Investigations into gaseous testing requirements for Pd-Ni alloy coatings of electrical contacts

The results of the exposure of Pd-Ni alloy protective coatings to the IBM G1T gaseous corrosion test are reported. The substitution of Pd-Ni for gold contact plating is driven so as to realize economic savings and ensure equivalent or better performance. Coupons were fabricated using Pd-Ni alloy compositions of 85:15, 80:20, and 75:25 over nickel on a beryllium copper substrate. The thicknesses of overlayers used were 30, 40, and 50 μin. Visual examination of the tarnish and pore counts were tabulated