Nov 1, 2012, 7:53 PM
Post #6 of 11
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Re: [theonlyski] Cleaning hot glue from webbing
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Windex, and the round end of your 6-inch ruler.
Mark
Isopropanol, 2-Butoxyethanol, Ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, water, fragrance and blue dye, ~ the older stuff has amonia.
That sounds like solvents, isn't that rough on nylon?
I've heard several experienced riggers say they would/do use windex to clean a rig.
Not MY rigger!
From the msds~ Glycol ethers are primarily used as formulation solvents in cleaning fluids, paints, coatings, and inks. Ethylene glycol monohexyl ether has excellent oil solubility characteristics that make it useful in both consumer (household) and industrial cleaner applications.
It's an oil solvent...guess what nylon is made from?
When we use to wrap the 777 engine rings with Kevlar there was a list of things that couldn't be in the shop...windex was like number 3.
(This post was edited by airtwardo on Nov 1, 2012, 8:00 PM)
Nov 2, 2012, 7:43 AM
Post #10 of 11
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Re: [airtwardo] Cleaning hot glue from webbing
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Isopropanol, 2-Butoxyethanol, Ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, water, fragrance and blue dye, ~ the older stuff has amonia.
That sounds like solvents, isn't that rough on nylon?
In reply to:
From the msds~ Glycol ethers are primarily used as formulation solvents in cleaning fluids, paints, coatings, and inks. Ethylene glycol monohexyl ether has excellent oil solubility characteristics that make it useful in both consumer (household) and industrial cleaner applications.
It's an oil solvent...guess what nylon is made from?
Thanks for your reply. It's been fun reading up on polymer chemistry!
What is the plastic bottle made from?
Just because something is a solvent doesn't mean it dissolves everything. Water is a solvent, for example. It dissolves stuff like salt and sugar.
Poynter suggests using alcohol or lighter fluid to clean oil or grease contamination from nylon, and they work precisely because they are oil solvents. Poynter says further, "Hydrocarbons are not generally injurious to nylon."
Windex or other cleaners might attack the coatings on the nylon materials we use, which may affect permeability or UV resistance. That's usually not an issue with webbing or cordura, especially where hot glue needs to be removed.
I'd be more concerned about mechanical methods of removing glue.
Nov 2, 2012, 9:12 AM
Post #11 of 11
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Re: [mark] Cleaning hot glue from webbing
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Windex or other cleaners might attack the coatings on the nylon materials we use, which may affect permeability or UV resistance. That's usually not an issue with webbing or cordura, especially where hot glue needs to be removed.
I'd be more concerned about mechanical methods of removing glue.
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That's why you never use Windex on sunglasses...it removes the UV coating.
' using alcohol or lighter fluid to clean oil or grease contamination from nylon, and they work precisely because they are oil solvents '
~They do... They are also fast evaporators that leave 'almost' no residue.
Not so with Windex, spray it & alcohol on a white cloth and the difference is obvious.
It's in a plastic 'Windex' bottle because it's cheaper to do so, that & the solvents are somewhat diluted. Ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether in a non-diluted state has to be kept in steel or copper IIRC. It eats through plastic & rubber pretty quick.
I may be overly cautious but when I was building airplane & rocket parts there were strict protocols regarding what the plastics & nylons could be exposed to.
You're right on the mechanical damage, we couldn't wear rings or watches when fabrication with nylon. ANY evidence of cut fibers was a 'defect in manufacturing' on our part.
That's why for glue over-run a couple of freezer packs would be used an ya had to make sure you 'broke' the bead of glue away from the fibers.
Bottom line~ using Windex on a rig probably won't make it un-jumpable. But there ARE chemicals & dye in it that should at the very least be considered when using it...when other options are available why not use them instead?
