B02.05 - Precious Metals and Electrical Contact Materials and Test Methods

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Preservation of a conducting surface on electrical contact is vital to the continued functioning of such contacts. Contamination of the surface with insulating layers formed by corrosion processes is one potential hazard. Laboratory testing of contacts in MFG tests is used to assess the effectiveness of design features and materials.  
4.2 MFG tests are used in development studies of processes and materials for contacts. For example, coupon specimens may be exposed to MFG tests to evaluate new contact materials, layers of new coating materials on a supporting substrate, reduced coating thicknesses, or protective surface treatments.  
4.3 MFG tests are also employed to test the durability of a finished product with respect to atmospheric corrosion. For example, finished connectors may be exposed to a MFG test and their performances compared against each other or against a set of fixed requirements. Relays or switch contacts may be exposed in the operated and non-operated conditions to compare performance.  
4.4 MFG tests are useful for determining the effectiveness of connector housings and shrouds as barriers to ingress of atmospheric corrodants to the contact surfaces. These tests can also be used to assess the screening of the metal-to-metal contact areas of mated connectors.  
4.5 MFG tests are employed as qualification tests to determine connector failure rates in application environments for which correlation between test and application has previously been established.  
4.6 This guide provides test conditions which are to be applied in conjunction with Practice B827 which defines the required test operation and certification procedures, tolerances, and reporting requirements. Where the test specifier requires certifications or tolerances different than those provided in Practice B827, the required certifications or tolerances shall be part of the test specification. Differences from the specifications in Practice B827 shall be reported in the test re...
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1.1 The techniques described in this guide pertain to mixed flowing gas (MFG) tests containing species that are applied to evaluate devices containing electrical contacts such as slip rings, separable connectors, electromechanical relays or switch contacts. These techniques may be relevant to other devices, but it is the responsibility of the user to determine suitability prior to testing.  
1.2 The MFG tests described in this guide are designed to accelerate corrosive degradation processes. These accelerations are designed such that the degradation occurs in a much shorter time period than that expected for such processes in the intended application environment of the device being tested. Application environments can vary continuously from benign to aggressively corrosive. Connectors and contacts within closed electronic cabinets may be affected by an environment of different severity than the environment on the outside of such cabinets. In general, indoor environments are different than outdoor environments. The MFG tests described herein, being discrete embodiments of specific corrosive conditions, cannot be representative of all possible application environments. It is the responsibility of the test specifier to assure the pertinence of a given test condition to the specifier's application condition.  
1.3 The MFG tests described herein are not designed to duplicate the actual intended application environment of the device under test. An extended bibliography that provides information which is useful to test specifiers to assist them in selecting appropriate test methods is included in this guide. The bibliography covers the scope from application condition characterization, single and multiple gas effects, and material and product effects to key application and test variables as well as discussions of atmospheric corrosion processes.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other uni...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 The Rockwell hardness and Rockwell superficial tests are useful when the test specimens are sufficiently thick (in relation to the indentor load) to ensure that the results are not affected by the flow of metal on the surface of the anvil. On a solid piece the flow of metal on the under surface may be detected by a bulge or marking. On composite pieces where the contact materials are attached to backings of a different material, the thickness limitations imposed for a solid piece shall apply to the contact material portion of such composite pieces.
Note 1: As a matter of information, it may be stated that tests on fine silver showed that on annealed samples having a Rockwell 15T hardness of 27, the readings were not affected on thicknesses 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) or over. On thicknesses of 1/32 in. (0.8 mm) Rockwell 15T scale readings of 72 and higher were not affected.  
3.2 The microindentation hardness test is of questionable significance when the metallic phases in a material are so large that the indentation does not represent an accurate average hardness. Sintered contact materials usually contain segregates differing greatly in hardness from the matrix hardness and may destroy the validity of microindentation hardness readings.  
3.3 Other aspects of significance and use shall be as described in the particular ASTM test method used, as listed in Section 2.
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1.1 This test method covers the determination of the hardness of metallic materials used for electrical contacts. Rockwell, Rockwell superficial, Brinell, and microindentation hardness tests are included, along with information on the limitations and use of these tests.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar will all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers round drawn/extruded gold wires for internal semiconductor device electrical connections. The wires are available in four classifications, namely: copper-modified wire, beryllium-modified wire, high-strength wire, and special purpose wire. Aptly sampled wires shall be examined by test methods suggested herein, and each class shall conform correspondingly to specified requirements for chemical composition, mechanical properties (breaking load and elongation), dimension (diameter and weight), and workmanship and finish. The wires shall also undergo wire curl, wire axial twist, and wire roundness tests.
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1.1 This specification covers round drawn/extruded gold wire for internal semiconductor device electrical connections. Four classifications of wire are distinguished, (1) copper-modified wire, (2) beryllium-modified wire, (3) high-strength wire, and (4) special purpose wire.  
Note 1: Trace metallic elements have a significant effect upon the mechanical properties and thermal stability of high-purity gold wire. It is customary in manufacturing to add controlled amounts of selected impurities to gold to modify or stabilize bonding wire properties, or both. This practice is known variously as “modifying,” “stabilizing,” or “doping.” The first two wire classifications denoted in this specification refer to wire made with either of two particular modifiers, copper or beryllium, in general use. In the third and fourth wire classifications, “high-strength” and “special purpose” wire, the identity of modifying additives is not restricted.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses after SI units are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 The following hazard caveat pertains only to the test method portion, Section 9, of this specification.  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers brazing filler metals for use in electron devices in a nonoxidizing atmosphere. Material covered by this specification consists of vacuum grade (Grades 1 and 2) brazing filler metals manufactured in the form of strip, wire, or preforms made by blanking the trip or bending the wire. Brazing filler metals in the form of powder are also available. Filler metals in wire form shall be in soft temper condition, most suitable for hand feeding or ring winding in mandrels, while those in strip form shall be in hard as-rolled temper condition to facilitate clean blanking of thin shims or preforms. The surface of the filler metal, whether strip, wire, or preform, shall be as smooth and free of dirt, oxide, pits, deep scratches, seams, slivers, stains, scale, blisters, edge cracks, trimming burrs, waves, wrinkles, and other defects as commercially possible. Melting test for cleanness and spatter shall be performed and shall conform to the requirements specified.
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1.1 This specification covers requirements or filler metals suitable for brazing internal parts and other critical areas of electron devices in a nonoxidizing atmosphere (Note 1).  
1.2 These materials are available in strip or wire or preforms made by blanking the strip or bending the wire. Powders are also available.  
Note 1: Brazing filler metals for general applications are specified in AWS Specification A 5.8.  
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The principal underlying the test is the sensitivity of the electrical contact interface to temperature and humidity cycling that electrical pressure connection systems experience as a result of usage and installation environment. The temperature cycling may cause micromotion at the mating electrical contact surfaces which can expose fresh metal to the local ambient atmosphere. The humidity exposure is known to facilitate corrosion on freshly exposed metal surfaces. Thus, for those connection systems that do not maintain stable metal-to-metal contact surfaces under the condition of thermal cycling and humidity exposure, repeated sequences of these exposures lead to degradation of the contacting surface indicated by potential drop increase.  
5.2 The test is of short duration relative to the expected life of connections in residential usage. Stability of connection resistance implies resistance to deterioration due to environmental conditions encountered in residential service. Increasing connection resistance as a result of the test exposure indicates deterioration of electrical contact interfaces. Assurance of long term reliability and safety of connection types that deteriorate requires further evaluation for specific specified environments and applications.  
