# WARNING: SILICONE II EXPIRES



## holidayhanson (Apr 25, 2007)

I just used a whole tube of silicone II which expired two months ago. I didnt realize it until I noticed my silicone has not dried after 5 days. Before you silicone....check the expiration date!!! I now have a black gooey mess which is really difficult to clean up. I will always now squirt a test bead of silicone before using it in my tank. You should too!!


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Try using some vinegar to help clean up with a razor blade?


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## DartMan (Nov 29, 2005)

Sorry to hear your news. It has happened to many of folks around here. Did you buy it from a place like Lowes or Home Depot?

I only ask because I suspect folks who get the outdated stuff have a higher chance of getting outdated silicone from smaller places that have a lower turn-over rate of product compared to the big places like Lowes or HD that constantly sell it and restock their shelves more often.
Just curious.


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## holidayhanson (Apr 25, 2007)

DartMan said:


> I only ask because I suspect folks who get the outdated stuff have a higher chance of getting outdated silicone from smaller places that have a lower turn-over rate of product compared to the big places like Lowes or HD that constantly sell it and restock their shelves more often.
> Just curious.


Quite the opposite. I bought it from Lowes. Yesterday I returned it and got some more. I found 6 expired bottles and only 2 were okay to use. I think someone screwed up the rotation. I took the expired bottles to customer service and told them about the issue....I can guess they are being put back on the shelves today. 

I was able to wipe most of it out and foamed GS over what was left...it should be okay. 

Lesson learned....always check the date no matter where you shop for silicone II.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

I'll wager that all silicones expire, not just GEII. I know GEI does and I'm almost positive that DAP's stuff does too.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Good tip. I need to go home and check that case of black GE I I bought a year ago. 

I wonder if they even do rotate it? I bet there is a good chance they some don't even think of such a thing. like me until 2 minutes ago...


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## VanillaGorilla (Mar 11, 2007)

I dont get it... because it is expired it does not dry?

I thought it was the other way around, because it is expired it IS potentially dry already...


I got about 8 tubes free last month, I used three-four the reason I got them free because they were expired... they were a little harder than normal, and some parts were already dry but I scrounged about half a tube out of each.

They dried just fine.


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## DartMan (Nov 29, 2005)

VanillaGorilla said:


> I dont get it... because it is expired it does not dry?


It pretty much doesn't "CURE".

I suppose it will pretty much dry out if left go long enough??? BUT, when expired it seems to skip the "skinning" part of curing and just stays "wet". I suppose in time the "wet" stage does get hard. Silicone should never really get "hard", but remain "pliable/flexible" once properly cured.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

There are two possibilites for out of date silicone:

1) the silicone cures in the tube. That is probably what happened with VG's tube.

2) the chemical in the silicone that catalizes the curing reaction is some how bound from making that reaction. It could leak out of the tube, it could react with something else and become bound.... I don't know the chemistry of the reaction so I can't say for sure.


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

Same thing happened to me. I used 2 old tubes to apply coco to my foam background in a 10g vert. Both tubes were out dated with the same date. Both tubes were half empty. Well, one of the tubes cured and one didnt. I have half a nice viv and the other half is a gooey mess still after 2 days.
It might be best to just scrap the foam and start over.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

That sucks!!!!!!!!


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## VanillaGorilla (Mar 11, 2007)

thats the problem then, it just takes longer to cure because as i recall it took me 2 weeks for mine to fully cure... but it did..

And my tubes were pretty old, they were rock hard


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Seriously, thanks for posting this. Mine expire in August and I never would have known.


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## VanillaGorilla (Mar 11, 2007)

VanillaGorilla said:


> thats the problem then, it just takes longer to cure because as i recall it took me 2 weeks for mine to fully cure... but it did..
> 
> And my tubes were pretty old, they were rock hard


WOW I just solved the "why wont my background stick to the back of my 29g tank after 2 weeks of dry time underneath the sun in bright sunny san diego " problem I had a while ago.

Thanks Thread!


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

The way I avoid problems with silicone is to test each tube before I use it. Basically I squirt a blob onto something, usually a paper towel that is setting in the trash, and see if the silicone starts to skin. If you do this before you start setting up your build, you'll know if you've got a good tube once you're ready to use it. I test my GS the same way to see if the can is good or not. It's frustrating to get a bad tube or can, but it's even worse when you *need* it and you've got to go to the store because what you have is junk. 

Which reminds me, I think I know why I have so many bad cans of GS, I store them on their side. Hmm, I'm going to have to research/test that one day.


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## VanillaGorilla (Mar 11, 2007)

I still have 5 old tubes of GE window/door silicone, and i will need some tubes this weekend....

HHHMMM what to do?


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## DartMan (Nov 29, 2005)

VanillaGorilla said:


> I still have 5 old tubes of GE window/door silicone, and i will need some tubes this weekend....
> 
> HHHMMM what to do?


I'd do what Mike said, test each new tube before starting. 

I also HIGHLY recommend getting rid of those old tubes by building a few more, maybe like 3-4, new vivs! :lol: 
That way you haven't wasted them or your money.

Just looking out for you! :wink:


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## VanillaGorilla (Mar 11, 2007)

DartMan said:


> I also HIGHLY recommend getting rid of those old tubes by building a few more, maybe like 3-4, new vivs!


reccomendation taken


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

Just wanted to bump this and add a follow up. I will from now on be taking Mike's advice and testing before hand whenever possible.

I made some silicone soil last night for a stream bed I had all planned out. It came out looking really nice, and exactly like what I wanted. That should have been my first clue. Tonight, it still hadn't cured. I had to cut the entire thing out and start from scratch with Great Stuff. I mixed two colors of silicone together, so I tested them each apart. The stuff that expires in August of 2006 was fine. The tube that expires in 2009 is crap. I'll be taking that one back for sure, but I lost a lot of time that I'll never get back. :evil:


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## VanillaGorilla (Mar 11, 2007)

It WILL cure, it just takes LONGER. 

Try waiting longer before you resort to ripping it out. one of mine took 2 weeks(!) but it dried.


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

well, it's in the trash already. I didn't want to take any chances, so I just cut it out.


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