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 ArctiClean - Thermal material
Written by: Chr0n1c [1/5/05]

Introduction


Product- ArctiClean (30ml size) - Thermal Material Remover
Provided by - Cable Crazy
Manufactured by - Arctic Silver Inc.
Price - ~$8.00
Reviewed by - chr0n1c



Cleaning thermal paste and pads off heatsinks, waterblocks and CPU’s is a job we all must do. Thermal paste can be a sticky gunky mess but thanks to Arctic Silver Inc. Cleaning up thermal materials is now easier and more efficient with ArctiClean (30ml Size).

ArctiClean:

30ml and 60ml sizes available



eye dropper tips control the flow of the solvents.


The bottles are good and the solvents are dispersed through an "eye-dropper" like tip. Not much is needed to clean things up so this is good that they come out in drops, saves you from wasting solution. The kit consists of two bottles, ArctiClean 1 Thermal Material Remover and ArctiClean 2 Thermal Surface Purifier.

Features:

Taken from their site:

"Unique 2-Step Process
ArctiClean 1 Thermal Material Remover quickly emulsifies and dissolves the existing thermal grease or pad from the CPU and/or heatsink so that it can easily be removed with a clean cloth or paper towel. A few drops of ArctiClean 2 Thermal Surface Purifier and some gentle wiping then removes the remaining residue and inhibits flash corrosion on copper or aluminum.

ArctiClean 1 Thermal Material Remover
ArctiClean 1 uses a proprietary combination of non-toxic biodegradable solvents to emulsify thermal greases or thermal pads. The citrus and soy based solvents in ArctiClean 1 match or exceed many hazardous and volatile solvents such as fluorinated and chlorinated organic solvents, acetone, MEK (methyl ethyl ketone), mineral spirits, isopropyl alcohol, and toluene.

ArctiClean 2 Thermal Surface Purifier
The cationic surfactants in ArctiClean 2 remove any residue left by the ArctiClean 1 leaving a pristine surface for the application of a new thermal interface material. It also incorporates advanced flash corrosion inhibitors that minimize the corrosion layer on copper and aluminum allowing for more intimate contact between the thermal interface material and the heatsink.

Using ArctiClean 2 With Other Solvents
Most solvents and cleaning products leave residue on the CPU and heatsink that negatively affects the performance of any subsequently applied thermal interface material. ArctiClean 1 Thermal Surface Purifier removes the residue of citrus or petroleum based cleaners and inhibits flash corrosion on a copper or aluminum heatsink.

Why Not Just Use Isopropyl Alcohol or Acetone?
Put isopropyl alcohol or acetone on a thermal pad and 10 minutes later you will have...

A thermal pad.

Only with a lot of rubbing and scrubbing will you be able to remove the pad. While the alcohol or acetone may soften the pad, neither actually dissolves the pad.

Although less visible, it is the same cleaning thermal greases with alcohol or acetone.

ArctiClean 1 totally emulsifies thermal pads and thermal greases. The waxes, oils, and fillers of the thermal material are suspended within the ArctiClean 1 so they can be cleaned off completely. This emulsification allow ArctiClean to remove the thermal material in the microscopic imperfections in the heatsink or heat spreader that non-emulsifying cleaners cannot touch.

The flash corrosion inhibitors in ArctiClean 2 then significantly reduce the corrosion layer on the copper or aluminum, improving the interface between the metal and the new thermal material and maximizing thermal transfer."


Instructions on the back of each bottle


The basic instructions are on the back of each bottle of the two solvents. However detailed instructions are also available on their site.

So lets see how well ArctiClean works...


 
 
ArctiClean  
 
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