Environmental Contamination and Corrosion in Electronics: The Need for an Industrial Standard and Related Accelerated Test Method that Makes Sense

Two specifications, ISA 71.04-1985 and IEC 60721-3-3, that are used to specify corrosive environments for electronics have created confusion for manufacturers that create products for use in these environments due to inconsistencies and incomplete information. These standards also do not specify how the products should be tested to show compliance with each standard. Lack of consistent verification methods leads to inconsistent practices in the industry and even within product development groups in the same company. Accelerated testing using single- and mixed gas are often used in industry to demonstrate compliance with these requirements, but even the accelerated testing standards have issues. This paper explores the inconsistencies in the standards and verification methods used for corrosion of industrial electronics and makes recommendations for improvements.