Blue Stuff On The Battery Connectors?

[quinnf]

Glad to see someone other than me use it.  It's one of those things that you'll find lots of uses for.  Any time you need to ensure good electrical conductivity, prevent galling, prevent water from getting between two metal surfaces and causing corrosion, etc.  I assembled a 4 element triband Yagi antenna with it many years ago.  Living within sight of the beach, salt air here destroys everything made from aluminum.  When I took the antenna down it came apart with no problem. 

It's perfect for battery terminals. 

q.

[LowGear]

Hmmmmmm,

How about electronics connectors from HDMI to RCA with a little USB thrown in for good measure?

Casey

[vdubnut62]

Don't you think that due to the conductivity the  "squish" would tend to bridge terminals & short things out?
Ron.

[bschwartz]

I have a can of what appears to be aluminum infused anti-sieze (as opposed to copper).  Do you think it would do the job, or should I get a can of the copper stuff too?


edit- this stuff

http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-80078-Anti-Seize-Lubricant-Bottle/dp/B000AAJTXY

[BruceM]

+1 As vdubnut says, you could get conductive bridging between contacts for multi contact connectors.  There is other goop for that purpose.

I doubt an aluminum filled antiseize grease would be conductive. I've never seen aluminum particles used in conductive grease or conductive adhesives, probably because they would be too likely to oxidize.  Plus this product is  loaded with graphite (in addition to copper particles) which is also conductive. Because of the graphite powder, very little actual grease would be needed, and grease is an insulator.

[LowGear]

Why is some stuff so obvious when you hear it from someone else? 

I wonder what a good crap restraint for electronic terminals is?  It's killed a couple of my machines here in Paradise.

Casey

[quinnf]

Was changing the headlight on my daughter's 2002 Golf last night (why do they always tell you about these things on Sunday night?)  and had to remove the battery.  The Germans/Mexicans who designed/built it have about 5 different manufactured components restraining, containing, insulating, holding, and otherwise surrounding the battery.  Was most irritating removing that assemblage simply to remove and replace a bulb (non-sealed beam).  Anyway, as the cover came off, daughter exclaimed, "What's that green stuff?"  You guessed it, (+) terminal was corroded.  So I used that moment to remind her of the chemistry course she took last year.  Battery plates are copper and lead, immersed in sulfuric acid.  As battery is charging, sulfuric acid tends to splash around and eventually gets on the + (copper) battery connector and into the cable, too.  Now what does sulfuric acid and copper make?  She got it.  Copper sulfate.  Which is what color?  Green.  So far so good.  Ok, since it's acidic, how do we neutralize it?  With a base!  Smart girl. 

So I had her mix up some baking soda and water and we cleaned off the terminals.  Then removed same, and dunked them in the baking soda/water mix until the bubbling pretty much stopped.  She correctly got that the bubbles were CO2 from the sodium bicarbonate and that water must be produced, too.  Then I hosed off the top of the battery and dried off the posts and the terminals and after replacing the headlight bulb (and reminding myself to never let my kids own anything other than a Toyota) and looked around for the can of copper grease.

Found it.  The can from the nuke plant is actually called Kopr-Shield made by Thomas and Betts.  http://kcelectronics.com/201-31879kopr-shieldcompound15ozcanandapplicatorbrush.aspx but it's essentially the same stuff as the LocTite, though I think KoprShield might have more copper in it.  I have both and they work the same.  I showed her how to slather on the grease and how when the terminals go back together you have nowhere for the acid to infiltrate because the copper grease flows into all the crevices.

Here's another review with some more information on its use on crimped/clamped connectors:  http://www.epinions.com/review/KOPR_SHIELD_Colloidal_Copper_Surface_Treatment_epi/content_479258054276

I noticed on Thomas and Betts' website they also make an aluminum based material which might be better for aluminum to aluminum connections, but aluminum has a tendency to oxidize very readily making aluminum oxid which is non-conductive, so I wouldn't count on it to be electrically conductive. 

Quinn

[vdubnut62]

Why is some stuff so obvious when you hear it from someone else? 

I wonder what a good crap restraint for electronic terminals is?  It's killed a couple of my machines here in Paradise.

Casey

I use a big (toothpaste sized) tube of silicone dielectric grease from Autozone. About $5. And I'm not stingy with it.
Ron.

[BruceM]

I've been very happy with this product (Nooxid) for electrical connectors, etc.:
www.sanchem.com

It has eliminated corrosion/oxidation problems on a lot of different types of connectors for me.



   

[LowGear]

So just dab a bit onto the connectors with something like a new or very clean acid brush and my problems will be over (either product)?

Casey

[BruceM]

NO-OX-ID "A-SPECIAL ELECTRICAL" is applied after cleaning up existing corrosion, yes, a small brush or q-tip to apply it.  I will often glop small female connectors full.   It has worked well on every previously troublesome connector I've tried it on.

I can't recommend using a silicone grease for fine electronics connectors just because I have no experience with it, and haven't seen any data recommending it's use for that purpose.

[vdubnut62]

NO-OX-ID "A-SPECIAL ELECTRICAL" is applied after cleaning up existing corrosion, yes, a small brush or q-tip to apply it.  I will often glop small female connectors full.   It has worked well on every previously troublesome connector I've tried it on.

I can't recommend using a silicone grease for fine electronics connectors just because I have no experience with it, and haven't seen any data recommending it's use for that purpose.

+1 for what BruceM said!  I can't recommend it for fine electronics either because I, ah, er, ahem, don't own any.
Ron.