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Which chemical can I clean my old motherboard with, whose electronics components chips pins like ICs capacitor transistors diodes have dust stocked their color has been changed to black yellowish reddish?

I had cleaned the motherboard with isopropyl and dried it. Some major parts of PCB dust were removed but some dust stuck on pins did not get removed.

After cleaning I gave to the technician for repairing as after cleaning drying the boards were getting power CPU SMPS fans were moving but not giving displays and give fluctuating errors on debug card so technician told me to clean pins also.

chip picture ic picture

chip ic picture 2

transistors dusted picture 1

capacitor dusted picture

PCB dust stuck cleaning

Diodes board dust stucked

Attaching images for showing the pins hope you can find what it's technically termed or called, maybe corrosion of pins.

Saw in YouTube video to clean with detergent and tap water but for years I have heard from people that electronic parts, especially mobile laptops, should not come or wet in contact with water.

Will water and detergent powder and drying in the sun (as I don't have a hot gun or hair dryer to dry it) be safe to electronic PCB, as moisture has stuck the dust to circuit previously also will washing with water detergent work?

Have googled and funded about contact cleaners will it be OK for cleaning pins if IC chips transistors

As some boards are expensive I don't want to throw or scrap them kindly tell me how to get rid of dust moisture.

Waiting for technicians experts advice for cleaning pins dust moisture.

I request moderators and users not to flag or declare question duplicate elaborate or out of the topic or out of focus as it is within topic electric circuits PCB related and I tried to be specific brief with appropriate details of problems I need to some expert advice from experts and technicians engineers professionals and users.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I request moderators and users not to flag... The rules are there and clear, if your question doesn't fit those rules then it will be flagged. By asking not to do that you're sort of admitting that your question isn't according to the rules. Google: Ultrasonic PCB cleaning, that's what the professionals do. The amount of oxidation on these boards might be too much to be able to remove though. \$\endgroup\$ Feb 25, 2020 at 7:54
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    \$\begingroup\$ That's not just dust. There's rust on steel parts. There's corrosion on the soldered joints. There's yellowish stuff that's probably from cigarette (or other tobacco) smoke. There's bent pins, so it's been physically mistreated - possibility of cracked tracks or parts on the board. Goodness knows what the underside of the processor looks like, or the big BGA chip under the heatsink. \$\endgroup\$
    – JRE
    Feb 25, 2020 at 13:10
  • \$\begingroup\$ @JRE if you know kindly tell me some solution chemical or contact cleaner to clean RUST corrosion of steel parts and soldered joints ( I have cleaned big BGA chip south bridge and norrhbridge under heatsink with isopropyle and under CPU locks also all those are well and tracks and PCB are good condition) problem is with rust and corrosion on solder joints pins and steel parts kindly help me with your esteemed advice suggestions as pee your expeeeince for cleaning them \$\endgroup\$ Feb 25, 2020 at 14:09
  • \$\begingroup\$ Reliably cleaning this calibre of board will cost more than replacing it. If it is a mission critical embedded board for an expensive machine have professionals in water (flood, fire sprinklers) damage offer you a quote. If it can be replaced with modern equivalent that would be most reliable solution. Ultrasonic cleaning is your first step if you want to continue. \$\endgroup\$
    – KalleMP
    Feb 25, 2020 at 14:50

2 Answers 2

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See the grunge on the parts next to the BGA chip under the heatsink?

enter image description here

There will be similar grunge under the BGA chip, between the balls. The only way that will work reliably again is to remove the chip, clean the pads, re-ball the BGA, and reinstall it.

That's going to be a difficult task. If you can't do that, there's no point in cleaning up the rest of the board.

If you can't remove, re-ball, and reinstall BGA parts, then this board is scrap.


That "grunge" is corrosion.

It causes poor connections in places where you should have good connections.

It also causes poor connections in places where you should have no connections.

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I have tried quiet a few times just the clear and alcoholic hand sanitizer. try to find high alcohol content one. I know its not approved but it worked for me.. and use a tooth brush or use thin fiber small paint brush with it. let it totally dry before plugging. I use hair dryer for it. Please try it on something you wouldn't mind losing if it doesn't work.

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