Export, PA - AMI DODUCO, a Technitrol (NYSE: TNL) Company, recently presented additional research addressing the electrical industry’s transition to environmentally friendly cadmium-free contacts at the 51st IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts in Chicago, Illinois.
One of the papers, presented by Chi H. Leung, Ph.D., AMI DODUCO’s Director of R&D for North America, deals with the challenge of minimizing the cost of cadmium-free contact materials containing indium. High demand from the flat-panel display industry recently has driven the cost of indium above US$1,000 per kilogram, beyond its performance value. Titled "Contact Erosion of Ag/SnO2/In2O3 Made by Internal Oxidation and Powder Metallurgy," the research concluded that less-expensive indium-free alternatives can deliver comparable performance. Leung co-authored the paper at AMI DODUCO with Eric Streicher, Dennis Fitzgerald and Justin Cook.
A second paper discussed the successful adoption of an AMI DODUCO proprietary silver tin oxide contact material in a 420kV electrical substation bus switch. The report, titled “Substitution of Silver/Cadmium Oxide in High Voltage Disconnectors,” was authored by Volker Behrens, Ph.D. and Thomas Honig of AMI DODUCO Europe, along with Christian Bernauer and Torsten Kuntze of Ruhrtal GmbH, a high-voltage electrical equipment manufacturer based in Germany. Although high-voltage applications are exempt from the European Union’s cadmium restriction, AMI Doduco’s proprietary silver tin oxide contact material demonstrated better overall performance at lower cost, thus creating additional incentives to specify cadmium-free solutions.
The IEEE Holm Conference provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest developments in the field of electric contacts as well as recent advances in materials and processes used in electrical, electronic and telecommunications equipment.
Headquartered in Export, Pennsylvania, AMI DODUCO is a global leader in electrical contact technology and fabrication. The company supplies contacts and assemblies, contact materials, thermostatic bimetal and clad metal products, electroplating and surface treatment services, and precious metal refining and recycling to more than 3,000 customers. AMI DODUCO operates from locations in North America, Europe and Asia. The company’s website is www.amidoduco.com.
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