[sdiy] Storing ICs

[Scott Gravenhorst]

Seb Francis <seb at burnit.co.uk> wrote:
>Is it really that bad to store ICs in conductive foam?  I have hundreds 
>of ICs stored this way - it's just so convenient to see at a glance what 
>you've got.
>
>I've never noticed any problem of corrosion or deposit on the ICs, but 
>then again perhaps I'm too young to have experienced this (I've only 
>been doing electronics for a few years).
>
>How long does it take for conductive foam to degrade and start causing 
>these kind of problems?

In my case, it was many years, probably more than 10.

>And are there different types of conductive foam?  

Yes, I had problems with the black stuff, but I've had no problems with the pink.

>Some seem more firm, 
>while others seem softer and more prone to disintegrate.
>
>Seb
>
>
>

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