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Copper and Stainless Steel Galvanic Corrosion?

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JD21

Registered
Joined
Oct 4, 2002
Location
Eugene, OR
Has anyone had experience with 304 Series Stainless and copper blocks in the same loop? I want to make a Mirror Stainless Res (all my pumps submersible at the moment). The charts say it should not be as reactive as Copper and Alum but destroying $100 worth of waterblocks isn't high on my priority list ;)
Anyhow, input appreciated :beer:
 
Stainless steel has proved to be just fine for barbs and other items in contact with fluids. I would recommend using 316 Stainless Steel. It has the best galvanic properties of common stainless steels and is very workable.
 
Moto7451 said:
Stainless steel has proved to be just fine for barbs and other items in contact with fluids. I would recommend using 316 Stainless Steel. It has the best galvanic properties of common stainless steels and is very workable.
Listen to this man! They TYPE of SS is important here.
 
Most outdoor SS structure uses 316. They are also in places known to have high corrosion surroundings. 304 SS is used in more controlled environments like indoor railings, etc. 316 SS being used on structures under the sun and rain and other weathering conditions says a lot about it.
 
Thanks for the info
I was more worried about the corrosion resistance of the copper as opposed to the stainless. I'm familiar with stainless and aluminium (I've been a fabricator for 6 years), I just haven't done a whole lot of work with copper.

304 should be more than adequate for a water cooling system, 316L is typically used in highly corrosive environments like on the coast or in a application where it will come in contact with highly corrosive chemicals such as a laboratories. Our 304 stainless sign has survived 6 years of Willamette Valley rains without a spot on it, along with all the other things we have built out of 304 that have sat outside through the years;)

316L also only comes in a #2 (mill finish) and is typically about 70-80% more expensive than 304. I can get the 304 in a #8 (mirror finish) and its free since we have all sorts of scraps laying around :beer:
 
JD21 said:
Thanks for the info
I was more worried about the corrosion resistance of the copper as opposed to the stainless.

LOL, no one talked about that.......:rolleyes:
 
Free + good enough sounds like good enough reasoning to me :D. Onlinemetals has decent prices on 316.


Personally I'm more of an AUS8 and 8Cr13MoV guy myself (I sell knives so info on stainless steel is kind of important to me :D). Granted, I wouldn't want to use those for watercooling, they react fairly easily compared to Stainless Steels in the 3XX series and are far more expensive, but they make nice sharp knife blades :). 316 makes for an excellent scuba knife though.
 
I would also like to point out to anyone other than the topic starter that if you are considering making anything out of stainless steel that you should rethink your plan because it is an extremely frustrating material to machine.

I completely despise it and would rather work with brass, copper, or one of many plastics.
 
Captain Slug said:
I would also like to point out to anyone other than the topic starter that if you are considering making anything out of stainless steel that you should rethink your plan because it is an extremely frustrating material to machine.

I completely despise it and would rather work with brass, copper, or one of many plastics.
Oh it not that bad, its definitely not as soft and workable as copper, brass or alum. I prefer the way stainless welds as oppose to brass or copper though. I hate the way brass welds, bunch of black crap on your weld and you can really see what your bead looks like. Alum is my favorite to work with soft, forms easy, welds like butter, not really applicable for a water cooling system made mostly copper unfortunately.
Stainless typically doesn't stand up to the 50kpsi water jet and the 200 ton press I use to well though:beer:

Moto7451 said:
Onlinemetals has decent prices on 316.
:eek: Wow! Thats over twice what I pay for 316L from our material suppliers. I buy wholesale but I they shouldn't mark it up that much, thats about 60% more than what we charge our customers retail on a finished product.
 
JD21 said:
Stainless typically doesn't stand up to the 50kpsi water jet and the 200 ton press I use to well though :beer:
You lucky sob...

And yes onlinemetals has crappy prices on most things. Aside from convenience I have no idea why people continue to order from them.
 
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The funny thing is that online metals is based out of Seattle and all the material suppliers we use are out of Seattle WA or Portland OR, so we probably get our material from the same suppliers.
Starting my own online metal buisness is accually quite tempting after see their prices. I could undercut them by quite a large margin and still make a killing :bday:
 
:eek: Wow! Thats over twice what I pay for 316L from our material suppliers. I buy wholesale but I they shouldn't mark it up that much, thats about 60% more than what we charge our customers retail on a finished product.

They keystone it and then some. For small quantities its cheaper than any of the metal supply stores around North Hollywood CA. The closest place to me is Industrial Metal Supply and they have a $100 minimum ;). Also, all of the hardware stores charge an arm and a leg for metal as well. Gotta love LA prices.

I can get stainless steel at wholesale but it's not the right kind or in the proper forms for use in water cooling. What I have access to is applicable for knives and jewelry more than anything else. Getting stuff at wholesale prices is fun isn't it? :D
 
Moto7451 said:
They keystone it and then some. For small quantities its cheaper than any of the metal supply stores around North Hollywood CA. The closest place to me is Industrial Metal Supply and they have a $100 minimum ;). Also, all of the hardware stores charge an arm and a leg for metal as well. Gotta love LA prices.

I can get stainless steel at wholesale but it's not the right kind or in the proper forms for use in water cooling. What I have access to is applicable for knives and jewelry more than anything else. Getting stuff at wholesale prices is fun isn't it? :D
Yeah, I forgot about how bad you get stuck when your getting small quanities. We usually get pretty good prices because we order at least 2K of material a week, beauty of manufacturing I guess. $100 minimums are pretty standard, there is a couple companies around here that have $500 minimums:eek:
 
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