Waterproofing Electronics - This may help

[cruizerkid]

Hi Guys & Gals,

Been lurking for while this is my first post, about to buy my first Electric Bike probably the Oxygen MTB.

I spend a lot of time playing around with RC aircraft & often fly in wet areas (long wet grass etc) to protect my craft from this I use various solutions, including epoxy, liquid electrical tape & best of all CorrosionX. Many of the methods are explained in this video from the guys at Flitetest. I suspect this might be useful for expensive control boxes, lights etc on our bikes.

I have no affiliation with CorrosionX & its not particularly cheap but it really does work, as in the video Ive dunked various bits of kit in water after protection with no issue what so ever. That said please don't blame me if you blow something up its all at your own risk.

Cheers
Stuart

 

[jonathan75]

it really does work,

Yes the video is impressive, do you know of a cheap source you can recommend? Also does it wreck your clothes and drip on things / otherwise get messy?

 

[cruizerkid]

Yes the video is impressive, do you know of a cheap source you can recommend? Also does it wreck your clothes and drip on things / otherwise get messy?

As I said it's not particularly cheap but getting it in the UK is easy direct from corrosionx https://www.corrosion-x.co.uk/product/corrosionx/I did see it a quid or two cheaper on Amazon but I just ordered it direct came next day.

It's a liquid spray so it's as messy as you would expect I guess, not as bad as something like wd40 and it does dry after about an hour. Retains a slight smell but if it was on a bike I'm guessing this would disappear after a a few days.

Stuart

 

[mike killay]

Anybody know what it is?
It compares itself to WD40 which is mainly light oil and parafin

 

[cruizerkid]

I think they sell it as a kind of lubricant rather than a waterproofer hence its compared to WD40 but its totally different to WD40 no way i would put WD40 on sensitive electronic kit i have. CorrosionX also has electrical insulating properties I was really sciptical if I'm honest but the guys in the video generally are regarded as knowing what they are talking about so i thought i would give it a go. I insulated a DC-DC convertor board first and then dunked it in water for 5 minutes whilst powered up. Not a single glitch & its still working 2 months later. I know have all my Receivers, Flight Control Boards, Servos, Speed Controllers all done ready for the inevitable trip into the wet.

Not sure whats in Corrosion X I'm sure its a closely guarded secret but it worked for me

 

[jonathan75]

I wonder if it would be good for ebike controllers,bms, throttles, and lcd innards. Curious how it might be used in relation to batteries.

 

[VictoryV]

I think they sell it as a kind of lubricant rather than a waterproofer hence its compared to WD40 but its totally different to WD40 no way i would put WD40 on sensitive electronic kit i have. CorrosionX also has electrical insulating properties I was really sciptical if I'm honest but the guys in the video generally are regarded as knowing what they are talking about so i thought i would give it a go. I insulated a DC-DC convertor board first and then dunked it in water for 5 minutes whilst powered up. Not a single glitch & its still working 2 months later. I know have all my Receivers, Flight Control Boards, Servos, Speed Controllers all done ready for the inevitable trip into the wet.

Not sure whats in Corrosion X I'm sure its a closely guarded secret but it worked for me

It sounds like the stuff they used on "Tommorrows World" years and years ago. In the studio they sprayed a mains voltage electric drill, switched it on and put it in a tank of water, the demonstrator from the company then put his hand in the water and lived! They then took a petrol landrover, sprayed all the electrics and the ignition system including the inside of the distributor, added snorkels to the air intakes and exhaust and drove it underwater with the driver in scuba gear. I never ever saw it on the commercial market and they never gave the name of the product on the TV - BBC & advertising was not allowed! So perhaps this is the stuff? If it is, then it would be a total water repellent for batteries in a very benign situation.

 

[jonathan75]

If it is, then it would be a total water repellent for batteries in a very benign situation.

Of course 18650 batteries have vents for gas buildup so I don't think those could be waterproofed but maybe the top/bottom contacts and bms (?)

 

[jonathan75]

Can anyone please advise me on the safety of this stuff? I tend to be quite sensitive to breathing in chemicals, it physically irritates me &c, and I'd be keeping my bike in my flat right next to where I sleep. The corrosionx blurb says it's only 4-7% VOCs compared with 75% for WD40 and it THEN says it's non-carcinogenic. But that's surely not true because VOCs are indeed carcinogenic (well according to the internet). So I'm confused.

"CorrosionX is not Harmful to the Environment

The volatile organic content (usually abbreviated as VOC or VOCs) of CorrosionX is only 4-7%. That's less than 1/10th what is in our competitors products (for example, WD-40 is 76% solvent). That means CorrosionX is many times more gentle on you, your equipment and the environment. In addition, CorrosionX is nontoxic, non-carcinogenic..."

 

[gordon581]

Looks fantastic stuff. As I commute all year by my ebike, this might help me get through the wet winter.

 

[CorrosionX]

Hi
First post here and I will aim to be as informative and helpful as possible.
I'm aware that this may be considered a commercial post, but that's not my intention and we will be happy to follow Pedelec's site rules re sponsorship and commercial interests...

So - great to see that you have discovered CorrosionX and its electrical properties. A couple of points from my quick read of the above

- Carcinogenoc / VOCs etc. This info is governed by the labelling regulations and is of course determined by the content. As such, CorrosionX has no ingredients that need to be labelled as carcinogenic. VOCs as mentioned are very low - CorrosionX is a high-grade oil that we sell to the military and aviation indstries and the product is identical for the retail market. There are no solvents. Pour some CorrosionX into a dish and it will be there months later.

- Electrical properties. One reason it is so good at preventing corrosion, is that it is non-conductive (same dielectric properties as dry air). Rusting is an electrical process that required annode/cathode and a current. CorrosionX prevents this electrolysis....

...so, when sprayed on electronics, it effectively seals moisture out, and because it doesn't evaporate, it will continue to do so until such time as it is washed off...but polar bonding to metal helps increase this timescale.

BUT...please do not get corrosionX on LCDs...we tried it with a mobile phone (and yes, it still rang) and over time the phone still works but the LCD is dead.

I'll answer more questions as they arise

Rob (Director of CorrosionX Ltd)