Letter 28129

Removing silicone from parts to be plated  

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How do you remove silicone-based contaminants (e.g., buffing compounds, antifoams, etc) from a metal before plating?

Kevin Keating
plating - Rochester, New York

By going back into the process and making sure they aren't used :-)

To my knowledge there is no good way to remove them. Even electrocleaning won't reliably do it. Either don't recycle the water, or don't use a silicone-based antifoam. I am surprised to learn that silicones are used in buffing compounds because they are poison to painting as well as to plating.

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

I have to remove silicone sealant from a welded metal structure, sandblast to remove existing paint and primer, and and re-coat. Will the silicone sealant contaminate the surface of the structure? Will the residue contaminate the blasting media? Is there anything that can be used to remove any silicone residue?

William Caudle
Metal Fabrication - Harrisburg, North Carolina

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