Strontium Titanate

I was told that strontium titanate is heat sensitive and should not
be removed from the dop by heating the dop.

I have a nice SRB sitting in acetone for longer than I am interested
in waiting and still can not get it off.

I find it hard to believe that anything would happen to it if it sat
in boiling water for two minutes but I do not want to risk this
without some moral support.

Oh yes… it is epoxied on.

It finally came off since posting this to two other groups but I
still do not have an answer on the main issure which is…

Can this gem material tolerate boiling water for a few minutes?

js

your better off trying to freeze it then break it off

Ringman

    Can this gem material tolerate boiling water for a few
minutes? 

Jack, Strontium Titanate (one of my favorite lab-createds) is
sensitive to heat. Steam cleaning is considered risky. I would
advise against it. A low boil for a minute or two may or may not
damage the stone. It’s your choice.

James in SoFl

Can this gem material tolerate boiling water for a few minutes? 

A couple of decades ago, I did work for Wellington Jewels,a small
multi outlet company in the Washington, DC area. They dealt almost
exclusively with strontium titanate. They obviously had very ready
sources. We routinely worked very close to the stones with a torch,
as in retipping. Do not quench or cool the stone too quickly.

Why would you want to boil the stone?

    Why would you want to boil the stone? 

To soften the epoxy so it can be removed from the dop. I usually
use a Bunsen burner on the dop but boiling would put a known max on
the temp and be hot enough to waken the epoxy.

js

To soften the epoxy so it can be removed from the dop. I usually
use a Bunsen burner on the dop but boiling would put a known max on
the temp and be hot enough to waken the epoxy.

why not just get a can of Attack brand epoxy solvent. Will dissolve
the epoxy nicely, without heating. And it’s pretty much reusable, so
if you use a well closed container, so it doesn’t evaporate during
use, and return it to it’s sealed can when not in use, a small can
will last for years.

Peter

    I was told that strontium titanate is heat sensitive and
should not be removed from the dop by heating the dop. I have a nice
SRB sitting in acetone for longer than I am interested in waiting
and still can not get it off. (snip) 

Jack, for future reference, one trick I used back in my faceting
days was to mix my epoxy with either cornstarch or baby powder. This
made the epoxy porous enough for the acetone or attack to penetrate
better and removal was so much easier. It doesn’t take much - about
10:1 epoxy/powder. Also, if your using an aluminum dop, a riskier but
effective trick is to heat the dop in the middle while holding the
end of the dop with one hand and the stone with the other and tug in
opposite directions. Usually the dop will heat up enough for the glue
to separate (with the gob of glue stuck to the stone) before burning
your fingers. If you feel it getting too hot, dunk it in water and
try again. Most, if not all stones will take that much heat with no
problems.

Ken

Hi, I was taught to soak a piece of thick leather in water. Hold the
stone in the wet leather wrap while heating the metal dop with a
Blazer torch or alcohol lamp. The epoxy should weaken while the
stone is protected. Then soak the stone in acetone to remove any
remaining epoxy. I haven’t tried this with strontium titanate but
it works great for quartz.

Karen

    why not just get a can of Attack brand epoxy solvent.  Will
dissolve the epoxy nicely, without heating..... 

I assume it takes a lot longer than the several seconds it takes to
heat remove it?

Sounds like a good idea for heat sensitive stones though. Never
heard of the stuff but I will now look for it. js

    I assume it takes a lot longer than the several seconds it
takes to heat remove it? 

Yes, but remember the fumes from hot epoxy are carcinogenic

Bill Bedford