Aluminium connections: legacies of the past

The present work identifies the major parameters influencing the quality and life of aluminum-to-aluminum and aluminum-to-copper connections. The effectiveness of various palliative measures assuring the satisfactory performance of these connections in different environments is assessed and misconceptions about their effectiveness are dealt with detail. Particular attention is given to the complexity involved when designing the accelerated testing since there are still many outstanding fundamental questions on contact phenomena that are still not fully explained within the limits of current knowledge and can result in misleading conclusions.