All the chemical guides
Where to buy| Family | Page | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | Cleaning solvents | MEK, isopropanol, acetone, dry cleaning solvent, trichloroethane (historic), Skydrol-safe cleaners |
| Cleaning | Degreasers | Detergent, solvent, alkaline and deoxidizer cleaners |
| Surface treatment | Conversion coatings | Alodine 1200S, MIL-DTL-5541 |
| Coatings | Primers | MIL-PRF-23377, MIL-PRF-85582, chrome-free |
| Coatings | Aircraft paint | Topcoat, strippers, identifying a finish |
| Protection | Corrosion inhibitors | ACF-50, CorrosionX, LPS 3, Boeshield T-9 |
| Bonding | Structural adhesives | Epoxy paste, MMM-A-132 |
| Shop | Drilling lubricants | Boelube sticks, pastes and liquid |
| Sealing | Polysulfide sealants | PR-1422, PR-1440, PS-890, PR-1776M, CS 3201 |
| Sealing | Polythioether sealants | What it is and how to identify it |
| Sealing | Silicone sealants | RTV, MIL-A-46106, MIL-A-46146 |
| Sealing | Sealant equivalents | What the specifications say, and why names are not approvals |
| Sealing | Sealant removal | Scraper, aluminium wool, chemical softeners |
| Sealing | Sealant classes | Classes A, B, C and dash numbers |
| Sealing | Fay and fillet sealing | Where each seal goes |
| Surface treatment | Conversion coat and primer (repair) | The order on a repair |
Pages are written from public sources: AC 43.13-1B, FAA-H-8083-31B, maker data sheets, NIOSH. Safety instructions belong to each product's SDS.
The order chemicals go on a repair
Chemicals go on in a fixed order, and a mistake early is paid for late. 1 Solvent clean and strip. 2 Remove corrosion, rinse. 3 Conversion coat at once. 4 Prime holes and faces. 5 Seal the faying surface and install fasteners wet. 6 Fillet; let it cure. 7 Paint. Drilling lubricant is cleaned off before step 1; inhibitors go on last, where the manual allows. Sequence is from AC 43.13-1B par. 6-134 and 6-136.
The order, one step at a time
| Step | Action | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solvent clean | Clean the area. Never kerosene or fuel (AC 6-136h). |
| 2 | Remove corrosion and rinse | Blend as the SRM allows, then rinse with clean water. |
| 3 | Conversion coat at once | Apply right after the rinse; redo it if 48 hours pass without primer or paint (AC 6-136j). |
| 4 | Prime holes and faces | Prime every rivet hole before the doubler goes on (AC 6-134e). |
| 5 | Seal and install wet | Faying seal, fasteners set wet within the sealant's life. |
| 6 | Fillet, cure, paint | Paint after the fillet has cured (AC 6-134h). |
Questions people actually ask
Where do I find the SDS?
From the product's maker or distributor. Every product on these pages has one; we link to data sheets, not SDSs, because SDSs change by batch and region.
Why are some products missing figures?
We cite only numbers we could read in the maker's or the regulator's own document. Where we could not, the page says so.
Does this replace the SRM?
No. The SRM names the product, class and process for each repair.
Quick check
You have just blended out corrosion on a skin and rinsed it. What goes on next?
- Primer
Not this one. Not yet. The conversion coat goes on first, immediately after the rinse (AC 6-136d).
- The chromate conversion coat, at once
Best fit. Right: apply it immediately after rinsing, then prime. The SRM names the product.
- Kerosene to degrease
Not this one. No. The AC says not to use kerosene or any petroleum fuel as a cleaning solvent (par. 6-136h).
On a real job, the SRM decides.
Limits — when NOT to use this
What the sources support, and no further.
- Public sources only. Confidential documents are not used.
- No safety rules of our own.
- Equivalents are decided by the SRM, not by this guide.
Where to buy
Distributors coming soon.
Sources
- FAA AC 43.13-1B CHG 1, Chapter 6 (corrosion control, safety precautions, finishes) — Pars. 6-90 (safety precautions), 6-134 to 6-136 (finish, conversion coat, 48 hour rule, fasteners), section 4 (corrosion preventive maintenance, MIL-C-16173 Grade 4); par. 5-63 (cleaner types).
- FAA-H-8083-31B, Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook - Airframe, Volume 1 — Chapter 8, aircraft finishes: finishing materials (acetone, alcohol, MEK) and the solvent test for coatings; chapter 7, sealing of bolted composite repairs.
- FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe Handbook, Volume 2 — Chapter 14, fuel tank leak repair: remove old sealant with a nonmetallic scraper, clean with the recommended solvent, apply new sealant, observe cure time.
- CDC NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: 2-Butanone (MEK) — Flash point, exposure limits and flammability class.