5.3 Use—It is recommended that this test method be used in one of two ways. First, it may be used to evaluate and report the performance of a particular connection system. For such use, it is appropriate to report the results in a summary (or tabular) format such as shown in Section 17, together with the statement “The results shown in the summary (or table) were obtained for (insert description of connection) when tested in accordance with Test Method B812. Second, it may be used as the basis for specification of acceptability of product. For this use, the minimum test time and the maximum allowable increase in potential drop must be established by the specifier. Specification of connection systems in...
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1.1 This test method covers all residential pressure connection systems. Detailed examples of application to specific types of connection systems, set-screw neutral bus connectors, and twist-on wire-splicing connectors are provided in Appendix X1 and Appendix X2.  
1.2 The purpose of this test method is to evaluate the performance of residential electrical pressure connection systems under conditions of cyclic temperature change (within rating) and high humidity.  
1.3 The limitations of the test method are as follows:  
1.3.1 This test method shall not be considered to confirm a specific lifetime in application environments.  
1.3.2 The applicability of this test method is limited to pressure connection systems rated at or below 600 V d-c or a-c RMS.  
1.3.3 This test method is limited to temperature and water vapor exposure in addition to electrical current as required to measure connection resistance.  
1.3.4 This test method does not evaluate degradation which may occur in residential applications due to exposure of the electrical connection system to additional environmental constituents such as (but not limited to) the following examples:
1.3.4.1 Household chemicals (liquid or gaseous) such as ammonia, bleach, or other cleaning agents.
1.3.4.2 Chemicals as may occur due to normal hobby or professional activities such as photography, painting, sculpture, or similar activities.
1.3.4.3 Environments encountered during construction or remodeling such as direct exposure to rain, uncured wet concrete, welding or soldering fluxes and other agents.  
1.3.5 This test method is limited to evaluation of pressure connection systems.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product...

ABSTRACT
This specification covers a gold-rich, age-hardenable alloy in rod, wire, and strip form applicable to electrical contacts. The material shall be finished by cold working, annealing, turning, grinding, and age hardening. The materials shall conform to the specified chemical composition requirements. Tensile strength, elongation, and hardness shall be determined by tension and hardness tests. Chemical analysis shall be done by spectrochemical or wet analysis methods.
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1.1 This specification covers a gold-rich, age-hardenable alloy in rod, wire, and strip form applicable to electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 The following precautionary statement pertains to the test method portion only, Section 8, of this specification. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This guide defines the criteria for composition, properties, and other requirements for miniature brushes of composite materials containing a matrix of one or more conducting metallic elements or alloys and one or more lubricating lamellar solids intended for sliding electric contacts. Each constituent of the material should be listed individually by weight percent including tolerances using any analytical technique while the apparent density for the material should be defined using the measurement and weight method. The resistivity; Rockwell superficial hardness, transverse strength, and shear strength; and microstructural properties such as cracks and defects should also be defined and should conform to the required electrical, mechanical, and structural properties of the brush materials.
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1.1 This guide defines the criteria for composition, properties, and other requirements for brushes containing a matrix of one or more conducting metallic elements or alloys and one or more lubricating lamellar solids.  
1.2 The resulting specification is intended for use where the size (for example, 5 mm by 3 mm by 2 mm), shape, or other factors preclude the determination of properties on specimens of the bulk material from which individual brushes are made.  
1.3 The requirements recommended herein have been found to be desirable for most brush material composites. Care must be taken in preparing a specification for a pre-existing material that imposition of one or more provisions herein does not alter the material or its performance.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification defines the criteria for the chemical composition and other requirements (including physical properties, microstructure, superficial hardness, and specific resistance ) for silver-graphite brushes for sliding electrical contacts. The percentage of silver, graphite, ash in graphite, and total metal impurities are prescribed. The minimum acceptable values for the physical properties such as density, determined by measurement and weight method, and shear strength are given. Typical Rockwell hardness and specific resistance for the material are also specified.
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1.1 This specification defines the criteria for composition and other requirements for brushes with a nominal silver content of 75 weight % with the balance being substantially graphite.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers refined platinum as sponge, cast bar, and wrought forms in two grades as follows: Grade 99.95 and Grade 99.99. The refined platinum shall conform to the required chemical composition for platinum, rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, iridium, gold, silver, lead, tin, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, silicon, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, nickel, chromium, antimony, arsenic, bismuth, tellurium, cadmium, and molybdenum. The metal may be produced by refining process that yields a product capable of meeting the chemical requirements of this specification.
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1.1 This specification covers refined platinum as sponge, cast bar, and wrought forms (Note 1) in two grades as follows:  
1.1.1 Grade 99.95 (UNS PO4995)—Platinum having a purity of 99.95 %, min, and  
1.1.2 Grade 99.99—Platinum having a purity of 99.99 % min.  
Note 1: Other forms of unfabricated platinum of commerce are not to be excluded under this specification.
Note 2: For the purposes of determining conformance with this specification, an observed value obtained from analysis shall be rounded to the nearest unit in the last right hand place of figures used in expressing the limiting value, in accordance with the rounding off method of Practice E29.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers refined ruthenium as sponge and powder in one grade as follows: Grade 99.80 and Grade 99.90. The material may be produced by any refining process that yields a product capable of meeting the chemical requirements of this specification. The material should conform to the requirements for chemical composition as prescribed.
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1.1 This specification covers refined ruthenium as sponge and powder in one grade as follows:  
1.1.1 Grade 99.80—Ruthenium having a purity of 99.80 %.  
1.1.2 Grade 99.90—Ruthenium having a purity of 99.90 %.  
Note 1: For the purposes of determining conformance with this specification, an observed value obtained from analysis shall be rounded to the nearest unit in the last right-hand place of figures used in expressing the limiting value in accordance with the rounding method of Practice E29.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers refined rhodium as sponge and powder in three grades, namely: Grade 99.80, Grade 99.90, and Grade 99.95. The material may be produced by any refining process that will yield a product capable of meeting the chemical composition requirements specified for rhodium, platinum, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, lead, tin, zinc, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, iron, silicon, silver, gold, copper, nickel, tellurium, magnesium, calcium, aluminum, chromium, manganese, antimony, cobalt, and boron determined by chemical analysis. Sampling requirements for the metal sponge and powder are detailed.
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1.1 This specification covers refined rhodium as sponge and powder in three grades as follows:  
1.1.1 Grade 99.80—Rhodium having a purity of 99.80 %,  
1.1.2 Grade 99.90—Rhodium having a purity of 99.90 %, and  
1.1.3 Grade 99.95—Rhodium having a purity of 99.95 %.  
1.1.4 For the purposes of determining conformance with this specification, an observed value obtained from analysis shall be rounded to the nearest unit in the last right-hand place of figures used in expressing the limiting value, in accordance with the rounding method of Practice E29.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification defines the criteria for composition and other requirements for sliding contact materials or brushes with a nominal composition by weight of 20% silver and 80% graphite. Materials shall adhere to specified requirements for chemical composition, density, shear strength, and microstructure. They shall also conform to typical values of Rockwell superficial hardness and specific resistance.
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1.1 This specification defines the criteria for composition and other requirements for brushes with a nominal silver content of 80 %, by weight, with the balance being substantially graphite.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar will all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Gold coatings are often specified for the contacts of separable electrical connectors and other devices. Electrodeposits are the form of gold that is most used on contacts, although it is also employed as clad metal and as weldments on the contact surface. The intrinsic nobility of gold enables it to resist the formation of insulating oxide films that could interfere with reliable contact operation.  
