A Comparison for the Effects of Various Forms of Silicon Contamination on Contact Performance

In recent years increased concern has been noted for the effect of silicon contamination on the performance of electrical contacts. Several recent papers have described the effects of silicone contamination on contact behavior. Since contact contamination for the element silicon can exist as both organosilicon and inorganic mineral compounds, a study is made on the effects for the type of silicon compound, as well as the concentration and distribution of the compound on contact behavior. A comparison is made for the performance of contacts contaminated with various silicone, compounds and contacts contaminated in various silicon mineral grit materialS. The performance is measured in terms of contact resistance and electrical circuit continuity immediately after contact closure for both unused contacts and contacts subjected to switching several different electrical loads. From the results it can be seen that besides the concentration of silicon contamination, the particle size and form of silicon contamination are factors which influence contact behavior.