Silicone Rubber Solvent

Silicone caulk lasts for many years but it does wear out and when it does you need to remove it before you can apply fresh caulk.

Silicone rubber solvent.

Warm to very warm but not hot. A silicone solvent actually digests silicone when a solvent dissolves a solute it breaks the solute into atoms or molecules that can disperse in the solvent. Once these solvents are absorbed into the silicone rubber regardless of the geometry the silicone rubber will expand in size and once it has expanded enough to allow the silicone to easily accept the fitting or rigid part the solvent evaporates and the silicone rubber returns to its original size. Here is the rubber compatibility chart that rates all popular rubber materials that comes into contact with various chemicals.

The cross linked bonds of silicone caulk are too strong to dissolve in this way but some chemicals can cleave the siloxane bonds and break the long polymer chains into smaller molecules. Allow longer contact time for thick layers. The change undergone by silicone rubber in contact with an absorbed solvent is primarily physical. Anyone who has ever done this knows that some household solvents soften silicone caulk but none dissolves it a common removal strategy is to soften the caulk with a generous amount of a softening agent and then cut it off with a knife or pull it off with pliers.

Repeat if necessary until surface is free of gasket material. Combinations of solvent and silicone emulsifier may also be used where the silicone matrix swells from absorbing solvent and allows easier access of silicone emulsifying solutions into silicone. After the solvent has completely evaporated the silicone rubber will return to its original physical properties. To glue silicone rubber.

Wipe material with a clean rag or scrape from surface with permatex saferscraper. Use this rubber chemical resistance chart to make sure that the elastomer or o ring seal you choose will be compatible with the particular environment. Warm both surfaces with a hair dryer or heat gun. Use sandpaper to rough the silicone rubber then clean the surface with a soft cloth.

Among common organic rubbers nitrile rubber and chloroprene rubber have somewhat higher oil resistance at temperatures below 100 c but at higher temperatures silicone rubber is superior. Saturate the silicone rubber with an adhesion promoter for poly s. What remains is the silicone rubber. Silicone rubber has outstanding resistance to oil at high temperatures.

This solvent has been specifically developed to digest silicone deposits through depolymerisation and dissolution leaving a silicone free surface. For example a silicone rubber gasket exposed to certain solvents will swell to form a tighter seal. Remove heavy silicone residue using permatex saferscraper. Spray one of the silicone rubber surfaces with a solvent based activator accelerator aa.

When heat is used to accelerate the chemical breakdown of the silicone properties such as boiling point flash point and heat sensitivity of active. Silicone rubber also has excellent resistance to solvents and other chemicals.