5.2 In order that the nobility of gold be assured, porosity, cracks, and other defects in the coating that expose base-metal substrates and underplates must be minimal or absent, except in those cases where it is feasible to use the contacts in structures that shield the surface from the environment or where corrosion inhibiting surface treatments for the deposit are employed. The level of porosity in the coating that may be tolerable depends on the severity of the environment to the underplate or substrate, design factors for the contact device like the force with which it is mated, circuit parameters, and the reliability of contact operation that it is necessary to maintain. Also, when present, the location of pores on the surface is important. If the pores are few in number and are outside of the zone of contact of the mating surfaces, their presence can often be tolerated.  
5.3 Methods for determining pores on a contact surface are most suitable if they enable their precise location and numbers to be determined. Contact surfaces are often curved or irregular in shape, and testing methods should be suitable for them. In addition, the severity of porosity-determining tests may vary. This test method is regarded as severe.  
5.4 The relationship of porosity levels revealed by particular tests to contact behavior must be made by the user of these tests through practical experience or by judgement. Thus, absence of porosity in the coating may be a requirement for some applications, while a few pores on the critical surfaces may be acceptable for another. Such ac...
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1.1 This test method covers equipment and procedures for using nitric acid vapor for determining porosity in gold coatings, greater than 0.6 μm (25 μin.) in thickness, particularly electrodeposits and clad metals used on electrical contacts.  
1.2 This test method is designed to show whether the porosity level is less or greater than some value that, by experience, is considered by the user to be acceptable for the intended application.  
1.3 A variety of other porosity testing methods are described in Guide B765 and in the literature.2,3 Other porosity test methods are Test Methods B741, B798, B799, and B809.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precautions are given in Section 8 and 9.4.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Palladium and gold coatings are often specified for the contacts of separable electrical connectors and other devices. Electrodeposits are the form of gold that is most used on contacts, although it is also employed as inlay or clad metal and as weldments on the contact surface. The intrinsic nobility of gold and palladium alloys enables it to resist the formation of insulating oxide films that could interfere with reliable contact operation.  
5.2 In order for these coatings to function as intended, porosity, cracks, and other defects in the coating that expose base-metal substrates and underplates must be minimal or absent, except in those cases where it is feasible to use the contacts in structures that shield the surface from the environment or where corrosion inhibiting surface treatments for the deposit are employed. The level of porosity in the coating that may be tolerable depends on the severity of the environment to the underplate or substrate, design factors for the contact device like the force with which it is mated, circuit parameters, and the reliability of contact operation that it is necessary to maintain. Also, when present, the location of pores on the surface is important. If the pores are few in number and are outside of the zone of contact of the mating surfaces, their presence can often be tolerated.  
5.3 Methods for determining pores on a contact surface are most suitable if they enable their precise location and numbers to be determined. Contact surfaces are often curved or irregular in shape, and testing methods should be suitable for them. In addition, the severity of porosity-determining tests may vary from procedures capable of detecting all porosity to procedures that detect only highly porous conditions.  
5.4 The present test practice is capable of detecting virtually all porosity or other defects that could participate in corrosion reactions with the substrate or underplate. In addition, it can be used on contacts having comp...
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1.1 This test practice covers equipment and methods for revealing the porosity of gold and palladium coatings, particularly electrodeposits and clad metals used on electrical contacts.  
1.2 This test practice is suitable for coatings containing gold or 75 % by mass of palladium on substrates of copper, nickel, and their alloys, which are commonly used in electrical contacts.  
1.3 A variety of full porosity testing methods is described in the literature.2,3 These porosity Test Methods are B735, B741, B798, B799, and B809. An ASTM Guide to the selection of porosity tests for electrodeposits and related metallic coatings is available as Guide B765.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazards, see Section 6.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This guide suggests techniques to evaluate intermittences in a contact pair while it is subjected to simulated or actual environmental stress. Such measurements are a valuable tool in predicting circuit performance under these stress conditions and in diagnosing observed problems in circuit function under such conditions.  
4.2 This document is intended to provide some general guidance on the best available practices for detecting, quantifying, characterizing and reporting short duration intermittences in circuits containing electrical contacts. Certain environmental stresses such as mechanical shock, vibration or temperature change may cause intermittences. These measurement procedures include methods applicable to contacts operating under various conditions in testing or in service.  
4.3 Practice B615 defines methods for measuring electrical contact noise in sliding electrical contacts. In contrast Guide B854 provides guidance to the various methods for measuring similar phenomena in static contacts.
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1.1 The techniques described in this guide apply to electrical circuits that include one or more electrical contacts in devices such as slip rings, separable connectors, electromechanical relays or closed switch contacts. The user should determine applicability for other devices.  
1.2 The range of techniques described apply to circuit discontinuities (intermittences) of durations ranging from approximately 10 nanoseconds to several seconds and of sufficient magnitude to cause alteration of the circuit function. Extension of the guide to shorter duration events may be possible with suitable instrumentation. Events of longer duration may be monitored by techniques for dc measurements such as those described in Test Methods B539 or by adaptation of methods described in this guide.  
1.3 The techniques described in this guide apply to electrical circuits carrying currents typical of signal circuits. Such currents are generally less than 100 ma. Extension of these techniques to circuits carrying larger currents may be possible, but the user should evaluate applicability first.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 Resistance or voltage values alone do not provide sufficient detail for an engineering evaluation of contact noise. This practice lists the test conditions that should be reported with noise measurements and indicates some conditions (open circuit voltages, currents, etc.) that have been used for quality control and research studies. The use of these practices should provide sufficient detail for an engineering interpretation of the noise data and allow the tests to be repeated by another laboratory.
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1.1 This practice describes the practices and factors considered to be most important in the measurement of electrical contact noise of sliding contacts.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers electrical contact components made from silver-nickel by powder metallurgical procedures. This covers compositions within the silver-nickel system normally specified by users of electrical contacts. Chemical analysis shall be performed to evaluate material conformance to specified composition requirements. A representative sample of chips may be obtained by milling, drilling, or crushing with dry tools, (without lubrication). In order to obtain free chips, the parts selected for testing shall have the oil extracted, if necessary. Physical tests including microstructure shall be performed on a representative number of specimens.
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
9.1 Proprietary methods for manufacture of these materials vary significantly among suppliers and these methods influence such properties as arc erosion, contact resistance, and the tendency to weld in service. Since the performance of contacts in a device depends on numerous factors outside the contact itself (opening speed, closing speed, contact pressure, contact bounce, environmental variations, assembly technique and variations, etc.), this specification cannot ensure performance control in the application. As part of the qualification on initial samples, it is recommended that the user functionally test the materials electrically for all devices applicable to the material's use. This specification provides a means for the contact manufacturer and contact user to reach agreement on the details of material to be supplied for a specific use and reasonable assurance that future lots will be similar in properties and microstructure to the initial test or sample contact supplied.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers electrical contact components made from silver nickel by powder metallurgical procedures.  
1.2 This specification covers compositions within the silver-nickel system normally specified by users of electrical contacts.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers two platinum-iridium alloys in the form of rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for electrical contacts. Raw materials shall be of such quality and purity that the finished product (produced by cold working, annealing, turning, grinding, or pickling as required) will have the properties and characteristics prescribed in this specification. The alloys shall meet the requirements of chemical composition specified for platinum, iridium, total impurities, total platinum group (palladium, rhodium, osmium, ruthenium, and gold), total other impurities (including lead, antimony, bismuth, tin, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, and iron) and other elements. Ultimate tensile strength, elongation, microhardness (Knoop or Vickers), hardness (Rockwell or Rockwell Superficial), or a combination of these mechanical properties may be specified as criterion for temper designation. Annealed and work hardened wire and strip shall conform to the mechanical requirements prescribed for ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and microhardness. Knoop hardness test, tension test, and chemical analysis using spectrochemical or wet analysis method shall be performed.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers an 80 % platinum—20 % iridium alloy, an 85 % platinum—15 % iridium alloy, and a 90 % platinum—10 % iridium alloy, in the form of rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system are not necessarily exact equivalents; therefore, to ensure conformance with the standard, each system shall be used independently of the other, and values from the two systems shall not be combined.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This practice is based on the use of electrical resistance as an indicator of contact performance. This is the fundamental physical attribute that reflects the condition of the electrical contact interface(s) within a connection. For practical current-carrying electrical connections, resistance may be calculated from potential drop measurements, as described, for example, in Test Method B539 and B812.  
