Development of a Gentle Accelerated Corrosion Test

Abstract

A gentle accelerated corrosion test has been devised using a kinetic rate equation for contact materials to establish approximate acceleration factors due to relative humidity and thermal effects. The duration of the test can be suitably chosen depending on the application and has been taken to be one year. The test consists of a high/low relative humidity cycle and a high/low temperature cycle which will sample the ambient over a one year period and which will be equivalent to 25°C/35–40% RH for 53 years (a typical total equivalent lifetime for a gold‐based contact).