Fretting Over Fretting Corrosion

Last week I posted a blog about a paper on Interconnect Susceptibility To Galvanic Corrosion.  The paper was prepared David Scopelliti, a longtime friend of Samtec.  As I mentioned there, Dave has a wealth of test, application, industry, and processing knowledge, and is well-respected and well-known in the industry.  That’s a polite way of saying he knows a lot and has been around forever (think Moses in a lab coat).  See a picture of Dave to the right.  He’s either holding the Ten Commandments, or a Hebrew version of his paper on fretting corrosion.

Another frequently-read paper that Dave prepared is about fretting corrosion in electronic interconnects.  Fretting is a micro-motion issue with movement typically less than .005″ (.127 mm).  Just about any material that oxidizes is in danger of fretting corrosion under the right circumstances.

This paper is a good overview of what fretting corrosion is, the problems it causes, its source, and steps you can take to minimize its impact.   Among other topics covered, this paper discusses:

• Fretting corrosion’s impact on digital signals
• Fretting corrosion’s impact on analog signals
• Fretting corrosion’s impact on power (an increase in resistance / temperature)
• The most common cause of fretting corrosion – mechanically unstable systems
• The second most common cause — repeated thermal excursions
• Other causes of fretting corrosion
• Six techniques that can be used to mitigate fretting corrosion
• Connector design considerations to reduce the likelihood of fretting corrosion
• Testing that can be performed to evaluate susceptibility to fretting corrosion

Here’s a link to the paper.  Other links that may be of interest include:

• Dissimilar Metals And The Risk Of Galvanic Corrosion in Mating Connectors
• Interconnect Susceptibility To Galvanic Corrosion
• Interconnect Test Report Frequently Asked Questions
• Advice On Selecting and Processing Connectors
• Guidelines To Ensure Electromagnetic Immunity In Connectors
• Guidelines For Paste-In-Hole Reflow Processing
• The Facts Of (Extended) Life
• Best Practices For Connector Models
• FAQ Interconnect Test Reports
• Interconnect Processing Handbook
• Interconnect Processing Page
• FAQ About Interconnect Processing
• Effects of Lubrication On Connector Processing
• Calculating Mating and Un-Mating Forces For Samtec Connectors
• Selecting The Right Contact For Your Board-to-Board Interconnect System
• New High Speed Connector Rating That Accounts For The Entire System