Removing Epoxy 7

[TJK1]

What are the best ways to remove hardened epoxy from metal parts? We have hundreds of small metal parts that have two halves epoxied together. We need to take them apart. We do not want to destroy them because we eventually will have to epoxy them back together again. I do not know what the metal is. Is there a solvent that would work?

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

We use Dynasolve from

http://dynaloy.com/Products/epoxy_products.html

 

[SomptingGuy]

Get it hot and peel it off.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7540859385266763555

- Steve

 

[Timelord]

LN2 works well also, if your part can stand the temp.

Timelord

 

[unclesyd]

If this is an ongoing process you need to investigate a small Pyrolysis Furnace if the parts can stand the heat, 800F for short periods. These people have some fairly small one and there are laboratory models available from other suppliers. Just put the parts in the oven, hit the switch and comeback in 4-6 hours.

We operate 9 of these cleaning ovens/furnaces cleaning all sort of polymers and paints with the exception of chlorinated materials.

http://www.pcpconline.com/index.html

 

[ScottyUK]

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride) will cause epoxy to swell and eventually turn to mush. Dimethylforamide, or DMF, is another shocker of a chemical we used to keep for the problem jobs which laughed at the dichloromethane. It is aggressive to epoxy and most other organic materials.

Both chemicals are suspected carcinogens. I was told by the plant chemist to make sure the two chemicals did not come into contact or bad things would result. It's a long time ago and I don't recall what 'bad things' entailed.

You might get a better answer in forum135.


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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[Eltron]

Yeah, I've had the best luck burning it off on a furnace when the parts can stand the heat.

Dan

http://www.eltronresearch.com

Dan's Blog

 

[unclesyd]

Depending on the quanity of parts and frequency of cleaning here is the laboratory version of a Pyrolysis Oven.
Just remember that you can do one part in larger oven while the smaller one maybe limiting.
I would also check around as there are quite a number of these ovens in service and being inexpensive to operate the charge for

http://www.thermo.com/com/cda/product/detail/0,1055,10133787,00.html

 

[ScottyUK]

An ultrasonic bath cleaner, ideally heated, would be a useful piece of equipment to obtain if you go the solvent route. Consider fume / vapour handling and proper ventilation.

If the geometry of these metal parts has resulted in a thin glue line and a relatively large adhesion area then the thermal methods may be more effective than solvent due to the small available area for the solvent to attack. Epoxy tends to char rather than melt. If you can afford to trade time against temperature then 300[°]C may be high enough to break down the epoxy.


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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[CoryPad]

Rather than pyrolysis, which results in high temperatures and is limited to high melting point metals, you can use plasma to remove organic coatings from metals (even aluminium). The devices are sometimes called ashers, or plasma etchers.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Dynamite??

 

[Timelord]

I have to repeat, dip the part in LN2 and they it fall apart instantly and the epoxy should fall off both halves. No waiting for solvent difusion into a joint and no discolloration due to heat. Since the parts are identified as metal they should be able to take the temp easily. Simple and quick. Plus LN2 is not much more costly than gasoline was 2 months ago.

Timelord