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A:
The shelf life
of a material in its liquid state refers to how long it can
sit on a shelf before it begins to lose its ability to
function normally or sets up entirely in the container. You
should know how long you can expect a material to last on the
shelf to protect your material investment.
Relative humidity and temperature are variables that will
affect the shelf life of Smooth-On rubbers, plastics, foams,
Matrix products, epoxies, etc.
Shelf Life
– Urethane Rubber, Plastic or Foam In Unopened Containers
Properly stored in a low humidity environment and at room
temperature (73°F/ 23°C), urethane rubber, plastics and foams
will have a shelf life
of 1 year from date of manufacture in unopened containers.
Shelf Life - Urethanes After Containers Have Been Opened
The shelf
life of unused product in containers that have been opened
depends on exposure to ambient moisture in the air. The Part
A side (Yellow Containers) is the moisture sensitive side of
urethane compounds, and liquid material exposed to
high-humidity environments can become moisture contaminated in
a matter of hours. This moisture contamination may result in
the urethane system bubbling or foaming when Part A is mixed
with Part B.
Urethane
Rubber - Unused Part A product exposed to humidity will begin
to turn from liquid to solid in as little as a few hours.
Part A exposed to relatively low levels of humidity will last
two to three months in the container before showing signs of
moisture contamination.
Limited
Shelf Life Of Urethanes - What Can You Do?
Make sure
you securely seal the Part A container immediately after
dispensing each time.
Your
Best Bet – If using urethanes, use what remains as soon as
possible once containers have been opened.
Extending The Shelf Life Of Unused Urethanes - After
dispensing Part A into a measuring container, spray XTEND-IT
Dry Gas Blanket (available from Smooth-On or your Smooth-On
distributor) into the container before securely resealing.
XTEND-IT will effectively double the shelf life of the
remaining product by neutralizing any moisture-laden air that
remains in your container. Follow directions before using.
Nitrogen will have the same effect, but is usually only
available in large cylinders; very cost effective, but
suitable only for industrial or production environments.
Shelf Life -Silicone Rubber
Properly
stored at room temperature (73°F/ 23°C), silicone rubber will
have a shelf life of 6 months from date of manufacture as
determined by the lot number that can be found on the label of
Part A or Part B. You can contact Smooth-On with these numbers
to determine when the product was made.
Important -
Elevated temperatures will drastically reduce the shelf life
of silicone rubber. For example, silicone rubber stored at 80°F / 27°C will have a shelf life of about six months. Material
stored at 100°F / 38°C will have a shelf life of about two
months.
Shelf Life – Polymer Modifiers for Gypsum & Concrete
DuoMatix G,
C and Matrix NEO - Properly stored at room temperature
(73°F/ 23°C), Matrix products will have a shelf life of 1 year
from date of manufacture as determined by the lot number that
can be found on the label of the liquid latex componenet. You
can contact Smooth-On with these numbers to determine when the
product was made.
Important – The latex component of the Matrix products must not be
exposed to temperatures below 35°F / 1.7°C. Product that was
allowed to freeze is no longer usable and should be disposed
of.
Shelf Life - Rubber / Plastic Accelerators, SO-Strong
Color Tints, Silc Pig Color Pigments and other accessories
- at least 1 year from date of manufacture.
Shelf
Life - Epoxy Adhesives - One year from date of
manufacture.
Shelf Life – Powder Fillers -
at least 1 year from date of manufacture.
Important: Keep powder fillers dry.
When Was A
Material Manufactured? After locating the lot number on the
label of Part A or Part B. You can contact Smooth-On with
these lot numbers to determine when the product was made.
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