The Effect of Lithium Upon the Erosion Kinetics of Ag-CdO Contacts

The erosion kinetics of metallurgically similar Ag-CdO contacts with and without Li have been investigated. Time-resolved spectroscopic measurements reveal significant differences in the temporal development of the temperatures and metal species concentration in the arc, associated with the presence or absence of lithium in the supporting contact. These differences correlate well with bulk erosion measurements and are consistent with a physical model involving greater spatial or temporal dispersion of the arc root in lithium-containing materials.