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what sort of Alcohol to use when removing old thermal heatsink compound?

D

Detoyminador_

Senior member
silly question i know. when they say to use Alcohol to remove old thermal paste, what type of alcohol do they mean? ordinary or a special type? or can someone recommend a better substance to remove the paste.
 
Denatured alcohol will remove the paste without affecting the finish on the heatsink, and will easily wipe clean when you are done. (That's basically just regular rubbing alcohol..)
 
Denatured alcohol & isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) are not the same thing. Denatured alcohol is MUCH more wicked than your OTC isopropyl alcohol.

Viper GTS
 
Personally, I've used both denatured & rubbing alcohol- little more "elbow grease" for rubbing alcohol IMO

It really doesn't make much difference IMO, just as long as you can't drink it! (that's a waste!)
 
- little more "elbow grease" for rubbing alcohol IMO

Not terribly surprising, considering that rubbing alcohol is usually diluted to between 5 & 7% alcohol.

Viper GTS
 
Damn Viper, where do you get your isopropyl alcohol? 😉

The "normal" over the counter stuff is 70% alcohol(hmm, or is it 75%?) by volume. That's like 150 proof. 🙂 You can also get 99% isopropyl alcohol for a little more $$.


LOL, We use 200 proof denatured alcohol at work. I don't think it would harm the finish of a heatsink. I could try it sometime. Hell, xylene doesen't even take the finish off. And that's much more wicked than the alcohols. 🙂

I use carb cleaner. It has all kinds of nasty solvents in it, like toulene, and xylene, dont have the can so I cant lookene..

Heh.. 🙂

 
I use goo gone and then finish off with isopropyl alcohol. Works like a charm. Others have suggested goo gone as well.
 
Heh, we have some goo-gone. No point in using it, then alcohol, though. It leaves a nasty film that the alcohol just has to take off. Might as well just use the straight alcohol.

I like using the 99% isopropyl alcohol, because sometimes there can be water left over when it evaporates with the 70% stuff.
 
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