# How to clean pure copper heatsink?



## lZKoce (Oct 21, 2014)

En taro Adun,

I need a bit of help. I want to clean Thermaltake Extreme Spirit 2 and Zalman Vf 900 . Once I remove the moving parts they are pure copper thingies. They need cleaning. I read different recepies. I tried putting the Spirit in water and vinegar (50/50%) - some people suggested lemon juice. It might be a placebo effect, but it looked a bit shinier. So how do you clean a pure copper heatsink? It has to be something I have access to. If any of you had tried before, I'd be grateful for the info.

Cheers


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## fullinfusion (Oct 21, 2014)

Orange or lemon juice and let sit for a bit. Its a low citric acid and it'll remove the oxidation for sure... But the key is to let it sit for a little while.


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## erocker (Oct 21, 2014)

Brasso. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BILDIU4/?tag=tec06d-20


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## lZKoce (Oct 21, 2014)

fullinfusion said:


> Orange or lemon juice and let sit for a bit. Its a low citric acid and it'll remove the oxidation for sure... But the key is to let it sit for a little while.



I already did a small mistake with the vinegar. I left the Spirit to lay flat on the bottom of the cup for an hour and then it had small rainbow spot. But nothing too major. Now I know I have ti use a small wire to suspend it "floating" in the liquid, not to touch anything if possible.



erocker said:


> Brasso. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BILDIU4/?tag=tec06d-20



That looks good, but it's faster to buy a pair of lemons from the shop next to me. Although shipping from UK typically takes a working week to my place. But I might ask around for a local substitute.


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## Raw (Oct 21, 2014)

lZKoce said:


> En taro Adun,
> 
> I need a bit of help. I want to clean Thermaltake Extreme Spirit 2 and Zalman Vf 900 . Once I remove the moving parts they are pure copper thingies. They need cleaning. I read different recepies. I tried putting the Spirit in water and vinegar (50/50%) - some people suggested lemon juice. It might be a placebo effect, but it looked a bit shinier. So how do you clean a pure copper heatsink? It has to be something I have access to. If any of you had tried before, I'd be grateful for the info.
> 
> Cheers



This stuff is pretty good. Just wipe it on with a damp sponge and let dry.
I use it on everything.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ROIG6Y/?tag=tec06d-20


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## AsRock (Oct 21, 2014)

erocker said:


> Brasso. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BILDIU4/?tag=tec06d-20



i like the tinned stuff, although just noticed it costs more though but still http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004G8YNIM/?tag=tec06d-20

AN walmart sell that one you posted for $3 but it's out of stock atm .


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## Lopez0101 (Oct 21, 2014)

erocker said:


> Brasso. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BILDIU4/?tag=tec06d-20



Wouldn't that leave behind a residue though?


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## natr0n (Oct 21, 2014)

Brasso is messy messy stuff very oily lol.

Try this I'm sure we all have these in kitchen.


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## AsRock (Oct 21, 2014)

natr0n said:


> Brasso is messy messy stuff very oily lol.
> 
> Try this I'm sure we all have these in kitchen.



Tasted lol,  and brasso in a tin is not messy at all.


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## lZKoce (Oct 21, 2014)

I think I will go with something this guys suggests: http://www.overclock.net/t/704190/how-to-cleaning-copper-heatsinks-with-minimal-elbow-grease . Basically, water+ teaspoon of salt+ vinegar. And then the hard part, I wonder whether I should boil it, like he did, or just soak it for an hour or so. I will post pictures before and after when I am done.


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## erocker (Oct 21, 2014)

Lopez0101 said:


> Wouldn't that leave behind a residue though?


Yeah, just wipe it down with a bit of alcohol or something.


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## GorbazTheDragon (Oct 21, 2014)

Emm, I've used steel wool >.>


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## Silas Woodruff (Oct 21, 2014)

GorbazTheDragon said:


> Emm, I've used steel wool >.>


That might work with other cooper based objects but I am pretty sure if you use something like that on a heat sink it will reduce it's effectiveness due to scratches and who knows what.


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## GorbazTheDragon (Oct 21, 2014)

Scratches=more surface area <.< /s


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## Silas Woodruff (Oct 21, 2014)

I though Scratches = place where air can accumulate + uneven heat distribution ?

I actually dont understand your logic, how can scratches make anything better, actually why do I bother clearly you are not worth my time anymore.


