Conductive grease or paste

[B J]

I  am looking for some  conductive grease or paste of some type.  Thinking about using graphite  ( like you use on door locks, from the automotive parts store ) and mixing with vaseline or regular grease.  Anybody do this, what did you do, what portions, and how did it  work?  I need to conduct less than 30 ma. and some V loss do to R is acceptable.  Surfaces are very uneven and some with very slow movement.  The two surfaces cannot be held together tightly or clamped.   I want to minimize a couple small points doing all the conduction and spread out the conduction path over a larger area.  Overall contact area around 1/8 square inch, or so.     Looking for ideas   ---   Tnx.

[Gyro]

Copper grease (sometimes called anti-seize paste) may be an option. It has good high pressure lubrication properties and high copper content. I've never done any measurements but it did once work well on a crappy car that used the tailgate hinges as a ground return.

[mattselectronics]

Copper grease (sometimes called anti-seize paste) may be an option. It has good high pressure lubrication properties and high copper content. I've never done any measurements but it did once work well on a crappy car that used the tailgate hinges as a ground return.

ant-seize isn't really a lubricant, it very well can act like an abrasive.

[Gregg]

try this:
https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Carbon-Conductive-Grease/dp/B00SMRNSR0

[helius]

ant-seize isn't really a lubricant, it very well can act like an abrasive.

Is that when Formicidae spp. has a grand mal?


But seriously, anti-seize is definitely a lubricant (anything that lowers friction) under high pressures. That the reason that applying it to bolts requires lower torque than a dry bolt to achieve the same preload tension. The problem with anti-seize used as a grease on sliding contacts is that it dries out rather quickly, as it is supposed to!

Conductive greases for electronics are manufactured and might be what the OP needs.

[bob91343]

It might be helpful to polish the two surfaces.  The better the polish, the less grease you need.  I think there is some stuff used by jewelers that is basically silver paste.  It might be what you need.

[mattselectronics]

But seriously, anti-seize is definitely a lubricant (anything that lowers friction) under high pressures. That the reason that applying it to bolts requires lower torque than a dry bolt to achieve the same preload tension. The problem with anti-seize used as a grease on sliding contacts is that it dries out rather quickly, as it is supposed to!

Conductive greases for electronics are manufactured and might be what the OP needs.

OK, you are right it will lower friction on a bolt, that's what it is made for.
But don't use it to on something like a bushing or gears, because they will have dramatically increased wear.

[Lowkus]

Would a thermal paste used on CPU chips work to act as a conductive paste?

[bob91343]

Most thermal paste is nonconductive.  Generally is grease with fine particles of beryllium oxide.

[rsjsouza]

In general thermal compounds are not DC conductive but have enough metal that they can have a small capacitance - thus AC conductive depending on the frequency.

Liquid metal thermal compounds are highly conductive but may not have the viscosity necessary.

Some data at: https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-thermal-paste

[Gyro]

Most thermal paste is nonconductive.  Generally is grease with fine particles of beryllium oxide.

I certainly hope not! 

It's Aluminium oxide.

[helius]

If the beryllia could be guaranteed to stay in the paste, there would be little risk, but thermal paste always seems to dry up and flake off. It's certainly worth keeping an eye out for dry thermal paste on items from the 1960s or 1970s and avoid inhalation.