Pressure is mounting to meet the tightening requirements of the European RoHS directives, which are pushing towards elimination of cadmium altogether.
Cadmium is particularly dangerous when airborne in dust form. It can cause lung disease, kidney failure, and even death.
To replace the cadmium content while maintaining conductivity and corrosion resistant properties, Corsair is working with CSL Inc.
The solution Corsair is currently testing is a nickel Teflon (EN-PTFE) composite coating developed by CSL over a decade ago. CSL’s EN-PTFE composite coating forms a monolithic barrier that is self lubricating, scratch resistant, and anti-galling without galvanization. CSL’s composite EN-PTFE coatings meet the conductivity and lubricity requirements of cadmium while reportedly exceeding the wear resistance and corrosion protection attributes of cadmium or nickel cadmium plating. Also, EN-PTFE can cross mate with stainless steel, aluminum, PEI, and PEEK, and can be applied to most metals and composites.
