The findings of ground-breaking research into RF plating which discovers the most resilient plating for corrosion resistance have today been released as a new industry guide by HUBER+SUHNER and Rosenberger.

Outdoor RF connectors require exceptional corrosion resistance in order to fulfil stringent mechanical and electrical requirements in extreme environmental conditions. With increasing performance demands on connectors, plating are key to withstanding stress and exposure in these harsh environments.

The white paper – entitled ‘720 hrs Salt Spray Corrosion Resistance Plating for RF Connectors’ – investigates and evaluates the performance characteristics of plating types and is the first extensive reference guide in the industry for choosing the most resilient plating.

With many plating options available on the market for RF connectors, HUBER+SUHNER and Rosenberger produced this guide to provide a detailed comparison of advantages and disadvantages of optional plating to find out which provides optimum corrosion resistance. The white paper investigates the performance qualities of the most popular RF connector plating types including silver, white bronze, SURO720, tin-nickel and electroless nickel-phosphorus.

Under a 720 hrs salt spray test, the performance of the plating was tested in contact resistance, wearability, ductility, solderability and for passive intermodulation properties. The tests provided varied results with some plating showing best results for contact resistance and others performing best in wear resistance. The results from the white paper provide the industry with a comprehensive guide of recommendations for the best plating performances in various applications based on technical and economic requirements.