Abstract: The present work has studied the effect of two methods for making mixture powder by mechanical mixing and by chemical coprecipitation, pressing, sintering and other technological parameters as well as addition elements on the basic properties and the microstructures of Ag-ZnO(8) materials.The making and breaking capacity,temPerature rise, the arc erosion rate and the resistivity agAlNst welding of the Ag-ZnO(8) electrical contacts made by different methods and contAlNing different addition elements have been analysed and compared each other. The effect of the eletrical arc on the surface structure of contacts has been also analysed. It is found that the basic properties and the electrical performance of the material for Ag-ZnO(8) contacts can be optimized by adopting the chemical coprecipitation method and by adding a little content of nickel.