Re: [tlug] Connecting Conductors

[Jim <jep200404@example.com>]

"Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon" <ronfaxon@example.com> wrote:

> As 
> a conductor that needs to conduct through physically touching another 
> separate material (as opposed to internal conduction), wouldn't the 
> oxidation of silver be an issue?  

Oxidation is an issue for most conductive metals and there are 
plenty of solutions to cope with oxidation in electrical 
connections such as mechanical cleaning, fluxes, filling gap with 
corrosion inhibitor, soldering, welding, crimping or plating with 
omething that doesn't tarnish. 

Silver tarnish isn't hard to deal with. 
Aluminum oxide is _nasty_. Even so, the joints in electrical 
transmission lines are fused with high pressure crimps. 
I.e., just brute strength. 

> My parents used to have some real 
> silver silverware and in addition to how soft it was (I know, same thing 
> with gold), if you didn't polish it all the time, it turned white.  
> Isn't this the reason that some cables are gold plated but not silver 
> plated?  

Gold is often used for low pressure contacts because it does not tarnish. 

> Or is oxidated silver just as conductive to the touch as clean 
> silver?  

Tarnished silver makes poorer connections than clean silver, 
but tarnished silver presents much less of a problem than does 
aluminum oxide. 

If you have the money for silver buss bars, 
you have the money to deal with tarnish, 
and silver tarnish is not hard to deal with. 

Even tarnished silver plated wire wrap wire makes good 
connections to wire wrap posts and that works by high 
pressure with simple finger powered tools. 
(I'm dating myself with that reference.) 

> Starting from the issue of a good material to place across two 
> contacts for good conductivity, it's relevant....

The worst case that has been discussed is aluminum. 
Wiggle your aluminum key against the contacts, 
and you'll make contact.