5.2 This practice accommodates the use of multiple test methods, as may be required to predict performance in a given application.  
5.3 This practice applies only to the performance of the current-carrying contact interface(s). It does not characterize the performance of insulating materials or other components of a complete connection system.  
5.4 Specifiers may use the performance classification as a requirement for a given application.  
5.5 Manufacturers may use the performance classification to reflect the relative quality of their products.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice provides a method of specifying performance requirements for (or reporting test results of) electrical contact and connection systems. Both conductor and connector system performance may be specified by this practice, separately or in combination.  
1.2 This practice may be used for separable or permanent contacts employing metallic conducting components.  
1.3 This practice is applicable to both signal and power applications.  
1.4 This practice is intended to be used for specifying performance of connectors and connection systems that are marketed for general public and trade application, as for instance for use in building wiring, electronics, and vehicles.  
1.5 This practice is not intended to be used to specifying the performance of connection systems for specialized applications, such as military, industrial, aircraft, power distribution, and medical apparatus.  
1.6 This practice does not specify the sample preparation or test sequences required for determining contact performance. It is the responsibility of the user of this practice to determine the applied test sequence(s) appropriate for the application.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provide by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers an alloy containing palladium, silver, copper, platinum, and nickel in the form of wire, rod, and strip for electrical contacts. The materials shall be processed by cold working, heat treating, annealing, turning, grinding, and pickling. The material shall conform to the required chemical composition of palladium, silver, copper, platinum, and nickel. The alloys shall conform to the required mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation, Knoop hardness, and Vickers hardness.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers an alloy containing palladium, silver, copper, platinum, and nickel in the form of wire, rod, and strip for electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 The following precautionary statement pertains to the test method portion only, Section 7, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Electrical devices that contain electrical contacts generally contain some copper-based materials. Atmospheric corrosion of copper parts in such devices often occurs in service environments. A quantitative measure of the effect of a laboratory corrosion test on copper permits assessment of the severity of the test. In addition, corrosion tests may be defined in terms of their effect on copper; this test method provides a way of comparing one test against a standard defined elsewhere, or allows a comparison of the performance of a test over a period of time. Although this test method provides for a relatively simple check of a test, the user is advised that additional analysis of the test chamber ambient is generally required to reproduce test conditions.  
4.2 Atmospheric corrosion tests are used on a variety of materials besides copper. Care should be exercised in drawing conclusions about the effects on such materials of apparently equivalent tests if the composition of gases or experimental conditions are different. The primary use of this calibration test method is to assure correlation among nominally identical tests.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the calibration of atmospheric corrosion test chambers for electrical contacts that produce an adherent film of corrosion product on copper, such as a test comprised of a mixture of flowing gases that react with copper.  
1.2 This test method is not applicable to tests where corrosion products may be removed from a copper surface during the test by fluids.  
1.3 This test method is not applicable to tests where airborne solid or liquid material may be deposited on a copper surface during the test, as in a test which includes particulates suspended in the atmosphere.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers general requirements common to wrought precious metal electrical contact alloy products in the form of sheet, strip, wire, and rod. The raw material shall be of such quality and purity that the finished product shall have the properties and characteristics prescribed in the applicable product specification. The product shall be produced by a combination of hot or cold working operations, it shall be finished, unless otherwise specified, by cold working, annealing, or heat treatment as may be necessary to meet the specified properties. Surfaces of all material furnished to this specification shall be smooth, clean, and free from scratches, stains, rough spots, slivers, laps, scale, pits, and any other injurious defects. Test methods such as chemical analysis and physical tests shall be performed accordingly.
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
11.1 For purpose of determining compliance with the specified limits for requirements of the properties listed in the following table, an observed value or a calculated value shall be rounded as indicated in accordance with Practice E29.    
Property  
Unit  
Rounded Unit
for Observed or
Calculated Value  
Chemical composition  
percent  
Hardness
Knoop (100-g load unless other-
wise specified)
Vicker (specify load)
Rockwell (all scales, specify which)
Rockwell superficial (all scales,
specify which)  
nearest unit on the last right
hand place of figure of
specified limit  
Resistivity  
μΩ·cm  
Tensile strength  
psi (MPa)  
nearest 1000 psi (nearest 10
MPa)    
Yield Strength  
psi (MPa)  
nearest 1000 psi (nearest
10 MPa)  
Elongation  
Below 5 %  
percent  
nearest multiple of 0.5 %  
5 % and over  
percent  
nearest 1 %  
Grain size  
Up to 0.055 mm incl.  
mm  
nearest multiple of 0.005
mm    
Over 0.055 to 0.160, mm, incl.  
mm  
nearest 0.01 mm
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers general requirements common to wrought precious metal electrical contact alloy products in the form of sheet, strip, wire, and rod. Unless otherwise specified in the purchase order or in an individual specification, these general requirements shall apply to wrought electrical contact materials where indicated in the applicable product specifications issued by ASTM.  
1.2 In case of conflict, the requirements on the purchase order, the individual specification, and this general specification shall prevail in the sequence named.  
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers gold-silver-nickel alloy tubing, rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for sliding electrical contacts. Raw materials shall be of such quality and purity that the finished product will have the properties and characteristics prescribed in this specification. The material shall be finished by cold working, heat treating, annealing, turning, grinding, or pickling as are required to produce the prescribed properties. Material produced shall meet the chemical composition requirements. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation, Knoop hardness, microhardness, as well as the electrical contact shall conform to the prescribed specification.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers 75 % gold-22 % silver-3 % nickel alloy tubing, rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for sliding electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers electrical contact components made from silver-tungsten by powder-metallurgical procedures. The material shall conform to composition limits specified. The material shall be finished by braze alloy backing, tumbling to polish surfaces, special surface finish, silver-rich surface layer, cleaning, etc. Chemical analysis and physical test shall be made to conform to the specified requirements.
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
9.1 Proprietary methods for manufacture of these materials vary significantly among suppliers, and these methods influence such properties as arc erosion, contact resistance, and tendency to weld in service. Since the performance of contacts in a device depends on numerous factors outside the contact itself (opening speed, closing speed, contact pressure, contact bounce, environmental variations, assembly technique and variations, etc.) this specification cannot ensure performance control in the application. As part of the qualification on initial samples it is recommended that the user functionally electrically test the materials for all devices applicable to the material's use. This specification will provide a means for the contact manufacturer and contact user to reach agreement on the details of material to be supplied for a specific use and reasonable assurance that future lots will be similar in properties and microstructure to the initial test or sample contacts supplied.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers electrical contact components made from silver-tungsten by powder-metallurgical procedures.  
