Desert Fox
03/21/2008, 12:26 PM
I have an old Fluval i have been using to run AC and GFO. The main o-ring which seals the impeller housing to the canister body has become less than forgiving over time, and is now very difficult to work with to get the housing seated properly over the canister. I have a tube of Pool and Spa Lube (http://www.lesliespool.com/browse/Home/Filters-and-Filter-Media/Pool-and-Spa-Lube/D/30100/P/1:100:6000/I/68926) which works wonders on- imagine this- my pool and spa o-rings. :) It basically feels like liquid silicone which will never cure to a solid.
This is made by a company called Finish Line Technologies and sold/distributed through Leslie's pool supply here in Phoenix. I'm having problems finding the exact ingredient makeup of the lube, but i do know it mainly consists of DuPont Krytox and other inert material. From what i know about Krytox (and what is confirmed/claimed on the packaging) it is completely insoluble in water, acids, bases, etc. The other thing mentioned is "Nontoxic and Safe." Now i know that means totally different things to people than aquaria, but over all my question is should this stuff be safe to use for the animals in the aquarium? Approximately one to two grams are all i would need.
Here is some quick information on Krytox from Wiki:
"Krytox is a trademark of a family of high performance synthetic lubricants (oils and greases) used in many things from spaceships to computer chip manufacturing. It is a chemical polymer belonging to the ether family that was patented by the chemical manufacturing giant DuPont. Krytox oils are a fluorocarbon polymers of polyhexafluoropropylene oxide, with a chemical formula
F − (CF(CF<sub>3</sub>) − CF<sub>2</sub> − O)<sub>n</sub> − CF<sub>2</sub>CF<sub>3</sub>,
where the degree of polymerization, n, generally lies within the range n=10-60. This mixture of compounds are collectively known by many names, including perfluoropolyether (PFPE), perfluoroalkylether (PFAE), or perfluoropolyalkylether(PFPAE). A unique identifier is their CAS registry number, 60164-51-4.
In addition to PFPE, krytox grease also contains telomers of PTFE, and in many ways krytox is designed to be a liquid or grease form of PTFE. Krytox is thermally stable, nonflammable (even in liquid oxygen), nontoxic, and insoluble in water, acids, bases, and most organic solvents. It has very low vapor pressure and can be used between about -60 and +316 to +399 °C. It is highly resistant to ionizing radiation, making it useful for aerospace and nuclear industry. It can withstand extreme pressure and high mechanical stress."
This is made by a company called Finish Line Technologies and sold/distributed through Leslie's pool supply here in Phoenix. I'm having problems finding the exact ingredient makeup of the lube, but i do know it mainly consists of DuPont Krytox and other inert material. From what i know about Krytox (and what is confirmed/claimed on the packaging) it is completely insoluble in water, acids, bases, etc. The other thing mentioned is "Nontoxic and Safe." Now i know that means totally different things to people than aquaria, but over all my question is should this stuff be safe to use for the animals in the aquarium? Approximately one to two grams are all i would need.
Here is some quick information on Krytox from Wiki:
"Krytox is a trademark of a family of high performance synthetic lubricants (oils and greases) used in many things from spaceships to computer chip manufacturing. It is a chemical polymer belonging to the ether family that was patented by the chemical manufacturing giant DuPont. Krytox oils are a fluorocarbon polymers of polyhexafluoropropylene oxide, with a chemical formula
F − (CF(CF<sub>3</sub>) − CF<sub>2</sub> − O)<sub>n</sub> − CF<sub>2</sub>CF<sub>3</sub>,
where the degree of polymerization, n, generally lies within the range n=10-60. This mixture of compounds are collectively known by many names, including perfluoropolyether (PFPE), perfluoroalkylether (PFAE), or perfluoropolyalkylether(PFPAE). A unique identifier is their CAS registry number, 60164-51-4.
In addition to PFPE, krytox grease also contains telomers of PTFE, and in many ways krytox is designed to be a liquid or grease form of PTFE. Krytox is thermally stable, nonflammable (even in liquid oxygen), nontoxic, and insoluble in water, acids, bases, and most organic solvents. It has very low vapor pressure and can be used between about -60 and +316 to +399 °C. It is highly resistant to ionizing radiation, making it useful for aerospace and nuclear industry. It can withstand extreme pressure and high mechanical stress."