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## 64K (Oct 21, 2014)

It seems like scratches would also catch dust easier making the heat sink less effective but who knows. I've never used a scratched up heat sink to find out.


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## GorbazTheDragon (Oct 21, 2014)

Ughh, why doesn't anyone on the internet understand sarcasm...


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## OneMoar (Oct 21, 2014)

just dust it off and put it back in no need to use chemicals jesus people common sense


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## xvi (Oct 21, 2014)

Silas Woodruff said:


> I though Scratches = place where air can accumulate + uneven heat distribution ?
> 
> I actually dont understand your logic, how can scratches make anything better, actually why do I bother clearly you are not worth my time anymore.


edit:


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## OneMoar (Oct 21, 2014)

there is something to be said for turbulence's effect on thermal transfer many coolers already take advantage of this
slower air heats up more then faster moving air thats pretty basic


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## GorbazTheDragon (Oct 21, 2014)

In all seriousness I don't really see the point in using the chemicals and such, you are probably also going to end up inducing either unevenness in the surface anyway. Maybe it would just be a good idea to not expose the copper to the air. I mean seriously, most people don't leave their heatsinks lying around, they buy them, install them, and done...

Either way, make sure it is impossible to induce galvanic corrosion, so DO NOT PUT DIFFERENT METALS TOGETHER.


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## fullinfusion (Oct 21, 2014)

Lol how about a couple cans of coke? Put a bit in a beer cap and drop a copper penny in it and let it soak all night. End result: a new shiney penny


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## Frag_Maniac (Oct 21, 2014)

Here ya go. Easy peasy:

http://www.overclock.net/t/704190/how-to-cleaning-copper-heatsinks-with-minimal-elbow-grease


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## erocker (Oct 21, 2014)

GorbazTheDragon said:


> In all seriousness I don't really see the point in using the chemicals and such, you are probably also going to end up inducing either unevenness in the surface anyway. Maybe it would just be a good idea to not expose the copper to the air. I mean seriously, most people don't leave their heatsinks lying around, they buy them, install them, and done...
> 
> Either way, make sure it is impossible to induce galvanic corrosion, so DO NOT PUT DIFFERENT METALS TOGETHER.


No more, if not less than steel wool. All you're using Brasso for is to get the tarnish/corrosion and light scratches out. It leaves a nice shine too.


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## lZKoce (Oct 22, 2014)

Frag Maniac said:


> Here ya go. Easy peasy:
> 
> http://www.overclock.net/t/704190/how-to-cleaning-copper-heatsinks-with-minimal-elbow-grease


 - yep, I posted this a bit up. However, there's other than copper elements. Is it ok to boil them too?

Here's the victim: (picture taken: Galaxy SIII mini), after a quick (15 min) bath of salt+vinegar. Not much change.

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It's pretty beat up, but still serving duty. Honestly said I kinda lost steam to try and clean it. I don't really think it's gonna make a huge difference. And the dust is SO stuck on these tiny fins. I might still try with the boiling, but what about that bracket which is not copper?


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## Lopez0101 (Oct 22, 2014)

Use an old toothbrush to get the caked on dust.


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## fullinfusion (Oct 22, 2014)

All the salt is doing is acting like an aggjtator.. Like sand blasting. The boiling water with a few table spoons of silica sand will do the same thing but won't dissolve like the salt would. 

Also I was serious about the can of coke.. Go Google it. 

Brasso is just a polish to remove oxidation and a
Leaves a tiny barrier of wax to give it the gleam one so desires. 

@erocker get the op to send the parts to you and run it through your hot tank


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## lZKoce (Oct 22, 2014)

fullinfusion said:


> Also I was serious about the can of coke.. Go Google it.
> 
> @erocker get the op to send the parts to you and run it through your hot tank



I don't know how, but I missed that post. I went back to check it out. Could give it a try, I am on a roll now . I will post what happens with the boiling when I do it in the weekend.


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## redeye (Oct 22, 2014)

arctiClean...  and paper towels. I always use the stuff before i install, remount, or change the HSF or CPU.

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arcticlean.htm


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## Frag_Maniac (Oct 22, 2014)

By the looks of that Zalman, it appears there's a reason the salt/vinegar boil method is not recommended for alu.

I once had a Klein mt bike frame I ordered as bare alu so I could polish it vs having it powder coated or painted. The caveat was I could only get it sand blasted vs smooth. It took a LONG time to hand sand then polish it via various grits of emery cloth and steel wool. I eventually got it to a mirror finish though, with lots of hand soreness.

