Contact-cleaner, also known as switch-cleaner, is a term for a chemical, or a mixture of chemicals, intended to remove or prevent the build-up of oxides or other unwanted substances on the conductive surfaces of connectors, switches, and other electronic components with moving surface-contacts, and thus reduce the contact resistance encountered.[1][2][3] The use of contact cleaner can help to minimize the wetting current across a pair of contacts.[4]

An example of a simple contact-cleaner is isopropyl alcohol.[5][2]

Some contact-cleaners are designed to evaporate completely and rapidly, leaving no residue.[6][7] Others may contain lubricants.[8][9] Lubricants themselves should not necessarily be used as contact cleaners, especially if they are designed to leave an unsuitable residue.[10] However, appropriate lubricants may work well as contact cleaners.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Boating". 1 August 1971 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Ronan, Dave (17 August 1994). Practical VCR Repair. Cengage Learning. ISBN 0827365837 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Health Devices". Emergency Care Research Institute. 29 August 1983 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Down and Dirty with Contact Cleaners". 17 February 2017.
  5. ^ Docter, Quentin; Dulaney, Emmett; Skandier, Toby (17 September 2012). CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide: Exams 220-801 and 220-802. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118421659 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "Corrosion Prevention and Control". Scientific Surveys Limited. 17 August 1967 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Info" (PDF). nora.nerc.ac.uk.
  8. ^ Schroeder, Don; Lare, Gary (17 August 1979). Audiovisual Equipment and Materials: A Basic Repair and Maintenance Manual. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810812062 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Wood, Steve; Wysmierski, Kristin (1 June 2010). "An ounce of prevention can save a pound of audiometer trouble". The Hearing Journal. 63 (6): 48–49. doi:10.1097/01.HJ.0000382731.86660.4c. S2CID 76365430.
  10. ^ Greene, Nik (31 March 2017). Buying and Maintaining a 126 S-Class Mercedes. The Crowood Press. ISBN 9781785002458 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "Recovery of severely degraded tin-lead plated connector contacts due to fretting corrosion - IEEE Journals & Magazine". doi:10.1109/6144.759354. S2CID 25403072. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)


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