How do I clean catalyst on gas soldering iron?

S

Sue Black

Guest
Can you help. I am new to this stuff.

The catalyst on my gas soldering iron doesn't glow as red as it used
to. Maybe some bits of material I used to file the iron's tip got
into the catalyst.

How can I clean the catalyst without damaging it?

I don't want to leave it with a residue that makes if fail altogether
but I don't know the chemistry/physics of what might happen with a
cleaner.

I've only got access to domestic cleaners.


---------------MY IDEAS:

Would isopropyl alcohol damage it?

Home dry-cleaning fluid?

Perhaps a spray of some of gas lighter fuel I used to refill the iron
with?

(a) acetone free or (b) acetone-based nail varnish remover? (Or does
it have gummy stuff in it?)

Methylated spirits?
 
Sue Black <suebblack@com.invalid> wrote in
news:Xns9B7F7D737E7A61E7A@69.16.176.253:

(a) acetone free or (b) acetone-based nail varnish remover? (Or does
it have gummy stuff in it?)
Click to expand...
Avoid that one I think, as they add lanolin to some, and maybe other stuff to
counteract the oil-removing effect on skin.

Isopropanol is likely a safe bet but might not do anything. As the catalyst
gets hot, it's likely that any deposit isn't an oil of fat even if started
out as one. I think the catalyst is platinum coated on glass or rockwool
fibres. I don't know if it's recoverable, but if it is, maybe dilute nitric
acid (diluted with distilled water) might do it, with gentle heating. Best to
try on one where you have nothing to lose..
 
Sue Black <suebblack@com.invalid> wrote in
news:Xns9B7F7D737E7A61E7A@69.16.176.253:

I've only got access to domestic cleaners.
Click to expand...
That might just be a show stopper... PS to my earlier message, rinse with
distilled water after attempting a clean as I described there.
 
Sue Black wrote:
Can you help. I am new to this stuff.

The catalyst on my gas soldering iron doesn't glow as red as it used
to. Maybe some bits of material I used to file the iron's tip got
into the catalyst.

How can I clean the catalyst without damaging it?

I don't want to leave it with a residue that makes if fail altogether
but I don't know the chemistry/physics of what might happen with a
cleaner.

I've only got access to domestic cleaners.


---------------MY IDEAS:

Would isopropyl alcohol damage it?

Home dry-cleaning fluid?

Perhaps a spray of some of gas lighter fuel I used to refill the iron
with?

(a) acetone free or (b) acetone-based nail varnish remover? (Or does
it have gummy stuff in it?)

Methylated spirits?
My first thought would be to use tarnish remover like is used when
Click to expand...
cleaning silver etc.. (Fluid dip tip)

It maybe possible a new catalyst is in order..


http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5"
 
In article <Xns9B7F7D737E7A61E7A@69.16.176.253>,
Sue Black <suebblack@com.invalid> wrote:

Can you help. I am new to this stuff.

The catalyst on my gas soldering iron doesn't glow as red as it used
to. Maybe some bits of material I used to file the iron's tip got
into the catalyst.

This is the first time I have heard of this kind of soldering iron, What
Click to expand...
can you tell me about how it is constructed and used.

That said, I would guess that you removed a layerf of catalyst with any
filing of the tip.

Bill

--
Private Profit; Public Poop! Avoid collateral windfall!
 
Salmon Egg wrote:

In article <Xns9B7F7D737E7A61E7A@69.16.176.253>,
Sue Black <suebblack@com.invalid> wrote:

Can you help. I am new to this stuff.

The catalyst on my gas soldering iron doesn't glow as red as it used
to. Maybe some bits of material I used to file the iron's tip got
into the catalyst.

This is the first time I have heard of this kind of soldering iron,
What can you tell me about how it is constructed and used.

That said, I would guess that you removed a layer of catalyst with
any filing of the tip.

Bill
Click to expand...
I've had one of these for 20 years or so and still use it fairly often !
The catalyst is independent of the tip and simply supplies a flameless
heat source. However it must be heated up to work ! This is done by
igniting the feed gas, usually butane, which burns, heating the
catalyst which then uses the butane gas stream to produce a flameless
heat that continues to provide the energy to heat the tip.

Over time the nozzle issuing the gas gets gummy and the flow of gas is
reduced causing a loss of heat ! The trick is to clean the nozzle.
Mine simply unscrews from the gas cylinder and can be cleaned with a
wire probe and meths. Turning the gas flow up to full for a few
seconds also help revive the catalyst, getting it good and hot burns
off any residue that may have coated it.

--
Best Regards:
Baron.
 
In article <SalmonEgg-DE3627.09231825122008@news.la.sbcglobal.net>,
Salmon Egg <SalmonEgg@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
This is the first time I have heard of this kind of soldering iron, What
can you tell me about how it is constructed and used.
Click to expand...
These have been around now for several years and various manufacturers
have made them. I'm not sure of the chemistry myself but it relies on a
gauze, coated with some sort of catalyst to promote a flameless
combustion. They consist of a reservoir which you fill with butane, as you
would fill a lighter and an outlet valve to control the flow.

Different tips are possible. You can just have a plain nozzle like a tiny
blowlamp. A similar looking nozzle is lined with the gauze and produces a
"hot gas" pencil rather than a flame. (I have used this for shrinking
heatshrink sleeving)

The third possibility is the soldering tip. The business end is solid like
a normal tip but there is a cavity in the back of it containing the gauze
which is fed with the gas. Imagine a tapered tip which, just behind its
full diameter, where it becomes parallel, has a cross hole drilled through
it. Each side the hole has gauze across it and another hole drilled
concentric to the bit, feeds gas into it from the reservoir behind.

In all cases the gas is turned on and lit in the normal way but after a
few moments the catalytic process takes over and the flame goes out and
you are just left with a glow from the hot gauze which heats the iron tip.

The OP's problem isn't due to filling the tip but just aging and
deterioration of the catalyst. A new tip is required.

--
Stuart Winsor

For Barn dances and folk evenings in the Coventry and Warwickshire area
See: http://www.barndance.org.uk
 
Salmon Egg wrote:
In article <Xns9B7F7D737E7A61E7A@69.16.176.253>,
Sue Black <suebblack@com.invalid> wrote:

Can you help. I am new to this stuff.

The catalyst on my gas soldering iron doesn't glow as red as it used
to. Maybe some bits of material I used to file the iron's tip got
into the catalyst.

This is the first time I have heard of this kind of soldering iron,
What can you tell me about how it is constructed and used.

That said, I would guess that you removed a layerf of catalyst with
any filing of the tip.
Click to expand...
There are quite a range when you look for them. I've got one of the smaller
ones here http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno=84065 - I found the
catalyst gauze very slowly wears away, and you have to get a new tip .


--
Ron Jones
Process Safety & Development Specialist
Don't repeat history, unreported chemical lab/plant near misses at
http://www.crhf.org.uk Only two things are certain: The universe and
human stupidity; and I'm not certain about the universe. ~ Albert
Einstein
 
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