Why do electronics fail?
Nearly 40% of electronic failures in data centers, Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and servers are due to corrosive attacks by gaseous contaminants such as H2S, SOx, NOx, Cl2, Ammonia, and others
These gases are generated due to industrial processes, vehicular pollution, wastewater treatment, and any practice contributing to air pollution.
Accelerated by temperature and moisture, these gases oxidize the copper and silver in electronics assemblies to form a thin corrosive layer that inhibits electrical signals and causes circuit failure. Many times, these corrosive layers are microscopic and are discovered only when there is a hardware failure.
How do we detect corrosion in electronics?
Identifying these gases qualitatively and quantitatively is critical to minimize operation downtime and capital loss due to hardware failure since replacing this hardware consumes time and money.
As per ANSI/ISA-71.04-2013 guidelines, the way to go about it is to perform a Corrosion Classification Coupon (CCC) study to understand the severity of the indoor air. As per ISA, the severity of air is classified by measuring the thickness of the corrosion film on the copper and silver strips of the CCC. Below is the classification:
What can we do to mitigate corrosion in electronics?
The CCC study provides a comprehensive report on the severity and classification of air which is used to design the appropriate air filtration system to remove the gases in question.
These gases can only be removed through engineered chemical media that specifically and efficiently remove these gases by a process called “chemisorption”. The adsorbed gases are chemically neutralized to base salts thereby restricting the entry of gases into the environment.
The engineered chemical media is housed in specifically designed air filtration systems which ensures that the maximum amount of contaminated gases are exposed to the chemical media.
How do we know if the air filtration system is working?
An atmospheric corrosion monitor will provide real-time data on the severity of the air in the area.
Purafil’s OnGuard corrosion monitors (OG) provide real-time data on copper corrosion, silver corrosion, temperature, relative humidity, and room pressure which aids users in making informed decisions on the performance of the air filtration system.
The data generated by OG complies with ISA 71.04-2013 guidelines and can be accessed via local networks and remotely over the internet.