The presence of rust on the circuit board’s surface adversely affects its performance. In some extreme cases, the circuit boards might also suffer serious damage and stop working permanently. Hence, it is important to keep the circuit board free from corrosion. This article will discuss a few simple steps on how to clean corroded circuit board.
Reasons for Corrosion In Circuit Boards
Even though many essential pieces of equipment are present above the circuit board, the small air gaps allow the air to enter the circuit board. As a result, they easily fall prey to rusting and become corroded.Apart from air, even dirt and debris enter the boards, which then sits on the board's surface and initiates the corrosion process.
The big devices that have fans to reduce the overheating issues allow dirt and dust to enter the board’s surface.
Causes of Corrosion on Circuit Boards:
Before we get to know the tips on how to clean corrosion off the circuit board, let us first understand what the possible causes of corrosion are. This knowledge will help you take preventive measures in the future to prevent this corrosion build up.Numerous chemicals float in the air around us and while ome of them are harmful, while some are not. The aluminum and copper parts of the circuit board react with the air over time. The chemicals present in the air change the composition of aluminum and copper and start eroding the circuit board.
Also, some liquid might fall on the board’s surface and enter into it. As a result, corrosion might occur. Whatever the reasons are, the presence of rust on the board lowers the device’s performance and inflicts some serious damage to the machine.
The presence of rust on the board’s surface also increases the chances of short circuits, and as a result, a large amount of corrosion might permanently damage the device.
How To Remove Corrosion From Circuit Boards?
You can use different types of chemical solutions to remove corrosion from devices. These chemicals can easily tackle the rust and remove corrosion from the electronic devices.Also, these chemicals are capable of tackling any type of corrosion, from natural rust to severe corrosion. However, if the severity is high, you must choose a high acidic strength solution.
We will now discuss the solutions you should use to clean corrosion on your circuit board.
Chemical and non-chemical solutions to clean the circuit boards
Compressed Air:
It works wonders to remove corrosion from the circuit boards. Just pass the compressed air through one of the circuit board holes, and you will see that dust particles will come out from the other hole. The compressed air has a high pressure that wipes out the mess from inside the board.If the amount of rust present in the board is high, you need to increase the air pressure.
Baking soda:
It has sodium bicarbonate that works on the tight grime and the rust present inside the PCBs. Baking soda causes the dirt particles to break down into smaller particles, and then you can clean the grime and dust inside the board easily.Distilled water:
If you did not get satisfactory results even after using the above two methods, you could try using distilled water. It is specially treated to remove the dust particles from the boards. The best part is that it does not damage the printer boards, unlike the other chemicals.
Isopropyl alcohol:
Isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol is used to remove debris, dust, flux, and corrosion from the electronic devices’ circuit boards. However, make sure to use only a small quantity of it while cleaning boards. This should also be your last remedy, and you must use it only when nothing else works. Final Word
We hope our detailed guide on cleaning a corroded circuit board proves to be useful to you. We have listed both chemical and non-chemical solutions, and you can use one suited to your needs.
