Wetting current

In electrical and electronics engineering, wetting current is the minimum electric current needing to flow
through a contact to break through the surface film resistance at a contact.[1] It is typically far below the
contact's nominal maximum current rating.[2]

A thin film of oxidation, or an otherwise passivated layer, tends to form in most environments, particularly
those with high humidity, and, along with surface roughness, contributes to the contact resistance at an
interface.[3] Providing a sufficient amount of wetting current is a crucial step in designing systems that use
delicate switches with small contact pressure as sensor inputs. Failing to do this might result in switches
remaining electrically "open" when pressed, due to contact oxidation.[4][5]

Contents
Capacitor discharge solution
Sealing current
Contact cleaner
See also
References
Further reading

Capacitor discharge solution

In some low voltage applications, where switching current is below the manufacturer's wetting current
specification, a capacitor discharge method may be employed by placing a small capacitor across the switch
contacts to boost the current through contact surface upon contact closure.[4][6]

Sealing current
A related term sealing current (aka wetting current or fritting current) is widely used in the
telecommunication industry describing a small constant DC current (typically 1-20 mA) in copper wire
loops in order to avoid contact oxidation of contacts and splices. It is defined in ITU-T G.992.3 for "all
digital mode ADSL" as a current flowing from the ATU-C (ADSL Linecard) via the phone lines to the
ATU-R (CPE).[7][8] Carbon brushes develop high resistance glaze when they're used without current flow
for an extended period. A special circuit is utilized for turbines and generators to introduce current through
the brushes into the shaft to prevent this contact fritting.[9]

Contact cleaner
Contact cleaner can be applied to the contact surfaces to inhibit the formation of resistive surface films
and/or to ameliorate existing films.[10]
See also
Anodic protection – Chemical technique
Cathodic protection – Corrosion prevention technique
Coherer
Contact protection
Electromigration
Electrowetting
Wetting current in switches

References
1. McMillan, Gregory K., ed. (1999). Process/Industrial Instruments and Controls Handbook
(5th ed.). McGraw Hill. p. 7.26. ISBN 0-07-012582-1.
2. "Switch Contact Design - Switches - Electronics Textbook" (https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/
textbook/digital/chpt-4/switch-contact-design/).
3. Zhai, C.; Hanaor, D.; Proust, G.; Gan, Y. (2015). "Stress-Dependent Electrical Contact
Resistance at Fractal Rough Surfaces" (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/27798141
4) (PDF). Journal of Engineering Mechanics. 143 (3): B4015001.
doi:10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0000967 (https://doi.org/10.1061%2F%28ASCE%29EM.
1943-7889.0000967).
4. "Relay contact life" (http://www.te.com/commerce/DocumentDelivery/DDEController?Action
=srchrtrv&DocNm=13C3236_AppNote&DocType=CS&DocLang=EN) (Application note).
Winston-Salem, NC, USA: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TEC), P&B Relays. 13C3236,
IH/12-00. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180519203336/http://www.te.com/comme
rce/DocumentDelivery/DDEController?Action=srchrtrv&DocNm=13C3236_AppNote&DocTy
pe=CS&DocLang=EN) from the original on 2018-05-19. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
5. Mairs, William (September 2004). "Keeping in contact" (http://www.nhp.com.au/files/editor_u
pload/File/TNL/TNL-42.pdf) (PDF). NHP Technical News. NHP Electrical Engineering
Products Pty. (42). TNL-42 10/04 14M. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/201805192040
00/http://www.nhp.com.au/files/editor_upload/File/TNL/TNL-42.pdf) (PDF) from the original
on 2018-05-19. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
6. Stewart, Anthony (2011). "The Case of the Intermittent Relay". Design News.
7. Recommendation G.992.3: Asymmetric digital subscriber line transceivers 2 (ADSL2) (http://
www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-G.992.3). ITU-T. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180519204
439/http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-G.992.3-200904-I/en) from the original on 2018-05-19.
Retrieved 2018-05-19. [1] (https://web.archive.org/web/20160508062533/https://www.itu.int/r
ec/dologin_pub.asp?lang=e&id=T-REC-G.992.3-200904-I!!ZPF-E&type=items)
8. Bennett, Brad (1996-12-13). "Sealing current on ISDN loops" (https://groups.google.com/d/m
sg/comp.dcom.isdn/lXQx0lNpjR8/CSF3MgG4M1kJ). comp.dcom.isdn. Retrieved
2018-05-19. "[…] Wynn Quon: The Bellcore Layer 1 specs talk about "sealing current". This
is a low current (1-20mA) DC signal applied to tip and ring. […] It is supposed to reduce
oxidation at line splices and it provides a troubleshooting aid in the field. […] Brad Bennett: I
was personally the researcher that did the sealing current work while at Bellcore […] sealing
current does effectively keep a copper loop intact (through a process called electromigration
[…] it does work on copper loops which have splices […] for direct copper loops (CO to
customer sites) it is ALWAYS suppose to be applied (and is built into the line cards). For
other technologies (e.g. BRITE cards), which synthesize ISDN from 3 DS0 circuits at a
subscriber loop cabinet (SLC), I am […] not sure it is a requirement. […] other interesting
upshots of […] this work, which I am not certain have ever made it to the public. For example
there are certain metal pairs [for] which you definitely do NOT want to use sealing current
 […] or […] run any continuous DC current (e.g. copper and precious metals). Such contacts
(splices) are materially designed to fail if current continually flows in the wrong direction. […]
on […] copper wires, sealing current helps to maintain good electrical connections […]"
9. Kiameh, Philip (2003-04-11). Electrical Equipment Handbook : Troubleshooting and
Maintenance: Troubleshooting and Maintenance (https://books.google.com/books?id=7jdDz
UZYhPYC&newbks=0&hl=en). McGraw Hill Professional. pp. 13–9. ISBN 978-0-07-
139603-5.
10. "Down and Dirty with Contact Cleaners" (https://hackaday.com/2017/02/17/contact-cleaner
s/). 17 February 2017.

