CORROSION AND CHEMICAL RESISTANCE Choosing the right materials and coating can protect connections against galvanic corrosion mechanisms – pitting, intergranular, or crevice. The most common coating on metallic parts is nickel chromium or thin gold-based layers applied with a galvanic or sputtering deposition process. Common materials and coatings used in circular connectors are: • Brass with nickel or chromium coating • Aluminum with nickel or chromium coating or anodized (aluminum oxide Al2O3) • Stainless steel, which is one of the best materials for corrosion resistance, since corrosion protection is embedded within the material itself. Products are tested in compliance with standards such as IEC 60068-2-11 Test Ka, MIL-STD-202 Method 101, and EIA-364-26. Testing includes long-standing exposure to a 5% salt solution at a temperature of 35°C to ensure that there is no impact on mechanical or electrical functionalities. In hospital, dentistry, and laboratory settings, as well as in food and pharmaceutical processing, devices and equipment must be regularly cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized. Product components – shells, contact blocks, O-rings and seals, cable jackets – should be made of ultra-resistant materials to withstand the conditions brought about by sterilization methods with chemicals such as Steris LCS (Liquid Chemical Sterilant with peracetic acid), Sterrad (hydrogen peroxide plasma), EtO (ethylene oxide), or through disinfection cycles such as Cidex Plus (glutaraldehyde) and Cidex OPA (ortho- phthalaldehyde and phosphate salts).
Chemical-proof connectivity is also demanded in the defense & security, and oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. In the latter hazardous environment, workers on land or offshore use downhole monitoring applications, seismic evaluation and drilling instruments, and geophysical and infrastructure maintenance devices that must resist chemicals such as aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils or fuels, greases, dilute acids and bases, detergents, and most aqueous salt solutions. For certain ATEX certified areas and equipment in the petrochemical industry, additional property requirements for cables include flame retardancy and fire resistance.
With their special surface finish, most of Fischer Connectors’ products can withstand exposure to salt fog for 1,000 hours. Tested in compliance with IEC 60512 and MIL-STD-202H / 810G / 883K standards, the ultra-rugged NATO STANAG 4695 compatible Fischer UltiMate 80 connector passed several mechanical and electrical tests after an immersion of one hour into cutting oil Swisscut Twin 300, isopropylic alcohol, and fractionated fuel 60/95. It also offers high corrosion resistance (500 hours of salt mist).
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