Dissolve an epoxy glue (araldite standard) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Coordonnée_chromatique
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2025, 08:26:46 am
content: Hello,Is there anyone that knows how to dissolve an expoxy glue joint without harming any metals, without heating and with a reasonabily dangerous solution please ?

author: bill_c
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2025, 06:46:54 pm
content: (You may be able to find similar products elsewhere, this was the easiest to find though)Something from this chart?https://www.ellsworth.com/globalassets/literature-library/manufacturer/versum-materials/versum-materials-selector-guide-solvent-guide.pdfI have used this for other adhesives in the past, it does work, but I think this also dissolves aluminumhttps://www.ellsworth.com/products/by-market/consumer-products/surface-preparation-materials/degreaser-cleaner/versum-materials-dynasolve-750-cleaner-blue-1-qt-bottle/

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2025, 11:10:23 pm
content: Acetic acid.It will not dissolve the epoxy, but soften the bindings allowing you to separate the parts.You'll need to submerge your assembly overnight.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2025, 11:58:05 pm
content: Sulfuric acid is much more effective, but it's so dangerous that I wouldn't recommend it.The Dynasolve product shown above seems to also work, but I've never used it myself.

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 03:10:33 am
content: Only thing that comes to my mind would be the nasty paint strippers containing methylene chloride.So far as I know they've all been banned here (in the USA).Nasty nasty stuff; toxic, probably carcinogenic.But it dissolves just about anything (except metal). Would have to be very carefully applied.

author: BradC
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 03:24:11 am
content: One of the reasons I love Araldite is because it's incredibly resilient. You really should put some more detail into a question though. Without having an idea of the materials the Araldite is bonding together, any recommendation is going to be very handwavy at best.Acids are great, but not if you're using Aluminium for a geneneralised example. Methylene Chloride (or Chloroform also) is a possibility, but not if you're using a long list of plastics. Heat is a guaranteed winner, but there may be a fairly small window between softening the adhesive and melting the substrate.Give us some more information to work with.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 06:05:45 am
content: Looked up the SDS/MSDS for the first two of Ellsworth "solvents" for epoxy (attached). They have the usual suspects.The first item, often simply referred as NMP, is one of the newer super solvents. It can also be used to remove cured enamel and latex paints. I tried it once (Peel Away 6?) on a ceiling and went back to the tried and true poultice of lye covered with something to keep it moist. That denatures those paints so they scrape off easily. NMP simply made a messy goo.The second item is an ether alcohol related to cellosolves that have good solvent properties. Both are miscible in water. I use the latter class in water to remove rosin flux.The third is a surfactant.Sulfuric acid, as mentioned earlier, would also destroy the PCB. Closely related to sulfuric acid are alkyl sulfonic acids (Google, "A sulfonic acid can be thought of as sulfuric acid with one hydroxyl group replaced by an organic substituent"). NB: The sulfur atom is attached directly to a carbon atom in the organic substituent. They can be used as a paste to remove silicone caulking and are among the very few things that make removal easier than tedious mechanical scraping.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 10:13:41 am
content: how about sulfamic acid? its a powder and relatively non hazardous. SOunds similar, I have no idea if its a possible solution

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 11:30:32 am
content: Methylene chloride is the first thing I would try because it will dissolve printed circuit boards, but it will require submersion for an extended time.

author: Coordonnée_chromatique
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 08:44:22 pm
content: Thanks you all for your answers.I d'ont want to use toxic products anymore and i d'ont have any solution to recycle them properly (i never put my products in the closets)The acids are dangerous in a home environement, is there any reasonabily dangerous solvent that can degrade the glue in 6 months or one year ?

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 08:56:48 pm
content: Quote from: David Hess on March 15, 2025, 11:30:32 amDid you mean to type "won'tdissolve printed circuit boards"? (I don't think it will.)

