Dow SE 9185 RTV

Surface Preparation

All surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned and/or degreased with Dow Corning® brand OS Fluids, naphtha, mineral spirits, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) or other suitable solvent. Solvents such as acetone or isopropyl alcohol (IPA) do not tend to remove oils well, and any oils remaining on the surface may interfere with adhesion. Light surface abrasion is recommended whenever possible, because it promotes good cleaning and increases the surface area for bonding. A final surface wipe with acetone or IPA is also useful. Some cleaning techniques may provide better results than others

users should determine the best techniques for their particular applications.

Mixing

Upon standing, some filler may settle to the bottom of the liquid containers after several weeks. To ensure a uniform product mix, the material in each container should be thoroughly mixed prior to use. Two-part materials should be mixed in the proper ratio (1:1 or 10:1) either by weight or volume. The presence of light colored streaks or marbling indicates inadequate mixing.

Deairing/Degassing

Automated airless dispense equipment can be used to reduce or avoid the need to de-air. If de-airing is required to reduce voids in the cured elastomer, consider a vacuum de-air schedule of >28 inches Hg for 10 minutes or until bubbling subsides.

Testing

Due to the wide variety of substrate types and differences in substrate surface conditions, general statements on adhesion and bond strength are impossible. To ensure maximum bond strength on a particular substrate, cohesive failure of the product in a lap shear or similar test is needed to ensure compatibility of the adhesive with the substrate being considered. Also, this test can be used to determine minimum cure time or to detect the presence of surface contaminants such as mold release agents, oils, greases and oxide films.