CONTACT MATERIALS FOR ELECTRONIC CONNECTORS - A SURVEY OF CURRENT PRACTICES AND TECHNOLOGY TRENDS IN THE USA

Electrodeposited hard gold is the most common contact material for electronic connectors in current U.S.A. practice. It generally is applied selectively and its average thickness has decreased over the years. This has slowed the rate of growth in its consumption, despite the increasing numbers of connectors that are being produced. Gold-flashed palladium and gold-flashed palladium-nickel alloy are considered to be the only viable alternates; they have replaced an equivalent thickness of gold in some high reliability applications. The use of clad contact metals is shrinking. The contacts in most automotive connectors are plated with tin and tin-lead alloy; however, noble metals are beginning to be used in critical applications. New contact materials continue to be proposed, but the likelihood of their acceptance is low. Contact lubricants are often specified to reduce insertion forces and to lower the rate of wear.