Chemical Compatibility - Philips Fortimo LEDFlex S Design-In Manual

Chemical compatibility

In the current market medium power LEDs exist,
containing a silver-finished (Ag) Lead frame. The lead
frame finish is sensitive to pollution and or corrosion
when exposed to Oxygen and certain Volatile Organic
Components [VOCs]. Examples of VOCs are substances
containing Sulfur or Chlorine. In that case parts of the
lead frame may blacken, which will impair the lumen
output or the color point of the LED light. Materials that
are known to have a higher risk to be a source of Sulfur
and Chlorine are for example natural rubbers used for
cables, cable entries or sealing, or corrugated carton.
Also be careful using adhesives, cleaning agents,
coatings and applications in aggressive (corrosive)
environments. We recommend ensuring that the direct
environment of these LEDs in the luminaire does not
contain materials that can be a source of Sulfur or
Chlorine, for optimal reliability of the LED, LED module
and/or LED luminaire. Furthermore, make sure that the
products with these LEDs are not stored or used in
vicinity of sources of Sulfur or Chlorine, and the
production environment is also free of these materials.
Also avoid cleaning of the LED products with these
Chemical name
Acetic
Hydrochloric acid
Nitric acid
Sulfuric acid
Ammonia
Potassium hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide
Acetone
Benzene
Dichloromethane
Gasoline
MEX (Methyl Ethly Ketone)
MKB (Methyl Isobutyl Ketone)
Mineral spirits (turpentine)
Tetracholorometane
Toluene
Xylene
Castor oil
Lard
Linseed
Petroleum
Silicone oil
Halogenated hydrocarbons
(containing F, CI, BR elements)
Rosin flux
Acrylic tape
Cyanoacrylate
25 - 25 Design-in Guide - LEDFlex S system
types of LEDs with abrasive substances, brushes or
organic solvents like Acetone and TCE. Applications of
the product in industry and heavy traffic environment
should be avoided in case of risk of ingress of Sulfur
and Chlorine from the environment. The Philips LEDFlex
family makes use of LEDs with above explained type of
lead frame. Therefore above recommendations apply
for the Philips LEDFlex. A list of chemicals, often found
in electronics and construction materials for luminaires
that should be avoided, is provided in the table on the
left. Note that Philips does not warrant that this list is
exhaustive since it is impossible to determine all
chemicals that may affect LED performance. These
chemicals may not be directly used in the final products
but some of them may be used in intermediate
manufacturing steps (e.g. cleaning agents).
Consequently, trace amounts of these chemicals may
remain on (sub) components, such as heat sinks. It is
recommended to take precautions when designing your
application. In case of questions on compatibility of
materials or applications of the product please contact
your Philips representative for application support.
Normally used as
Acid
Acid
Acid
Acid
Alkali
Alkali
Alkali
Solvent
Solvent
Solvent
Solvent
Solvent
Solvent
Solvent
Solvent
Solvent
Solvent
Oil
Oil
Oil
Oil
Oil
Misc
Solder flux
Adhesive
Adhesive
November 2021