Contact cleaner explained

Contact-cleaner, also known as switch-cleaner, is a term for a chemical, or a mixture of chemicals, intended to remove or prevent the build-up of oxides or other unwanted substances on the conductive surfaces of connectors, switches, and other electronic components with moving surface-contacts, and thus reduce the contact resistance encountered.^{[1] [2] [3]} The use of contact cleaner can help to minimize the wetting current across a pair of contacts.^[4]

An example of a simple contact-cleaner is isopropyl alcohol.^{[5] [2]}

Some contact-cleaners are designed to evaporate completely and rapidly, leaving no residue.^{[6] [7]} Others may contain lubricants.^{[8] [9]} Lubricants themselves should not necessarily be used as contact cleaners, especially if they are designed to leave an unsuitable residue.^[10] However, appropriate lubricants may work well as contact cleaners.^[11]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Boating. 1 August 1971. Google Books.
2. Book: Ronan, Dave. Practical VCR Repair. 17 August 1994. Cengage Learning. Google Books. 0827365837.
3. Web site: Health Devices. 29 August 1983. Emergency Care Research Institute. Google Books.
4. Web site: Down and Dirty with Contact Cleaners. 17 February 2017.
5. Book: CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide: Exams 220-801 and 220-802. Quentin. Docter. Emmett. Dulaney. Toby. Skandier. 17 September 2012. John Wiley & Sons. Google Books. 9781118421659.
6. Web site: Corrosion Prevention and Control. 17 August 1967. Scientific Surveys Limited. Google Books.
7. Web site: Info . nora.nerc.ac.uk .
8. Book: Audiovisual Equipment and Materials: A Basic Repair and Maintenance Manual. Don. Schroeder. Gary. Lare. 17 August 1979. Scarecrow Press. Google Books. 9780810812062.
9. An ounce of prevention can save a pound of audiometer trouble. Steve. Wood. Kristin. Wysmierski. 1 June 2010. The Hearing Journal. 63. 6. 48–49. 10.1097/01.HJ.0000382731.86660.4c. 76365430. free.
10. Book: Greene, Nik. Buying and Maintaining a 126 S-Class Mercedes. 31 March 2017. The Crowood Press. Google Books. 9781785002458.
11. Recovery of severely degraded tin-lead plated connector contacts due to fretting corrosion - IEEE Journals & Magazine. 10.1109/6144.759354. 25403072.