DOW CORNING HIGH VACUUM GREASE

Medical applications:
The Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease has not been tested nor is it represented as being suitable for medical or pharmaceutical uses.

Performance Data and Chemical Resistance:
Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease is resistant to most vegetable and mineral oils, many organic compounds and most common gases. It is also resistant to most aqueous solutions of inorganic salts and to dilute acids and alkalis. Securing or including complete information on variables such as pressure, flow velocity, relubrication schedules and valve construction is impractical. For this reason, the suitability of this product should always be tested before the material is adopted for regular use.

Storage and Shelf Life:
When stored under normal warehouse conditions, and in unopened containers, this product has a shelf life of 60 months from date of manufacture.

Chemical Resistance:
Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease resists vegetable and mineral oils and common gases. It also resists aqueous solutions of inorganic salts and dilute acids and alkalis.

Securing or including complete information on variables such as pressure, flow velocity, relubrication schedules and valve construction is impractical. For the reason the suitability of Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease should always be tested before the material is adopted for regular use.

Usable Life and Storage:
When stored under normal warehouse conditions, Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease has a shelf life of 60 months from date of manufacture. Refer to the product packaging for the "use by" date.

Limitations:
Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease is not recommended for use:

Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease is a stiff, nonmelting silicone lubricating material and has much higher stability at the higher end of the temperature range(-40C to 200 C), than hydrocarbon greases such as Apiezon^? M, However, its initial room temperature pumpdown characteristics are not as quite as good taking noticeably longer to out-gas. This grease is very popular as a general laboratory lubricant, in large part to its low cost relative to the alternatives. The product is very popular as a stop cock grease as well as for use as an anti-seize grease in ground glass joints. It is the recommended replacement for Dow Corning Stop Cock Grease. Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease is also used to lubricate synthetic and silicone rubber gaskets being used in high temperature applications. However, we would urge caution, to the extent that it not be considered at all for use on fluorosilicone "O" rings and gaskets.

Product name change:
For many years this product was designated as Dow Corning 976 or 976V High Vacuum Grease but the name has now been streamlined to just "Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease". You can be sure although there has been a name simplification, the product formulation itself has remained unchanged. Any specifications calling for Dow Corning 976 or Dow Corning 976V can be satisfied with Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease.

Vacuum applications:
Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease is recommended for vacuums reaching between 1x10^-5 and 1x10^-6 torr. It is recommended that the grease be preconditioned under vacuum and temperature until these limits are reached to avoid sample contamination.

The Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease is not compatible with normal hydrocarbon or perfluorinated polyether pump fluids and since these are the pump fluids normally used in an electron microscope column, we do not recommend this product for the microscope column application. However, it is quite an acceptable choice for use in vacuum evaporators, especially for lubricating the bell jar "O" ring seal except where Si free carbon coated grids are being made. Once a vacuum evaporator is "contaminated" with silicone from either grease or diffusion pump fluid, it is nearly impossible to ever return it to the state of being able to produce silicon-free carbon coated grids. If you are having this problem with Si contamination of your carbon grids, then consider having SPI Supplies make your grids for you using our custom grid coating program. As is the case for the selection of any component being brought into a vacuum system, the prospective user should be familiar with the product's specifications and properties. Again, as mentioned above, we would not recommend the use of this product in contact with a fluorosilicone "O" ring or gasket.

Other applications:
The grease also finds wide application for the lubrication of water-treating equipment and general laboratory equipment even for non-vacuum applications. It is used for the lubrication of "o" rings on binoculars and telescopes, and is also used to prevent fogging on delicate lenses and mirrors.

Listing Specifications:

Dow Corning High Vacuum Grease is a stiff, nonmelting silicone lubricating material and has much higher stability