AMULET2: Arc extinguishing material on the melting elements of fuse link

Short summary Slovenian company active in production and development of electrotechnical products and tools is looking for solution to the challenge. The challenge is to find a suitable technical replacement for special silicone or another additive to quartz sand and find technological equivalent to the existing process, which will be simpler and will reduce production costs. Call: H2020 AMULET cascade financing, budget 120.000 EUR, deadline 22.3.2023

Full description Slovenian company is a manufacturer of high-quality and technologically advanced and sophisticated fuses, a wide and rounded portfolio of switches and circuit-breakers and technical ceramics for the global market, which are characterized by an exceptional price-quality ratio. We currently use a special silicone named FIRESTOP with the addition of aluminium trihydrate to limit the electrical arc inside the fuse link during fuse operation on DC voltage (up to 1500V d.c.). Electrical arc made chemical reaction which aluminium trihydrate “change” to water and aluminium oxide. Energy consumption from chemical reaction reduce the temperature of electric arc. Additional material which is added to silicone is SILAN which improved adhesion to the melting element. Silicone is applied to the melting elements which is a part of fuse link. Using a silicone FIRESTOP reduce the length of fuse link for more than 30% and weight for more than 20% in comparison to other technical solutions. The process of application of the silicone on the melting element in the production is relatively complicated and time consuming (application on the melting element, drying, curing, control). The challenge is to find a suitable technical (replacement for FIRESTOP silicone or another additive to quartz sand (like boric acid)) and find technological equivalent to the existing process, which will be simpler and will reduce production costs. Existing technical solution with FIRESTOP silicon is patented in EU. Objectives: • Finding a technical and technological equivalent for the existing FIRESTOP silicone. • Significantly reduce costs of material used and production process (for more than 50%)

Contact / source: NEXT EEN Widgets (europa.eu)