MAZE2 discoloring, does copper tarnish?

kibbler · 06-12-2002, 06:43 AM

I've had my MAZE2 for 4 or 5 months now, and it works very well. However, I've noticed recently that the top is discoloring, a darker greenish-brown from the original shiny copper. Does copper tarnish? Is there a preventative? How can I get rid of this stuff? I don't have a side window, but its still kinda gross looking, not to mention a bit worrisome

Cyco-Dude · 06-12-2002, 06:59 AM

yes copper tarnishes. the block will tarnish very quickly if you touch it with your fingers. you can get some steel wool or a scotch-brite pad and buff the block with that; the tarnish will come off. even better is to use something (polish, cleaner) that removes tarnish from copper. you would probably have to remove the block to do that tho...but it would look like new.

you could try giving the outside of the block (not the base) a few *light* coats of clear lacquer. the block must be free of tarnish and CLEAN if you do that tho.

Nordic · 06-12-2002, 07:00 AM

Yes, copper can corrode, it's the copper oxide you see. Nothing to worry about but if you want that "shine" you should remove the oxides.. baking soda, aluminum foil and hot water might get you there, I haven't tried it on copper. Perhaps a clear lacquer on top (not the cpu contact area) of that sustains that shine, I don't know

kibbler · 06-12-2002, 07:04 AM

Thanx a lot. If I leave the tarnish as it is (hypothetically), should I have to worry about a point in time when coolant starts leaking THRU the copper top, in the most extreme case imaginable?

Nordic · 06-12-2002, 07:07 AM

You're probably not of this world anymore when that happens

What you're seeing now is just the immediate reaction to chemicals that have gotten into direct contact with the block, oils from your fingers etc.. It's not going to corrode much more than the surface of the copper, which is a slow process as oxides also start forming a boundary layer which protects the metal beneath, not all metals are well protected by their oxides. Aluminum is because it oxidizes quickly (low in the voltage-series compared to most metals) and almost immediately oxidizes when the pure metal is exposed to air.

Found a cool URL about cleaning silver, there is also an article about metal polishing:
http://www.diynet.com/DIY/article/0,2058,1439,00.html

Cyco-Dude · 06-12-2002, 04:30 PM

heres a quote from the metal polish link on the URL you gave:

Quote:

"Spray lacquer can be used on metal pieces after polishing to eliminate oxidation and protect from skin oils and acids. "

AL666 · 06-13-2002, 10:06 AM

use "Brasso", you can find it @ your local HW store

06-12-2002, 06:43 AM	#1
kibbler Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 107	MAZE2 discoloring, does copper tarnish? I've had my MAZE2 for 4 or 5 months now, and it works very well. However, I've noticed recently that the top is discoloring, a darker greenish-brown from the original shiny copper. Does copper tarnish? Is there a preventative? How can I get rid of this stuff? I don't have a side window, but its still kinda gross looking, not to mention a bit worrisome

06-12-2002, 07:00 AM	#3
Nordic Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Umeå, Sweden Posts: 98	Yes, copper can corrode, it's the copper oxide you see. Nothing to worry about but if you want that "shine" you should remove the oxides.. baking soda, aluminum foil and hot water might get you there, I haven't tried it on copper. Perhaps a clear lacquer on top (not the cpu contact area) of that sustains that shine, I don't know __________________ Pump:Eheim 1048, Radiator:LPD radiator 100x150x20mm, CPU block:DD Maze-2, GPU block: DD GPU block, Chipset block:Zalman NB32 AMD XP 1500+, EpoX 8K7A, PoV GF3Ti200 Pic of my YY-cube

06-12-2002, 07:07 AM	#5
Nordic Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Umeå, Sweden Posts: 98	You're probably not of this world anymore when that happens What you're seeing now is just the immediate reaction to chemicals that have gotten into direct contact with the block, oils from your fingers etc.. It's not going to corrode much more than the surface of the copper, which is a slow process as oxides also start forming a boundary layer which protects the metal beneath, not all metals are well protected by their oxides. Aluminum is because it oxidizes quickly (low in the voltage-series compared to most metals) and almost immediately oxidizes when the pure metal is exposed to air. Found a cool URL about cleaning silver, there is also an article about metal polishing: http://www.diynet.com/DIY/article/0,2058,1439,00.html __________________ Pump:Eheim 1048, Radiator:LPD radiator 100x150x20mm, CPU block:DD Maze-2, GPU block: DD GPU block, Chipset block:Zalman NB32 AMD XP 1500+, EpoX 8K7A, PoV GF3Ti200 Pic of my YY-cube Last edited by Nordic; 06-12-2002 at 07:18 AM.

06-12-2002, 06:59 AM	#2
Cyco-Dude Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 836	yes copper tarnishes. the block will tarnish very quickly if you touch it with your fingers. you can get some steel wool or a scotch-brite pad and buff the block with that; the tarnish will come off. even better is to use something (polish, cleaner) that removes tarnish from copper. you would probably have to remove the block to do that tho...but it would look like new. you could try giving the outside of the block (not the base) a few light coats of clear lacquer. the block must be free of tarnish and CLEAN if you do that tho.

06-12-2002, 07:04 AM	#4
kibbler Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 107	Thanx a lot. If I leave the tarnish as it is (hypothetically), should I have to worry about a point in time when coolant starts leaking THRU the copper top, in the most extreme case imaginable?

06-13-2002, 10:06 AM	#7
AL666 Cooling Savant Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The City Posts: 104	use "Brasso", you can find it @ your local HW store

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