Solvent for Styrofoam

[Sasqui]

I have a leaking 60 gallon stainless steel water tank that was formerly my house hot water heater. Brand is SuperStor. The former owner did not purchase the lifetime warantee, so a leaking weld spelled the end of it's 20 year life. Thankfully the replacement did come with a lifetime.

Anyway... the tank itself is in good shape and, non-magnetic (like 'austenitic' 18/10 grade). I want to use either the tank for what it is or cut it up into plate steel for misc projects.

So here's the problem... I managed to get the outer plastic skin off, and remove a 3" thick layer of stryofoam surrounding the tank, but a hardened layer of the styrofoam is stuck to about 60% of the tank and it's just about impossible difficult to scrape off.

I've tried two solvents: 91% alcohol and 100% acetone to see what may dissolve it. Neither works! The styrofoam is a hard, brittle yellow type, not the soft stuff like in white packing peanuts or shipping styrofoam.

Any suggestions for other solvents?

 

[Batou1986]

gasoline, it will turn to jelly which will still be flammable
if that dont work grab an ice scraper

 

[95Viper]

Sand blast that puppy!

 

[Sasqui]

gasoline, it will turn to jelly which will still be flammable
if that dont work grab an ice scraper

I'm going to give that a try, it was on my list.

Sand blast that puppy!
http://media.fashiongroup.com/fashionmag/newsletters/images/20100908/sandblasting-ban.jpg

Last resort, I have a 3000psi pressure washer as another option. Also have a large compressor and was looking for an excuse to buy a sand blaster nozzle

 

[Kreij]

Have you tried WD-40?
The stuff does WAY MORE than just loosen stuck nuts and bolts.

 

[Sasqui]

gasoline, it will turn to jelly which will still be flammable
if that dont work grab an ice scraper

Gas didn't soften it. Must be a particular type of styrofoam, I know there are quite a few.

Have you tried WD-40?
The stuff does WAY MORE than just loosen stuck nuts and bolts.

Hmmm... I'll give it a try, but there's so much surface area, I'd probably go through $50 worth of WD-40. I have a 5 cans of carb cleaner that someone gave me... but it's such a large job, I'd want haz-mat gear... nasty stuff.

The more I think about it, the more I think I'll try the pressure washer, it'll carve wood. Going to have a mess on the driveway to clean up after.

 

[Kreij]

Take pics in case things go really bad.

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

Are you sure it's styrofoam?

The inner layer of most water heaters is a condensed layer of fiberglass. Condensed fiberglass has a similar texture to styrofoam, but cuts a little differently. Check this out: http://www.ehow.com/how_5068375_dissolve-fiberglass.html.


Denatured alcohol is a bit expensive, but you can pick it up at the local hardware store. Give it a shot on a small surface and see if it is worth it.


Considering the time, cost, and effort you've put into this it might be smarter to just buy some sheet metal. Austenitic (referring to the cooling process, not magnetism) stainless steel is relatively easy to find, but buy it from a metal supplier. Big box home improvement stores often charge quite a hefty premium.

 

[Sasqui]

Take pics in case things go really bad.

I'll post a picture tonight, got sidetracked with company visiting.

Are you sure it's styrofoam?

The inner layer of most water heaters is a condensed layer of fiberglass. Condensed fiberglass has a similar texture to styrofoam, but cuts a little differently. Check this out: http://www.ehow.com/how_5068375_dissolve-fiberglass.html.


Denatured alcohol is a bit expensive, but you can pick it up at the local hardware store. Give it a shot on a small surface and see if it is worth it.


Considering the time, cost, and effort you've put into this it might be smarter to just buy some sheet metal. Austenitic (referring to the cooling process, not magnetism) stainless steel is relatively easy to find, but buy it from a metal supplier. Big box home improvement stores often charge quite a hefty premium.

