Fretting corrosion degradation of non-noble metal coated contact surfaces: A theoretical model

• We formulate a physically based-continuum description for fretting corrosion process.
• We analytically derive the resistance variance and oxidation volume during fretting.
• Impacts of fretting frequency and normal force on coatings׳ lifetime are obtained.
• Predicted resistance buildup and metal depletion agree well with experimental results.

Fretting corrosion would result in unacceptable degradation or even failure of performance of electrical connectors. Predicting the contact resistance variation due to fretting corrosion is critical to assessing the reliability and lifetime of contact surfaces. In the present paper, a theoretical model is constructed to estimate the resistance rise and oxide accumulation during fretting cycles. A physically based-continuum description is formulated for the fretting corrosion process. The normalized resistance variance and oxidation volume are derived in an analytical form, and thereby the impacts of fretting frequency and normal force on lifetime are obtained. The predicted resistance buildup and metal depletion agree well with relevant experimental results.