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Started by Apoca1ypse | | 2 answers
Need recommendations for additives in a mixed metal watercooling loop. NO COLOURED DYES!
I'm making my first watercooled rig, and I need advice on corrosion inhibitors and biocides. I have a mixture of copper and nickel, and I assume brass will be in the mix too. Im using nickel plated EK blocks, and Alphacool UT60 radiators. I'll probably only remember to flush the system every 12 months or so. I want nice clear water, and will be using tubing for my colours.

My problem is that I cannot find a consensus on what to use in a mixed metal loop when I do NOT want to be using coloured dyes. I keep reading conflicting things about PT Nuke and Silver kill coils in mixed metal loops, so I've come here...


If there's nothing suitable, I guess I'll just end up going with clear tubing and coloured dyes....
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Best solution chosen by Apoca1ypse

September 11, 2014 3:03:39 AM

Copper, Nickel and Brass are fairly close to each other on the the Galvanic Index, and pose little potential for corrosion.

http://martinsliquidlab.org/2012/01/24/corrosion-explor...

For a loop like that I dont see any reason to include any additives for the purpose of inhibiting corrosion, though you will still need something to stop gunk growing in there. A biocide like PT-Nuke or a killcoil wont introduce much risk of corrosion, despite what the manufacturers say, which is to buy and use their branded coolants (who would have thought... Its not a coincidence that Heatkiller doesnt have a coolant and recommends distilled water).
September 11, 2014 1:58:20 AM

Apoca1ypse said:
I'm making my first watercooled rig, and I need advice on corrosion inhibitors and biocides. I have a mixture of copper and nickel, and I assume brass will be in the mix too. Im using nickel plated EK blocks, and Alphacool UT60 radiators. I'll probably only remember to flush the system every 12 months or so. I want nice clear water, and will be using tubing for my colours.

My problem is that I cannot find a consensus on what to use in a mixed metal loop when I do NOT want to be using coloured dyes. I keep reading conflicting things about PT Nuke and Silver kill coils in mixed metal loops, so I've come here...


If there's nothing suitable, I guess I'll just end up going with clear tubing and coloured dyes....


Mixed metal loops are problematic when the metals in the loop easily oxidise and there is a significant preference for oxidation of one over the other.

Copper and Aluminium easily oxidise at room temperature, and hence a loop containing both metals can corrode.

Nickel does not oxidise at room temperature, it needs to be raised to at least 400 degrees centigrade. Nickel is often plated to copper for just this reason, the Intel heat spreader is nickel plated copper. Many waterblocks and fittings are also nickel plated copper or nickel plated aluminium.

Some brass alloys can corrode, but properly produced brass can be made to be corrosion resistant. I would wager that any reasonable quality radiator would be made with corrosion resistant brass.

Anyway, as long as you avoid having any unhardened aluminium surfaces exposed to the loop you should not have to worry about corrosion. For everything else, just go with the typical biocide/kill-coil solution. Better yet, use a mixture of water and ethylene-glycol (antifreeze) as your coolant.

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