Cleaning Copper Buss Bars

turn off power

clean bus bars

a lot depends on the voltage, as some cleaning methods with liquids can not be used for higher voltages due to conduction by residual fluids.

It would help if you described the application

I suggest power must be turn off first, you can use compressed air ( but ensure that NO liquid) take also the opportunity to check the tighnest of the buss bar bolts and nuts.

Do NOT use compressed air in enclosures with vented mechanical breakers,
starters, or other sensitive equipment.
A vacuum cleaner will sequester the dust rather than blow it into places
where you would rather not have it settle.
Unless there has been a moisture or condensation problem, or evidence of
local heat, you are probably best advised to leave the joints alone.

WHat if the BUssbar is always contaminated with residue from the ED tank vapor? WHat type of solvent can we use?

IF the BUss bar started to produce squeeky sound , is there any type of grease or lubricant we can use?

How often is cleaning scheduled for the buss bar? Annually? Mechanical cleaning procedures are recommended. De activate the circuit. Remove fasteners. Mechanically remove corrosive film with brass or copper brush. Use no cleaning fluids or corrosive powders. Replace fasteners and washers to recommended torque. Actuate curcuit.

Hold on a minute! This is rediculious. Annual cleaning? You kidding me. Copper corrodes within hours after cleaning. Not annually. Not monthly. Not daily. Consider copper corrosion doubles the electrical Resistance within hours after cleaning. Check the chart for resistance x hours after cleaning. Compare R after 1 week to the R of SS after one year. The R of SS 5 yrs after cleaning is less than the R of copper within hours after cleaning. Conclusion: Use 304 or 316 SS buss bars rather than copper. Use extra large fasteners which reduce the R value immediately to the equal R of small copper fasteners immediately after cleaning. Advantages: Less or equal R immediately. Less R continuously during lifetime. Less cleaning. Less initial cost. Years of life the R of SS with enlarged fasteners is less than the R of a copper with a few hours life.

I can't believe copper remains a viable choice for buss bars.

Quite often copper bus bars are plated for that reason. Sulver can be used.They also use better connection methods with wide area gas tight lugs and washers that squeeze out the air to the point where there is not enough left to make a corrorion fault.

Aluminum is the metal of choice these days for economic reasons. You must use approved joining methods and a special paste for the joints between two aluminum condictors and if you go from aluminum to copper due to the wide difference in the therma rate of expansion between them. No Marr fasteners....they soon start fires.

I agree about plating method. Exposed copper will form Copper Oxide which is insulating substance, black in color and will cause heating in the zone due to increased resistance and some time spark can also form. Gold or Silver plating is a better idea. Perhaps such epoxy can also be used to give coating and then cured at high temperature (250C for few minutes).

Scratch cleaning method is a bad idea as it will again form same layer of copper oxide.

That's a great question for the manufacturer of the equipment containing them. Telephone?

There is enough phosphoric acid in several brands of proprietary cola beverage to effect cleaning.