Electric contact and vacuum interrupter using same

An electric contact comprising:

• a base material in which higher than 0 at % and not higher than 10 at % of Mn is solid-dissolved with respect to 100 at % of Cu;
• high-melting-point substance particles which are dispersed in the base material and which particles of a metal or particles of a carbide of the metal;
• and
• an intermetallic compound containing X atoms and dispersed in the base material, wherein X is Te or Se,
• wherein the metal is at least one metal selected from among W, Ta, Cr, Mo, Nb, Ti, and V,
• wherein a Vickers hardness of the high-melting-point substance particles is not lower than 0 HV and not higher than 200 HV, and a particle diameter of the high-melting-point substance particles is not smaller than 0.1 μm and not larger than 100 μm, or
• wherein the Vickers hardness of the high-melting-point substance particles is not lower than 200 HV, and the particle diameter is not smaller than 0.1 μm and not larger than 10 μm, and
• wherein a mass of the high-melting-point substance particles is not lower than 20 mass % and not higher than 80 mass %, a total mass of the electrical contact being defined as 100 mass %,
• wherein a mass of the X atoms is not lower than 1.5 mass % and not higher than 15 mass %, and a remainder is the base material,
• wherein the intermetallic compound contains a MnX compound, and a compound of a Mn—Cu solid-phase solution and X, and
• wherein an atomic weight ratio Mn/(Mn+X) is not lower than 20 at % and not higher than 80 at %.