Silver and copper alloyed rivet contact

Abstract

The present invention is a rivet contact including a head portion and a foot portion having a smaller width than the head portion, wherein the head portion contains a contact material layer having at least a top containing an Ag-based contact material; the rest of the head portion and the foot portion contain a base material containing Cu or a Cu alloy; and a barrier layer including an Ag alloy is provided at a junction interface between the contact material and the base material. Here, an Ag alloy obtained in such a manner that one or more base metal elements of Sn, In, Cu, Ni, Fe, Co, W, Mo, Zn, Cd, Te, and Bi are added to Ag by 0.03 to 20 mass % is preferably used as the Ag alloy constituting the barrier layer.

Claims

1. A rivet contact comprising a head portion and a foot portion having a smaller width than the head portion, wherein the head portion has a contact material layer having at least a top comprising an Ag-based contact material, a rest of the head portion and the foot portion comprise a base material containing Cu or a Cu alloy, and a barrier layer comprising an Ag alloy is provided at a junction interface between the contact material layer and the base material.

2. The rivet contact according to claim 1, wherein the Ag-based contact material is pure Ag, an Ag alloy, or an Ag-oxide alloy.

3. The rivet contact according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the barrier layer is 0.03 mm to 0.3 mm.

4. The rivet contact according to claim 3, wherein the Ag-based contact material is pure Ag, an Ag alloy, or an Ag-oxide alloy.

5. The rivet contact according to claim 1, wherein the Ag alloy constituting the barrier layer is an Ag alloy obtained in such a manner that one or more base metal elements of Sn, In, Cu, Ni, Fe, Co, W, Mo, Zn, Cd, Te, and Bi are added to Ag by 0.03 to 20 mass %.

6. The rivet contact according to claim 5, wherein the Ag alloy constituting the barrier layer is an Ag alloy obtained in such a manner that Cu is added to Ag by 0.5 to 20 mass %.

7. The rivet contact according to claim 5, wherein a thickness of the barrier layer is 0.03 mm to 0.3 mm.

8. The rivet contact according to claim 5, wherein the Ag-based contact material is pure Ag, an Ag alloy, or an Ag-oxide alloy.

9. The rivet contact according to claim 1, wherein the Ag alloy constituting the barrier layer is an Ag alloy obtained in such a manner that Cu is added to Ag by 0.5 to 20 mass %.

10. The rivet contact according to claim 9, wherein a thickness of the barrier layer is 0.03 mm to 0.3 mm.

11. The rivet contact according to claim 9, wherein the Ag-based contact material is pure Ag, an Ag alloy, or an Ag-oxide alloy.

12. The rivet contact according to claim 9, wherein the Ag alloy constituting the barrier layer is also an Ag alloy obtained in such a manner that Ni is added by 0.03 to 1.0 mass %.

13. The rivet contact according to claim 12, wherein a thickness of the barrier layer is 0.03 mm to 0.3 mm.

14. The rivet contact according to claim 12, wherein the Ag-based contact material is pure Ag, an Ag alloy, or an Ag-oxide alloy.

15. A method of manufacturing the rivet contact defined in claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: butt press-joining a first billet containing a contact material, a second billet containing an Ag alloy, and a third billet containing a base material to each other to manufacture a composite material; forming a rivet-shaped space by a combination of a junction punch having a recessed space and a junction die having a cylindrical space; press-fitting the composite material into the space of the junction punch from a lower part of the junction die; and filling the space with the first billet inside the junction punch to form a contact material layer constituting at least a top layer of a head portion, and filling the second billet and the third billet in a residual space inside the junction punch simultaneously to form the rest of the head portion, a barrier layer, and a foot portion.

16. The method of manufacturing the rivet contact according to claim 15, wherein the first billet, the second billet, and the third billet are press-joined to each other by a load of 0.8 to 3.0 ton.Math.f in the process of manufacturing the composite material.

17. The method of manufacturing the rivet contact according to claim 15, comprising the step of forming a top of the head portion by press forming after forming the head portion and the foot portion.

