A GENERAL-MODEL FOR SLIDING WEAR IN ELECTRICAL CONTACTS

A variety of models, generally either based on abrasive, adhesive or s urface fatigue wear concepts, have been used with some success in desc ribing the sliding wear of electrical contacts. There are also empiric al observations which support the individual or simultaneous occurrenc e of these various mechanisms in wear of such contacts. In addition to these mechanisms, which may be referred to as surface wear mechanisms , a subsurface mechanism has also been identified in recent studies of the wear of a card-edge connector system. This mechanism is associate d with the plastic deformation of the substrate and can coexist with a ll, or any, of the surface mechanisms. In this paper, a model is devel oped for this subsurface mechanism and combined with models for the su rface mechanisms to provide a general model for the sliding wear of co ntact systems. The relationships, which result from these models, are shown to agree with observed behavior in the case of a card-edge conta ct system. It is suggested that the method of combining the effects of several simultaneous wear mechanisms may be applicable to more genera l wear situations.