Metal contact of a residential circuit breaker including ordered ceramic microparticles

A metal contact of a residential circuit breaker, the metal contact comprising:

• an electrical contact material comprising a metal alloy and ceramic particles to form a metal matrix composite material,
• wherein both materials the metal alloy and the ceramic particles are present together as a metal compound but without forming an alloy,
• wherein the metal compound is a matrix and reinforcement being the ceramic particles such that first the ceramic particles has a sintering step to get a homogeneous preform for the metal compound being porous with a controlled size obtained by pressing a particle size of about 2 micrometers of the ceramic particles and then a liquid metal infiltration step to provide a homogenous distribution of the metal alloy and the ceramic particles in a three-dimensional open porous arrangement and the homogenous distribution results in ordered microstructures,
• wherein the three-dimensional open porous arrangement is provided by the pressed and sintered ceramic particles prior to infiltrating with liquid metal, and
• wherein the metal alloy is copper alloy (Cu alloy) which is formed with addition of relatively small amounts of Ag and Ni as follows, Cu—AgX—NiY where X=1 to 4 wt % and Y=0.5 to 1.5 wt %.