[Jewelry making - Article 00934] - Re: [Orchid] Prips Flux preparation problems

[Peter W . Rowe]

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    The times I've seen TSP on the market that contained Sodium
    Silicate, it turned out that the stuff in the container was not
    actually TSP at all.  There are a many substitutes for TSP sold as
    general cleaners, etc, that do not use actual tri-sodium phosphate
    (TSP) in order to comply with water pollution regulations regarding
    phosphates in detergents/cleaners.  Instead, they generally use
    Sodium Metasilicate, which may work fine as a cleaner in many of the
    situations traditionally emplying TSP, but as you note, it's a
    totally different chemical, and does not work for making Prips. 

    I believe the problem is not one of finding TSP that doesn't contain
    "some" sodium Silicate, it's that of finding a product that is
    actually TSP at all. Most of the substitutes are confusingly labled. 
    Things like "TSP-90" or the like.  No actual TSP in there.  Only the
    Sodium Metasilicate.  What you have to do is very carefully read the
    ingredients listing and labels.  Just because the letters TSP are in
    the product name does not mean that is what it contains. 46ind a
    product that actually contains tri-sodium phosphate.  From what I've
    seen, when it's sold, it's not generally mixed with anything else of
    any significance to making Prips flux.  In my location, when i go to
    the local Home Depot stores,  in the paint department one finds, at
    eye level shelves, several versions of the substitutes, many of
    which, from quickly reading the labels, look like they should be TSP,
    and which will be fine for washing walls before painting.  But
    they're the wrong chemical.   Stepping back, getting on my knees, and
    searching the floor level bottom shelf, I often can find a rather
    less fancy looking "generic" sort of carboard box product that is
    labled, and actually contains, TSP.   That's the stuff you need for
    Prips.  Read the fine print to be sure. 

Peter

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