Effect of Y2O3 on the Electrical Contact Behavior of Al2O3-Cu/MoTa Composites

With the massive penetration of electronics into human life, higher demands are placed on electrical contacts. Among them, the lifetime of electrical contacts and safety are the most concerning. In this research, Al2O3-Cu/25Mo5Ta and 0.5Y2O3/Al2O3-Cu/25Mo5Ta composites were prepared by using ball milling and powder metallurgy methods. The two composites were subjected to 10,000 contact opening and closing electrical contact experiments and the arc duration and arc energy were analyzed. The results show that the addition of Y2O3has a slight effect on the mechanical properties of the Al2O3-Cu/25Mo5Ta composites but has a significant effect on the electrical contact performance. Y2O3can reduce the mass loss of the electrical contacts during the electrical contact process, which prolongs their service life. The addition of Y2O3decreased the average arc duration and arc energy of the electrical contact material by 21.53% and 18.02%, respectively, under the experimental conditions of DC 30 V, 10 A. TEM results showed that nanoscale YTaO4with excellent thermal stability was generated during the sintering process, which has a positive effect on the electrical contact performance of the composites.Keywords:copper matrix composites;electrical contact;arc erosion behavior;yttrium tantalate