===<!--6.4.4 -->Switching Contacts===

<xr id="fig:Contact_opening_with_arc_formation_schematic"/> <!--Fig. 6.7: --> Contact opening with arc formation schematic

<xr id="fig:Histogram_of_the_contact_resistance_Rk"/> <!--Fig. 6.9: --> Histogram of the contact resistance Rk of an electroplated palladium layer (3 μm) with and without hard gold flash plating (0.2 μm) after exposure with different plastic materials

<xr id="fig:Contact resistance with exposure to out gasing from plastics"/> <!--Fig. 6.10: --> Contact resistance with exposure to out gasing from plastics as a function of numbers of operations at 6 V_DC,100 mA: 1 Silicon containing plastic; 2 Plastics with strongly out-gasing components; 3 Plastics with minimal out-gasing components

<xr id="fig:Distribution of cumulative frequency H of the contact resistance for solid contact rivets"/> <!--Fig. 6.11: --> Distribution of cumulative frequency H of the contact resistance for solid contact rivets after 10 days exposure in a three-component test environment with 400 ppb each of H₂S, SO₂ and NO₂ at 25°C, 75% RH; Contact force 10cN; Measuring parameters: ≤ 40 mV_DC,10 mA; Probing

<xr id="fig:Material transfer under DC load"/> <!--Fig. 6.12: --> Material transfer under DC load a) Cathode; b) Anode. <br /> Material: AgNi0.15; Switching parameters: 12V_DC, 3 A, 2x10⁶ operations

<xr id="fig:Arc erosion of a AgSnO2 contact pair after extreme arcing conditions"/> <!--Fig. 6.13: --> Arc erosion of a Ag/SnO₂ contact pair after extreme arcing conditions a) Overall view; b) Partial detail view

<xr id="fig:Micro structure of a welded contact pair after extremely high current load"/> <!--Fig. 6.14: --> Micro structure of a welded contact pair (Ag/SnO₂88/12 - Ag/CdO88/12) after extremely high current load. a) Ag/SnO₂88/12; b) Ag/CdO88/12