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Cadmium/zinc interaction between mating connectors

I am a project engineer at a large defense firm. I have been asked by the procurement department if a vendor can substitue a cadmium finish on a printed wiring board connector in lieu of the zinc finish that is specified. The mating connector has a zinc finish. I want to know if I will experience a galvanic reaction between the two finishes, and how severe it may be. I do not know the composition of the connectors base material.

Stephen Hivnor
defense electronics - Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
2004

Adding cadmium to any specification nowadays is a questionable action. I have no direct experience mating these zinc and cadmium surfaces but suspect it would not be a highly active galvanic couple.

Have you considered other alternatives? Perhaps a Zn-Ni alloy plate would accomplish what you want. Out of simple curiousity, why do you feel a need to switch to a cad-plate on this connector?

Thomas Hanlon, Materials Engineer
aerospace finishing - East Hartford, Connecticut, USA
2004

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