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plating, anodizing, & finishing Q&As since 1989




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Flexi circuit gold edge connector oxidation

2002

I am having a severe problem with (I think) contamination on flexible circuit gold edge connectors. They are not lustrous, having a matte-looking finish. Some have a brown tint. They seem oxidized because if cleaned with a pencil eraser they make contact again. However, what really worries me is that as little as one day later the same contacts do not make contact and will work again for a while if cleaned again.

Jim Carpetas
- Austin, Texas

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2002

There is something very wrong with your plating. The reason for using gold plating is to prevent exactly the problem you are having.

While you may have the wrong type of gold plating instead of the required hard gold, the simpler answer is that the gold is probably too thin and consequently very porous so underlying metals ooze up and oxidize on the surface. What is the thickness spec for the gold? What metal underlies it?

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey