adam cyphers Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 so...long story short im a glazier.....I recently bought one of those plastic cases with the different screwdriver bits.well the plastic trays wouldnt stay in so i globbed a bunch of clear silicone caulking on the back since theres so much around the glass shop and it was close at hand.closed the case and kinda forgot about it for awhile.next time i opened the case my once new shiny steel bits are coverd in a black/dark brown/red very fine dust.the only explination i can think of is that the silicone corroded them....any anwsers?im currently trying to reproduce this effect on a knife blade my fillin the bottom of a box with the caulking and suspending the knife over it..also the silicone never comes in physical contact with the metal...i.e. fumes...does anyone know the science behind this?maybe this could be a new way to blacken steel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprockets&Cogs Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 When silicone cures it releases acetic acid. That is the same acid as vinegar, hence the vinegar smell of curing silicone. You etched your new bits and then they rusted.. Here is some real science for you...http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/16035349 Evidently people who are exposed to silicone curing fumes have more dental decay and upper respiratory tract issues. Hope you have a good health plan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 When silicone cures it releases acetic acid. That is the same acid as vinegar, hence the vinegar smell of curing silicone. You etched your new bits and then they rusted.. Here is some real science for you...http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/16035349 Evidently people who are exposed to silicone curing fumes have more dental decay and upper respiratory tract issues. Hope you have a good health plan! Silicon caulk can also be toxic to some peoples skin. Where I worked we welded threaded couplings into some of our product and had to protect the threads from galvanizing. We typically would glob some onto a stick or thin scrap of steel; whatever was handy, to spread the caulk to coat the threads. Some guys would save a step and spread it with bare fingers SOME of these modern thinkers would develop blisters or peeling skin on the contacted areas. Not sure how lasting the effect was as those guys usually didn't last long in production welding any way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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