1.2 This specification covers compositions within the silver-tungsten system normally specified by users of contacts.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Data Safety Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification deals with refined silver cast bar form in three different grades as indicated by the degree of fineness of silver: Grade 99.90 (UNS P07020) which is also commonly referred to as commercial bar or bullion; Grade 99.95 (UNS P07015); and Grade 99.99 (UNS P07010). The material shall be produced by any process and shall conform to the chemical composition requirements for silver, copper, bismuth, iron, lead, palladium, selenium, and tellurium as shall be determined by any destructive or nondestructive method of chemical analysis. The bar shall be cast with a brand and shall be marked with the minimum fineness together with the melt number, bar number, and weight for identification.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers refined silver cast bar2 form in three grades as follows:  
1.1.1 Grade 99.90 (UNS P07020)—Silver having a minimum fineness of 999.0 commonly referred to as “commercial bar” or “bullion.”  
1.1.2 Grade 99.95 (UNS P07015)—Silver having a minimum fineness of 999.5.  
1.1.3 Grade 99.99 (UNS P07010)—A premium grade having a minimum fineness of 999.9.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards, including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers refined iridium as sponge and powder in two grades, Grade 99.80 (UNS PO6100) and Grade 99.90. The metal may be produced by any refining process. They shall conform to the required chemical composition for iridium, rhodium, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, lead, silicon, tin, zinc, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, iron, silver, gold, copper, nickel, and chromium. The sampling procedures shall consist of sponge lot and powder lot.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers refined iridium as sponge and powder in two grades as follows:  
1.1.1 Grade 99.80 (UNS PO6100)—Iridium having a purity of 99.80 %.  
1.1.2 Grade 99.90—Iridium having a purity of 99.90 %.  
Note 1: For the purposes of determining conformance with this specification, an observed value obtained from analysis shall be rounded to the nearest unit in the last right-hand place of figures used in expressing the limiting value, in accordance with the rounding method of Practice E29.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The methods for manufacture (proprietary or otherwise) of these materials vary significantly among suppliers, and these methods influence such properties as arc erosion, contact resistance, and tendency to weld in service. Since the performance of contacts in a device depends on numerous factors outside the contact itself (opening speed, closing speed, contact pressure, contact bounce, environmental variations, assembly technique and variations, etc.) this guide cannot ensure performance control in the application. As part of the qualification on initial samples it is recommended that the user electrically test the materials in a functional manner for all devices applicable to the material’s use. This guide will provide a means for the contact manufacturer and contact user to reach agreement on the details of material to be supplied for a specific use and how to provide reasonable assurance that future lots will be similar in properties and microstructure to the initial test of sample contacts supplied.
SCOPE
1.1 This standard provides guidelines for users and manufacturers of silver-tin oxide material produced in strip, rod, wire, and part form for electrical contact applications.  
1.2 Silver-tin oxide refers to contact material containing silver, tin oxide, and other metal oxide which may be used for either improving the processing or performance of the material.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers wrought gold-copper alloy in the form of wire, rod, strip, and tubing to be used for electrical contacts. Raw materials shall be of such quality and purity that the finished product (produced by cold working, heat treating, annealing, turning, grinding, and/or pickling as required) will have the properties and characteristics prescribed in this specification. The material shall meet the requirements of chemical composition specified for gold, copper, noble metal impurities, and other impurities. Ultimate tensile strength, elongation, microhardness (Knoop or Vickers), hardness (Rockwell or Rockwell Superficial), or a combination of these mechanical properties may be specified as the temper criterion. Annealed and hard drawn wires, strips, and tubings, within the prescribed diameter or thickness, shall conform to the specified tensile strength, elongation, and hardness. The following tests shall be performed: Knoop hardness test, tension test, chemical analysis such as spectrochemical or wet analysis, and stress corrosion crack test by immersion test, compression, and bending.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers a wrought alloy containing gold and copper in the form of wire, rod, strip, and tubing for electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 The following precautionary statement pertains to the test method portion only, Section 7, of this standard: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers refined gold of Grades 99.5, 99.95, 99.99, and 99.995 in cast bar forms. Other forms of unfabricated gold of commerce are not to be excluded under this specification. The metal may be produced by any refining process that yields products capable of meeting the specified chemical composition requirements. Chemical assessment samples may be taken from the melt before pouring and shall be in the form of shots or pins, or by other alternative means on agreement between the manufacturer and purchaser.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers refined gold in cast bar form (Note 1).  
1.1.1 Grade 99.5—Gold having a minimum fineness of 995.  
1.1.2 Grade 99.95—Gold having a minimum fineness of 999.5.  
1.1.3 Grade 99.99—Gold having a minimum fineness of 999.9.  
1.1.4 Grade 99.995—Gold having a minimum fineness of 999.95.  
Note 1: Other forms of unfabricated gold of commerce are not to be excluded under this specification.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
2.1 The significance of the variables set forth in this guide was proved by various laboratories using several test systems at test currents ranging from 100 to 35 000 A. These variables will be significant for any case where voltage and current are sufficient to produce arcing.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers the major variables which affect the rate of arc erosion of electrical contact materials and serves as a guide in developing more detailed specifications for arc-erosion tests.  
1.2 Arc erosion testing involves some vaporization of material. It is the responsibility of the user to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet for the material being tested.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers refined palladium as sponge, cast bar, and wrought forms in one grade designated as Grade 99.95 (UNS PO3995). The metal may be produced by any refining process that yields a product capable of meeting the chemical composition requirements prescribed for palladium, platinum group metals other than palladium, gold, silver, lead, tin, zinc, iron, copper, silicon, magnesium, calcium, aluminum, nickel, chromium, cobalt, manganese, and antimony. The surfaces of bars and wrought forms shall exhibit quality generally acceptable to the trade. Sampling requirements for chemical analysis including lot size are given.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers refined palladium as sponge, cast bar, and wrought forms (Note 1) in one grade as follows:  
1.1.1 Grade 99.95 (UNS PO3995)—Palladium having a purity of 99.95 %.
Note 1: Other forms of unfabricated palladium of commerce are not to be excluded under this specification.
Note 2: For the purposes of determining conformance with this specification, an observed value obtained from analysis shall be rounded to the nearest unit in the last right hand place of figures used in expressing the limiting value, in accordance with the rounding method of Practice E29.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers an alloy containing palladium, silver, copper, gold, platinum, and zinc in the form of wire, rod, and strip for electrical contacts. The material shall be finished by such operations: cold working, heat treating, annealing, turning, grinding, and pickling. Material shall meet the requirements of chemical composition as specified. Knoop hardness test and tension test shall be made to conform to the specified requirements. Chemical analysis shall be performed by spectrochemical or wet analysis methods.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers an alloy containing palladium, silver, copper, gold, platinum, and zinc in the form of wire, rod, and strip for electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 It is the responsibility of the user to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer.  
1.4 The following safety hazard caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 6 of this specification. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers 72% silver-28% copper (eutectic) alloy rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for electrical contacts. The material shall be finished by such operations (cold working, heat treatment, annealing, turning, grinding, or pickling) as are required to produce the prescribed properties. The alloy materials shall conform to the chemical composition and mechanical property requirements. All tests shall be conducted at room temperature.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers 72 % silver-28 % copper (eutectic) alloy rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers 69% gold, 25% silver, 6% platinum alloy tubing, rod, wire, and sheet material for sliding electrical contacts. The material shall be finished by such operations (cold working, annealing, turning, grinding, pickling) as are required to produce the prescribed properties. The material shall be tested and conform to chemical composition, and mechanical and electrical property requirements. The mechanical requirements of the material are ultimate tensile strength, elongation, microhardness, hardness, or a combination of these mechanical properties as temper criterion. All tests shall be conducted at room temperature.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers 69 % gold, 25 % silver, 6 % platinum alloy tubing, rod, wire, and sheet material for sliding electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers silver-copper alloy tubing, rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for electrical contacts. The material shall be finished by cold working, heat treating, annealing, turning, grinding, or pickling as are required to produce the prescribed properties. Material produced under this specification shall meet the requirements for chemical composition of silver, copper, zinc, iron, cadmium, lead, nickel, aluminum, and phosphorous. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation, and hardness shall conform to the prescribed requirements. Materials shall be inspected by visual inspection, temper test, dimensional test, and spectographic or chemical analysis
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers 90 % silver-10 % copper alloy tubing, rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method establishes the requirements for a standardized method of evaluating the performance of crimped-type electrical connections having solid or stranded conductors.  
