Effects of current load on wear and fretting corrosion of gold-plated electrical contacts

Electrical contacts, which are used in aerospace engineering with high reliability requirements, are usually plated in order to prevent corrosion. The wear and fretting corrosion behavior of gold plated copper contacts is studied at different current loads. The degradation of contacts is explained with reference to current to melt metal and breakdown oxide films. The contacts with higher current delay the time before reaching failure. The comparison between the cases with and without current load revealed metal melting as a result of current heating. The observed surface morphology reveals five typical regions within the fretted zone. •The wear and fretting corrosion behavior of gold plated copper contacts is studied at various current loads.•A higher current load delays the time before reaching failure and corresponds to a relatively low contact resistance.•Contacts with higher current load suffer a severe fluctuation in contact resistance.•The five typical regions shared by the worn scars are identified.•The dual role of the current joule heating on fretting contact material is analyzed explicitly.