Galvanic Corrosion?

I am not sure. I you have any metal cleaners at your house, I would try those.

Acid also works, but is it corrosive and dangerous. try to go to a local hobby shop or hardware store and ask for metal cleaners for oxidation removal.

Maybe I worded it wrong, but I meant to prevent corrosion, not remove it. Do you have suggestions for that? Thanks!

Corrosion happens.

You cannot really prevent it. It may not really have an issue only if you plan on spilling water or any other chemicals on the heatsink, then there is nothing to fear, but fear itself.

-FDR

Wow, im a tard! I forgot to mention its a water cooling loop and the "Liquid kool" is going to help prevent corrosion in the water, between the heater cores (radiator) and the water block. I was wondering if "liquid kool" prevents corrosion.

nothing will prevent the corrosion process when you have aluminum and copper in the same loop. The most you can do to retard the process is by using very clean distilled water but even then the oxygen in the air will acidify the water and resumes the corrosion process eventually.

So there aren't any additives that will inhibit the corrosion? Many fluid additives claim they inhibit corrosion, but I wanted experience from some one that has dealt with this before. Thanks

Is this your Liquid Kool? As a Glycol mixture it should slow down the rate of corrosion in your system. How much is needed for that specific item to actually provide protection I do not know. That specific product is up to 30% ethylene glycol.

Since other additives (fun salt compounds) in there may not be designed to cooperate with the tubing commonly used I'd recommend going to a product specifically designed with PC watercooling in mind. There's also the added bonus of it being less toxic. Liquid Kool C1532 MSDS (PDF)

Thanks, but i got the less toxic version with propylene glycol would that work?

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Gunk-16-oz...

Isopropyl, rubbing alcohol.

I don't think that Isopropyl would work, corrodes plastic (the tubing). I just need something to lessen the metal corrosion between Aluminum and Copper.

Cu(SO4)?

Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) tends to see lesser use as a (questionably useful?) biocide. I would recommend adding it simply because there's no significant benefit and it slightly lowers the cooling effectiveness. Copper Sulfate - Cu(SO4) - is a much better biocide and is pretty much PTNuke in a nutshell.

For plastic corrosion you're thinking Acetone. That stuff breaks down plastics quite well. Also quite flammable. Not something used in a watercooled PC.

I like that new product quite a lot better. Lower health hazard rating and much more generic warnings on the MSDS. I also doubt that that there'd be any interaction with it and your tubing wall. I've seen similar products to that one used.

You should try looking for this yourself as I'm not 100% on this, but you should only need about 2oz to inhibit corrosion in your loop. You want to use as little as possible since that product has much less heat carrying capacity than water.

propylene glycol have been used in
billions of auto radiators as antifreeze. Until recently
those radiators were brass, I'm guessing you'll have no problem.

Okay, I just added the "Liquid kool" to my system, I added 15% by weight. It is a little thick but my fountain pump is still doing fine. Ill wait a week and post back if it has helped slow the black galvanic buildup on my water block.

Under the impression Bonneville heatercores are brass/copper...not aluminum...most heatercores have been used for years. All the ones I have seen are brass+copper made, although some newer ones are aluminium.

You don't want to mix metals in a WC loop. You aren't running antifreeze under high pressures to prevent corrosive build up, and even in cars, it still happens.

I guess ill try to find a copper one. It is definitely Aluminum.


Thanks for your help!

Looks 'brassy'...is that silver or goldish?

Sorry, the lighting. It is most definitely Alu, it is silvery, and it says Aluminum heater core.

Yeah, I'd definitely pass on aluminum. I know there are people that go on and on that it's not a big deal if you use...but do you really want to take the chance? Koolance didn't get all their bad rep on corrosion a few years back for nothing...

Shove some zinc in there somewhere that'll take care of corrosion.

Either ditch the aluminum heatercore (if it is possible; maybe return it??) otherwise, you can probably get away with some corrosion inhibitors. Best solution is to just avoid the situation if possible. If you are already committed to using it, then find some good inhibitor...but be diligent. You are spending how much on blocks/pump...and went cheap on the rad/heatercore. Which is more important to you in the long term?

BTW...Bonnie heatercores cost about the same as a Swiftech MCR320 rad...~$55ish...I checked into it a while back, unless you got a killer deal on the heatercore.

+1. Unless you find a heatercore for cheap (~$20-30) there really is no point in getting a heatercore. You may as well go with a MCR 320.

If you DO insist on using Copper + Aluminum combo, run 50/50 mix of distilled water and Ethelynegycol (radiator fluid). That should prevent the corrosion and give you optimal temps.

^^ Right-oh my friend. ...And I'm not even British.

For the cost of using a heatercore, you are still going to have to figure out:

1) mounting barbs- soldering/sweating/brazing/JB Weld/etc

2) mounting the heatercore- they don't come ready to affix to a case

3) mounting fans- see #2 and consider fans part of that problem

Personally, I've done the heatercore and had fun with it. It cost more than I would've paid for a watecooling rad, but it was fun for a while. It looks kind of ghetto unless you take some time and enclose it, or create some good shrouds for it.

Again...a lot of extra time and money just to get back to par with a PC watercooling rad.