Stripper HF, Booster HF & Neutradip
How long will it take to strip a wheel?
Our most frequently asked question. We know how important fast turnaround is in this business, after all, we use these chemicals in our own paint stripping workshop.
Generally speaking; our acid can take as little as 20 minutes to strip an “easy” wheel, such as a Honda alloy, however, can take longer with tougher coatings typically found on German wheels such as a Mercedes alloy. It is important to note that the temperature can play a part in the speed of the stripping process, if it is very cold, you will find the acid takes a while longer to strip.
Take a look at some of the videos on our Facebook page to see our products in action. Our customer feedback has been consistent; our HF STRIPPER is the fastest on the market and from our point of view, it has to be; our own workshop staff have tight deadlines to meet and we don’t have time for low-quality products.
Wheel Stripping Products
We supply a range of paint stripping products. This information is tailored to our cold immersion wheel stripper and relating products:
STRIPPER HF (available in 25, 205, 1000 ltr)
BOOSTER HF (available in 25, 205ltr)
NEUTRADIP+ -neutralising concentrate (available in 25 ltr)
Please see below for comprehensive advice on how to use these products.
How to use our chemicals
How to use BOOSTER HF
Our BOOSTER HF is a highly concentrated product, with the same amount of acid in as 100 ltrs of our STRIPPER HF. It is important to discuss your requirements with us before ordering this product. We can advise on whether this is the product you require, or whether you need a top up of something else.
It is important to only utilise the BOOSTER HF when the tank has lost its strength, which can be easily illustrated by a lack of reaction (fizzing) on bare aluminium surfaces.
**DO NOT use BOOSTER HF unnecessarily, this can unbalance the tank, leading to poor stripping time and even damage to parts! If you are unsure then please contact us directly so we can advise.
Neutralising using NEUTRADIP+
Our NEUTRADIP+ is supplied as a 5L or 25 ltr concentrate, which can be diluted in water. The 5L is of a higher concentrate than the 25L.
RATIOS:
5L Neutradip+ – 200L of water
25L Neutradip+ – 400L of water
We supply poly tanks that are ideal for utilising as neutralising tanks.
When lifting the parts out of the acid, allow excess to drip off before submerging the parts into the neutralising solution to ensure no live acid is left on the part for safe handling.
You can use PH Testing Strips to ensure the solution is kept neutral, adding in more concentrate if the solution has become acidic.
This solution is ideal for using to neutralise the paint flakes removed from your tank, and once they have dried, you can dispose of them in your general waste. It is important to test your solution regularly and top it up with concentrate as needed to ensure that the solution does not become acidic.
The datasheet for this product can be found here: Neutradip+ Datasheet
Taking care of your acid
Taking care of your wheel stripper helps to prolong the life of the acid, allowing it to strip effectively, giving the stripper increased longevity.
Tank Cleaning and Maintenance
Taking care of your wheel stripper helps to prolong the life of the acid, allowing it to strip effectively, giving the stripper increased longevity. It is important to remove the paint flakes in your acid regularly to keep the wheel stripper at its most effective. Even without a wheel in the solution, your wheel stripper can be degraded by excessive amounts of paint flakes in the wheel stripping acid. Some paints contain aluminium pigments, meaning the acid continues to attack the flakes, causing the solution to lose strength prematurely. Removing these using our Paint Flake Scoop is the easiest way to maintain your tank.
Evaporation
Unfortunately, evaporation is the nature of the beast, being a solvent-based product. There is no better way to slow down evaporation than a quality, good sealing lid for your tank that should only be removed when parts are put into and taken out of the tank. It is possible to use technical oils to reduce evaporation, however in our extensive experience in the paint stripping industry, the addition of oils / grease in the process is undesirable, since the potential problems (for example blast media contamination and recoating issues) negates any gains in chemical savings made. NEVER use water as a seal (see our Facebook feed for a post and photos showing the damage water in acid can cause to parts). Evaporation retarders can even complicate the disposal process.
Disposing of Waste Chemical
We provide details of the chemical waste contractor we use on every pallet that leaves us, however if you do not have this information to hand, please Please contact our chemical department who will happily pass the details on to you on 01772 202227.
PPE
You can be under no illusion that a chemical strong enough to strip paint and powder-coating from an alloy wheel often in under half an hour is extremely strong and dangerous and is something you DO NOT want to come into direct contact with.
To determine your own requirements for PPE, you must conduct a full and thorough risk assessment in your setting, and this, along with the datasheets for the chemical products should determine the PPE you will require. We have an email pack to help wirth any new set up, which discusses the risks of using DCM (Dichloromethane) and the HSE requirements you are expected to follow. If you require a copy, please email us to request one: info@ribbletechnology.co.uk
Burns – what to do
(refer to the label and seek medical advice)
If you do suffer a chemical burn, please visit the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) for guidance on the first aid management of hydrofluoric acid burns – https://www.npis.org/Download/HFguidance.pdf (we recommend printing the PDF and displaying with your first aid kit to ensure that treatment of the burn is done in the most effective way).
Refer to the label and seek medical advice, taking the label from your chemical drum or the Data Sheet for the product which can be found on here: Stripper HF Datasheet
The best way to deal with a chemical burn is to avoid getting one in the first place by treating this chemical with respect and extreme caution, ensuring you ALWAYS wear the relevant PPE when using the chemical.