We manufacture small electronic devices that are plated with gold over electroless nickel. We received some of our product back from a customer. They claim that they stored our parts in a foam box for 20-30 days and when removed, the gold turned brown. We analyzed the parts in an SEM with EDS and found very high nitrogen and carbon (equal atomic %) in the brown film. Is there anything in foam packaging that would cause this reaction to gold? @ Ask The Experts

Corey Hensel
DDL Inc.
Director of Operations
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Corey Hensel has more than 14 years of experience in the package and product testing industry. As Director of Operations, he is responsible for DDL’s processes and operational efficiency across all three of DDL’s facilities. He is also responsible for ensuring all tests are performed in accordance with the most current industry standards and meets the quality standards established through DDL’s ISO 9001 certification. Hensel is Chair of the ASTM D10.23 committee, a member of the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IOPP) and TAPPI.

Package Testing Q&A

We manufacture small electronic devices that are plated with gold over electroless nickel. We received some of our product back from a customer. They claim that they stored our parts in a foam box for 20-30 days and when removed, the gold turned brown. We analyzed the parts in an SEM with EDS and found very high nitrogen and carbon (equal atomic %) in the brown film. Is there anything in foam packaging that would cause this reaction to gold?

Asked July 13th, 2009

I don’t have an authoritative answer to your question as I do not have experience with this specific issue. I would suggest that you and/or your client will have direct this question back to the foam manufacturer and likely back to the plastic resin manufacturer who produces the resin beads out of which the foam is manufactured. You will first need to identify what type of resin is used in the foam-polyurethane, polyether, polyethylene, etc, there exists a large array of polymers used in packaging foam manufacturing. Also, you call it foam, could it be more of an bio-based foam, using a plant based product? Another consideration: You mention that your device is an electronic device–could they have stored it in an antistatic or static dissipative foam to minimize ESD(electro-static discharge) problems? I do not know what chemical or chemicals are used in the creation of antistatic or static dissipative foams but perhaps this issue could be explored and the antistat agent evaluated for its potential reaction with gold. Regarding antistatic foams, the 2 typical foams with antistatic agents are polyethylene and polyurethane. he foams are typically tinted pink to identify them as an antistatic foam component.

Corey Hensel, Karen Greene, Pat Nolan

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