I am thinking of starting a project where I will need to interface a microcontroller output and mains for a lighting system. My question is about relays. I have found this one. And I am wondering will it be ok to put 230v through the switch of the relay? Also what am I looking for in the data sheet to tell me what is the maximum voltage that the switch will take?
Answer
The relay is a good one for resistive loads like incandescent lamps. The AgSnO2 contacts can handle higher inrush currents than AgNi.
Note that all given currents refer to cos(\$\phi\$) = 1, i.e. fully resistive loads. If you want to switch reactive loads like fluorescent lamps you're limited to a fraction of the given maximum current. You also want a safety margin for the inrush when switching a cold incandescent lamp when the voltage is maximum.
Your 10 A then become 1 A. Since a 60 W bulb draws 0.25 A at 230 V you should be able to switch up to 4 lamps with 1 relay.
edit
Forget I mentioned incandescent lamps. I was in the supermarket today and I needed a replacement bulb. While in the past there was an offer of at least 30 or 40 different incandescent bulbs in all sizes and shapes today they were all gone! Same variety in CFL (compact fluorescent), so that's no problem, but I didn't think the incandescent effectively would be gone before 1st January 2011.
Anyway, for your relay. Relays like the resistive load of an incandescent bulb much better that the reactive load of a (compact) fluorescent lamp. While in theory you should derate the relay further for the changed load, in practice CFLs are only 20% the power of incandescent lamps, so your load will remain within the limits set earlier: you should still be able to switch 4 CFLs with 1 relay.
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