What happens when an RF connector needs a different insulating material? A BNC range replaces traditional PTFE with PEEK while retaining its established connection.
Amphenol RF has expanded its PFAS-free connector range with BNC connectors and adapters that replace traditional PTFE insulation with PEEK. The approach gives equipment designers a way to reduce PFAS use while retaining familiar RF interfaces and avoiding changes to existing connection arrangements.
BNC, or Bayonet Neill-Concelman, is a common RF connector used with coaxial cables to carry electrical signals. Inside the connector, an insulator separates the electrical contact from the surrounding metal while helping maintain the intended electrical characteristics. PTFE, a fluoropolymer traditionally used for this purpose, is being replaced in the range with PEEK, a high-performance engineering plastic.
The change addresses a practical design challenge: switching connector materials can require changes to mating components or surrounding assemblies. The connectors are designed as drop-in replacements for existing part numbers, allowing manufacturers to adopt the alternative insulation without changing the established interface.
The connectors use nickel-plated brass bodies with gold-plated brass or beryllium-copper contacts. This construction is intended to maintain mechanical durability, reliable electrical contact, and signal integrity while changing the insulating material.
The approach can be particularly useful in equipment where established connector formats are difficult to redesign. Commercial kitchen equipment, food processing systems, industrial electronics, and broadcast equipment are among the targeted applications, bringing the material change into environments where reliability remains important alongside evolving material requirements.
For designers, the significance lies less in changing the connector format and more in changing what sits inside it. By replacing PTFE with PEEK while retaining the BNC interface, the range provides a route towards reducing PFAS use without requiring a broader redesign of the connection architecture.
Click here for the official announcement.
