Precious metal electrical contact materials are widely used in electronics, electrical appliances, aviation, aerospace and other fields, among which silver-based ones are the most important because of its excellent electrical contact performance and low price. Rare earths have the title of ‘industrial vitamins’ in the field of material research, owing to their special physical and chemical properties. Adding a small amount of rare earths to silver can not only improve the mechanical properties of silver alloy, but also enhance the electrical contact properties such as arc ablation resistance, melting welding resistance, and oxidation resistance. The present paper summarizes the main types of silver-based rare earth electrical contact materials, preparation methods, number of rare earths added, and the effects of rare earths on microstructure and electrical properties. And then some test methods for the properties are introduced. Finally, the problems to be solved and research development trends in this material field are proposed. |