Gaseous contaminants modify the friction and wear response of precious metal electrical contact alloys
An in-situ electrical contact resistance and friction coefficient measuring device has been installed in a scanning Auger microprobe. A pin-on-plate experimental configuration is used. This tribology system has been used to characterize the friction, wear and electrical contact resistance of a Pd alloy pin (ASTM B540) sliding on a Au alloy plate (ASTM B541). Studies have been completed with and without H/sub 2/S in the atmosphere for wear in 1.6 x 10/sup -6/ torr O/sub 2/, 700 torr of 5% O/sub 2/ in N/sub 2/ and 700 torr He. The presence of H/sub 2/S reduces the friction coefficient and decreases the wear track width on the Au alloy. The lower friction is associated with adsorption and reaction of the H/sub 2/S with the Au alloy plate. In the ambients containing H/sub 2/S, large accumulations of S in wear tracks are observed; however, no increase in the electrical contact resistance occurs. In the 700 torr ambients containing H/sub 2/S, Cu segregates to the wear track surfaces to the exclusion of the other metallic elements and forms Cu/sub 2/S layers. A concomitant shift occurs in the S and Cu Auger peak positions when the Cu/sub 2/S film thickens.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6326007
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-86-2796C; CONF-870960-1; ON: DE87007862
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
360103* -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
ALLOYS
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
CHALCOGENIDES
COPPER ALLOYS
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
EQUIPMENT
FRICTION
GOLD ALLOYS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
MATERIALS
PALLADIUM ALLOYS
PLATINUM ALLOYS
PLATINUM METAL ALLOYS
SILVER ALLOYS
SPECTROSCOPY
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRIBOLOGY
WEAR
ZINC ALLOYS