whats the black stuff?

Ive been using Nyogel and still.. whats the black gunk that forms
in the tail cap threads??? aluminum oxidation? or just discoloration of the lube?? do all lubes do this ?

It's aluminum and aluminum oxide particles, the surfaces wear causing small amounts of metal to be scraped off the mating surfaces, turns the lube black. Same thing in cars and transmission.

Or possibly chemical reaction ?

Oxidization is a chemical reaction.

Yes ........... I have that in my Lungs ... :mecry:

Saint_Dogbert said:

Oxidization is a chemical reaction.

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Oxidation is a chemical reaction, but I think TooManyGizmos was suggesting that the lubricant itself was reacting chemically with the aluminum. Any aluminum oxide particles in the lubricant would likely have been created either from bare aluminum threads reacting with the air, or simply from worn off anodizing.

So no, I doubt that there is any chemical reaction occurring between the threads and the lubricant. Lubricants are generally designed not to react with the things they are supposed to lubricate.

I have the same issue with Nyogel. I cleaned the threads well on one of my lights last night, lubed it up, and used it for a little while. Removed the head, and all the lube was black again. Not sure if it's that particular lube, or it happens with others. It's all I've ever used....

Mjolnir said:

Oxidation is a chemical reaction, but I think TooManyGizmos was suggesting that the lubricant itself was reacting chemically with the aluminum. Any aluminum oxide particles in the lubricant would likely have been created either from bare aluminum threads reacting with the air, or simply from worn off anodizing.

So no, I doubt that there is any chemical reaction occurring between the threads and the lubricant. Lubricants are generally designed not to react with the things they are supposed to lubricate.

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Yes ...... but it just SEEMS that it turns black in a couple months , even if you barely/if any, use the light .

That's whats hard to understand when it's black . (maybe it's the electricity passing thru the threads ?)
.

I have also noticed this on the unanodized head threads on my T10L. The lubricant is now a dark grey color, even though it was originally clear. I don't see this happening to the same extent on the tailcap threads, which are hard anodized, which would lead me to believe that it is small aluminum particles wearing off.

Don't know what it is but it's there on my Ti lights too. Using Nyogel 760G. Just got some of Tekno_Cowboy's magic stuff (GPL 203) and I'll see how that performs over time. It is specifically labeled "anti-oxidation grease" so perhaps it is oxidation that causes some of this.

There's a huge everything you wanted to know about lube thread out there somewhere. Might have some answers.

da.gee said:

There's a huge everything you wanted to know about lube thread out there somewhere. Might have some answers.

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It's this thread: Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread. It's a sticky at the top of this forum! But for some reason as soon as you make something a sticky, people seem to stop reading it.

Thank you very much to all for your replies... and based on them and the
big sticky {which btw ive read prior to posting the inquiry and which so far has not addresed this black gunk issue} Im gonna clean and re-lube again..this time 1st degrease 2nd Deoxit red 3rd Deoxit gold and finally
No-ox-id special A coz I get a feeling that nyogel turns into an oxidant when eletrical current is present but thats just me.:duh2:

Jvalera said:

the big sticky {which btw ive read prior to posting the inquiry and which so far has not addresed this black gunk issue}

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Posts 140, 174, 176, 177, plus a couple of Lux's detailed posts in that thread deal with the dark greyish paste that quickly forms on aluminum threads when using some silicone greases. The going theory (also written about in that thread) seems to be that it is suspended aluminum oxide powder from the alumimum thread surfaces. I do not understand why this type of lube (silicone grease) would have a propensity to cause this behavior - the aluminum oxide coating on the aluminum threads should not be removed so easily. :shrug:

I do not know for sure what it is but I do know for sure that I do not like it.

Edit: BTW, why are we discussing what is obviously a lube issue outside of the Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread that da.gee and DM51 cited?

Jvalera said:

black gunk

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Kestrel said:

I don't know for sure what it is but I do know for sure that I do not like it.

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LOL!

DM51 said:

It's this thread: Comprehensive Grease and Lube Thread. It's a sticky at the top of this forum! But for some reason as soon as you make something a sticky, people seem to stop reading it.

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:lolsign: