White lithium grease in tank

[-JD-]

I'm going to try and collect some samples of the stuff and then see how much Waldoworld has in alcohol and start trying to clean it out. Will try alcohol first.

FWIW Lowes/HD/Menards/FleetFarm/etc. probably sell gallon cans of denatured alcohol in the paint section.

 

[rjack321]

I appreciate all the comments. The tank was probably never in salt water, its located in WI. The amount of grease or Christolube is what throws me. The entire tank, bottom, sides all the way around and up near the top of the tank, is all coated with it. And its a rather thick coating. The Christolube I have from Scubapro is a small tube that lasts a very long time and it would in my estimation take about 10 tubes to coat the entire interior of the tank. I haven't heard of problems with employee's but I would not be kept in the loop on that.

I'm going to try and collect some samples of the stuff and then see how much Waldoworld has in alcohol and start trying to clean it out. Will try alcohol first.

Yea that sounds like $200 in christolube lol. So I am guessing its white lithium. Paint thinner works but is a pain to get rid of safely afterwards. Acetone is the easiest

 

[Tommymac]

Progress report..

I poured in 3 bottles of alcohol and tumbled the tank for another hour. Most of the tumbling media unstuck its-self from the tank and came out along with what looked like wet paint, Sort of a white/gray color. I repeated the process and the rest of the media was dislodged. The interior still looked a mess.

Then I decided to try one of my favorite products, Grease lightening. I sprayed it in the tank and slosh it all over. Let it sit for a few min. and used a garden hose with max stream, it got much of it out. 2 more rinses and every time more of the grease came loose.

I repeated that process and I could finally see aluminum.

Finally back to doing a tumble once its dry, and I think it will be finally done. Next goal is to try and figure out what and how got in the tank.

If the shop discovers another tank like this one, I'm tempted to head to the coin car wash.

 

[BoltSnap]

Next goal is to try and figure out what and how got in the tank.

That is a very intriguing question...

 

[grf88]

Based on the quantity you are finding I suspect the tank was used for something other than diving. As to what I have no clue.

 

[coldwaterglutton]

Given a new Alum 80 is under 150 bucks from a distributor, isn't the wise move to condemn the tank? No telling what toxins are in the tank now. I sure wouldn't want to chance poisioning someone.

 

[rjack321]

Given a new Alum 80 is under 150 bucks from a distributor, isn't the wise move to condemn the tank? No telling what toxins are in the tank now. I sure wouldn't want to chance poisioning someone.

Just what toxin do you suspect leaches into aluminum and then somehow offgasses back into the air?

 

[BoltSnap]

Just what toxin do you suspect leaches into aluminum and then somehow offgasses back into the air?

The kind you don't know anything about and you can't discern but will either kill you or cause you harm. It isn't worth the effort or the time put into this cleaning at all especially if you can't figure out what and where and how it happened.

 

[rjack321]

The kind you don't know anything about and you can't discern but will either kill you or cause you harm. It isn't worth the effort or the time put into this cleaning at all especially if you can't figure out what and where and how it happened.

Or you could listen to a metallurgist or heaven forbid a toxicologist instead of making up stuff up

 

[BoltSnap]

Or you could listen to a metallurgist or heaven forbid a toxicologist instead of making up stuff up

Are you one? And even doing so, you will need to analyze the grease in a lab to determine what it actually is and incur all of the related expenses and determine how all of it is going to behave under increased pressure and for the diver to breathe it underwater, etc. when you can just buy a new tank for a lot less than that.