18. A method of manufacturing the rivet contact defined in claim 5, the method comprising the steps of: butt press-joining a first billet containing a contact material, a second billet containing an Ag alloy, and a third billet containing a base material to each other to manufacture a composite material; forming a rivet-shaped space by a combination of a junction punch having a recessed space and a junction die having a cylindrical space; press-fitting the composite material into the space of the junction punch from a lower part of the junction die; and filling the space with the first billet inside the junction punch to form a contact material layer constituting at least a top layer of a head portion, and filling the second billet and the third billet in a residual space inside the junction punch simultaneously to form the rest of the head portion, a barrier layer, and a foot portion.

19. A method of manufacturing the rivet contact defined in claim 9, the method comprising the steps of: butt press-joining a first billet containing a contact material, a second billet containing an Ag alloy, and a third billet containing a base material to each other to manufacture a composite material; forming a rivet-shaped space by a combination of a junction punch having a recessed space and a junction die having a cylindrical space; press-fitting the composite material into the space of the junction punch from a lower part of the junction die; and filling the space with the first billet inside the junction punch to form a contact material layer constituting at least a top layer of a head portion, and filling the second billet and the third billet in a residual space inside the junction punch simultaneously to form the rest of the head portion, a barrier layer, and a foot portion.

20. A method of manufacturing the rivet contact defined in claim 12, the method comprising the steps of: butt press-joining a first billet containing a contact material, a second billet containing an Ag alloy, and a third billet containing a base material to each other to manufacture a composite material; forming a rivet-shaped space by a combination of a junction punch having a recessed space and a junction die having a cylindrical space; press-fitting the composite material into the space of the junction punch from a lower part of the junction die; and filling the space with the first billet inside the junction punch to form a contact material layer constituting at least a top layer of a head portion, and filling the second billet and the third billet in a residual space inside the junction punch simultaneously to form the rest of the head portion, a barrier layer, and a foot portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1(a) is a view illustrating an example of a configuration of a rivet contact according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(2) FIG. 1(b) is a view illustrating an alternative example of a configuration of a rivet contact according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(3) FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an example of another configuration of a rivet contact according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(4) FIG. 3(a) is a view illustrating a state of a junction interface in the rivet contact according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(5) FIG. 3(b) is a view illustrating an alternative state of a junction interface in the rivet contact according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(6) FIG. 4(A) is a view illustrating a process of manufacturing the rivet contact according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(7) FIG. 4(B) is another view illustrating a process of manufacturing the rivet contact according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(8) FIG. 4(C) is another view illustrating a process of manufacturing the rivet contact according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(9) FIG. 5(a) is a photograph of a junction interface after a heating test for Example 2.

(10) FIG. 5(b) is a photograph of a junction interface after a heating test for Conventional Example.

(11) FIG. 5(c) is a photograph of a junction interface after a heating test for Comparative Example 1.

(12) FIG. 6 shows a result of an endurance test in Example 2, Comparative Example 1, and Conventional Example.

(13) FIG. 7(a) is a view illustrating a configuration of a conventional rivet contact having a double-layered structure according to the prior art.

(14) FIG. 7(b) is a view illustrating a configuration of an alternative conventional rivet contact having a double-layered structure according to the prior art.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(15) Hereinafter, preferred Examples of the present invention will be described.

First Embodiment

Examples 1 to 5

(16) An Ag-oxide alloy was used as a contact material, Cu was applied as a base material, and an AgCu alloy having 3.0 to 20 mass % Cu and 0.5 mass % Ni added thereto was applied as a barrier layer to manufacture a rivet contact. FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C) illustrate processes of manufacturing the rivet contact according to this embodiment. First, a first billet (dimension: 2.2 mm, 0.79 mm) was cut out from a wire of an Ag-oxide alloy (AgSnO.sub.2In.sub.2O.sub.3 alloy: Trade Name SIE-29 B), a second billet (dimension: 2.2 mm, 0.14 mm) was cut out from a wire of an AgCu alloy, and a third billet (dimension: 2.2 mm, 2.1 mm) was cut out from a wire of Cu.

