Three Easy Ways to Clean/Protect Sensitive Electronics

April 19, 2024

Electronics are everywhere. Unfortunately, they can be susceptible to moisture, corrosion, and ESD (electrostatic discharge) damage. When the need arises to clean and protect these devices, Cortec^®  offers three easy ways to do so without harming sensitive components.

Quick Touchup of Electronics

Corwipe^® 500 is a handy wipe for light cleaning of electronics. In addition to removing small amounts of grease, oil, and dust that may have built up on the component during processing or storage, the Corwipe^®  500 contains corrosion inhibitors to protect against flash rust from the moisture of the wipe. Furthermore, antistatic properties reduce the risk of ESD damage during cleaning. Corwipe^®  500 is a good option for the following (powered-off) components:

• PCBs
• Terminal blocks
• Communications equipment
• Data storage devices
• Various instrumentation

At the manufacturing plant, Corwipe^®  500 is perfect for last-minute touchup on new components before they go into a package. At the assembly plant, workers may occasionally want to grab a Corwipe^®  500 to lightly clean components before putting them together. Corwipe^®  500 is even a great product to have in stock for maintenance workers doing electronic or electrical repairs around the facility.

Deeper Cleaning, Restoration, and Protection

When it comes to deeper cleaning and protection of electronics, ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^® -238 and 239 are good tools to call up to the task. These two aerosols act like cleaning agents because of their moisture-displacing and penetrating film qualities. If sprayed on a surface and allowed to dry, they leave behind a thin film that inhibits corrosion. ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^® -238 is preferred for protection in indoor, enclosed environments, while ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^® -239 works better for outdoor, vented environments. Both should only be applied after equipment has been powered-off.

Manufacturers can promote better aesthetics and reliability by using ElectriCorr^™to clean away grime or flux on PCBs and other electronics before assembly and/or shipping. ElectriCorr^™ can also be very useful for electronic maintenance. In one case, a company that specialized in servicing marine electronics (e.g., radar, sounders, plotters) ran into corrosion due to the damp, high-chloride environment. ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^® -238 was so effective in cleaning away corrosion from the circuit boards that the company was able to reinstall them for service. A month later, they checked the circuit boards and could see a noticeable protective coating on them but no further corrosion. Such cleaning and protection are also valuable for mothballing projects where electricals are prepared for extended storage.

Clean, Protect, Preserve Sensitive Electronics

Whether an electronic needs a quick touchup before shipment or requires deep cleaning and protection for full restoration to onboard ship use, it is important to have technologies that clean and protect quickly, easily, and effectively without harming sensitive electronics. Contact Cortec^®  to learn more about whether Corwipe^®  500 or ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^® -238/239 are right for your electronics cleaning and preservation jobs.

Keywords: clean electronics, protect sensitive electronics, ESD problems, corrosion protection, corrosion inhibitors, cleaning PCBs, servicing marine electronics, easy ways to clean electronics, electronic reliability, electronic corrosion

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