Abstract: Hot-tinned wire of copper or copper alloys is provided having a first coating of from 0.5 to 2 .mu.m thick consisting of an SnBi alloy containing 2 to 10 percent by weight Bi or of a SnNi alloy containing 0.2 to 1 percent by weight Ni, and having a second coating 1 to 4 .mu.m thick consisting of pure tin or of a SnPb alloy. The first coating acts as diffusion retarding film and retards the Cu.sub.3 Sn phase growth considerably.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a contact material for high-power vacuum circuit breakers. In the method, an alloy consisting essentially of a base metal having a melting point above about 1000.degree. C and below about 1800.degree. C, at least one alloying metal which will not form a solid solution with the base metal, and at least one auxiliary metal which forms a eutectic with the base metal are melted under vacuum at a temperature between about 1000.degree. C and about 1800.degree. C. The molten alloy is then slowly cooled so as to form fine grain crystals of the base metal and auxiliary metal in solid solution in the eutectic while the eutectic is a liquid and transfer gases expelled from the crystals during the cooling to the liquid eutectic to increase the concentration of gases in the liquid eutectic above an equilibrium concentration, cause evacuation of the gases from the liquid eutectic, and remove the gases from the alloy.

Abstract: A contact member for high electrical loads has a plurality of component parts. One of these parts is made of a non-welding material resistant to burn-off and another part is made of a solderable material having electrically conductive properties. The material of each of the parts is configured as a porous skeleton structure. The parts are disposed next to each other and an impregnating metal impregnates both of the parts to preclude the occurrence of a boundary layer at the interface of the parts.

Abstract: A layered pressed and sintered anode body consisting of a support body of a tungsten-molybdenum alloy having a first layer of tungsten or tungsten alloy on the surface which is impinged by electrons and having a second layer of a higher melting point material on the other side whose tensile strength at the elastic limit is greater, at temperatures of 1400.degree. to 1600.degree. C, than the tensile stresses occurring at these temperatures to avoid warping of the anode.

Abstract: A new material for making the electrical contacts of high-power vacuum circuit breakers comprises an alloy having as a base metal, a metal such as copper, nickel, iron, cobalt or titanium, and as an alloying metal, a metal such as bismuth, tellurium or lead, this alloy also including an auxiliary metal which forms a eutectic with the base metal used. The alloy has a fine grain size while at the same time a low gas content.

Abstract: Electric contact material having good solderability, consists of a porous matrix of sintered powder particles of a refractory metal, such as tungsten or molybdenum, with its pores impregnated with a metal alloy consisting of a telluride-forming metal, such as copper, silver or lead, and a sufficient amount of a telluride of such metal to form a brittle deposit of tellurium and the telluride-forming metal, both in elemental form, on the material's surface, apparently produced by decomposition and vaporization of the telluride due to electrical arcing, and which vapor after the arcing and rapid cooling of the material, condenses on the material's surface to form the deposit. This brittle deposit provides an effective reduction in the contact welding force of the material as compared to prior art electric contact materials of good solderability.

Abstract: To make an electric contact material, a molten alloy of silver and a non-noble metal is atomized into spheroidal particles having a particle size ranging up to almost 1 mm, and the fraction of these particles having a particle size ranging between 0.2 and 1 mm is separated, a small remainder of smaller particle size being treated as a reflux. This fraction is heated in an oxidizing atmosphere to oxidize the non-noble metal internally within the particles and the latter are then mechanically broken, as by suitable milling or pulverizing, into fragments having a particle size no greater than about 0.3 mm. The fragmented particles are then compressed, as by pressure molding, extrusion, etc., and sintered to provide a sintered silver-metal oxide electric contact material.

Abstract: A new material for making the electrical contacts of high-power vacuum circuit breakers comprises an alloy having as a base metal, a metal such as copper, nickel, iron, cobalt or titanium, and as an alloying metal, a metal such as bismuth, tellurium or lead, this alloy also including an auxiliary metal which forms a eutectic with the base metal used. The alloy has a fine grain size while at the same time a low gas content.