The connectors of the new 38999 series III range, with black zinc nickel metallization and RoHS compliant, have just received their approval in the Qualified Product Listing (QPL) of the US defense organization, the DSCC (Defense Supply Center Columbus).The result of over 10 years of work on zinc-nickel metallization by the Souriau team, this metallization is the only RoHS-compliant alternative to cadmium available to date. All connectors in the range, including the Series III inserts and caps, are now available in a black zinc-nickel version.
Until now, cadmium was the most common treatment used on sockets and clamps for MIL-DTL-38999 Series III connectors in aerospace and military applications. RoHS directives now restrict its use and promote more environmentally friendly solutions. In the MIL-DTL 38999 Series III range, the Souriau teams have developed the industrial zinc-nickel metallization process, which has been used for many years in other markets. These processes offer the advantage of being more cost-effective than other solutions, more established, and, above all, ensuring that products meet a standard.
This zinc-nickel plating maintains all the performance characteristics of the 38999 Series III Cadmium range, meaning it can withstand salt spray for 500 hours and retains the same mechanical properties, electrical characteristics, plating performance, and contact density. The zinc-nickel plating is more opaque and black, important characteristics for military applications.
The 38999 Series III zinc-nickel connectors withstand temperatures from -65 to +200°C. The zinc-nickel plating meets the ASTM B841 standard for salt spray resistance up to 500 hours and is a non-reflective black color.
