How do I treat corroded or tarnished contacts?

Light tarnish (darkening) on gold pins is often just surface oxidation or dirt and can be cleaned with DeoxIT® or a mild contact cleaner. If you see green copper oxide or pitting (holes in the plating), the gold layer has been compromised. In this case, the connector must be replaced to avoid reliability issues.

Gold doesn’t corrode, but the metal underneath might.

Do Not Sand: Never use sandpaper or steel wool on gold-plated pins! You will strip the plating off entirely.
Mild Abrasive: For stubborn tarnish, you can use a very fine Scotch-Brite pad or a pencil eraser very gently, then clean with alcohol.
Prevention: Green corrosion usually means the connector was unmated while wet. Always rinse and dry before storage.

John Zhang

(CEO & Lead Engineer)
Email: info@hysfsubsea.com
With over 15 years of expertise in subsea interconnect technology, I lead HYSF's R&D team in designing high-pressure (60MPa) solutions. My focus is on ensuring zero-leakage reliability for ROVs, AUVs, and offshore instrumentation. I personally oversee the validation of our custom connector prototypes.

Have a complex technical question?

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