After that I had to find an alu polish that would keep the oxidization off. A local rider/Boeing employee recommended Never Dull, which is cotton wadding like they put in mattresses, impregnated with alu polish. I was told Boeing uses it to touch up polished alu because it both polishes and removes scratches in one step. Perfect for a mt bike, it did the trick quickly.

The problem with alu fin stacks though is obviously you can't hand buff in between the fins, and even if you had a rag thin enough to, it would be a hassle and potentially bend the fins. So if your alu fin stack is not nickle plated or otherwise finished, a good alu spray-and-hose polish from an auto detail shop is probably the way to go.

(I know OP's is copper. This is for anyone with a bare alu fin stack HS.)
http://www.autogeek.net/sonus-aluminum-restore.html


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## The Von Matrices (Oct 22, 2014)

fullinfusion said:


> All the salt is doing is acting like an aggjtator.. Like sand blasting. The boiling water with a few table spoons of silica sand will do the same thing but won't dissolve like the salt would.


You're completely misunderstanding the chemistry.  There is no abrasion involved.  The salt plus the acetic acid in vinegar forms a weak solution of hydrochloric acid.  The hydrochloric acid then attacks the copper oxide on the surface of the heatsink, removing what is the tarnish.  All the boiling does is enhance the rate of reaction; if you left the heatsink in the solution for many weeks at room temperature, you would have the same effect.  The ketchup solution works the same way, since it is essentially a paste of salt/vinegar, although the abrasion caused by rubbing the paste onto the heatsink helps slightly.

The problem is that many people recommend the salt/vinegar solution to improve the performance of the heatsink, but this argument is completely misguided.  Unless the copper portion touching the processor is oxidized, the tarnishing/oxidation is cosmetic.  It's the dust and grime that affects the performance of the heatsink, and the salt/vinegar solution won't remove this dirt and grime any more effectively than plain water.  That's why I don't recommend the salt and vinegar solution for heatsinks; not because it doesn't remove the copper oxide but because the tarnish you are removing didn't affect heat transfer in the first place.  The only reason you should use the salt/vinegar solution is if you want to restore the shiny copper aesthetic of the heatsink, and even then the restored luster is temporary; the heatsink will again tarnish within a few weeks or months.

A reminder, if you use the salt/vinegar solution, the heatsink must be pure copper and there must be no other metals in either the heatsink or the container holding the salt/vinegar solution.  If you have any aluminum or zinc (like the bracket you left connected or the pot holding the solution) the reaction will not work.  All that will occur in this case is that you would accelerate galvanic corrosion, dissolving the aluminum or zinc parts and depositing the aluminum or zinc on the copper.  I'm relatively sure this is the reason why your attempt did not work out.  The source @Frag Maniac cited had success only because he had no other metals in the solution.  Even though the writer did not make the connection, the glass pot was key to his success.


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## 95Viper (Oct 22, 2014)

Look to your kitchen... try using _ketchup_ to clean your copper parts.
You may need to do a couple of applications.
You can get it at a "Dollar Store" or discounted cheap no-name brands.
However, it does work on cleaning copper... I used some to clean some old copper shell casings and my old Revereware.


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## erocker (Oct 22, 2014)

fullinfusion said:


> Brasso is just a polish to remove oxidation and a
> Leaves a tiny barrier of wax to give it the gleam one so desires.


It contains no wax. Just cleaned my block with it today, looks good as new. This thread is turning a mole -hill into a mountain.


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## INSTG8R (Oct 22, 2014)

I just use Acetone. It's cleans oxidization off just fine and leaves no residue either.


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## lZKoce (Oct 23, 2014)

The Von Matrices said:


