High-purity Ti2AlC Powder: Preparation and Application in Ag-based Electrical Contact Materials

Ag-based electrical contact is the "heart" of low-voltage switch, and the Cd toxicity has long been a haunting problem. It is the research focus of the low-voltage switch to find new environment-friendly electrical contact materials. Starting from the design of reinforcement for Ag-based electrical contact in this work, the high-purity Ti 2 AlC powder (99.2%) was synthesized by a simple and fast pressureless technique. Ag/Ti 2 AlC composite electrical contact material was also prepared with homogeneous structure, good bonding between Ag and Ti 2 AlC particles, high relative density (95.7%), moderate hardness (96HV), satisfactory electrical conductivity (low resistivity of 79.5 nm), and favorable arc erosion resistance (mass loss of 4.4% after 5610 arc discharging cycles). These excellent structure and properties of Ag/Ti 2 AlC composite are mainly attributed to the good thermal and electrical conductivity of Ti 2 AlC and the good wettability between Ag and Ti 2 AlC. This composite is expected to replace the conventional electrical contact materials in the future.