1, 4.1) having a free end and an end protection portion (3.2, 4.2) secured to the free end of the main portion (3.1, 4.1), designed to be in mechanical and electrical contact with the other permanent contact (4, 3) only during an operation for opening or closing the pair. The end protection portion (3.2, 4.2) is made of a single transition metal having a melting temperature that is strictly higher than that of the main portion (3.1, 4.1) to which it is secured, or of an oxide or carbide of such a metal, or even of zinc oxide. For application in particular to high- or medium-voltage circuit breakers.

The present invention is an electrode material constituting a movable electrode of a thermal fuse, having a five-layer clad structure including a core material layer, an intermediate layer formed on the both sides of the core material layer, and a surface layer formed on the intermediate layer, wherein the core material layer includes Cu, the intermediate layer includes an AgCu-based alloy, the surface layer includes an AgCuO-based oxide-dispersed strengthened alloy, and the ratio of the thickness of the intermediate layer to the thickness of the surface layer (intermediate layer/surface layer) is 0.2 or more and 1.0 or less. This electrode material can be manufactured by partially internally oxidizing a three-layer clad material in which plate materials made of an AgCu-based alloy are clad-jointed to both sides of the plate material made of Cu.

The present invention is an electrode material constituting a movable electrode of a thermal fuse, having a five-layer clad structure including a core material layer, an intermediate layer formed on the both sides of the core material layer, and a surface layer formed on the intermediate layer, wherein the core material layer includes Cu, the intermediate layer includes an AgCu-based alloy, the surface layer includes an AgCuO-based oxide-dispersed strengthened alloy, and the ratio of the thickness of the intermediate layer to the thickness of the surface layer (intermediate layer/surface layer) is 0.2 or more and 1.0 or less. This electrode material can be manufactured by partially internally oxidizing a three-layer clad material in which plate materials made of an AgCu-based alloy are clad-jointed to both sides of the plate material made of Cu.