Electrical sliding contacts: Wearing processes and electrical behavior in noble metal contacts

Electrical sliding contacts are complex tribological systems. Real applications demand use of specifically tailored systems. For the identification of such systems material screening tests with different levels of complexity are being applied. In this study, a specific test platform on component level is being developed including an electrical measurement concept. For electrical characterization the peak-to-peak noise and its distribution within specific life time intervals is being used. It has to be differentiated between the design-dependent variation as well as the contact-dependent noise. For the system under investigation (applying noble metal wires on noble metal electroplatings) wear cannot be determined directly during life time. Hence, wear is determined for pre-selected life time intervals by a new method that applies freezing-in of the wear state using a multi-track system. In this study two material systems with three different lubrication schemes are being investigated from a wear as well as electrical point of view. It is shown that the electrical and the wear life time can differ significantly. Thus, additional parameters need to be further investigated in future studies.