Author Topic: Does activator eat shirts?  (Read 1323 times)

Offline Screened Gear

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Does activator eat shirts?
« on: March 13, 2013, 03:23:36 PM »
I lost another shirt this week. Have about 8 holes in the front of the shirt. First does activator powder eat holes in shirts? Teh only reason I ask is because I have been working on my pool lately too. Second how do you keep from this happening. I am looking into a flip top bottle to put the powder into. I think my problem is taking the lid off of the quart container I keep in the mixing area. When I take the lid off any powder from the lid always goes flying.

Thanks in advance
Holey in Arizona


Offline Screened Gear

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Re: Does activator eat shirts?
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2013, 05:18:16 PM »
no one else has this happen. If you get activator powder on your shirt does it eat the shirt after you wash it.

Offline ebscreen

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Re: Does activator eat shirts?
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2013, 05:33:49 PM »
I'd wager it's the pool chems.

Offline Screened Gear

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Re: Does activator eat shirts?
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2013, 05:40:29 PM »
Im going to do a test.

Offline ebscreen

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Re: Does activator eat shirts?
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2013, 05:44:57 PM »
Science is totally rad.

Offline Screened Gear

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Re: Does activator eat shirts?
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2013, 05:50:37 PM »
well a quick test. Straight powder sprayed with water and then dried with a heat gun made the shirt in that area weak. I could easily rip it in that area. The powder did DC the area when heated with the heat gun. My shirt is not DC around the holes. I will let it sit on the fabric and dry normally and see if it still make the fabric weak with out DCing the area. (no heat gun).

Offline ebscreen

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Re: Does activator eat shirts?
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2013, 06:21:20 PM »
Yeah, heat gun may be a factor. When we first started testing colors with it I was surprised at how easy it was
to scorch if not burn fabric.

Offline Prof_Yaffel

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Re: Does activator eat shirts?
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2013, 11:27:51 AM »
Chlorine/bleach will do that if you were using it with your pool

Offline Screened Gear

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Re: Does activator eat shirts?
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2013, 01:05:16 PM »
Ok second test did nothing. I did a scoop of powder then sprayed it with water and let it sit all night. To day the fabric is as strong as normal.

Offline blue moon

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Re: Does activator eat shirts?
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2013, 01:09:50 PM »
we had a shirt we used for testing that was printed over and over again in the same place than sent through a very hot dryer (400+).
it started falling apart in the areas where we laid down a lot of ink.

so there is something to this story . . .

pierre
Yes, we've won our share of awards, and yes, I've tested stuff and read the scientific papers, but ultimately take everything I say with more than just a grain of salt! So if you are looking for trouble, just do as I say or even better, do something I said years ago!

Offline ZooCity

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Re: Does activator eat shirts?
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2013, 06:29:08 PM »
Well, ZFS is def doing a chemical bleaching action. Makes sense that too much would break down fibers. Perhaps this is, in part, where the recommended six percent limit comes from.