Sulfur particles are generally present in the air in various forms due to sulfur and automotive exhaust gases. In sulfurous environments these particles can be adsorbed by the silver plating used in electronic components, including on the surface of the inner and side electrodes of conventional chip resistors. Eventually this can lead to silver migration and the formation of silver sulfide, causing resistance changes and, ultimately, application failure.
The availability of anti-sulfuration chip resistors have been announced by Microhm Electronics, they are optimised for applications exposed to sulfur-rich environments such as communication infrastructure, automotive systems and industrial equipment. Microhm Electronics' Anti-sulfuration resistor NBS series are designed for these applications.