sound damping material on hard drive

[Armogor]

Hey

I was installing a Spire Soundpad noise absorber pad in my case and I accidentally got some on the pcb on the underside of my harddrive.

is this okay or do I need to somehow get it off before I turn on the pc again ?

thanks

[KayDat]

Is the stuff conductive? From a quick Google, it looks like some sort of foam or butyl rubber, so I'd say, probably not conductive. So it's probably safe. No guarantees though.

[Arbutus]

Black colored things are often colored with carbon and are therefore conductive. Be safe and remove the foam on your HD.

[Armogor]

What should I use to get it off without damaging the pcb?
The pad only brushed slightly against the pcb so there's mostly adhesive left on it.

[KayDat]

Give us a photo. Hard to say just from your description.

[Armogor]

here's a photo

[Arbutus]

If it does not rub off with your finger then it will probably come off with a soft white pencil eraser.

[dancingsnails]

If you need to, you can clean it with isopropyl alcohol. It's often used for removing flux from pcb boards. Just be sure and use anhydrous.

[KayDat]

If it does not rub off with your finger then it will probably come off with a soft white pencil eraser.

Err, I'd be wary of using an eraser on a circuit board, wouldn't the friction from the rubber cause static buildup?

[Arbutus]

If it does not rub off with your finger then it will probably come off with a soft white pencil eraser.

Err, I'd be wary of using an eraser on a circuit board, wouldn't the friction from the rubber cause static buildup?

Static won't build up because the eraser, black foam and human body are conductive and will drain away the electrons and thus prevent a charge building up to dangerous levels.

NOTE: As always, insure that the chassis and you are at a equal electrical potential before touching any electrical components in the chassis.

[jhhoffma]

Rubber and foam are conductive?

I never knew...

I'd double-check those "facts" before repeating them. There's a reason rubber was/is used as an isolator. And unless you know what the foam is made out of, I wouldn't guess that it's conductive. As a manufacturer of synthetic goods, I know for a fact that most materials with low water content are highly susceptible to static buildup, and most manufacturers use methods to discharge the static as it can be very dangerous.

Of course, conductivity is relative to the voltage the current possesses. A lightning bolt will make any material "conductive" for a bit...

[dancingsnails]

Personally, I'd pick it off with my fingers (grounding myself first, to one extent or another, depending on the humidity), then I'd clean it with isopropyl alcohol and a cue-tip.

[Armogor]

I turned it on and it worked with that gunk still on the pcb, thanks for the help.

[Myth!]

...but is the drive quieter?