Electrodeposited Noble Metal Coatings for Switching Contacts.

While in the case of sliding contacts the stress by abrasive wear predominates, in lifting contacts the electrical wear is in the forefront, and manifests itself as erosion and metal migration. In order to determine whether electrodeposited coatings can also be employed for these contacts, studies were carried out of the relationship between the contact resistance and the electrical load. The results show that only a limited application is possible, primarly on account of the low coating thicknesses, the platinum metals exhibiting a better performance than noble metal alloys of gold.