ASTM_B_868_-_96_2013.pdf

Designation:B86896(Reapproved 2013)Standard Practice forContact Performance Classification of Electrical ConnectionSystems1This standard is issued under the fixed designation B868;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This practice provides a uniform method of specifyingperformance requirements for(or reporting test results of)electrical contact and connection systems.Both conductor andconnector system performance may be specified by thispractice,separately or in combination.1.2 This practice may be used for separable or permanentcontacts employing metallic conductors and contacts.1.3 This practice provides methods for both signal andpower applications.1.4 This practice does not specify the sample preparation ortest sequences required for determining contact performance.Itis the responsibility of the user of this practice to determine theapplied test sequence(s)appropriate for the application.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to become familiarwith all hazards including those identified in the appropriateMaterial Safety Data Sheet(MSDS)for this product/materialas provided by the manufacturer,to establish appropriatesafety and health practices,and determine the applicability ofregulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2B539 Test Methods for Measuring Resistance of ElectricalConnections(Static Contacts)B542 Terminology Relating to Electrical Contacts and TheirUseB812 Test Method for Resistance to Environmental Degra-dation of Electrical Pressure Connections Involving Alu-minum and Intended for Residential Applications2.2 UL Standard:UL 486B Wire Connectors for Use with AluminumConductors,Third Edition,199133.Terminology3.1 Terms used in this practice are defined in TerminologyB542 except as noted in 3.2.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 conductor,nelectrically conductive member carry-ing current to a contact interface.Examples are wire and cable,busbar,and conductive paths on an etched printed circuitboard.3.2.2 contact performance,ncontact interface behavior asindicated by initial electrical resistance and resistance changeunder the applied test conditions.4.Summary of Practice4.1 The prescribed performance specification(or reporting)statement consists of three sections,as follows:4.1.1 Performance Classification,in accordance with thispractice(Section 6).4.1.2 Variability Index,determined by sample size anddistribution of resistance values measured at end of test,inaccordance with this practice(Section 7).4.1.3 Statement of test method employed to determineperformance classification.4.2 The format for the performance specification(or report-ing)statement is as follows:1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B02 on NonferrousMetals and Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B02.11 onElectrical Contact Test Methods.Current edition approved Oct.1,2013.Published October 2013.Originallyapproved in 1996.Last previous edition approved in 2008 as B868 96(2008).DOI:10.1520/B0868-96R13.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from Underwriters Laboratories(UL),333 Pfingsten Rd.,Northbrook,IL 60062-2096,http:/.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 5.Significance and Use5.1 This practice is based on the use of electrical resistanceas an indicator of contact performance.5.2 Existing standards,such as those referenced in Section 2as representative examples,provide the basis for applied testconditions.Modifications in procedure or sample size,or both,of existing standards may have to be made to provide forresistance measurement and to meet variability index require-ments that a user may specify.5.3 This practice accommodates the use of multiple testmethods,as may be required to assure satisfactory performancein a given application.6.Performance Classification6.1 The performance classification statement consists ofthree letters in sequence indicating,respectively,category ofcontact(signal or power),average initial contact resistance,and change of average contact resistance as a consequence ofthe applied test conditions.6.2 For this standard classification method,the performanceof a connection system for power applications is expressed asthe ratio of the contact resistance to the equivalent resistance ofthe attached conductor.The equivalent resistance of the con-ductor is the resi