(17) Then, as illustrated in FIG. 4(A), the first billet, the second billet, and the third billet were overlapped with each other to be inserted into a junction die, and were press-joined to each other to make a composite material. The junction die has a cemented carbide hole having a diameter of 2.45 mm. Then, a load for this joining was 2.2 ton.Math.f. Note that the first to third billets were inserted into the junction die and were joined to each other in this embodiment because of convenience of being capable of directly performing a forming process and also in order to impart proper restraint in a transverse direction such that the composite material is not excessively deformed. Note that the diameter of the die hole into which each of the billets is inserted is preferably applied to be larger than a diameter of the billet by 0.05 to 0.25 mm.

(18) Next, as illustrated in FIG. 4(B), a junction punch was set on the junction die and the composite material was processed into a rivet shape. The junction punch is formed of cemented carbide and has a disc shape space having curved sides (dimension: a top having 2.4 mm, a bottom having 2.8 mm, and a height of 1.1 mm). In this process, the composite material was press-fitted all at once into the space of the junction punch from a lower part of the junction die such that the first billet portion forms a top of a head portion, the third billet forms a lower portion of the head portion and a foot portion, and the second billet was deformed to form a barrier layer.

(19) After the rivet contact was made by a metal die, as illustrated in FIG. 4(C), the junction punch was moved and the top of the head portion was subjected to press forming by a mortar-shaped metal die for forming. The rivet contact manufactured as described above has the following dimension: the head portion having 3.2 mm and a thickness of 0.8 mm and the foot portion having 2.45 mm and a length of 1.2 mm. Then, the thickness of the contact layer of the head portion was 0.45 mm, and the thickness of the barrier layer was 0.07 m.

Comparative Examples 1 to 3

(20) Here, an Ag-oxide alloy (AgSnO.sub.2In.sub.2O.sub.3 alloy) was applied as a contact material, Cu was applied as a base material, and an AgCu alloy having pure Ag (Comparative Example 1) and 0.3 mass % Cu (Comparative Example 2) and 28 mass % Cu (Comparative Example 3) added thereto was applied as a barrier layer to manufacture a rivet contact.

Conventional Example

(21) Further, an Ag-oxide alloy (AgSnO.sub.2In.sub.2O.sub.3 alloy) was applied as a contact material, Cu was applied as a base material, and a conventional rivet contact not having a barrier layer was manufactured. A first billet and a third billet were joined to each other with no use of a second billet (AgCu alloy) in the manufacturing process of Example 1 and were subjected to a forming process in the same manner as in Example 1. The thickness of the contact layer was the same as in Example 1.

(22) A heating test was performed on each of the rivet contacts of Examples, Comparative Examples, and Conventional Example to confirm the presence or absence of peeling of the contact material under a high-temperature atmosphere. In the heating test, each of the contacts was heated to 600 C., 700 C., and 750 C. for three hours, and subsequently the head portion of the rivet contact was compressed in a transverse direction to observe the presence or absence of the peeling of the junction interface when the head portion was compressed until the diameter of the head portion became . The result of the heating test is indicated in Table 1.

(23) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Configuration of contact (Contact material/ barrier layer/base Heating test material) 600 C. 700 C. 750 C. Example 1 SIE-29B/Ag3.0Cu/Cu Example 2 SIE-29B/Ag10Cu/Cu Example 3 SIE-29B/Ag15Cu/Cu Example 4 SIE-29B/Ag20Cu/Cu Example 5 SIE-29B/Ag4.0CuNi0.5/ Cu Comparative SIE-29B/Ag/Cu X X Example 1 Comparative SIE-29B/Ag0.3Cu/Cu X X Example 2 Comparative SIE-29B/Ag28Cu/Cu X X X Example 3 Conventional SIE-29B/Cu X X X Example : No peeling (acceptable) X: Occurrence of peeling (unacceptable)

(24) From Table 1, the peeling of the junction interface was not found in each of Examples 1 to 5 that is provided with the AgCu alloy having an appropriate composition range as the barrier layer even when the contact was heated to 600 to 750 C. and compressed. In contrast, the peeling of the junction interface occurred at the stage of heating to 600 C. in Conventional Example not having the barrier layer. In addition, as for the configuration of the barrier layer, in Comparative Example 1 having pure Ag as the barrier layer, the peeling did not occur until the contact was heated to 600 C., but the peeling occurred when the contact was heated to 700 C. or higher. Further, even when the AgCu alloy is used as the barrier layer, since the peeling occurs due to excess and deficiency of the amount of Cu to be added when the contact is heated to 700 C. or higher (Comparative Examples 2 and 3), it is necessary to pay attention to the composition range of the AgCu alloy.

