Electrical Contact with Multilayer Coating
AssigneesABB Schweiz AG, Nanesa S.R.L.
InventorsSu Zhao, Anna Andersson, Erik Johansson, Gabriele Bartolini, Lorenzo Fabbri, Emanuele Piciollo, Martti Juhani Taimisto, Francesco Bertocchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to an electrical contact including a substrate of an electrically conductive metallic material and a multilayer non-silver coating directly on a surface of the substrate. The multilayer coating includes an electrically conductive composite layer consisting of particles of a Graphene and Related Materials (GRM) material in a metal matrix, and a metallic top layer directly on top of the composite layer.
Claims20
An electrical contact comprising a substrate of an electrically conductive metallic material and a multilayer non-silver coating directly on a surface of the substrate, wherein the multilayer coating comprises:
- an electrically conductive composite layer consisting of particles of a Graphene and Related Materials, GRM, material in a metal matrix, wherein the GRM material is graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide or any combination thereof;
- and
- a metallic top layer directly on top of the composite layer, wherein the top layer is of nickel or a nickel alloy and, optionally, nickel oxides, wherein the top layer has a thickness of at most 1 μm.
The electrical contact of 1, wherein the top layer has a thickness within the range of 400-700 nm.
The electrical contact of 1, wherein the metal matrix is of copper.
An electrical switch comprising at least one electrical contact including a substrate of an electrically conductive metallic material and a multilayer non-silver coating directly on a surface of the substrate, wherein the multilayer coating includes:
- an electrically conductive composite layer consisting of particles of a Graphene and Related Materials, GRM, material in a metal matrix, wherein the GRM material is graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide or any combination thereof;
- and
- a metallic top layer directly on top of the composite layer, wherein the top layer is of nickel or a nickel alloy and, optionally, nickel oxides, wherein the top layer has a thickness of at most 1 μm.
A method of coating a substrate of an electrically conductive metallic material for an electrical contact including a substrate of an electrically conductive metallic material and a multilayer non-silver coating directly on a surface of the substrate, wherein the multilayer coating includes:
- an electrically conductive composite layer consisting of particles of a Graphene and Related Materials, GRM, material in a metal matrix, wherein the GRM material is graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide or any combination thereof;
- and
- a metallic top layer directly on top of the composite layer, wherein the top layer is of nickel or a nickel alloy and, optionally, nickel oxides, wherein the top layer has a thickness of at most 1 μm, the method comprising:
- providing a metal-GRM electrolytic solution including GRM particles and metal ions;
- depositing a composite layer on a surface of the substrate by electrodeposition whereby the GRM particles and metal ions are co-deposited to form an electrically conductive metal-GRM composite layer directly on the surface;
- providing a metal electrolytic solution comprising nickel ions;
- and
- depositing a top layer on the composite layer by electrodeposition whereby the nickel ions are deposited to form a metallic top layer directly on top of the composite layer, where top layer has a thickness of at most 1 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.