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Thread: Copper and Aluminum Don't Mix

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  1. #21

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    If you feel you're getting true corrosion, as opposed to normal oxidation of aluminum and copper, then I would try some sort of barrier between the two.

    As mentioned, the double-sided thermal tape works pretty well (not as well as thermal compound, but.....).

    Is it possible that your led is inadvertantly grounded to the copper heatsink, via the aluminum star base? that would generate a potential, and vastly increase the likelihood of corrosion between dissimilar metals.

    Any part of your "+" or "-" leads that aren't insulated, touching the aluminum star base, could provide a path for current. You would hope to notice the extra drain, but maybe not.

    The newer Lux rebels are electrically isolated from the star base, but IIRC, the older LuxI, LuxIII, LuxV, etc may very well not have been. That would put the base as a ground path, any touching copper as a ground path, and if some other part of your saber hilt were also grounded, you'd get current flow through the starbase and copper, instead of just through the LED.


    Thoughts to ponder
    Last edited by Arkhan; 08-05-2010 at 11:52 AM. Reason: added comment about older Lux star bases not being isolated from the LED?

    AK-47s and Lightsabers, both so fun to build

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