HoldTight®102

NO SALT
NO RUST
ONE STEP

THE ULTIMATE CHLORIDE REMOVER

Independent tests confirm that HoldTight®102 removes chlorides and other contaminants. It then prevents flash rusting, a simple and obvious indication that the surface is clean, free of chlorides and ready for coating. It is an effective, lower cost solution to salt problems.

Removing Soluble Salts with HoldTight®102

Using three different SSPC-approved tests for the presence of soluble salts, the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDoT) researchers have concluded that HoldTight®102 will effectively achieve zero or undetectable salt levels on dry blasted steel surfaces. Three different SSPC-approved test procedures were used to determine the soluble salt levels on the test samples before and after the application of HoldTight®102 as recommended by the manufacturer: the Kitigawa Tube method, the Quantab Strip method, and the Silver Dichromate method (see SSPC-TU 4 Field Methods for Retrieval and Analysis of Soluble Salts on Substrates).

In principle any one of the three procedures would have been sufficient. NYCDoT staff used all three, however, as a multiple cross-check of the results and to confirm with a high degree of certainty that HoldTight®102 would effectively remove chlorides.

The substrates tested were severely corroded steel coupons, approximately 2" thick, cut from bridge structures removed during repair operations. In each test the sample was first dry blasted. HoldTight®102 was then used in a potable water wash down at 500 psi, 1-2 gpm, one part HoldTight®102 was used with 50 parts water. (Note, the manufacturer recommends this 50:1 dilution of HoldTight®102 as a starting point, especially with dry blasting. In practice, users report similar results with 100:1 to 200:1 dilutions depending on the extent of contamination on the surface and the method of surface preparation used. Typically, the more pressure and water used in surface preparation, the less HoldTight®102 per unit of water needs to be used to achieve zero or undetectable levels of chlorides.)

In every case soluble salts were either undetectable or reduced to zero.

HoldTight®102 prevents flash rusting: here is the the easy way to determine surface cleanliness.

If the surface rusts, you may or may not have contaminants. Even if you test for chlorides and find none, the results may only apply to the specific area of the test. That is because contaminants may not be spread uniformly across the surface. The fact is that rust, no matter what its cause, is typically inconsistent. On the other hand, if the surface does not rust, you can be very confident that it is both contaminant- and moisture-free. Over time, of course, contaminants present in the air may re-contaminate the surface and then pull moisture out of the air to cause rust. Then you lose your "window" for coating. With HoldTight®102 that window is usually 2 to 5 days.

For more information on these tests and on using HoldTight®102 to remove chlorides contact Peter Petkas or Syed Hussain at HoldTight Solutions Inc.