IEC EN 60068-2-42 Environmental Testing - Part 2-42: Sulfur Dioxide Testing for Contacts and Connections

EUROLAB, with its state-of-the-art accredited laboratories and expert team, provides precise and fast testing services within the scope of IEC EN 60068-2-42 testing. It provides accelerated tools to evaluate the corrosive effects of sulfur dioxide-polluted atmospheres on contacts and connections.

This test:

• It aims to provide accelerated tools for assessing the corrosive effects of sulfur dioxide-polluted atmospheres on contacts and connections;
• It is particularly suitable for giving comparative information;
• It is not suitable as a general corrosion test, meaning it may not predict the behavior of contacts and connections in industrial atmospheres.

Purpose of this test:

• To determine the effect of sulfur dioxide-containing atmospheres on the contact properties of precious metal or precious metal-plated contacts and connections, excluding contacts made of silver and some of its alloys;
• To check solderless joints for tightness or effectiveness. In all tests, the main performance criterion will be the change in contact resistance caused by exposure to the sulfur dioxide test atmosphere.

The test chamber and its auxiliary parts should be made of materials that do not react with or absorb sulfur dioxide and do not affect the corrosive effects of the test atmosphere. The air and sulfur dioxide mixture will enter and exit the chamber through pipes of sufficiently large diameter such that the total flow through the chamber is at least three but not more than five atmospheric changes per hour. Exhaust gas from the chamber should not be allowed to enter the laboratory.

Adequate precautions will be taken to prevent the contacts from deteriorating. The method used to measure the contact resistance should be the same as that used for the initial measurement.

In general, the contact resistances of samples exposed to contacts in the assembled state should be measured before mating. Samples exposed to contacts in the unpaired state should be matched once and then the contact resistance measured.

EUROLAB assists manufacturers with IEC EN 60068-2-42 test compliance. Our test experts, with their professional working mission and principles, provide you, our manufacturers and suppliers, the best service and controlled testing process in our laboratories. Thanks to these services, businesses receive more effective, high-performance and quality testing services and provide safe, fast and uninterrupted service to their customers.