5.2 In order to achieve a successful crimped connection, the crimping tool must deform the material of the crimp barrel or barrel tab(s) around the conductor. As a consequence, the conductor surfaces are placed under compression by the crimp terminal and areas of contact are established between the conductor and the crimp barrel. These areas provide the desired electrical connection. A reliable crimped connection is one that is capable of maintaining the contact between the conductor and crimp barrel so that a stable electrical connection is maintained when it is exposed to the conditions it was designed to endure during its useful life.  
5.3 Evaluation testing is designed to ensure that a particular design crimped connection system consisting of conductor and component and associated tooling is capable of achieving a reliable electrical and mechanical connection. After the evaluation is completed, if any change in the system parts is made, the system should be reevaluated using the same procedures.  
5.4 After completion of the evaluation test, the tensile pull strength results may be used to develop acceptance requirements to be used in inspection of subsequent production lots of crimped connections. An example of such an acceptance requirement is shown in Appendix X1.  
5.5 The aging test, 33 days exposure at 118°C, has been used in the telecommunications industry to simulate 40 years of service at a moderately elevated temperature of 50°C, an environment that components experience within large banks of telephone equipment. This environment is similar to that seen in a wide range of electronic systems operating indoors containing active components that dissipate power. The test is designed to reproduce the stress relaxation of copper alloys in such service and has been used ext...
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1.1 This test method establishes the requirements for a standardized method of evaluating the quality of crimped-type electrical connections to solid or stranded conductors. This test method applies to 16-gauge and smaller diameter copper wire, coated or uncoated.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to connection systems intended for indoor use, or for use in environmentally protected enclosures. Additional testing may be required to assure satisfactory performance in applications where high humidity or corrosive environment, or both, may be present.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers electrical contact alloys with the nominal composition of 75% silver, 24.5% copper, and 0.5% nickel in the form of rods, wires, strips, and sheets. Raw materials shall be of such quality and purity that the products, which shall be finished by such operations as cold working, heat treatment, annealing, turning, grinding, or pickling, shall adhere to the chemical composition and mechanical property requirements prescribed here. Besides analysis for the elements silver, copper, and nickel, further analysis is to be made for suspected or indicated impurities, such as zinc, iron, cadmium, and lead, to make sure that their total does not exceed specified limits. Mechanical tests, which are to be conducted at room temperature, shall evaluate the materials' tensile strength, elongation, Rockwell hardness, and area and thickness reduction.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers an electrical contact material with the nominal composition of 75 % silver, 24.5 % copper, and 0.5 % nickel in the form of rod, wire, strip, and sheet.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The purpose of this guide is to provide end-product manufacturers and other users with technical information and methods recommended towards the achievement of successful application of crimped wire terminals.  
4.2 For any given use, there is generally a choice of terminal types available, employing different mechanical design, materials, and installation tooling. Although terminals available to choose from may be similarly rated, typically according to wire sizes and combinations, their electrical contact performance in the end product may vary substantially. For many applications, the end-product reliability and user safety is substantially influenced by the choice of terminal and the quality of the completed termination. This guidance document contains specialized information on selection, assembly, and quality control of crimped wire terminals, covering aspects considered to be necessary to achieve reliable long-term operation in the intended application. This information is not generally found in commercial literature or textbooks. The methods discussed utilize connection resistance as the primary measure of termination quality, and change of connection resistance with time as the measure of termination deterioration. The methods are based on a foundation of modern electrical contact theory and practice.
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1.1 This guide contains practices for specifying and evaluating the electrical contact performance of crimped-type terminations with solid or stranded conductors.  
1.2 This guide provides information relevant to the electrical contact performance of a crimped wire termination. It does not cover other aspects of selection and use of crimped terminals.  
1.3 The methods discussed in this guide apply only to the wire termination, which is the electrical contact interface between the conductor(s) and the terminal. Other aspects important to terminal evaluation, such as the properties and performance of electrical insulation, the effectiveness of strain relief features, and the quality of contact between the terminal and other electrical circuit elements, are not included.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers requirements for refined indium as ingot in six grades, namely: Grade 99.9 or 3N grade (indium with a purity of 99.90%); Grade 99.99 or 4N grade (indium with a purity of 99.99%); Grade 99.995 or 4N5 grade (indium with a purity of 99.995%); Grade 99.999 or 5N grade (indium with a purity of 99.999%); Grade 99.9999 or 6N grade (indium with a purity of 99.9999%); and Grade 99.99995 or 6N5 grade (indium with a purity of 99.99995%). Indium metal from ingot can be fabricated into shot, spheres, wire, sheet, foil, tubing, and other customized fabrications with purities up to and including Grade 99.999. Grades 99.9999 and 99.99995 are available in ingot form only.
This specification specifies the requirements for the manufacturing process; sampling; product marking; and maximum total metallic impurities for indium grades.
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1.1 This specification covers refined indium as ingot in six grades as follows:  
1.1.1 Grade 99.9—Indium having a purity of 99.90 %, also known as 3N grade,  
1.1.2 Grade 99.99—Indium having a purity of 99.99 %, also known as 4N grade,  
1.1.3 Grade 99.995—Indium having a purity of 99.995 %, also known as 4N5 grade,  
1.1.4 Grade 99.999—Indium having a purity of 99.999 %, also known as 5N grade,  
1.1.5 Grade 99.9999—Indium having a purity of 99.9999 %, also known as 6N grade, and  
1.1.6 Grade 99.99995—Indium having a purity of 99.99995 %, also known as 6N5 grade.  
1.2 Indium metal from ingot can be fabricated into shot, spheres, wire, sheet, foil, tubing, and other customized fabrications with purities up to and including Grade 99.999. Grades 99.9999 and 99.99995 are available in ingot form only.  
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers electrical contact components made from silver-tungsten carbide by powder metallurgical procedures. This specification covers compositions within the silver-tungsten carbide system. The material shall conform to composition limits. Chemical analysis shall be performed to deteremine material conformance to specified composition requirements. The contact components shall agree on qualification tests for determination of physical properties. The tests shall be performed on production parts wherever practical or applicable. The test shall be determined after consideration of the function of the part.
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1.1 This specification covers electrical contact components made from silver-tungsten carbide materials by powder metallurgical processes.  
1.2 This specification covers compositions within the silver-tungsten carbide system normally specified by users of contacts.
Note 1: Table X1.1 and Table X1.2 in Appendix X1 provide a list of typical compositions used for various applications.  
1.3 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system are not necessarily exact equivalents; therefore, to ensure conformance with the standard, each system shall be used independently of the other, and values from the two systems shall not be combined.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Materials for electrical connector contacts must satisfy a number of requirements in the areas of electrical, mechanical, and economic characteristics. The stability of electrical properties is one of the most important of these characteristics. Wear of contact surfaces may adversely affect these electrical properties, especially in designs where the contact surfaces are relatively thin coatings. This test method provides a means to compare various material systems on a basis relevant to their application in electrical connector contacts.  
