Anti oxidant for aluminum-grit/no grit

[powerplay]

Grit/no grit... petroleum/non petroleum based... stainless steel /copper/zinc particles.... soo many choices!

I picked up some antioxidant, and noticed it had no Grit but seemed to be an expensive clear petroleum jelly. I was wondering if it was meant to be used on clean new connections? I had read that stainless particles helped hold connections in the Barrel of an Lug? ...seems I need more than one bottle of antioxidant!

Are there any issues using petroleum based with zinc particles on copper to copper connections? My buddy in his Sawmill insisted on applying antioxidant on copper connections to lugs...

Thanks for any feedback

 

[big john]

Is the expensive jelly No Ox ID? Good stuff.

I've spent a lot of time trying to keep electrical connections reliable in harsh environments. I don't have any studies to support this, but my belief is that the primary function of antioxidant paste is to simply make a seal between the conductor and deleterious stuff in the air.

What we commonly use on distribution gear isn't even an electrical paste, Mobilgrease 28 was designed as an aircraft machine grease, but it works great and many OEMs recommend it.

The only thing I really like about No Ox ID specifically is that it is much stickier and more heat resistant which means it lasts longer outdoors.

My opinion is that the metal flake ingredient is mostly voodoo. And I just ran into a job where some genius used copper anti-sieze and it had formed massive solid clumps on the conductor and seriously compromized the integrity of the electrical connection. So I very much don't believe in using pastes like that.