Morphology-driven enhancement of arc erosion resistance in Ag-based electrical contacts

Arc-induced erosion in electrical contacts poses a significant challenge to the reliability of power systems. Traditional particulate reinforcements in silver-based contact materials suffer from hydrodynamic instability and segregation within the molten pool, compromising their performance. In this study, we introduce a novel “skeleton effect” approach by engineering the reinforcement morphology of La 0.5 Sr 0.5 Co 0.84 Cu 0.16 O 3- δ (LSCCu 0.16 ) within a silver matrix. We synthesized LSCCu 0.16 in three distinct morphologies: fibers, sheets, and particles, and systematically investigated their effects on arc erosion resistance through electrical life testing and Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations. Our results show that while particles segregate due to buoyancy-driven flotation and fibers are susceptible to stress-induced failure, the sheet morphology forms a rigid skeletal network that effectively constrains the molten pool. This network suppresses liquid splashing, resulting in a 111% increase in electrical service life (15,893 ± 215 cycles) and significantly improved contact resistance stability compared to particulate-based composites. The study demonstrates that transforming reinforcement architecture from simple particle dispersion to interlocking skeletal structures can be a transformative strategy for designing next-generation erosion-resistant electrical contacts.