The effect of various silver tin oxide materials on contact performance under motor load (a.c.)
The new contact material AgSnO/sub 2/ which is replacing AgCdO in many applications, requires the addition of additives to improve electrical contact performance. These additives such as copper oxide (Cu/sub 2/O) and bismuth oxide (Bi/sub 2/O/sub 3/), can significantly affect contact performance. An investigation was undertaken to compare the changes in contact performance between silver cadmium oxide (internally oxidized) and three silver tin oxide based materials containing (1) no additive, (2) copper additive and (3) bismuth plus copper additives. Performance changes and physical characteristics of each material such as formability (tensile properties), contact resistance and contact material erosion (arc erosion) were evaluated. The silver tin oxide based materials containing copper additive exhibited significantly higher resistance to arc erosion than silver cadmium oxide based material and other silver tin oxide materials evaluated. The resistance to welding and changes in electrical resistance were dependent on the chemistry of each material. The results suggested that the chemistry of the material was the chief reason silver tin oxide based material with copper additive performed better than silver cadmium oxide based material under identical motor load.
Estudo da brasabilidade de contatos elétricos por metal de adição 40%Ag-21%Zn-20%Cd-19%Cu.
Electrical contacts are manufactured with conductive metals, like electrolytic copper and its alloys. These products are used in electric circuits to manage the electrical energy. Electrical contacts assemblies can be built up by brazing joining methods, which improves electrical and thermal conductivity in non-ferrous substrates. The cadmium oxide, present into electrical contact alloys, has been replaced by tin oxide due to environmental issues, to meet the actual internationals agreements. The objective of this work is to evaluate the brazeability of a filler metal 40%Ag-21%Zn-20%Cd-19%Cu, on non-ferrous substrates, like: electrolytic copper, brass (65%Cu-35%Zn), silver and silver tin-oxide (90%Ag10%SnO2) using sessile drop and edge tests. The results showed that the brazeability of all non-ferrous substrates depicted contact angles less than 10o, except for the silver-tin oxide substrate. For silver-tin oxide substrate dewetting took place and the measurement of contact angles was impossible.
Neutron Residual Stress Measurements on Rail Sections for Different Production Conditions
Rail sectioning with subsequent neutron diffraction experiments has been used to assess residual stresses in the rails. In this study we present the results of neutron stress measurements performed at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) on rail sections from rails that were produced under various conditions. Specifically, these are air-cooled, air-cooled and roller-straightened, head-hardened and head-hardened and roller-straightened. More significantly, a head-hardened and roller-straightened rail was also studied after service to elucidate evolution of the service-induced residual stresses. In the latter case both a transverse-cut slice and the central region of a 0.53 m long piece were studied. Measurements on this piece are the first in which triaxial stresses have been determined for an intact rail. Neutron strain measurements with 3×3×3 mm3 spatial resolution were successfully employed for transversally cut slices to verify the difference in the stress state depending on the production process. Although examination of slices allows determination of only two-dimensional stresses in the plane of the slice, additional measurements on obliquely-cut slices, which were also carried out, and utilization of FEM gives the possibility of reconstructing the full triaxial stress distribution. Together, these approaches provide a better understanding of rail fabrication and the possibility of improving the durability and safety of rails in the future.Copyright © 2004 by ASME