What's the best way to store thermal paste for long-term stability?

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XacTactX

Supreme [H]ardness
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So I just bought a large 25g tube of AS Ceramique 2. This makes my TIM collection go up to four. I'm becoming concerned about the long-term quality of my paste. I'd like it to last as long as possible so that I can get my money's worth out of it.

I know that storing an item generally involves several factors, such as:

  1. Temperature.
  2. Humidity.
  3. Exposure to light.
  4. Frequency and magnitude of fluctuations in the above variables.

So what is the ideal for thermal paste?
 
bump if anyone here has ever read anything about this specific topic please be a pal and drop a link. It will help all of us to reduce waste and keep our good thermal paste longer.

Thank you. :)
 
Put it in a your closet or box of screws and be done with it. Beyond the obvious like leaving it in your car during a sweltering summer, there's not much you can do. They ship in their own tube with a cap, and it's quite thick so it won't be leaking. It's $5, don't try to skimp out when applying it to a $200 CPU, don't even skimp if it was a used $50 CPU.
 
FrostBite said:
Put it in a your closet or box of screws and be done with it. Beyond the obvious like leaving it in your car during a sweltering summer, there's not much you can do. They ship in their own tube with a cap, and it's quite thick so it won't be leaking. It's $5, don't try to skimp out when applying it to a $200 CPU, don't even skimp if it was a used $50 CPU.
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OK but I think it is more of less a fact that a paste can become dry and brittle, which only happens when its shelf life has expired. If there is a way to make your paste last longer and it simply involved storing it in a different place or inside of cheap plastic containers then I really think it's not a bad idea. I'm going to have half a dozen different pastes once my small tube of MX-2 arrives in a few days. It benefits me to take care of it.

Shlockey said:
If you really want to be sure it doesn't dry out, vacuum seal it in a bag or jar.
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Thanks, this is a great idea. I'll put all the paste into a Zip-Loc bag and then put the bag inside of a plastic container. That should be enough to make sure that the air isn't being cycled much, or hopefully at all as long as my Zip-Loc and plastic container stay air-tight.
 
1) Don't buy so frickin much of it if you're concerned about storing it.
2) I've had my AS5 for probably close a decade and it still works fine. I just keep it in a drawer in my "kit" (a giant tackle box with computer shit in it).
 
Cruiza said:
1) Don't buy so frickin much of it if you're concerned about storing it.
2) I've had my AS5 for probably close a decade and it still works fine. I just keep it in a drawer in my "kit" (a giant tackle box with computer shit in it).
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This was my experience with AS5 my last and first syringe of it lasted 8 years. Shin-Etsu IME can dry out a bit when stored in ambient household environs, though it didn't seem to hurt the performance just changes the visible consistency of it.
 
LOL no one seems to have a technical knowledge about my question. Half of the responses so far have been in the "don't bother" to "you shouldn't have" range. I've bought more paste than I know what to do with and I want to get my money's worth out of it, please advise me on how to store it.

Could I keep it in the fridge?
 
Dude, read what I typed. Put it in a frickin drawer and be done with it.
 
XacTactX said:
LOL no one seems to have a technical knowledge about my question. Half of the responses so far have been in the "don't bother" to "you shouldn't have" range. I've bought more paste than I know what to do with and I want to get my money's worth out of it, please advise me on how to store it.

Could I keep it in the fridge?
Click to expand...

For ASC2, the Arctic Silver recommend storing the syringes tip down, in a cool environment like a fridge to minimize any separation over time.
 
I agree with keeping it in a zip-loc bag, and not worrying about it. It would take several years for it to dry out to the point of un-usability, that way.
 
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