# GE silicone 1 or 2? Info from GE



## pinkpony (Mar 22, 2013)

For everyones info... 

I contacted GE about their silicones because so many argue over the safety of GE1 and GE2. 

Tom Kneisley (Information Center Specialist from ge's website) replied to my email stating ALL of their silicones contain mold/mildew inhibitors. 

So for me, from now on, I'll only use fish tank silicone.


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## buggerdtp (Jan 14, 2014)

Good info. It is so easy to buy aquarium silicone. I don't know why anyone would use anything else.

Dave


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## boabab95 (Nov 5, 2009)

Did he say whether they used the same for both? or 2 different inhibitors?


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## pinkpony (Mar 22, 2013)

First email


Hello Violet,

Both the Silicone I and the Silicone II contain mold and mildew inhibitor's. Silicone II does have more so, with the specific Kitchen and Bath products having the most.

If you provide your application details I'd be happy to help with product recommendation.

Initial Inquiry:
GENERAL INQUIRY - MATERIAL PROPERTIES
Ask GESA Inquiry

EMAIL SUBJECT: silicone question
BODY: **** EXTERNAL EMAIL - Exercise caution, this email originated from outside of the company. DO NOT reply to, open attachments or click links if the email looks suspicious or is from an unknown sender. ****

Hi,
I have a quick question about your GE silicone 1 and GE silicone 2.

Which one of these products contain a mold/mildew inhibitor? Or do both of these products contain it?

Tyvm
Maizie

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android<https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>

Tom Kneisley
Information Center Specialist
Momentive


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## pinkpony (Mar 22, 2013)

Second email


All of our products will contain mold and mildew inhibitors.

Initial Inquiry:
GENERAL INQUIRY - MATERIAL PROPERTIES
Ask GESA Inquiry

EMAIL SUBJECT: silicone question
BODY: **** EXTERNAL EMAIL - Exercise caution, this email originated from outside of the company. DO NOT reply to, open attachments or click links if the email looks suspicious or is from an unknown sender. ****

Hello again, I was actually looking for a product that doesnt contain any mold/mildew inhibitors. Do u you make such a product

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android<https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/mobile/?.src=Android>

Tom Kneisley
Information Center Specialist
Momentive



----- *Note*-----
I did edit this a little. The guy replied to my original email. So it didnt show my second question. I went to my sent emails and edited it so you all would understand what i asked


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

It's not the mold inhibitors that are the problem. It's the organotin catalyst in GE Silicone II that's the problem. 

Mark


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## Damon Ryan (Nov 13, 2015)

http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=20059#/reviewlist 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Krakkin (Jul 1, 2013)

Damon Ryan said:


> ASI Aquarium Sealant, BLACK, 10.2 oz
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I keep linking that same thing whenever I see this discussion pop up. With a price like that and they always have it in stock, I don't really understand why everyone is so dead set on defending their use of GE anything. Just use the silicone that is for sure aquarium safe and quit arguing about it.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Encyclia said:


> It's not the mold inhibitors that are the problem. It's the organotin catalyst in GE Silicone II that's the problem.
> 
> Mark


I wouldn't go so far as to say that the mold inhibitors in GE II type silicone sealants aren't a problem as there can be a wide variety of them used in the trade some are relatively harmless to larger organisms such as some boron containing compounds to as risky as the organotins or phenoxarsines. The phenoxarsines for example contain arsenic as an active ingredient for the biocidal effects. Another one are the phenarsazines which are added not only as a stabilizer but for their biocidal activity and they are toxic to many of the biological system of an organism (including nerve damage). 

The companies are also prone to changing their formulations based on cost so what was "safe" one year could be more risky another year. 

As for the aquarium "safe" sealants, consider that that given the cost this is not a product made specifically for aquariums but more likely overruns of acetic acid curing silicone given the relatively small market and closeness of cost to silicones of GE I type. 

some comments 

Ed


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

Yeah, after thinking about that, I thought I was probably painting with too broad a brush. Maybe it's fair to say that these are two separate problems, and one of them (the organotins) was not covered by the questions to the GE rep. Regardless, it's becoming more obvious that Damon and Krakkin's links to the aquarium-safe silicone are probably the safest way to go. Have you looked at the MSDS for the clear and black version of the aquarium-safe silicones that were linked above, Ed? It would be ironic is they were the same product and were just not labeled as having mold inhibitors...

Mark



Ed said:


> I wouldn't go so far as to say that the mold inhibitors in GE II type silicone sealants aren't a problem as there can be a wide variety of them used in the trade some are relatively harmless to larger organisms such as some boron containing compounds to as risky as the organotins or phenoxarsines. The phenoxarsines for example contain arsenic as an active ingredient for the biocidal effects. Another one are the phenarsazines which are added not only as a stabilizer but for their biocidal activity and they are toxic to many of the biological system of an organism (including nerve damage).
> 
> The companies are also prone to changing their formulations based on cost so what was "safe" one year could be more risky another year.
> 
> ...


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

The MSDS isn't always going to provide that kind of information as they are able to not list proprietary ingredients on the MSDS. See for example The MSDS HyperGlossary: Trade Secret, if the chemical does not have exposure restrictions or toxicity known then they might be able to simply leave it off. 

some comments 

Ed


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