Petroleum Jelly as Lubricant

I use it to keep gaskets soft. Eheim's "Spezialfett" or special grease, isn't really so spezial. It's described in both the German and English manual translations simply as vaseline. Ergo....

 

Hi Steven,

Because Petroleum Jelly is an oil based product, it could break down and cause an oil residue on the water surface which in turn could substantially reduce the exchange of CO2 and O2. I would suggest a Silicone Based Lubricant like that made my Marineland.

 

Eheim has Aquatic Maintenance Spray for you.
http://www.eheim.com/base/eheim/inhalte/indexd718.html?key=neuigkeiten_31172_ehen

But I can't find it nearby so I have been using ThreeBond's PANDO 39C
silicone spray for a year now, no problem so far, no leaks, fishes still breed.

 

I will use "Spezialfett" instead of "normal grease

 

Vaseline, Good for What Ails You

Hi Steven,

I have used petroleum jelly for decades with no ill affects. :gw

It is not soluble in water and as long as the water temperature does not exceed 45 C (113 F) there should be no film, oily or otherwise.

If any gets into the aquarium, it is just a little glob of stuff, I have not seen any flora or fauna harmed.

Petroleum jelly is a mixture of hydrocarbons, originally derived from a byproduct of oil drilling (rod wax, I think).

Biollante

 

Does petroleum jelly biodegrade rubber - isn't that what gaskets are made of?

 

Gaskets are made from a variety of elastomers, the very cheapest of which is plasticized vinyl. Vinyl gaskets are swelled by petroleum jelly and their structural integrity is destroyed. Natural rubber or latex gaskets were the original "rubber" gaskets, but not many gaskets are made from this any more. Petroleum jelly degrades rubber gaskets too. Good quality gaskets, however, like those in Eheims, are made from elastomers that easily withstand petroleum jelly.

If in doubt use silicone.

 

Been Using Vaseline for 50+ Years--For All Kinds of Stuff...

Hi,

I have heard the “petroleum jelly will degrade (corrode, damage, harm) seals and gaskets,” all these years, I do not know, just my experience.

Honestly I have never seen any damage I would (or could) attribute to petroleum jelly.:gw

I do not know if this is because my seals and gaskets are not made of “rubber” or the information regarding petroleum jelly and rubber is incorrect.

• Or if being an evil plant monster the physical laws of the universe do not apply to me…

Just did a little research on a brand I can identify made from Buna-n rubber compounds:

• Most common o-ring material; used in hydraulic pumps, seals, carburetors, transmissions, water pumps, and, as lowest cost option, many general applications.
• Resists
  • Petroleum-based oils, greases and hydraulic fluids, aliphatic hydrocarbons like propane, butane, petroleum oil, mineral oil, diesel fuel and fuel oils, vegetable oils, organic fats, most silicone-based fluids and lubricants, alcohols, most HFA, HFB and HFC fluids, alkali and salt solutions.
• Attacked by
  • Sunlight, ozone, weathering, phosphate esters, ketones, glycol-based brake fluids, high-aromatic fuels and hydrocarbons like benzene, chlorinated hydrocarbons like trichlorethylene, polar solvents like ketone, acetone, acetic acid, ethylene-ester, and strong acids.

{Above information stolen from http://www.metrogasket.com/o-rings/material_selection_guide.htm & http://www.globalspec.com/LearnMore/Mechanical_Components/Seals/O_rings.}

Biollante