How often should AC612/21 be agitated?

There are many advantages to using the LIP Antifriction Coating products but there are some important process related challenges that need to be considered by customers/users. One of the common issues is the separation or settlement of the fluid/liquid like products within the range. The AC612/21 antifriction product is the most popular product within the range; this product essentially consists of solids dispersed in a water based carrier. Over time the solids and water based carrier will separate/settle and so a periodic agitation or shaking of the AC612/21 is necessary to ensure the correct mixture is applied during the application process.

How often should the AC612/21 container be agitated? We have conducted a simple demonstration to show how long the process of separation takes in a 1kg/1litre container and a 50ml pump spray. It should be noted that we could not demonstrate the separation in the 40ml felt pen applicator as this container is not clear/transparent.

A series of images were taken of the AC612/21 containers, first picture was taken shortly after shaking/agitation and then periodically over the next 15 weeks. Images are below but you can just scroll down to the lower part of this page to see the conclusion.

The images are not all taken in the same lighting conditions. The purpose of this article is only to give general guidance, it was not intended to be laboratory level evaluation.

Compare larger pictures of week 1 and week 15 and you see the difference – the AC612/21 shows evidence of separation:

Conclusion

We noted a small level of product separation after 3 weeks but not to a significant level. At 6 weeks the level of separation was beyond what we think is acceptable. At 12 and 15 weeks the level of separation was considered too much and a user of the product might not be applying the correct mixture of product. Our recommendation is therefore that containers of AC612/21 that remain static/not used for anything over 3 weeks should be shaken or agitated vigorously. Of course if a container is in constant use over a period of week, the product will be agitated during it’s normal use; this statement is more applicable to the 50ml pump spray and the 40ml felt pen. In general, an instruction to shake containers every 3 to 4 weeks is recommended. If the product is purchased in larger amounts and stored for use at a later date, a good idea is that stores personnel are asked to shake a container when ‘booked out’ for production use.

If you have any questions, please contact us. Visit our LIP anti-friction page here.