> You're completely misunderstanding the chemistry.  There is no abrasion involved.  The salt plus the acetic acid in vinegar forms a weak solution of hydrochloric acid.  The hydrochloric acid then attacks the copper oxide on the surface of the heatsink, removing what is the tarnish.  All the boiling does is enhance the rate of reaction; if you left the heatsink in the solution for many weeks at room temperature, you would have the same effect.  The ketchup solution works the same way, since it is essentially a paste of salt/vinegar, although the abrasion caused by rubbing the paste onto the heatsink helps slightly.
> 
> The problem is that many people recommend the salt/vinegar solution to improve the performance of the heatsink, but this argument is completely misguided.  Unless the copper portion touching the processor is oxidized, the tarnishing/oxidation is cosmetic.  It's the dust and grime that affects the performance of the heatsink, and the salt/vinegar solution won't remove this dirt and grime any more effectively than plain water.  That's why I don't recommend the salt and vinegar solution for heatsinks; not because it doesn't remove the copper oxide but because the tarnish you are removing didn't affect heat transfer in the first place.  The only reason you should use the salt/vinegar solution is if you want to restore the shiny copper aesthetic of the heatsink, and even then the restored luster is temporary; the heatsink will again tarnish within a few weeks or months.
> 
> A reminder, if you use the salt/vinegar solution, the heatsink must be pure copper and there must be no other metals in either the heatsink or the container holding the salt/vinegar solution.  If you have any aluminum or zinc (like the bracket you left connected or the pot holding the solution) the reaction will not work.  All that will occur in this case is that you would accelerate galvanic corrosion, dissolving the aluminum or zinc parts and depositing the aluminum or zinc on the copper.  I'm relatively sure this is the reason why your attempt did not work out.  The source @Frag Maniac cited had success only because he had no other metals in the solution.  Even though the writer did not make the connection, the glass pot was key to his success.



THIS. THANK U! It made it all clear to me now. Conclusion: the bottom is in top shape- nothing to do there. Dust- use an old toothbrush/old make up brush (just as OneMoar said, dust it off and forget it). I will just leave the rest of HS as is. I can't do anything about the Zync now. It has small specks from the vinegar, but I will leave it as is. And I am educated how to treat copper computer parts for life. It's best to just leave them be most of time.



erocker said:


> This thread is turning a mole -hill into a mountain.



I second that. I got nothing to add to the discussion at this point, except big thank u for all involved.


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## xvi (Oct 23, 2014)

Guys, you're all doing it wrong. Hold your heatsink with your left hand, grab something like a credit card with your right hand, put the card in the groove and slide it down quickly. With your left hand, throw the heatsink in the recycling and install your new heatsink. Boom. No more oxidation or dust and minimal effort.

(Joking aside, there's some nice tips in here)


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## eidairaman1 (Oct 23, 2014)

For dust take it outside and hose it down if youre that concerned


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## v12dock (Oct 23, 2014)

Boil it in a pot of vinegar or CLR


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## Lopez0101 (Oct 24, 2014)

I don't know if I'd want to boil CLR. Maybe do that outside at least.


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## mclaren85 (May 4, 2022)

I know it is an old topic, but is it really going to help to cool down my laptop if I clean the copper pipes inside the laptop?


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## eidairaman1 (May 4, 2022)

mclaren85 said:


> I know it is an old topic, but is it really going to help to cool down my laptop if I clean the copper pipes inside the laptop?


Removing dust yes but overall it's minimal gains, make sure fins and fans are dust free, keep in cool room.


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## mclaren85 (May 4, 2022)

eidairaman1 said:


> Removing dust yes but overall it's minimal gains, make sure fins and fans are dust free, keep in cool room.


It is rather a copper-oxide or something. I will try to clean that tiny gloss surface to see any temperature changes


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## Deleted member 24505 (May 4, 2022)

I use malt vinegar and toothpaste.


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## mclaren85 (May 4, 2022)

Tigger said:


> I use malt vinegar and toothpaste.


Do you think it helped?


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## Deleted member 24505 (May 4, 2022)

95Viper said:


> Look to your kitchen... try using _ketchup_ to clean your copper parts.
> You may need to do a couple of applications.
> You can get it at a "Dollar Store" or discounted cheap no-name brands.
> However, it does work on cleaning copper... I used some to clean some old copper shell casings and my old Revereware.



Yup, i have used tomato sauce in the past when i had no vinegar. Only on the pure copper base though.



mclaren85 said:


> Do you think it helped?



Yes, drop the copper part into a cup with malt vinegar, clans it up a treat. And toothpaste and a old fine brush if it needs a scrub first.


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## mclaren85 (May 4, 2022)

Tigger said:


> Yup, i have used tomato sauce in the past when i had no vinegar. Only on the pure copper base though.
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, drop the copper part into a cup with malt vinegar, clans it up a treat. And toothpaste and a old fine brush if it needs a scrub first.


No I mean the temps?


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## Mussels (May 4, 2022)

mclaren85 said:


> I know it is an old topic, but is it really going to help to cool down my laptop if I clean the copper pipes inside the laptop?


the pipes? no.
It's going to help looks only, not temperatures.

