Using vapor deposition as a tool, novel coating structures have been developed for low friction coefficient, fretting wear resistant and high temperature stable electrical contacts. Thin films of Ag-Ni nanocrystalline composites between 100 and 500-nm thick were deposited by electron beam evaporation onto sputter-cleaned 301 stainless steel substrates. The structure and composition of the films were studied in detail using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and Auger depth profiling. The contact properties, such as contact resistance, fric-tion coefficient, fretting wear resistance, and thermal stability of these coatings have been measured. Both the Ag and Ag 81 Ni 19 composite coatings about 500-nm thick passed the 1,000,000 cycle fretting wear test. These coatings also showed good high temperature stability during heat-aging at 150 º C in air, especially the Ag 81 Ni 19 composite coating. This study shows that vapor deposition is a powerful technique which can be used to discover new coating compositions and structures for electrical contact applications.

Conference Title

The Fourth Chemistry Conference

Conference Country

Palestine

Conference Date

April 14, 2008 - April 14, 2008

Conference Sponsor

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