Question for Gip

A company i worked for many years ago had the stuff in quantity and I use to use it to disolve vaseline. It made the best dern release dip.

I guess I could use naptha

I may be way off here, but mold release compounds are sold commercially; I'm not quite sure why you would want to make your own.

Trichloroethane (TCA) is really not used as a mold release agent as it once was. This is due, in part, to it's toxicity, it's a SARA 313 chemical (EPA), and it's an ozone depleter (supposedly). TCA has been replaced by chemicals such as isopropanol, mineral spirits, heptane, and 1,1-difluoroethane--to name a few. I'm also not sure you can find ready stocks of TCA , and if you could, cost may be prohibitive because of its "bad boy" status.

Historically, TCA was mixed with acetone and other ingredients to make the mold release agent. Of course, the solvent has to be combined with some agent (sometimes a 2-3% silicone mixture--usually proprietary) to provide the non-stick characteristic you're looking for. Then the solvent carrier simply evaporates leaving the other stuff behind in the mold.

If you can lay your hands on it you'll find TCA evaporates like there's no tomorrow, so I would guess keeping a tub of this stuff on hand in a pre-mixed state is going to be problematic. In addition, TCA reacts with moisture in the air over time to produce some limited quantities of hydrogen chloride--but enough to potentially affect quality issues. Some companies make a mold release paste, but TCA ain't one of the ingredients. In the past, mold releases containing TCA were pretty much limited to aerosol cans, and I think that's how most of them are still manufactured.

Mold release agents are still manufactured by Sprayon, Crown, Sherwin-Williams, Krylon, and Conap, to name just a few. Mold release compounds may also be listed under the name "dry-film release agent". You should be able to buy it as cheaply as you can make it.

I don't know whether I've helped you or not, but that's what little I know about it.

Gip Winecoff

thats the stuff, Gip.

I want to make a dip tub of mold release.

Uhhhhhh..................I'm just a little confused .

What do you mean by recipe? Are you looking for info on a particular material that has this (or whatever) as an ingredient, or are you wondering how the (whatever) stuff is made? Or something else entirely? If you can provide me with a few more specifics I'll try to give you the best answer I can.

You wouldn't--by any chance-- be talking about 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, would you? (I'm pulling at straws here.)

Gip Winecoff