Author Topic: beginner solar question  (Read 10953 times)

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Offline ksouers

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Re: beginner solar question
« Reply #15 on: June 12, 2012, 05:26:15 am »
...what's up with the vinegar smell that many silicons have?  makes me sneeze every time! 
adam

The vinegar smell is the acid, it's acetic acid.


Kevin
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Offline dang

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Re: beginner solar question
« Reply #16 on: June 12, 2012, 09:07:19 am »
Easiest consumer grade silicone(s) to find that are 99.95% inert during/after curing are aquarium glue/sealants.
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Offline Wolvenar

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Re: beginner solar question
« Reply #17 on: June 12, 2012, 12:57:54 pm »
Many automotive gasket silicones are also either very low acid or no acid. ( still not aquarium grade however)
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Offline rossw

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Re: beginner solar question
« Reply #18 on: June 12, 2012, 05:22:06 pm »
Easiest consumer grade silicone(s) to find that are 99.95% inert during/after curing are aquarium glue/sealants.

Inert *after* cure I'd agree with, but unless your silicone is very different to the stuff we have here - not during.
One of my best mates was a glazier for 25 years, and made more than his share of aquariums - and said that the only decent stuff that actually stuck to the glass properly, long-term, was the acid cure. Until recently, all the neutral cure stuff also goes "foggy" and never really stays clear.

Whatever stuff you get, get the materials spec for it. Unless it specifically states it's neutral cure, don't use it on electronics stuff, or on metal - especially in enclosed spaces with exposed metal of just about any type!

Offline birdhouse

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Re: beginner solar question
« Reply #19 on: June 13, 2012, 10:43:37 pm »
bought a tube of DAP 3.0 "advanced kitchen and bath adhesive caulk"  clear

on the label, it has a caution of off gassing methanol. 

i read the labels of many other silicons, and they mentioned acetic acid.  DAP 3.0 had no mention of acetic acid. 

is methanol bad for electrical connections?  i may just clean and tape them before potting??

adam


Offline bj

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Re: beginner solar question
« Reply #20 on: June 14, 2012, 07:01:59 am »
  I know from other applications that methanol is bad around aluminum, zinc die cast stuff.  But have no
real world experience with other metals.
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