Abstract

Nowadays, Ag-CdO alloys are widely used in electrical contact applications, because of their good electrical and thermal conductivity is as well as high resistance to arc erosion and contact welding. Considering the restricted use of Cd due to its toxicity, it is necessary to find a material that can replace those alloys. The objective of this work was to study the possibility of obtaining an Ag-ZnO alloy from an Ag-Zn solid solution powders by means of a mechanochemical method. The mechanochemical process was carried out in a SPEX 8000D mill, under air and with ethanol as a reaction agent. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that an Ag-ZnO alloy with a fine and uniform ZnO distribution in the Ag matrix can be obtained by applying the mechanochemical process for 25 h.