Plenty of discussions about it. I personally recommend using noalox or ox-gard or any of the many brands specifically designed for the problem. Many will disagree or emphatically tell you about silver paint, or very expensive carbon based solutions.
I totally agree.
Sadly noalox and ox-gard aren't available in Thailand, and shipping+ tax will make one tube over $75.
(Not the $4 one, that will be about 22,50, but I doubt it's enough for 160 terminals)
Oxidation of silver isn't a problem.
The conductivity of silver oxidation is close to non oxidized silver.
Copper oxidation isn't a real problem (with copper to copper) sure the oxidation changes the way the electrons behave, 2 oxidated copper (with thight contact) counteract eachother makeing a good contact again.
This is the reason you don't need to clean each strand of wire, but just compressing them is enough.
Aluminium is the bad boy here.
Milliseconds after you cleaned it already oxidises, and after a few minutes that far that it will interfere with the contact.
Covering the terminal contact areas with a little drop of silver paint after cleaning creates a seal, like oxi-guard or noalox.
With the big difference that silver is conducive and noalox/oxi-gard are not. (Di-electric grease)
I agree that different metals is asking for troubles.
Not the trouble I encountered!!!
Best is to use aluminium bus-bar and if you can get, aluminium threaded rods.
With aluminium nuts.
Once you start with different metals..
You are screwed.
Most likely not in the period of installation, but 15-25 years.
Most cells don't have environment that speed up the galvanic corrosion process.
No aviation or salt water.
No huge temperature swings.
304 stainless steel is the most "Neutral" out there, it doesn't get eaten away from galvanic corrosion.
Yes, that makes the aluminium and the copper the sacrifice metal.
Tinning or zinc plated makes that the sacrifice metal.
Inside the aluminium threads?
Zinc plated grub screws get damaged just by being in the box together.
There will be bare metal.
If you don't believe me, place it a few hours in salty water and lay it outside for a few days.
All those rust spots are damaged areas.
At those locations the bare iron have full contact with the aluminium. The zinc surrounding is corroded quickly.
Loctite is a good solution.
Not just because it locks the nut, it also seals the thread.
No oxigen = no galvanic corrosion.
There are many discussions about it.
Most people use the brass bolts they get with the cells.
Or what ever they had available.
I'm yet to see an eaten away thread hole from galvanic corrosion.
That has a real clear signature.
No smooth walls like stripped thread, but uneven.
As long as no one is able to show the galvanic corrosion problem in the thread, it only exist in theory.
Outside the thread, the contact that have air exposure...
Yes, absolutely.
Anyone with a car, that cleaned their lead acid terminals from the white/blue/green powder know what that looks like, lead and copper with probably some acid air., And different temperatures.
That is a whole different story.
304 steel rods with Loctite or Jbweld (or similar Epoxy) are the best.
Applied on the rod, then screwed in.
You can see the Loctite react with the aluminium oxide in the thread.
It turns almost directly black.
Having Loctite on the bottom is useless.