Contact cleaners - a moving target.

When my wife and I were working in Saudi Arabia, I purchased Cramolin Red in the electronics souks for SR10 (about US$3) per 300ml pressurized can. In Saudi, nothing can be sold without complete disclosure on the labels (Caig products are not sold there). So each can had on it: Hydrocarbon and hydrocarbon propellants: 95%. Oleic Acid: 5%.

Oleic Acid has been used in the clockmakers profession for over 100 years.
Oleic Acid is a derivative of cheap olive oil, for the most part, and can be purchased in food-grade quality (purest) over the counter, and sent through the mails.
I mix it in 1/2 ounce quantities in eyedropper bottles using pure naptha as the medium at slightly less than 5%.
Why? Contact cleaners such as DeOxit have the virtue (vice) of continuing to react until all the active ingredients have been consumed. So, it MUST be rinsed off after the work is done to prevent further reaction.

As proof-of-concept, find an old actually-copper penny and put it in very cheap olive-oil for a bit.

Once upon a time, Caig was the US distributor of Cramolin products - that ended very badly with considerable ugliness on both sides. To this day, I will not purchase Caig products.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

On Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at 2:53:00 PM UTC-4, Peter W. wrote:
> Contact cleaners - a moving target.
>
> When my wife and I were working in Saudi Arabia, I purchased Cramolin Red in the electronics souks for SR10 (about US$3) per 300ml pressurized can. In Saudi, nothing can be sold without complete disclosure on the labels (Caig products are not sold there). So each can had on it: Hydrocarbon and hydrocarbon propellants: 95%. Oleic Acid: 5%.
>
> Oleic Acid has been used in the clockmakers profession for over 100 years..
> Oleic Acid is a derivative of cheap olive oil, for the most part, and can be purchased in food-grade quality (purest) over the counter, and sent through the mails.
> I mix it in 1/2 ounce quantities in eyedropper bottles using pure naptha as the medium at slightly less than 5%.
> Why? Contact cleaners such as DeOxit have the virtue (vice) of continuing to react until all the active ingredients have been consumed. So, it MUST be rinsed off after the work is done to prevent further reaction.
>
> As proof-of-concept, find an old actually-copper penny and put it in very cheap olive-oil for a bit.
>
> Once upon a time, Caig was the US distributor of Cramolin products - that ended very badly with considerable ugliness on both sides. To this day, I will not purchase Caig products.
>
> Peter Wieck
> Melrose Park, PA

Interesting - never heard of Oleic acid. So what are the percentages of oleic acid to naptha.
So you are saying that the oleic mixture does not have to be rinsed off? And it functions well as a contact cleaner?
Thanks
J

> Interesting - never heard of Oleic acid. So what are the percentages of oleic acid to naptha.
> So you are saying that the oleic mixture does not have to be rinsed off? And it functions well as a contact cleaner?

5%. One drop to 19 drops by volume.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

On Wed, 2 Aug 2023 12:07:29 -0700 (PDT), three_jeeps
<jjhudak@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at 2:53:00?PM UTC-4, Peter W. wrote:
>> Contact cleaners - a moving target.
>>
>> When my wife and I were working in Saudi Arabia, I purchased Cramolin Red in the electronics souks for SR10 (about US$3) per 300ml pressurized can. In Saudi, nothing can be sold without complete disclosure on the labels (Caig products are not sold there). So each can had on it: Hydrocarbon and hydrocarbon propellants: 95%. Oleic Acid: 5%.
>>
>> Oleic Acid has been used in the clockmakers profession for over 100 years.
>> Oleic Acid is a derivative of cheap olive oil, for the most part, and can be purchased in food-grade quality (purest) over the counter, and sent through the mails.
>> I mix it in 1/2 ounce quantities in eyedropper bottles using pure naptha as the medium at slightly less than 5%.
>> Why? Contact cleaners such as DeOxit have the virtue (vice) of continuing to react until all the active ingredients have been consumed. So, it MUST be rinsed off after the work is done to prevent further reaction.
>>
>> As proof-of-concept, find an old actually-copper penny and put it in very cheap olive-oil for a bit.
>>
>> Once upon a time, Caig was the US distributor of Cramolin products - that ended very badly with considerable ugliness on both sides. To this day, I will not purchase Caig products.
>>
>> Peter Wieck
>> Melrose Park, PA

>Interesting - never heard of Oleic acid. So what are the percentages of oleic acid to naptha.

One advantage of using oleic acid is that it's food safe. That means
you could drink your contact cleaner and it won't kill you. It also
has some health benefits as it's an Omega-9 fatty acid.
<https://www.dropanfbomb.com/blogs/articles-resources/oleic-acid>
You won't see oleic acid as an ingredient in the old Cramolin R100L or
the new Deoxit D100L in the MSDS or SDS data sheets because oleic acid
is not consider a hazardous substance.
<http://store.caig.com/app/site/media/sitemedia.nl/id.808/.f> (old)
<http://store.caig.com/app/site/media/sitemedia.nl/id.907/.f> (new)

>So you are saying that the oleic mixture does not have to be rinsed off? And it functions well as a contact cleaner?
>Thanks
>J

Oleic acid will eventually attack copper or brass contacts and coat
the surface with copper oleate (C18H33CuO). Instead of copper oxide
ruining the conductivity of your copper contacts, you will have a
layer of copper oleate ruining the conductivity. Clean off any
residual Oleic acid with white vinegar or 91% isopropyl alcohol and
you'll sleep better not worrying about your electrical contacts
rotting away.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558