Life of Frekote 770 / 700

General Composites Discussions Composites Talk
#1

I bought a can of frekote 770nc from sollercomposites at the beginning of June and it’s been working well for me until I came back from vacation and tried to pull some parts off of some brand new molds. After treating them in the same way that I do all my new molds, I had an incredibly difficult time demolding the next day and did some slight damage to three molds.

Anyways, I looked at the bottle of Frekote and it turns out it had ‘Use before 8/14’ printed on the back. I was under the impression that Frekote has a 2 year shelf life if stored at RT, is that correct? Does that mean I got a really old can from Soller or am I mistaken?

I ended up calling into Soller and explained the situation to them and they actually said that they go through new lots of the release fairly frequently so it’s not like the product had been sitting on their shelf for a long time. They also mentioned that the longest life they’ve ever seen on a can is about 6 months from the time at which they receive it.

I know that I’ve seen people mention on the forum that this stuff goes bad, so I’d just like to see what yalls experience has been concerning the life of the product, and how long the listed shelf life should be based on the date of manufacture. I have no idea when this can was actually manufactured, only that I bought it in June and it’s best buy date is apparently August…

Thanks

#2

Interesting. I will be checking my gal in the morning, noticed some hard to release areas on the last demold. Maybe I’m in the same boat. Sorry I don’t have more to add, but thanks for making me think about it.

#3

Frekote and other release systems can typically last around a year or more if stored properly. However unfortunately most people don’t. You must keep the container sealed very tight. Every time it becomes exposed to the air it degrades. If you accidentally left the lid a little loose the release could go completely bad without you knowing. Its best to use a pair of channel locks and give it an extra turn to be sure its well sealed. Also, transferring the release from the big can to a “shampoo” style clean bottle works very well and makes it very convenient to apply the release. I attached some papers from Axel you can read. Best of luck

#4

I am still working with a can of 700 that expired Nov 2013 pulling parts off composite and metal moulds ok.

I know this stuff does not last too long but so far so good with this one. I probably opened it around the middle of 2013.

#5

I have experienced Frekote 700NC going bad many years ago - and I agree with Hojo, decant into smaller containers. We use small glass jars so that the bulk of the material is not constantly opened and closed and minimises the risk of it not being closed properly.
In saying that - we use the release system we sell in our online store and while we always sell fresh material, we actually use the “out of date” material in our own processing, as we know it works fine - despite being as much as 3 years out of date!

#6

I am still using a can of ex-Boeing stock Frekote that expired in February 2012. Still works brilliantly. I am meticulous about closing it though, it’s only open for 2 seconds while I wet the cloth, then it’s done back up very tight and placed back in a box full of moisture absorbing foam.

#7

Ok, so I guess opening and closing it is my problem as I do that very frequently and let the bottle stay open for maybe 5 minutes a day as I prep multiple molds at a time. I’m really glad I posted this question up here and surprised I’ve never heard of this handling solution in the few threads I’ve seen people mention their semi perm going bad.

Thanks for the input guys.

#8

Interesting, I have an old can of 700NC that expired in 2012 that I sometimes still use with flawless results. I tend to store it in the freezer at the moment but have only being doing that this last year or so.

#9

I got a year out of my can. It just stopped working and like you I had a hard pull. I store it in a plastic bag.

#10

I recently put a new, large and very labor intensive, (is there any other kind?), multi part aluminum mold in service using a year old can of 700NC and had a somewhat difficult release and residue contamination of the molds requiring a start over with sanding, polishing, bla, bla bla. It was a fun week.

The Henkle rep stopped by the shop and suggested the problem was the release being old. It was a small can that I didn’t recall leaving open any large amount of time but what do you do? I purchased a new gallon and a new gallon of FMS100 sealer and went at it again after polishing. The subsequent releases have been satisfactory. I used the “Old” 700NC for coating the bolts for my molds, seems to work fine there but it’s not a very demanding release area.

I now open the can only briefly then store them with on their side with the opening covered with liquid, nothing is getting in past that seal without me knowing it. The shelf life isn’t very encouraging according to the date on the can, so no more rationing it out. I will use it freely and often so I don’t waste more than I have to.

#11

Also, another trick; before each part moulding, do a tape test with 3/4" 3M masking tape. You can tell if the release on the surface is adequate or not.

#12

This ^

Can do The same thing with hot melt glue, body filler etc. Any adhesive. Literally falls off with a flick. Nothing sticks to Frekote if it’s working properly.