Occurrence and Influence of Fretting Corrosion on Receptacle Contact Resistance

Over the years, a complex spectrum of reliability testing was set up for electrical components. Necessary, but time-and cost-intensive qualification tests delay the development of new wiring harness components. Consequently, the acceleration of lifetime tests is of crucial importance for identifying and preventing damage mechanisms even before usage. Increased temperatures and relative movements both influence the tendency for fretting corrosion, which is the most relevant damage mechanism in receptacle contacts. This paper designs and constructs a test-setup that aims at introducing damage mechanisms in contacts. To replicate damage occurring during thermal shock testing, thermal and mechanical influences are separated by inducing relative movement between the electrical contacts. Fretting amplitudes taken from literature serve as a basis for the tested micro-motions. To investigate the occurring damage, laser scanning microscopy, an EDX spectrum and analysis of resistance progressions are carried out. The results show a clear correlation between the damage and the induced relative movements. Therefore, the presented test-setup provides realistic test-conditions for investigating degradation mechanisms of receptacle contacts. Further investigations provide the possibility of accelerating qualification investigations by higher fretting frequencies.