State of the art and prospects in sliver- and copper-matrix composite electrical contact materials

Electrical contacts have been widely used in many fields, including electronic communications, aerospace industries, and domestic/auto-motive appliances. To satisfy various demands of special practical applications, the pristine metal elements (silver and copper) are usually reinforced with different second phases to form bulk metal matrix composite electrical contact materials (MMC-ECMs). Usually, due to the combination of the virtues of the metallic matrix and the reinforcement, the MMC-ECMs exhibit excellent electrical and thermal conductivity and good arc erosion resistance, providing obvious merits in resisting high-temperature arc erosion. In this review, the recent research progress on silver-matrix composite ECMs (Ag-MC-ECMs) and copper-matrix composite ECMs (Cu-MC-ECMs) are profoundly reviewed, including the fabrication processes, designing principles, improvement strategies, and the relationship between the mechanism of arc corrosion and the microstructure of MMC-ECMs. Finally, the current challenges and prospects for future opportunities for Ag-MC-ECMs and Cu-MC-ECMs are also discussed.