4.2 Repeated insertion and withdrawal of a connector may cause wear or other mechanical damage to the electrical contact surfaces, rendering those surfaces more susceptible to environmental degradation. This test method is intended to detect degradation of the electrical properties of the connector by such processes.  
4.3 This test method describes procedures for conducting wear and durability testing of electrical connectors; the procedures produce quantitative results. These results may be used to compare the performance of different connector designs so that meaningful design choices can be made. Such results may also be used to compare the performance of a connector to a previously established standard to evaluate the quality of the samples under test.  
4.4 The test results obtained from this test method are limited in their applicability to connector combinations that are equivalent in design and manufacture to those actually tested.  
4.5 The user is cautioned that the conditions in this test should be compared to the conditions that the connector will experience in the intended application in order to determine the relevance of this test method to the particular needs of the user. For example, the environmental stress in this test method is less severe than certain industrial and marine environments and therefore test results are not directly applicable to predict the performance of product intended for use in su...
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1.1 This test method covers the effects of repeated insertion and withdrawal of separable electrical connectors which are harmful to the electrical performance of the connector.  
1.2 This test method is limited to electrical connectors designed for use in applications where the current through any one connection in the connector does not exceed 5 A, and where the connector may be separated a number of times during the life of the connector.  
1.3 This test method is limited to electrical connectors intended for use in air ambients where the operating temperature is less than 65°C.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method provides a way to detect contamination on printed wiring board fingers that affects the electrical performance of such fingers. Such contamination may arise during PWB manufacture, circuit assembly, or service life and may include solder mask, solder flux, hardened lubricants, dust, or other materials. This test method provides a nondestructive method of inspecting such fingers at any point in the life of the product including after original manufacture, after assembly of circuit components to the PWB, and after time in service such as when returned for repair. Because this test method uses two probes to finger contacts in series, it provides a sensitive test for contaminants that may increase electrical resistance when the fingers are plugged into an edgecard connector that typically makes contact to the finger through only one contact to finger interface.  
5.2 Practice B667 describes a more general procedure for measuring contact resistance of any solid material in practically any geometrical form. The method in Practice B667 should be used for general studies and fundamental studies of electrical contact materials.
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1.1 This test method defines a resistance probing test for detecting the presence of foreign matter on Printed Wiring Board (PWB) contacts or fingers that adversely affects electrical performance. This test method is defined specifically for such fingers coated with gold. Application of this test method to other types of electrical contacts or to fingers coated with other materials may be possible and desirable but may require some changes in fixturing, procedures, or failure criteria.  
1.2 Practice B667 describes another contact resistance probe method that has more general application to electrical contacts of various materials and shapes. Practice B667 should be used for more fundamental studies. This test method provides a fast inspection method for printed wiring board fingers.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar will all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 These test methods develop comparative information useful for the design of stationary contacts for wire, cable, and other conductors.  
5.2 These test methods produce results, which are free of the influence of arbitrary connection systems.  
5.3 The influence of conductor surface pretreatments and platings can be evaluated by these test methods.  
5.4 The influence of environmental factors, such as high temperature and corrosive environment can be evaluated by these test methods.  
5.5 The results obtained by these test methods provide guidance on connection system design parameters, such as contact force and gas tightness requirements.
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1.1 These test methods define procedures for the relative characterization of conductor material connectability on the basis of measurements of parameters important to the design and performance of electrical contacts and connections to and with such conductors for both power and signal applications.  
1.2 The parameters measured are contact resistance as a function of contact force, fretting sensitivity, and compressive relaxation.  
1.3 Provision is made for measurement of the connectability parameters at elevated temperature, or corrosive ambient, or both, as may be required for evaluation for particular applications.  
1.4 These test methods, using standardized specimen geometry and procedures, are applicable to conductor materials as employed in an electrical system and may be adapted for evaluation of connectability of materials in the form of actual connection system components.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Corrosivity monitoring of test environments provides a means to monitor an integrated value of test corrosivity which cannot be evaluated from test parameters themselves, such as temperature, humidity, and gas concentration. As such the monitor value can be used for specification purposes such as test validation. Electrical resistance monitoring of conductors exposed to corrosive media is a well-established practice.3,4,5,6  
4.2 The resistance method assumes uniform corrosion over the entire surface of the exposed metal conductor segment. Local corrosion such as pitting, crevice, or grain boundary corrosion may provide invalid estimates of test corrosivity. Marked changes in slope of the curve of electrical resistance ratio versus time may indicate undesired processes which can be due to deficiencies in the test atmosphere or in the monitor itself.  
4.3 Because of limitations of the diffusion process within the corrosion product formed on the metal conductor segment of the RM probe when passivating corrosion films are formed, resistance monitoring may not be useful for test chamber monitoring purposes for very long test exposures. Chamber monitoring is dependent on detecting changes in the rate of corrosion of the RM as an indicator signal that specified gas concentrations must be reverified. However, low corrosion rates limit the absolute value of the rate of change of corrosion rate with change of test conditions; for parabolic film growth processes, the growth rate decreases with time limiting the sensitivity of the RM at extended test times.  
4.4 Since corrosion rate can be a complex function of test parameters in MFG tests with any given metal primarily responsive to a subset of the gases in the MFG environment, more than one type metal resistance probe is required in order to assist in maintenance of relative gas concentrations. For such test specifications, values of resistance ratios must be referred to ratios obtained under known test conditions a...
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1.1 This test method provides a means for monitoring corrosivity of environmental tests that involve exposure to corrosive gases.  
1.2 This test method uses a resistance monitor (RM) probe fabricated from a chosen metal conductor, with one conductor segment uncovered to permit exposure of the chosen metal conductor to the corrosive gas mixture and the second conductor segment covered to protect the metal conductor of this segment from direct attack by the corrosive gas mixture. The covered conductor segment provides a reference for evaluating changes in the uncovered segment. The ratio of the resistance of the exposed segment to that of the covered segment provides a measure of the amount of metal conductor that has reacted with the corrosive gas test environment to form poorly conducting corrosion product, thus providing a measure of test corrosivity.  
1.3 Resistance monitoring is applicable to a broad range of test conditions by selection of the appropriate metal conductor and initial metal thickness.  
1.4 This method is similar in intent to Test Methods B808.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the Wo...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Corrosion film growth with thicknesses varying from a monolayer of atoms up to 1 μm can readily be measured on a continuous, real-time, in-situ, basis with QCMs.  
4.2 The test results obtained for this test method are influenced by various factors, including geometrical effects, temperature, humidity, film thickness, film materials, electrode conditions, gases in the corrosion chamber, atmospheric pressure, and so forth. Calibration of coated crystals and instrumentation and reproducible crystal operating conditions are necessary for consistent results.
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1.1 This test method monitors the reactivity of a gaseous test environment in which metal surfaces (for example, electrical contacts, assembled printed wiring boards, and so forth) and other materials subject to pollutant gas attack undergo accelerated atmospheric corrosion testing. This test method is applicable to the growth of adherent corrosion films whose total corrosion film thickness ranges from a few atomic monolayers to approximately a micrometre.  
1.2 The test method provides a dynamic, continuous, in-situ, procedure for monitoring the corrosion rate in corrosion chambers; the uniformity of corrosion chambers; and the corrosion rate on different surfaces. Response time in the order of seconds is possible.  
1.3 With the proper samples, the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) test method can also be used to monitor the weight loss from a surface as a result of the desorption of surface species (that is, reduction of an oxide in a reducing atmosphere). (Alternative names for QCM are quartz crystal oscillator, piezoelectric crystal oscillator, or thin-film evaporation monitor.)  
1.4 This test method is not sufficient to specify the corrosion process that may be occurring in a chamber, since a variety of pollutant gases and environments may cause similar weight gains.  