The only time this would ever help, is by cleaning the contact area of a copper heatsink and the die generating the heat - which you'd do by lapping with sandpaper, not by polishing or boiling in vinegar and the other suggestions from this almost 10 year old thread


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## delshay (May 4, 2022)

fullinfusion said:


> Orange or lemon juice and let sit for a bit. Its a low citric acid and it'll remove the oxidation for sure... But the key is to let it sit for a little while.



Does it work on heatsink going green. I have a few heatsink here & they are going green.


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## Shrek (May 4, 2022)

I would tend to do the first clean with _very_ fine sandpaper on a flat surface to make sure the block was level.


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## Courier 6 (May 4, 2022)

Water and vinegar, 50/50 mix, enough to cover it all, time depends on how bad it is, 24 hours should do the trick in most cases, hope it helps


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## cvaldes (May 4, 2022)

delshay said:


> Does it work on heatsink going green. I have a few heatsink here & they are going green.


The heatsink shouldn't be going green where it contacts the chip. With a thermal compound there should be no air contact.

It shouldn't matter if the copper heatsink parts that are exposed to air oxidize a bit.

I've found this thread revival to be very entertaining.


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## Valantar (May 4, 2022)

delshay said:


> Does it work on heatsink going green. I have a few heatsink here & they are going green.


What kind of environment has those heatsinks been in? It takes a lot of time and exposure to air and moisture for copper oxidation to turn green.

Still, any mild acid (vinegar, ketchup, should take care of most of it, just let it soak, and scrub if necessary - but at that stage I'd also expect some pitting, meaning you'd need to sand/lap any contact surfaces affected. If you want it to look shiny, use whatever kind of brass polish is the most easily available to you.



mclaren85 said:


> I know it is an old topic, but is it really going to help to cool down my laptop if I clean the copper pipes inside the laptop?


The outside of the heatpipes don't matter in terms of thermal dissipation - the job of a heatpipes is moving heat from one area to another (in this case, the contact plates over CPU/GPU to the fin stacks), not dissipating it directly. Sure, the surface does dissipate _some_ heat (given airflow across them), but it's so little it won't matter as the surface area is minuscule compared to the fin stack. Unless your cooler's contact plate or fins are heavily oxidised, any anti-oxidation treatment will be meaningless.


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## maxfly (May 4, 2022)

CLR will remove any and all discoloration, oxidation, or general crud on copper heatsinks, blocks or rads that most other methods wont. Soak for 5 or 10 minutes. Rinse with water (final rinse with distilled if cleaning a rad). Dry blocks thoroughly (rads can drip dry)and done.
 Anything else simply takes to long. In a pinch, I've found that good ol fast food ketchup packets are solid alternatives.


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## delshay (May 4, 2022)

Valantar said:


> What kind of environment has those heatsinks been in? It takes a lot of time and exposure to air and moisture for copper oxidation to turn green.
> 
> Still, any mild acid (vinegar, ketchup, should take care of most of it, just let it soak, and scrub if necessary - but at that stage I'd also expect some pitting, meaning you'd need to sand/lap any contact surfaces affected. If you want it to look shiny, use whatever kind of brass polish is the most easily available to you.



One or two are on a motherboard which I use for testing & the others are in a box a room. It seems like if it comes into contact with human hands after a period of time some part of the heatsink start's to go green. I have to assume part of the problem is how the copper is treated or the purity of copper heatsink, as not all of them are going green.


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## maxfly (May 4, 2022)

delshay said:


> One or two are on a motherboard which I use for testing & the others are in a box a room. It seems like if it comes into contact with human hands after a period of time some part of the heatsink start's to go green. I have to assume part of the problem is how the copper is treated or the purity of copper heatsink, as not all of them are going green.


Fingerprints can be some of the hardest to remove. If the copper doesn't have any kind of protective coating, the skins oils soak into the metal and may be there for good.
Them turning green may be from high humidity.


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## ThrashZone (May 4, 2022)

Hi,
Copper needs water and air to turn green
Refer to any aging copper roof.

Cleaning well nothing like 1000 grit wet/ dry sandpaper for fast results.

There is also scratch off that works very well at polishing and removing micro scratches.


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## Deleted member 24505 (May 4, 2022)

My new HK IV block was slightly rough so left it that way. The old EK was nickel and is discolouring


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