(25) FIGS. 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c) illustrate an observation result of the junction interface after the heating test is performed on each contact of Example 2, Conventional Example, and Comparative Example 1, respectively. In the contact not having the barrier layer of Conventional Example, the peeling clearly occurs when the contact is heated to 600 C. In addition, in Comparative Example 1, the peeling was not found when the contact was heated to 600 C., but precipitation (black portion) of an oxide (Cu oxide) is found at an interface between the base material (Cu) and the barrier layer (Ag). Then, the amount of the oxide increases and the peeling occurs at the stage where the heating temperature reached 700 C. or higher. In contrast, in Example 2, a clear change is not found until the contact is heated to 700 C., and a Cu oxide was slightly generated at the interface between the contact material and the barrier layer when the contact was heated to 750 C. However, the generation of oxides is not observed between the barrier layer and the base material nor occurs the peeling. It can be considered that the oxides between the contact material and the barrier layer were generated when Cu of the AgCu alloy serving as the barrier layer captured oxygen. From the above results, it can be confirmed that the barrier layer containing the Ag alloy can inhibit the arrival of the oxygen at the base material.

(26) Next, endurance of each rivet contact was evaluated. The endurance was evaluated in such a manner that the rivet contact was attached to a hinge-type alternating current general-use relay as a fixed contact; a switching operation was repeated in a state of a current-carrying load; and the number of times of endurance life until failure occurred was measured. Test conditions in the endurance evaluation test are as follows:

(27) Test voltage: AC 250 V

(28) Test current: 10 A

(29) Load: Resistance load

(30) Switching frequency: ONone second/OFFone second

(31) The above endurance test was performed with a plurality of relay testers, and the number of times of switching until each relay failed (endurance life) was plotted on Weibull probability paper. The results are illustrated in FIG. 6. From FIG. 6, life characteristics of each rivet contact are about 260,000 times in Example 2, about 240,000 times in Comparative Example 1, and about 220,000 times in Conventional Example. Accordingly, it was possible to confirm that the rivet contact of this embodiment has an excellent endurance life.

Second Embodiment

(32) In this embodiment, the effects of change in kinds of contact materials and kinds and thicknesses of Ag alloys serving as barrier layers were confirmed. A basic manufacturing step is the same as in Example 1, and a second billet was cut out from each kind of Ag alloy while the thickness (length) of the Ag alloy was adjusted. Then, each manufactured rivet contact was subjected to a heating test in the same manner as in the first embodiment. A heating temperature was 750 C. The evaluation results are indicated in Table 2.

(33) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Configuration of contact Thickness Results of (Contact material/barrier layer/base of barrier heating material) layer test Example 2 SIE-29B/Ag10Cu/Cu 0.07 mm No peeling Example 6 SIE-29B/Ag10Cu/Cu 0.03 mm No peeling Example 7 SIE-29B/Ag10Cu/Cu 0.14 mm No peeling Example 8 SIE-29B/Ag5Cu/Cu 0.07 mm No peeling Example 9 FE-160/Ag10Cu/Cu 0.03 mm No peeling Example Ag/Ag10Cu/Cu 0.05 mm No peeling 10 Contact material: SIE-29B . . . AgSnO.sub.2In.sub.2O.sub.3 alloy FE-160 . . . AgSnO.sub.2 alloy Ag . . . Pure Ag

(34) Each kind of barrier layer was subjected to heating and compression tests, and as can be seen from Table 2, peeling at a junction interface was not found in any of the barrier layers. In addition, even when the contact material was changed, the effect was not changed. It can be seen that the barrier layer is effective to each kind of contact material.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(35) In a rivet contact according to the present invention, peeling and falling of a contact material are prevented in the course of use. According to the present invention, an improved endurance life is added to original characteristics of the conventional double-layered rivet contact of reducing the amount of the contact material to be used and suppressing costs of members. The rivet contact according to the present invention is useful for a relay or switch of home appliances, industrial equipment, and other general application or a breaker and an electromagnetic switch for wiring in housing and wiring in industrial equipment.