I took apart a UPS, and the PCB, including a significant portion of the components on it are coated with some kind of clear and shiny lacquer. This is nice for some things, but now I can't read the markings on the chips. What kind of cleaner is best to clean the coating from the chips?
TIA, aur
i'm sure this will work
but i'm also sure it'll be toxic as hell so be sure to use it in a well ventelated area or outdoors
The clear coating is called conformal coating. I guess you've found out that there are different kinds of conformal coatings, silicone and urathanes. I have used Zip-Strip, a paint stripper, and it 'does not' remove any markings from the IC's. The conformal coating bubbles up. Use running water to wash the board off.
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