Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Silver Paste Sintering on Copper-Alloy Slip Rings

In response to the claim of environmental protection, silver paste sintering emerges to be an alternative to traditional electroplating to prepare silver coatings on electrical components. The sintering process is straightforward, low-cost, and typically carried out in a furnace, making it more suitable for mass production compared to magnetron sputtering. In this work, silver coatings were fabricated on copper slip rings which are widely used for sliding electrical conduction. By investigating the morphologies, bonding strength and contact resistance, we found that the as-prepared silver coatings own satisfying mechanical and electrical properties, e.g., enhanced wear resistance, low contact resistance and resistance fluctuation. The influence of sintering time and temperatures on coating porosity and electrical performance was also elucidated.