DEGRADATION OF RESISTIVE Pd–Cu-BASED ALLOYS IN ELECTRICAL CONTACTS

10.25712/ASTU.1811-1416.2024.03.008

Abstract

Recently, computer modeling methods have been effectively used to explore and justify new materials for critical elements of measuring instruments. This paper presents the computer model developed by the authors and the results of its use to assess the uneven temperature field in the surface layer of an electrical contact. The non-uniform temperature distribution arises due to the release of Joule heat under the assumption that the contact surface is not geometrically smooth. The concept of microcontact points on the surface of electrical contacts is proposed. At such points, a peak temperature increase occurs, which leads to degradation of contact materials due to a change in phase composition. In resistive alloys based on Pd–Cu, the effects of atomic ordering of the crystal lattice are also superimposed. Computational experiments were carried out using the author's program, the solver of which uses the finite element method.