Abstract: A powder metallurgy material for use in the manufacture of electrical contacts and having enhanced cold workability consists essentially, by weight percent, of 5 to 20% tin oxide, 2000 to 5000 ppm, preferably 2000 to less than 4000 ppm copper, 20 to 200 ppm, preferably 20 to 100 ppm, lithium, balance silver. Such materials are produced by compacting the powdered components and heating to sinter the material to at least 93% of theoretical density. Such materials subsequently can be hot or cold worked to a form useful for the manufacture of electrical contacts.

Abstract: A two-layer contact having a silver backing and a silver cadmium oxide body which backing is relatively free of warpage and macroscopic voids is produced from a mixture of silver oxide, silver acetate and silver.

Abstract: Electrical contact material of silver or mixtures of silver and a thermally decomposable compound of silver having an additive of an alkali metal, for example lithium, added in the form of a salt prior to sintering to increase the as-sintered density of the resulting material and to aid in the prevention of undesirable surface blisters. The silver material may be fabricated as a backing layer on a primary contact material of silver-cadmium oxide.