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 09:18:08 pm
content: Quote from: Analog Kid on March 15, 2025, 08:56:48 pmIf it dissolves epoxy glue, why don't you think it will dissolve FR4? I think that author you question is thinking about the kinetics.However, considering the physical properties of methylene chloride, I don't think it will be very effective outside of a cold room or gel with other stuff. That is, it will need considerable contact time. When methylene chloride containing paint strippers are used to remove aircraft finishes, one must be careful with fiberglass parts, such a wing tips on small GA airplanes.

author: incf
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 09:22:49 pm
content: DMSO - this sulfur based solvent allegedly works on many adhesives, plastics, and epoxies. Especially when warm. It stinks, but is not overly volatile.Ethly Acetate - will attack/"melt" PVC and many plastics, maybe will attack certain epoxies.100% Acetic Acid (vinegar) might do a little, softens PVC, possibly less strong than Ethly AcetateThis source might be usefulhttps://www.researchgate.net/post/Which_solvent_can_be_used_to_dissolve_the_cured_polyester_epoxy_resinThey are relatively safe so long as you don't get them on your skin and don't breath them in too much. They may melt your gloves depending on what they are made of.DMSO is given to livestock routinely as a supplement. It seems to be regularly dumped into streams as a byproduct of paper manufacture. Not hazardous when clean, but once stuff dissolves into it it should be considered "dirty" and hazardous.Ethly Acetate evaporates quickly and possibly smells like bananas to some (it's the chemical combination of acetic acid [ie. vinegar] and ethyl alcohol [the type that is served in beverages]).Beware of flammability of volatile solvents like Ethly Acetate, Acetic acid (vinegar), etc.Your eyes will water and you will cough if you use Ethly Acetate or Acetic acid without ventilation.Easy to find food grade versions of each.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 11:12:57 pm
content: Quote from: Analog Kid on March 15, 2025, 08:56:48 pmIt will eventually dissolve the epoxy used in G10 or FR4 type boards. At least it used to.

author: Coordonnée_chromatique
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2025, 11:33:28 am
content: Quote from: incf on March 15, 2025, 09:22:49 pmWhere i can put it after use please

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2025, 12:48:45 pm
content: People seem to be wasting their time with an awful lot of speculation in this thread, FR4 solubility etc. All the OP has said is "dissolve an epoxy glue joint without harming any metals", I think rather more detail is owed.The post mentions "without heating". Standard Araldite epoxies have an upper temperature limit of 80'C. I have softened joints at not much more than 100'C. It seems unlikely that this would damage any metals, or even semiconductors.

author: incf
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2025, 01:37:21 pm
content: Quote from: Coordonnée_chromatique on March 16, 2025, 11:33:28 amThe latter two evaporate at room temperature. (DMSO doesn't at room temperature)You don't put them anywhere after use unless you know what you are doing.This is a problem you should think carefully about if you really want to be working with these types of solvents. Study it as if it were a school problem.

author: Coordonnée_chromatique
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2025, 02:02:17 pm
content: Quote from: incf on March 16, 2025, 01:37:21 pmI will give it to an indusrtial chemical dump, but what scare me is the chemical reactions with the epoxy components that can make a very toxic final product.

author: incf
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2025, 02:10:38 pm
content: Quote from: Coordonnée_chromatique on March 16, 2025, 02:02:17 pmYou are correct and the fear is justified. Nearly all epoxies are contact allergens, carcinogenic, and endocrine disruptors. I could go on, but you get the point.

author: Conrad Hoffman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2025, 06:49:34 pm
content: Masterbond sells in incredibly expensive epoxy stripper that works well. It's usually used hot, but can be used warm. I remember it was something like hundreds of dollars per quart. Turns out it's mostly NMP (N-Methylpyrrolidone), which you can probably still get on Amazon.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2025, 07:33:25 pm
content: See my much earlier post on NMP. It may attack epoxy, but if I were using it, I would get most of the expozy (assuming that's what it is) off mechanically, then use NMP to clean the surfaces. Otherwise, you will have a gooey mess.

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2025, 07:37:02 pm
content: Quote from: jpanhalt on March 17, 2025, 07:33:25 pmMaybe using a Dremel with a small bit to remove as much as possible first?