Is all silicone equal and food safe?

[kiwipen]

I got a thermowell with silicone o rings coming my way from China.

It got me wondering if the silicone o rings are safe to use, and it there are quality differences between silicone.

Is all silicone equal and food safe, or does it have to be specified that they are food safe?

 

[doug293cz]

I'd like to know as well. Any silicone chemistry experts hanging around?

Brew on

 

[Chrisbrewbeers]

Silicone house caulk is not safe but you can buy food grade silicone caulk. The food grade silicone spray I have smells really chemically. I have a new China keg and the o ring it came with was silicone and very nice compared to the common ones. I think silicone is silicone in tubing or Oring form

 

[kiwipen]

Does anyone know for sure?

 

[DarkStarNJ]

The silicone is fine The question is what else is in the product...

 

[Stealthcruiser]

My Son is a Mech. Engineer, for Gates Manufacturing.
Think belts and hoses.
I asked him about their silicone hoses being food safe, specifically heater hoses for vehicles.

He asked the Engineer for the product, who replied that :"With a good cleaning from manufacture, there should be no problem under 450 degrees."

That's just some info on some silicone hose.

 

[milldoggy]

I thought it had to deal with the curing agent. Food grade uses vinegar or something like that.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

I thought it had to deal with the curing agent. Food grade uses vinegar or something like that.

Most all that is available in uncured form, uses / smells like Acetic Acid when uncured.
In a previous life, ( before retirement!), we would spec which style to use, ( Acetic acid vs. no Acetic acid), depending on the substrate it was going on.

Its best not to use the vinegar smelling stuff on Aluminum, as it sets up corrosion.

But yes, I used some industrial stuff to make a fermeneter lid seal, ( RTV 734, Dow Corning), and a quick e-mail to the manufacturer said it's food safe when cured.

They supplied the MSDS for the product.

It too smelled like vinegar.

 

[BitterSweetBrews]

Most all that is available in uncured form, uses / smells like Acetic Acid when uncured.
In a previous life, ( before retirement!), we would spec which style to use, ( Acetic acid vs. no Acetic acid), depending on the substrate it was going on.

Its best not to use the vinegar smelling stuff on Aluminum, as it sets up corrosion.

But yes, I used some industrial stuff to make a fermeneter lid seal, ( RTV 734, Dow Corning), and a quick e-mail to the manufacturer said it's food safe when cured.

They supplied the MSDS for the product.

It too smelled like vinegar.

That is good to hear.

I have coated the inside metal of my heating elements with RTV and it did smell like vinegar. I would rather have the silicon in my kettle than rust on the element.

I do have an opinion, right or wrong and with little scientific basis that given there is so little silicone touching your wort you are not going to have any problems, food safe wise or other wise, as long as it is cured and you clean it pretty well up front. This little bit of silicone is not going leech anything that will contaminate 10 gallons of beer in any unsafe manner.

I did run a quick boil in my kettle to get anything off the surface after it was cured. I have never tasted anything from it and I doubt that any chemicals are leaching out.

Silicon is not toxic and is considered environmentally safe. For what it's worth, according to WikiAnswers: "Silicone is considered to be a very safe polymer with virtually no toxic effects in most environments. Also, as silicone is not considered as hazardous waste it can be disposed of in accordance with the local regulations regarding waste disposal."