It's defininitely rigid styrofoam, I've broken about 50 sf of it off the tank, no fiberglass, except some pink fiberglass stuffed in around flange/nipple openings.

First attempt was 91% isopropyl alcohol, no luck

 

[pantherx12]

Protip : burn it.

If it's fiberglass the resin will burn. If it's foam the foam will burn.

 

[CJCerny]

Mek

 

[Arctucas]

I forget, does Acetone dissolve Styrofoam? I know it dissolves fiberglass resin.

 

[Completely Bonkers]

Protip : burn it.

If it's fiberglass the resin will burn. If it's foam the foam will burn.

Take care of noxious fumes

 

[Kreij]

It may be Polyurethane foam.
If so you will need a solvent containing Methylene Chloride (some paint strippers contain that).

 

[Completely Bonkers]

It may be Polyurethane foam.
If so you will need a solvent containing Methylene Chloride (some paint strippers contain that).

A GTX590 then!

 

[m4gicfour]

Protip : burn it.

If it's fiberglass the resin will burn. If it's foam the foam will burn.

Holy Fuck. Outdoors. And don't let anybody catch you doing it, unless you like paying fines.

It may be Polyurethane foam.
If so you will need a solvent containing Methylene Chloride (some paint strippers contain that).

This. Styrofoam is only one of many types of insulating foams. Some are extremely difficult to remove such that mechanical abrasion is the only real option (sandblast). Did you consider the possibilty that it may be a thin layer of some form of adhesive mixed with the remnants of the foam that you're trying to remove?

 

[Kreij]

In all honesty I would reather dissolve the foam and clean up the residue than turn it into airborn particulate matter using a method like sandblasting.

 

[m4gicfour]

Yep. But it isn't always possible. I do believe it's possible to sandblast wet, although I don't know anything about it. Vac systems or self contained sandblast booths + respirators are a must.

 

[Kreij]

He's doing it in his driveway from what I can gather.
I think SB booth is out of the question. lol

If dissolving is impossible then I'm with PantherX ... burn it off.
Do it on a windy day so the sub-micron toxic particles end up at your neighbors instead of where you live.

 

[m4gicfour]

There is such a thing as a makeshift booth. Probably more effort than he wants to put in however. You can apply this concept on a larger scale.

If I was doing it, I'd try in this order: to dissolve it, scrape/crack/break, <since those are what I'd be able to do at home> sandblast (since I do know an automotive painter and the owner of an autobody shop and could probably get access to a commercial SB booth), then give up lol. I don't know about where you are but the laws on burning things are pretty strict around here, from what I gather. It'd be cheaper to buy the sheet metal than pay the fine. That's just me, though.

 

[Cuzza]

Take it from a chemistry teacher.

If it is a polymer-based foam, the best solvent for the polymer is usually its corresponding monomer.
So styrofoam = polystyrene -> best solvent = styrene.
Unfortunately styrene is not easy to get a hold of, but other benzene derivatives such as toluene or xylene should work almost as well. If you can get some.

But it doesn't work that way for polyurethane because urethane is not the monomer for polyurethane.

I don't think i'm helping much sorry

I say burn it off

 

[Kreij]

I say burn it off

Welcome to the club. lol

 

[pantherx12]

Holy Fuck. Outdoors. And don't let anybody catch you doing it, unless you like paying fines.

Where I'm from (Essex) it's the preferred method of disposing of things

 

[m4gicfour]

Fair enough. Around here you need a permit even to burn leaves in a barrel, although to be fair, there was one guy who lit like three farms on fire because he was dumb enough to leave the fire going and go into town The one thing you can always trust to be true is people are idiots.

Wait... was that a riots joke?

 

[Sasqui]

Ok, Pics - went with pressure washing, about 1 hour worth, 3000 psi washer:

After taking the skin and 3" of styrofoam off with hand tools:

Almost done with power washing:

Done with power washing, still a thin layer on about 50% of it:

Where to I find MEK?