Conklin Rust-Off®

Rust and Oxide Remover

Product Description

Conklin Rust-Off® is a metal surface cleaning gel that removes rust, oxide films, built-up minerals, metal particles, dirty water stains, debris and other such impurities from the surface. After cleaning, Rust-Off forms a thin protective layer that protects the metal surface from further rusting.

It is essential to clean a metal surface thoroughly before applying coatings. This ensures that the coating serves its desired function and lasts for the full duration of its service life.

Easily soluble in water, Rust-Off cleans roof surfaces made from most metals, stainless steel, galvanized steel, copper, aluminum, and galvalume. After cleaning, you can apply the Metal Ready® Universal Rust Inhibiting Metal Primer and the Conklin Metal Restoration System.

However, you cannot use Rust-Off directly to clean a surface that is already coated. You will have to first remove the earlier coating via processes such as sandblasting, scraping, or wire brushing.

Coverage Rate

• Mix 1-part of Rust-Off® in 20-parts of water – this is the same as 1-quart of Rust-Off in a 5-gallon bucket of water
• Apply 1-gallon of this diluted solution over 400-500 square feet of the metal surface
• Use stronger solution for heavily rusted metal surface

Application

• Make sure the personnel using Rust-Off are wearing the required personal protective equipment (PPE) because Rust-Off® contains acid and can be harmful for the skin
• Also ensure the personnel have read and understood the safety data sheet for Rust-Off
• Temperature considerations:
  • Apply Rust-Off when the ambient temperature is 40F or more
  • Do not apply when temperature is expected to fall below 40F
  • Ambient temperature must not be above 100F
  • Surface temperature should be at or below 120F
• Preferably, wet the surface before application
• Apply Rust-Off with a rag, brush, or low-pressure sprayer
• Scrub with a mop, soft brush, or broom for 10 minutes after application to enable Rust-Off to loosen the rust
• Rinse completely with a high-pressure water sprayer
• Do not allow Rust-Off to be in contact with the metal surface for more than 15 minutes and do not let it dry on the surface
• Follow the local, state, or federal disposal guidelines – whichever are applicable – when disposing the Rust-Off solution and other material that comes down from the roof after cleaning
• Rust-Off is harmful for plats and grasses – use plastic sheets to cover plants and grasses around the metal roof where you are applying Rust-Off before starting work

Storage Requirements

• Always store Rust-Off in a warm and dry ambience
• Do not freeze Rust-Off as it will become unusable

Product Description Detail

Coatings are applied on metal surfaces for various reasons such as waterproofing, rust protection, and reflecting sunlight. There are also basecoats and primers that bond with the topcoat and improve its life and effectiveness. The better the application, the better is the life and effectiveness of the coating and the metal surface. 

All such coatings can strongly bond with the metal surface and carry out their function only if the metal is free of impurities. If you apply coatings on metal surfaces with impurities, they do not last for their full service life. And even in this short life, they fail to carry out their intended function.

Rust-Off contains phosphoric acid that reacts with the metal surface and makes it resistant to subsequent rusting. Metal surfaces are often cleaned before coating using processes such as sandblasting, wire brushing, or scraping. Such processes are also used to remove earlier coats on the surface.

Apart from removing dirt and rust, these processes also remove a tiny layer of metal and make the surface prone to rusting. These processes also leave behind tiny particles of metal and rust lingering on the surface. Such particles increase the possibility of rusting of the surface.

Rust-Off removes rust, metal particles, oxides, and all other impurities that decrease the life and effectiveness of the coating. And by doing so, it cuts the maintenance and re-coating costs. Not to mention the peace of mind!

Let us consider examples of certain coatings. Metal Ready® Universal Primer and Maintain® are rust prevention coatings. However, they do not remove existing rust on the metal surface. If you apply them over a metal roof that is rusted, they will not shield the roof from rusting.

Rapid Roof III®, Benchmark®, Rapid Roof HV®, Equinox^TM, Puma®, and Puma XL® coatings help with waterproofing, reflecting sunlight, rust prevention, and reducing A/C energy bills. These are not designed to prevent or remove rust. They will fail if applied on a rusted, unclean surface.

Metal surfaces are sometimes sandblasted in order to prepare them for coatings. Sandblasting is also used to remove earlier coatings. The process however makes the cleaned surfaces prone to conventional rusting as well as flash rusting.

If you coat sandblasted surfaces with latex coatings or clean them with tap water, they become vulnerable to flash rusting (i.e. rusting due to metal particles coming out from under the coating). Remember, sandblasting has loosened the metal surface and small metal particles are present over it.

Presence of a thin water film of water on steel is enough to start flash rusting. The source of this water film can be a water-based coating or water used for cleaning.

Flash rusting not only decreases the life and efficacy of the coating, but also destroys its appearance by creating discolorations and stains that can be light yellow, red, or dark orange. While conventional rusting takes days to appear, flash rusting is visible within hours. 

Metal Ready® Universal Primer and Maintain® offer only minimum resistance to flash rusting if the surface has not been cleaned with Rust-Off. Apply Rust-Off on sandblasted surfaces to protect them from both types of rusting.