1.5 This test method is generally not applicable to test environments in which solid or liquid particles are deposited on the surface of the quartz crystal.  
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values in parentheses are for information only.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Gold coatings are often specified for the contacts of separable electrical connectors and other devices. Electrodeposits are the form of gold that is most used on contacts, although it is also employed as inlay or clad metal and as weldments on the contact surface. The intrinsic nobility of gold enables it to resist the formation of insulating oxide films that could interfere with reliable contact operation.  
5.2 Palladium coatings are sometimes specified as alternatives to gold on electrical contacts and similar electrical component surfaces, both as electrodeposits and as inlay or clad metal. This test method is particularly suitable for determining porosity in palladium coatings, since the reactive atmosphere that is used does not attack the palladium if the specified test conditions are followed. In contrast, palladium coatings are attacked by nitric acid (HNO3) and other strong oxidizing agents, so that Test Method B735 cannot be used for determining the porosity in such coatings.  
5.3 In order for these coatings to function as intended, porosity, cracks, and other defects in the coating that expose base-metal substrates and underplates must be minimal or absent, except in those cases where it is feasible to use the contacts in structures that shield the surface from the environment or where corrosion inhibiting surface treatments for the deposit are employed. The level of porosity in the coating that may be tolerable depends on the severity of the environment to the underplate or substrate, design factors for the contact device like the force with which it is mated, circuit parameters, and the reliability of contact operation that it is necessary to maintain. Also, when present, the location of pores on the surface is important. If the pores are few in number and are outside of the zone of contact of the mating surfaces, their presence can often be tolerated.  
5.4 Methods for determining pores on a contact surface are most suitable if they enable the...
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1.1 This test method covers equipment and methods for determining the porosity of gold and palladium coatings, particularly electrodeposits and clad metals used on electrical contacts.  
1.2 This test method is designed to show whether the porosity level is less or greater than some value which by experience is considered by the user to be acceptable for the intended application.  
1.3 A variety of other porosity testing methods are described in the literature. 2, 3 Other porosity test methods are B735, B741, B798, and B809. An ASTM Guide to the selection of porosity tests for electrodeposits and related metallic coatings is available as Guide B765.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazards, see Section 6.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 As stated in Terminology B542, contact resistance is comprised of a constriction resistance and a film resistance. When present, the latter of these is usually much greater in value and dominates the contact resistance. For a given contact spot, when the film resistance is zero or negligible the contact resistance for that spot is nearly the same as the constriction resistance and therefore, as a practical matter, has a minimum value which represents a clean metal-to-metal contact spot. As real contact surfaces exhibit varying degrees of roughness, real contacts are necessarily composed of many contact spots which are electrically parallel. In practical cases the clean metal-to-metal contact spots will carry most of the current and the total contact resistance is primarily dependent on the size and number of metallic contact spots present (see Note 1). In addition, acceptably low values of contact resistance are often obtained with true areas of contact being significantly less than the apparent contact area. This is the result of having a large number of small contact spots spread out over a relatively large apparent contact area.
Note 1: The term metallic contact as used here is intended to include the so called quasi-metallic contact spots as well. The latter case was discussed in Electric Contacts by Holm. 3  
5.2 The practical evaluation and comparison of electrical connections depend in large part on their contact resistance characteristics. On the one hand, the absolute value of contact resistance is greatly dependent on the size and distribution of the metallic conducting spots within the apparent area of load-bearing contact. On the other hand, a comparison of the initial resistance to the resistance after aging indicates how stable the system is in maintaining the initial contact area. Both of these characteristics should be considered when evaluating contact systems. The criteria employed in evaluating contact resistance and stability are not a par...
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1.1 These test methods cover equipment and techniques for measuring the resistance of static electrical connections such as wire terminations or splices, friction connectors, soldered joints, and wrapped-wire connections.  
1.2 Measurements under two distinct levels of electrical loading are described. These levels are: (1) dry circuit, (2) and rated current. One or both of these levels of loading may be required in specific cases.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Noble metal coatings, particularly gold or palladium, are often specified for the contacts of separable electrical connectors and other devices. Electrodeposits are the form of gold or palladium which is most used on contacts, although gold and palladium are also employed as clad metal and as weldments on the contact surface. The intrinsic nobility of gold and to a certain extent palladium enables them to resist the formation of insulating films that could interfere with reliable contact operation.  
5.2 In order that the nobility of gold be assured, porosity, cracks, and other defects in the coating that expose base metal substrates and underplates must be minimal or absent, except in those cases where it is feasible to use the contacts in structures that shield the surface from the environment or where corrosion inhibiting surface treatments for the deposit are employed. The level of porosity in the coating that may be tolerable depends on the severity of the environment to the underplate or substrate, design factors for the contact device like the force with which it is mated, circuit parameters, and the reliability of contact operation that it is necessary to maintain. Also, when present, the location of pores on the surface is important. If the pores are few in number or are outside of the zone of contact of the mating surfaces, their presence can often be tolerated.  
5.3 Methods for determining pores on a contact surface are most suitable if they enable their precise location and numbers to be determined. Contact surfaces are often curved or irregular in shape, and testing methods should be suitable for them. In addition, the severity of porosity-determining tests may vary from procedures capable of detecting all porosity to procedures that detect only gross defects. The test method in this document is generally regarded as severe.  
5.4 The relationship of porosity levels revealed by particular tests to contact behavior must be made by the user of the...
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1.1 This test method covers equipment and techniques for determining porosity in noble metal coatings, particularly electrodeposits and clad metals used on electrical contacts.  
1.2 The test method is designed to show whether the porosity level is less or greater than some value which by experience is considered by the user to be acceptable for the intended application.  
1.3 Other porosity testing methods are outlined in Guide B765. Detailed critical reviews of porosity testing are also available.2 Other porosity test methods are B735, B741, B799, and B809.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazard statements, see Sections 7 and 8.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification covers palladium in the form of rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for electrical contacts. Raw materials shall be of such quality and purity that the finished product (produced by cold working, annealing, turning, grinding, or pickling as are required) will have the properties and characteristics prescribed in this specification. The material shall conform to the chemical composition requirements prescribed for palladium, platinum group (iridium, platinum, rhodium, osmium, and ruthenium), gold, silver, and copper, total impurities, lead, antimony, bismuth, tin, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, iron, and other elements. Ultimate tensile strength, elongation, microhardness (Knoop or Vickers), hardness (Rockwell or Rockwell Superficial), or a combination of these mechanical properties may be specified as temper criterion. Tension and hardness tests shall be conducted to determine conformity to the ultimate tensile strength and elongation, and Rockwell and Knoop hardness, respectively. Inspection of furnished material shall be done by temper test, dimensional test, and spectrographic or chemical analysis when needed.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers palladium in the form of rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This specification deals with the standard requirements for palladium-copper alloy in the form of rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for use in electrical contacts. The specimen shall be produced from raw materials of such quality and purity by cold working, annealing, turning, grinding, or pickling. Material shall meet the chemical composition requirements for palladium, copper, silver, iron, zinc, cadmium, lead, and aluminum which shall be determined by spectrographic or chemical analysis. Temper test (hardness or tension) shall be conducted to determine the mechanical properties which shall be in conformity with the ultimate tensile strength, elongation, Knoop or Vickers microhardness, and Rockwell or Rockwell superficial hardness specifications. Visual examination shall be done on the furnished materials.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers a 60 % palladium-40 % copper alloy in the form of rod, wire, strip, and sheet material for electrical contacts.  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to become familiar with all hazards including those identified in the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this product/material as provided by the manufacturer, to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.