It has come to our attention that there is slight confusion when searching for anti-seize products. Many people are asking for a specific brand instead of the technical description of the product they need and this often results in the wrong product being supplied and ultimately dissatisfaction when the application fails. This is a result of brands’ synonimity with certain applications which becomes misleading for customers trying to find the correct product for the job.
There are many different types of anti-seize products so asking for a particular brand doesn’t help to indentify the specific product required, even though another brand may be preferable due to its superior quality. Technically speaking, the correct terminology to use would be copper anti-seize, or simply anti-seize compound. ANTI-SEIZE Compound being the new name for ROCOL J166 anti-seize products.
There are differences in asking for copper anti-seize or an anti-seize compound
Most copper anti-seize products solely contain copper as the anti-seizing agent. Copper is a soft metal and can fail as an anti-seize agent under high pressure resulting in metal-on-metal contact and a seized fastener. ROCOL anti-seize products however, contain other additives such as graphite or molybdenum disulphide which withstand higher loads and creating a greater barrier between metal surfaces.
Moreover, ROCOL anti-seize products are insoluble in water and sea water so can be used in submerged applications. Such applications become more arduous to maintain due to their submerged nature, therefore, ensuring the anti-seize doesn’t fail becomes even more important.
Temperature
This brings us on to the next point about anti-seize products; temperature. It is something of a myth that the higher the temperature the better the product. However, it is not likely that the applications these products are used on will ever encounter temperatures above 1,000°C. So whether a product says it operates up to 1,000°C, 1,100°C or 1,200°C is quite irrelevant. The tendency is to pick up two comparable products and decide that one is superior due to the fact that it says on the label that it operates up to 1,200°C. It is much more important to consider the product’s manufacturer and its other features. Such information can be found on any TDS (Technical Data Sheet).
Application
Some issues with anti-seize products may arise from improper application. To correctly apply an anti-seize product the following parts must be covered:
- Under the head of the bolt
- The plain part of the bolt
- The thread
- The face and both sides of the nut
- All parts of the washer (if one is used)
By covering all these areas there is no opportunity for metal-on-metal contact and this therefore eliminates the risk of seizing. Essentially there should be a film of anti-seize between every surface to surface contact.
Please see ROCOL ANTI-SEIZE range or download anti-seize brochure.
