Why solvent and a rag will not remove all of the thermal grease from your HS.

[The masterless newbie]

dimmreaper (Mar 16, 2001 08:32 a.m.):
Nevin-

When I mix toilet bowl cleaner and zincoxcide based thermal compound it bubbles and pops and fizzes. Do you think this reaction is taking place because of zincoxcide or the silicone. I'm just curious. How much more/less effective do you think acid based solvents are in comparison to non-acidic alcohol or degreaser based solvents?

I 'd think it's the zincoxide. Silicone isn't as reactive as zincoxide. Silicone is used to make glass, which is used widely in laboratories because of its chemical inertness (is that a word?). Besides, breaking the bonds between zinc and oxygen would probably evolve oxygen gas. Even if the silicone was polyatomic, splitting that molecule would probably give you solids, thus no fizzing would occur. This is especially so since toilet bowl cleaner is probably basic, since most cleaning chemicals are. (Just an assumption.) I don't think silicone would dissolve under non-acidic conditions. Ok.. enough of my nerdy science rant...

-RoninX74

 

[asmodean]

Why don't you guys try mixing HCl with HNO3 in 3:1? That will dissolve almost anything, including gold.