Where to get foam for ICs?

[seventhson]

Hi, I have a lot of ICs, like thousands, and am looking for a place to buy some foam to stick them in. I got some on Amazon where a lot of the reviews mentioned using it to store ICs, but it is very expensive, and also it seems to be too thin for the chips.

Does anyone know where I can buy foam of sufficient quality (from reading some reviews on other listings people were complaining their chips were corroded while in the foam), and which also is as cheap as possible?

Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks

 

[granddad]

I had some from uk ebay , It was useless because it was too soft.ic didn't stick into it.

 

[ZipZapOuch]

Hi, I have a lot of ICs, like thousands, and am looking for a place to buy some foam to stick them in. I got some on Amazon where a lot of the reviews mentioned using it to store ICs, but it is very expensive, and also it seems to be too thin for the chips.

Does anyone know where I can buy foam of sufficient quality (from reading some reviews on other listings people were complaining their chips were corroded while in the foam), and which also is as cheap as possible?

Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks

Some of the cheap foams start to decompose and stick to the leads of the IC. If you have "thousands", most will never be used in your lifetime. Definitely not worth a big investment to store them. Simple logic chips will not likely get used as you will soon get bored with making large boards with many connections and ICs will be replaced with a single microcontroller, smaller board, and simpler design.

If they are op amps, bipolar op amps aren't so sensitive.

If the chips have been stored for years like this, not much point to revive them with better storage conditions. Either they are already dead or they are quite durable. I wouldn't waste my time or money on foam.

 

[Papabravo]

Some of the cheap foams start to decompose and stick to the leads of the IC. If you have "thousands", most will never be used in your lifetime. Definitely not worth a big investment to store them. Simple logic chips will not likely get used as you will soon get bored with making large boards with many connections and ICs will be replaced with a single microcontroller, smaller board, and simpler design.

If they are op amps, bipolar op amps aren't so sensitive.

If the chips have been stored for years like this, not much point to revive them with better storage conditions. Either they are already dead or they are quite durable. I wouldn't waste my time or money on foam.

I second this. I just threw away large numbers of MSI IC's that were stuck to the foam having sat idle for 25-30 years. The foam is just a big mess when it decomposes. Store them in A-channel tube and replace the rubber stoppers every 5-7 years.

 

[seventhson]

Some of the cheap foams start to decompose and stick to the leads of the IC. If you have "thousands", most will never be used in your lifetime. Definitely not worth a big investment to store them. Simple logic chips will not likely get used as you will soon get bored with making large boards with many connections and ICs will be replaced with a single microcontroller, smaller board, and simpler design.

If they are op amps, bipolar op amps aren't so sensitive.

If the chips have been stored for years like this, not much point to revive them with better storage conditions. Either they are already dead or they are quite durable. I wouldn't waste my time or money on foam.

Yeah, I'm planning to sell these, but figured it will take quite a while, so wanted a safe way to store them (and ship them).

They have quite a bit of value.

As far as how they've been stored, some of them were in plastic tubes, and some just in antistatic baggies, a few just in foam. I don't see any corrosion or other damage from the inspection I did.

 

[seventhson]

I second this. I just threw away large numbers of MSI IC's that were stuck to the foam having sat idle for 25-30 years. The foam is just a big mess when it decomposes. Store them in A-channel tube and replace the rubber stoppers every 5-7 years.

Where do you buy the tube? And also, how can I tell what size tube I would need, as a lot of the chips are quite different sizes.

That's why I chose foam to start with. I couldn't find any of that tube for sale, and foam just seemed the easier route.

 

[Lightium]

Web search "antistatic ic tubes".

Anti-Static Plastic IC Shipping Tubes Foam Trays Aluminum Rails — Big Valley Packaging Corporation

Anti-static plastic ic tubes shipping storage integrated circuits holder semiconductor packaging chips dip soic qfn mlf lpcc ssop dip socket plcc ESD clear black conductive rubber plugs end pins pullers antis-static pink black foam stuffers aluminum rails

bigvalleypackaging.com

 

[ZipZapOuch]

Yeah, I'm planning to sell these, but figured it will take quite a while, so wanted a safe way to store them (and ship them).

They have quite a bit of value.

As far as how they've been stored, some of them were in plastic tubes, and some just in antistatic baggies, a few just in foam. I don't see any corrosion or other damage from the inspection I did.

How do you plan to sell them? One by one, tube by tube or would you consider a bulk sale? Are they just standard logic gates or unusual but valuable chips or odd-ball chips?

 

[seventhson]

How do you plan to sell them? One by one, tube by tube or would you consider a bulk sale? Are they just standard logic gates or unusual but valuable chips or odd-ball chips?

I was planning on selling in quantities of between 1-10, depending on the value of the chips. I'd consider a bulk sale. I really don't know much about them, but almost all of them had recent sales for as little as .50 each to as much as $100/each or more. They are brands like Intel, Texas instruments, Motorola, AMD, National etc...

How do you plan to sell them? One by one, tube by tube or would you consider a bulk sale? Are they just standard logic gates or unusual but valuable chips or odd-ball chips?

 

[ZipZapOuch]

Do you have an inventory list? Some are the worth the cost/risk of postage. I'd be interested in what you have. Also, there is a guy on another site that brokers old chips. He's an older guy that makes packaging small quantities of chips his full time job. Packing up 10 chips and mailing them for a $5 is hardly worth the time for most people. Post your list and I can help you get an offer.

 

[seventhson]

I already sell full time, so the small dollar value stuff has value to me as more of a loss leader, and to increase feedback numbers, and other sales metrics.

I'll message you the list though.