Firstly you need to understand that silicone does not stick to anything other than the adhesive system or the PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive). This means silicone does not interface directly with wood or metal or any other material, instead it interfaces with the PSA itself. The diagram below explains this.
100% silicone caulk makes an excellent glue/adhesive when attaching wood to plastic like polyethylene/polypropelene. Given that construction adhesives cannot grab onto hard plastics since plastics are non-reactive, 100% silicone caulk is an excellent alternative.
A mixture of 2 parts isopropyl alcohol and 1 part dish soap can be used in some cases to release silicone from silicone. Petroleum jelly can be used to release silicone from silicone, but it should be thinned with mineral spirits so that it can be applied in a thin layer with minimal visible brush strokes.
Silicone rubber is highly inert and does not react with most chemicals and isn't available to participate in biological processes allowing it to be used in many medical applications including medical implants.
What is silicone? Silicone is a rubber-like elastomer with high-temperature resistance. It is difficult to bond, and the only adhesives which adhere well are silicone based adhesives and cyanoacrylate adhesive after the silicone has been primed with Permabond POP.
Sealing joints on a damp surface should be strongly avoided, since silicone sealants generally do not adhere as well to moist substrates. If you want durable joints, never apply sealant in rain, freezing rain, snow or heavy fog.
Once you're removed most of the silicone use a cloth and some methylated spirits to wipe the remnants off. The methylated spirits act as a solvent in this scenario helping break down the last of the silicone and making it easier to manage and less sticky.
Alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and oil based cleaning products can chemically damage the silicone causing unwanted swelling as it absorbs into the silicone.
Ideal Usage: As silicone caulk seals with PVC better than bonds, it accommodates easy disassembly. For this reason, most people prefer using silicone caulk for a PVC trim that may need to be disassembled.
In order to avoid this use any dish soap that does not contain essential oils, antibacterial agents, or moisturizers. These are all oils that can stick to silicone and can cause an unpleasant taste often described as being soap or plastic-like.
As it contains acetic acid, silicone can be softened with white vinegar.
What Is Parchment Paper? Parchment paper is basically paper that has been coated with silicone. It can come in bleached or unbleached varieties, and the silicone makes the paper non-stick and heat-resistant, as well as water-resistant.
Use an acrylic spray such as Krylon Crystal Clear®.
Silicone adhesives are extremely versatile and used in many industries. They can be used to bond silicone rubber, among many other materials. Some of the properties of silicone adhesives are: UV resistance.
When exposed to acidic aqueous solutions, silicone rubbers degrade through chemical decomposition of silicon based materials as well as leaching of fillers. With the increase in exposure time in aqueous solutions, the degradation of silicone rubbers becomes more severe.
Salt contamination can also cause increased corona discharge, corona arcing, and a loss of hydrophobicity, resulting in permanent material damage to silicone rubber RTV (i.e., chain scission) (1, 2).
Can silicone be submerged in water? Yes, silicone is not adversely affected by prolonged submersion in either fresh or salt water.
The effective shelf life of silicone rubber compounds is dependant largely on what is required from the compound in processing terms. The material tends to stiffen with age but this can be overcome by freshening on a two-roll mill.
To conclude, storage, packaging, temperature, humidity, mechanical/abrasion, pressure from stacked items are all important factors that can affect the shelf life of silicone rubber.
No. Alcohol based cleaners should not be used for cleaning surfaces as alcohol inhibits the cure of silicones. Soaps or detergents used to clean the surface must be rinsed away thoroughly with clean water to ensure that all traces of the soaps are removed before sealing.
Once you have removed most of the silicone, wipe the remnants off using a cloth. You can make the job a bit eaiser by soaking the cloth in methylated spirits. The methylated spirits act as a solvent, breaking down the last of the silicone, making it less sticky and easier to wipe up.
WD-40® is very good at removing silicone sealant, but make sure you completely remove it from the surface before applying any new silicone sealant, as they can react.
You can then soak off the nails with acetone, as it does not dissolve silicone.