MATERIAL FOR CONTACT AND CONTAINING AG ALLOY AS MAIN COMPONENT, CONTACT USING SAID MATERIAL FOR CONTACT, AND ELECTRICAL DEVICE

摘要

A contact material reducing movement of oxides even when an arc is generated at the time of contact opening/closing to make the contacts less likely to be damaged is provided. A contact material mainly composed of an Ag alloy, includes: an Ag alloy; and at least one main additive existing as a phase different from the Ag alloy and selected from the group consisting of tin oxide, nickel, nickel oxide, iron, iron oxide, tungsten, tungsten carbide, tungsten oxide, zinc oxide, and carbon, wherein when a metal atom constituting the main additive or the main additive is carbon, the Ag alloy contains a solid solution element having a vacancy binding energy lower than a vacancy binding energy that is a binding energy between the metal atom included in the main additive and a vacancy in an Ag metal, or a binding energy between carbon included in the main additive of carbon and a vacancy in an Ag metal, in an amount of 0.01 wt.% or more.