[PLUG] Resolved: Flash Drive went through the wash

[Rodney W. Grimes]

> On 7/6/19 2:27 PM, Galen Seitz wrote:
> > On 7/6/19 2:17 PM, Dick Steffens wrote:
> >> I put a flash drive in a shirt pocket and forgot about it. The shirt 
> >> and the drive went through the washer and dryer. I just tried it and 
> >> it works. (I had already downloaded the contents, so I wasn't worried 
> >> about losing data.)
> >>
> >> The question is, did running it through the dryer right after it ran 
> >> through the washer dry it out enough that it will be okay? Or simply 
> >> because it got wet, and corrosion began, one day it will die?
> >>
> >> Not a big deal. It's an older, smaller flash drive that I don't use 
> >> often. Just an academic question.
> >
> > It's certainly possible that there is still moisture inside.? If you 
> > want to try to preserve it, try burying it in some uncooked rice. 

The better thing to do than trying to absorb
the moisture is do what the industry does,
displace it.  The easiest home displacment
method is simply 94% or better Isopropyl alcohol.

A bath in alcohol gets places the water did and
pushes it out, and then the alcohol itself evaporates
quickly.

This also tends to remove all the residuals that
cause post water exposure corrosion.

> > Alternatively, if you have an electric oven or toaster oven, you could 
> > bake it for an hour or so at 125 degrees.? I wouldn't do this in a gas 
> > oven due to the moisture given off by combustion. OTOH, given the low 
> > cost, I would just recycle it.

Electronic components are rated for storage to 150 deg C,
prebake in circuit fabrication is usually done at 125 deg C
to drive off all moisture before soldering.  The note on
a gas oven is spot on, as your self defeating.

After the alcohol bath room temp usually works
fine if given time

> Sounds like the best plan. As I said, it's old (as these things go), and 
> I wouldn't want to depend on it.
> 
> > Had you intercepted it between the washer and dryer, I might have 
> > recommended an extra rinse to attempt to get any detergent residue out 
> > of it before drying it out.
> 
> Rinse and repeat.

Rinse with proper stuff, then repeat.  I would never recommend
a water bath that is not immediatly followed by an alcohol or
other (industry usually uses Hot Freon TF) bath for any situation.

> 
> Thanks for your analysis.
>
> -- 
> Regards,
> Dick Steffens
-- 
Rod Grimes                                                 rgrimes at freebsd.org