Transient scattering by a metal cylinder covered with inhomogeneous lossy material is analyzed for application of radar systems to nondestructive testing of reinforced concrete structures. First, inhomogeneous lossy material that is a model of corrosion by rust is approximated by a cylindrical multilayered medium, and analytic solution of a scattered field in frequency domain is derived. Next, time domain scattering response is calculated from the frequency domain data by using the inverse Fourier transform. Numerical results of pulse responses indicate that corrosion rate of the concrete can be evaluated by checking the waveform distortion of the pulse responses.

In recent years, there has been increasing demand to miniaturize wiring harness connectors in automobiles due to the increasing volume of electronic equipment and the reduction of the installation space allocated for the electronic equipment in automobiles for the comfort of the passengers. With this demand, contact failure caused by the fretting corrosion is expected to become a serious problem. In this report, we examined micro-structural observations of fretting contacts of two different tin plating thicknesses using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and so on. Based on the results, we compared the microstructure difference of fretting contact caused by the difference of the tin plating thickness.

Carbon brushes for starters are used under severe conditions of high electric current density, high contact pressure and high sliding velocity. Lead has traditionally been added to carbon brushes to improve their performance and durability. Because lead is an environmentally hazardous substance, after January 2005 the EU will prohibit adding lead to carbon brushes for electric motors installed in vehicles. The purpose of our current study is to develop materials of lead-free carbon brushes for starters. Analyzing the effects of adding lead has shown that lead inhibits the brush resistance from increasing under high temperatures, or a combination of both high temperature and high humidity. This is because corrosion of lead precedes that of copper, which is one of the materials comprising the brush, and this prevents the copper from corroding. Moreover, lead functions as a solid lubricant and reduces brush wear. We developed the lead-free brush material, by adding soft metallic substances that corrode prior to copper and are also oxidation-resistant, as well as possessing low hardness and solid lubricant properties. The developed lead-free brush surpasses the conventional lead-added brush in durability and permanence.

Large number of electronic connectors are widely used in various electronic and telecommunication systems. No matter whether it is optical telecommunications or mobile phone systems, connectors are important links for electronics. Unfortunately connector contacts are exposed in air, they are different from any other electronic components, the contacts are greatly influenced by the environment where they operate. In China, dust and corrosion products are the main contaminants to cause contact failure. Evidently the failed contacts seriously deteriorate the reliability of electronic and telecommunication systems. This paper summarizes the recent achievements obtained by our Lab on the effect of dust and corrosion products to the connector contact failure. Since dust contamination is a very complex problem which is not only popular in China, but also happened in many countries. Continuous studies will be very useful to improve the contact reliability of connectors, setting up new and effective testing methods and standards, building up experimental and computer simulation systems.

Connector contact resistance may become unstable if fretting occurs. Such motions result in the formation of insulating oxides on the surface of base metal contacts or organic polymers on contacts made of platinum group metals. These degradations are termed fretting corrosion and frictional polymerization, respectively. Motion may be caused by external vibration or fluctuating temperature. The lower the frequency of movement, the fewer the number of cycles to contact failure. Increasing the contact normal load or reducing the amplitude of movement may stabilize the connection. Tin and palladium and many of their alloys are especially prone to fretting failure. Tin mated to gold is worse than all-tin contacts. Gold and high gold-silver alloys that are softer when mated to palladium stabilize contact resistance since these metals transfer to the palladium during fretting; but flash gold coatings on palladium and palladium nickel offer marginal improvement for the gold often quickly wears out. Dissimilar metal contact pairs show behaviors like that of the metal which predominates on the surface by transfer. Contact lubricants can often prevent fretting failures and may even restore unlubricated failed contacts to satisfactory service.

Gold on connector contacts is superior in environmental resistance. However, pores existing gold film are source to trigger the corrosion reaction between gold and base metal. For examination of the contacts, it has been popular to apply "Salt Spray Test" and "Sulfur Dioxide Test. " There are some differences of the corrosion products between two tests. Main metal forming the product in Salt Spray is Copper, and main metal in Sulfur Dioxide is Nickel. To investigate the reason, we tried to employ an electro-chemical method. As a result, it was found that there was the difference between the respective galvanic cell combinations generated through pores.

We have developed a complete chromium oxide (Cr2O3) passivated gas tubing system by introducing ferritic stainless steel instead of conventional austenitic stainless steel (SUS316L). 100% Cr2O3 passivation film can be formed on electropolished ferritic stainless steel surface because the diffusion coefficient of Cr in ferritic stainless steel is 104 times larger than in austenitic stainless steel. In ferritic stainless steel, moreover, welded bead surface is covered by 100% Cr2O3 pas-sivated film by an introduction of advanced welding technology.

This paper describes mixed gas systems of SO2 and NO2 which are the essential corrosive gases in an ordinary atmospheric environment of electronic parts. It describes the corrosion product compositions and the behavior of copper in mixed and separate gases. Results of our tests show the following: (1) The weight of corrosion products with the SO2-NO2 mixed gas approximate the sum of those with the individual gases, however, the corrosion products of SO2 are affected by NO2. (2) Tests of the SO2-NO2 mixed gas closely simulates tests of electronic parts in the ordinary atmospheric environment.

Reactive gases such air pollution agents as H2S or SO2 usually corrode the electrical contact surfaces. Since corrosion products formed on the surface increase contact resistance, they harmfully degrades contact reliability. To prevent the corrosion of the surface, oil coating on it may be effective. The oil film acts basically as a barrier for reaction between the corrosive gas and the surface. For thin film coating, the corrosion inhibition can not be expected. However, effect of film thickness on the corrosion property has not been clarified. In the present study, in order to clarify the corrosion inhibition of the oil coating for the contacts, the stearic acid coating on Ag (silver) contact surface was studied from view-point of the relationship between the thickness of the coating film and the contact resistance. As results, the effect of the stearic acid coating on corrosion inhibition in the atmosphere contained with H2S 3 ppm was found. However, the corrosion of the surface coated with thin stearic acid film occurred at microscopically scattered thin patiches in the specific pattern of the film. Existing of the optimum thickness of the stearic acid coating which gives both minimum contact resistance and effective corrosion inhibition was found. In the intermediate film thickness, this optimum thickness was induced by the increased contact resistance due to corrosion of the thin film region and insulation property of the stearic acid in the thick film region. Moreovr,it was found that this optimum thickness was affected by corrosion time. At the early stage of corrosion, the optimum thickness was about 200 . However, the corrosion time becomes longer as 700 min, this optimum thickness changed to thick as 1000 . With this increase in the thickness, the contact resistance in the optimum thickness rised to high level. Furthermore, the contact resistance in the optimum thickness decreased with increase in the contact load. However, dependence of the contact load on the optimum thickness was not recognized under a certain corrosion time.