Further reading
Pitney, Kenneth E. (2014) [1973]. Ney Contact Manual - Electrical Contacts for Low Energy
Uses (http://www.deringerney.com/techpapers/abstract/?DocumentId=pnk8SYvTdl5PBEYgy
lFWFjQO5IfWmXnrKiYltdIYKjM%3d) (reprint of 1st ed.). Deringer-Ney, originally JM Ney Co.
ASIN B0006CB8BC (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006CB8BC). (NB. Free download after
registration.)
Slade, Paul G. (2014-02-12) [1999]. Electrical Contacts: Principles and Applications.
Electrical and Computer Engineering. Electrical engineering and electronics. 105 (2 ed.).
CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, Inc. ISBN 978-1-43988130-9.
Holm, Ragnar; Holm, Else (2013-06-29) [1967]. Williamson, J. B. P. (ed.). Electric Contacts:
Theory and Application (reprint of 4th revised ed.). Springer Science & Business Media.
ISBN 978-3-540-03875-7. (NB. A rewrite of the earlier "Electric Contacts Handbook".)
Holm, Ragnar; Holm, Else (1958). Electric Contacts Handbook (3rd completely
rewritten ed.). Berlin / Göttingen / Heidelberg, Germany: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-662-
23790-8. [2] (http://www.gbv.de/dms/ilmenau/toc/176968075.PDF) (NB. A rewrite and
translation of the earlier "Die technische Physik der elektrischen Kontakte" (1941) in
German language, which is available as reprint under ISBN 978-3-662-42222-9.)
Huck, Manfred; Walczuk, Eugeniucz; Buresch, Isabell; Weiser, Josef; Borchert, Lothar;
Faber, Manfred; Bahrs, Willy; Saeger, Karl E.; Imm, Reinhard; Behrens, Volker; Heber,
Jochen; Großmann, Hermann; Streuli, Max; Schuler, Peter; Heinzel, Helmut; Harmsen, Ulf;
Györy, Imre; Ganz, Joachim; Horn, Jochen; Kaspar, Franz; Lindmayer, Manfred; Berger,
Frank; Baujan, Guenter; Kriechel, Ralph; Wolf, Johann; Schreiner, Günter; Schröther,
Gerhard; Maute, Uwe; Linnemann, Hartmut; Thar, Ralph; Möller, Wolfgang; Rieder, Werner;
Kaminski, Jan; Popa, Heinz-Erich; Schneider, Karl-Heinz; Bolz, Jakob; Vermij, L.; Mayer,
Ursula (2016) [1984]. Vinaricky, Eduard; Schröder, Karl-Heinz; Weiser, Josef; Keil, Albert;
Merl, Wilhelm A.; Meyer, Carl-Ludwig (eds.). Elektrische Kontakte, Werkstoffe und
Anwendungen: Grundlagen, Technologien, Prüfverfahren (in German) (3 ed.). Berlin /
Heidelberg / New York / Tokyo: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-642-45426-4.
Lee, Martin (2016-01-11). "Overcome Wetting Voltage and Current Limitations With an
External Wetting Power Supply" (https://cdn.selinc.com/assets/Literature/Publications/Applic
ation%20Notes/AN2016-01_20160111.pdf?v=20160406-152853) (PDF) (Application note).
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL). AN20 16-01. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
Paton, Kevin (2011). The Test, Usage and Maintenance of Power Switching Subsystems (htt
p://www.teradyne.com/File%20Library/Defense-Aero/Technical%20Papers/2011/Paton_The
-Test--Usage-and-Maintenance-of-Power-Switching-Subsystems_2011.pdf) (PDF). North
Reading, MA, USA: Teradyne, Inc. / IEEE. ISBN 978-1-4244-9363-0. Archived (https://web.a
rchive.org/web/20170916192848/http://www.teradyne.com/File%20Library/Defense-Aero/Te
chnical%20Papers/2011/Paton_The-Test--Usage-and-Maintenance-of-Power-Switching-Su
bsystems_2011.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 2017-09-16. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
El Mossouess, S.; Benjemâa, N.; Carvou, E.; El Abdi, R.; Benmamas, L.; Doublet, L. (2014),
Fretting corrosion in power contacts: Electrical and thermal analysis (https://hal.archives-ouv
 ertes.fr/hal-01104802/file/Holm%202014%20fin%20(1).pdf) (PDF), archived (https://web.arc
hive.org/web/20180521175550/https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01104802/file/Holm%252
02014%2520fin%2520(1).pdf) (PDF) from the original on 2018-05-21, retrieved 2018-05-21

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