Super Lube Grease with PTFE and Degreasing

[ralphbsz]

Just now I was cleaning up and came across the jar. No grease lump. None at all. Gone. So this stuff does appear to dissolve in kerosene over time.

Cool. I would not have expected that, since it is basically a heavy silicone oil (with binders to bulk it up and make it stiff), which usually don't like to mix with carbon-based oils.

The good news: If you had taken a Corning-grease-polluted piece of brass, and soaked it in kerosene for a week, the thin film of silicone grease would now be in solution. You could rinse and wash it off with a lot more kerosene, leaving only an oil-polluted surface. And we know how to get rid of oils (for example for refinishing), because there are water-based degreasers for those. And I think floating in oil for a week wouldn't harm the brass at all.

In full disclosure and the interests of science: the glass jar had previously contained herring in cream sauce, but had been thoroughly cleaned prior to this experiment. So we can safely dismiss the effect of the herring or cream sauce on the outcome.

Delicious. I love herring, either sour or in cream sauce. Wouldn't want to pollute the herring with silicone oil.

[ghmerrill]

The good news: If you had taken a Corning-grease-polluted piece of brass, and soaked it in kerosene for a week, the thin film of silicone grease would now be in solution. You could rinse and wash it off with a lot more kerosene, leaving only an oil-polluted surface. And we know how to get rid of oils (for example for refinishing), because there are water-based degreasers for those. And I think floating in oil for a week wouldn't harm the brass at all.

Yeah, I'm a little surprised myself -- though the spec sheet does suggest that the grease is "dispersed" in kerosene. I'm thinking that maybe this creates a kind of "suspension". However, it does appear to mean that as a last resort in getting this off your valves and tubes, letting them sit in kerosene (or letting the kerosene sit in them) would effectively remove it. Similarly, I suppose, for some of the other solvents mentioned in the spec sheet.

I'm still curious what platers (like Anderson) do to remove silicone from the surfaces they deal with (and they must encounter this on a fairly regular basis). Maybe I'll just ask them.

[ghmerrill]

Impressive.

"Better living through chemistry" (~ 1935) -> "The miracles of science" (~ 1999)

[Dan Schultz]

Folks have wondered why I don't do any lacquering. It's simply because it's darned near impossible to get a surface clean with what's currently available.

I remember years ago I was involved in some of the very early experiments with 'Ink Jet Printing' on metals parts. Even the most sophisticated cleaners of thirty years ago still left residue behind in the form of chlorides, etc.

Then there was (is) the ongoing problem with automotive finishes 'fish-eyeing' because of silicone residue. Funny that the problem is cured by adding silicone to the paint!

[eupher61]

I've gotten it at True Value and Ace. Your "local" stores seem more likely to carry it than the chains.