Enhancing properties of AgTiB2 contact material by CuO semi-coated TiB2 composite particles

The CuO semi-coated TiB2 composite particles were synthesized by electroless plating, and Ag-4 wt%TiB2-0.7 wt%CuO contact material was prepared by spark plasma sintering. The results showed that numerous CuO nanoparticles with the size of about 500 nm are semi-coated on the surface of TiB2 particles, which can effectively inhibit the aggregation of TiB2 particles and promote the densification of the Ag-4 wt%TiB2 contact material. As compared to the Ag-4 wt%TiB2 contact material, the electrical conductivity and relative density of the Ag-4 wt%TiB2-0.7 wt%CuO are increased by 8.1% and 1.8%, respectively. It suggests that CuO nanoparticles are favorable for enhancing the sinterability, electrical conductivity and arc erosion resistance of the Ag-4 wt%TiB2 contact material. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The CuO semi-coated TiB2 composite particles were synthesized using electroless plating, and Ag-4 wt%TiB2-0.7 wt%CuO contact material was prepared by spark plasma sintering. The presence of CuO nanoparticles on the surface of TiB2 particles effectively inhibited aggregation and promoted densification of the contact material. The addition of CuO resulted in increased electrical conductivity and relative density, enhancing the sinterability, electrical conductivity, and arc erosion resistance of the material.