Where has MJ Gordon’s Permasil #909C disappeared to?

CAPLINQ has been a distributor of MJ Gordon Permasil carnauba wax mold release spray, including Permasil #909C green label mold release for many years. There is no denying that it is one of the best mold release agents for epoxy mold compounds on the planet.

What makes MJ Gordon Permasil #909C Carnauba Wax so great

MJ Gordon Permasil #909C contains ingredients that do not meet REACH requirements and will be banned from use by 2017

The combination of epoxy compatibility, ease of use and fantastic mold release products makes it a standard at almost every company that uses epoxy mold compounds in a transfer mold press and even at epoxy mold compound manufacturers themselves. Carnauba is used in the manufacture of epoxy mold compounds themselves to act as a self-releasing mold compound, and so there is never any compatibility with the carnauba wax used as an aerosol spray for the mold release agent. Furthermore, the amount of carnauba wax that can be dissolved in a can of MJ Gordon Permasil #909C and still give it a “good to the last drop guarantee” is what sets MJ Gordon #909C apart from the rest. The unfortunate factor however lies exactly in this last statement. The ingredients used in MJ Gordon #909C have found their way onto the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) substance list and as such will be banned for use by 2017.

What exactly is the problem with MJ Gordon Permasil #909C?

Carnauba wax on its own is a solid. In order to make it a liquid, the solid needs to be dissolved in a solvent which suspends the solid in a liquid allowing it to be sprayed out of an aerosol can and applied to hot mold surfaces. Once the liquid contacts the hot surface, the solvent is quickly evaporated leaving only carnuaba wax on the hot mold – perfect for starting an epoxy mold compound process. The goal of the solvent is thus exactly that – to temporarily make the solid a liquid to be able to apply it, and then get out of the way as quickly as possible once it is applied to the surface. The solvent used in the MJ Gordon #909C is the culprit as it is the one that has made it onto the REACH list, numbering the days that it will be allowed to be used in production environments.

Alternatives to MJ Gordon Permasil #909C Carnauba Wax Spray

“Oh, no!” explain our customers, once they hear that they will shortly no longer be able to use their favorite spray, “Now what will be use?”. The bad news is that we have tried dozens of ingredients to try to replace the solvent with something that is not on the REACH ban list – without success so far. (This said, if you are reading this article and have some ideas, or want to help participate in our development, please contact us to discuss.) The good news is that we have been able to develop some alternatives to MJ Gordon #909C that including Chemlinq MRE-C909 that are complete replacements for MJ Gordon #909C. Keep checking this page for new updates as we expand our mold release agent portfolio.

What criteria make a product an MJ Gordon #909C alternative?

This is an excellent question, and exactly the point of this article. As mentioned above, MJ Gordon #909C is a fantastic product, so don’t think that you can just buy some Turtle Wax, or Carnauba wax car wax and think that you have found the next MJ Gordon #909C Carnauba Wax (trust us, we tried). An effective alternative needs to meet the following criteria:

  • It needs to be compatible with epoxy molding compounds (most silicone based sprays are not compatible)
  • It needs to be applied to a HOT mold surface (car waxes can’t and even have warnings against it)
  • It cannot bubble or foam when applied (a uniform, thin layer is key to consistency)
  • The solvent must evaporate quickly when applied (which is why water-based solvents will never work)
  • It must be affordable (target price is same or less than current MJ Gordon #909C sprays at volume)
MJ Gordon #909C vs LinqSil S-100
MJ Gordon #909C vs LinqSil S-100

Knowing this, we spent many months developing Chemlinq MRE-C909 as well as LinqSil S-100 Mold Release for Epoxy Mold Compounds.

What is CAPLINQ Chemlinq MRE-C909 Non-Silicone Carnauba Wax Mold Release Agent for Epoxy Mold Compounds

CAPLINQ’s Chemlinq MRE-C909 Mold Release is a carnauba wax based, sprayable aerosol mold release agent. It contains no silicones or oils and is therefore not only compatible but complementary to epoxy molding compound and other thermoset plastic molding.

Alternative to MJGordon Permasil #909C

Chemlinq MRE-C909 is a fully REACH and RoHS compliant carnauba wax mold release aerosol spray and does not contain trichloroethane (CAS: 71-55-6) or dichloromethane (CAS: 75-09-02). It is designed for mold release of epoxy molding compounds and was specifically formulated as an alternative to MJ Gordon Permasil #909C after MJ Gordon discontinued the production of this product. MRE-C909 is literally the 9th iteration and serves as a reminder of the 8 previous unsuccessful formulation attempts before finally formulating MRE-C909.

In order to have the best results during the production process, a thin, uniform thickness of MRE-C909 should be sprayed on the mold. The release agent has no build-up on the mold and should show a shiny surface when properly applied.

Instructions for use:

  1. Turn the actuator so that the orifice is pointing towards the red marking on the valve cup.
  2. Shake the can frequently during use.
  3. Hold can far enough from the mold surface to obtain the required spray distance, pattern, & coverage.
  4. Do not overspray, but apply uniformly and quickly during production.
  5. Do not spray into open flames or any incandescent materials.

What is CAPLINQ LinqSil S-100 Mold Release Agent for Epoxy Mold Compounds

CAPLINQ LinqSil S-100 is a specially formulated mold release agent formulated as an alternative to MJ Gordon #909C for use with Epoxy Mold Compounds in particular, but can also be used on hot- and cold-cured epoxy, polyurethane and polyester resins. Although it is a silicone-based mold release agent, it has been tested and PROVEN to work on epoxy mold compounds with ZERO compatibility issues. It meets the criteria as laid out above:

  • Compatible with epoxy mold compounds (used by diode and IC epoxy mold compound users)
  • Can be applied to hot mold surfaces (used on mold surfaces as hot as 200°C)
  • Doesn’t bubble or foam when applied
  • Solvent evaporates quickly when applied (molding can be done immediately after application)
  • Must be affordable (check our mold release list prices and volume price breaks.)

It is now currently in production with semiconductor manufacturers using epoxy mold compounds to mold:

  • Epoxy molded diodes (used by one several manufacturers who combined make several billion parts per year)
  • Epoxy molded IC’s (this includes QFN, BGAs, LQFP, SOICs and many more)
  • Don’t you want to join this list of satisfied customers?

So, what’s stopping you from trying Chemlinq MRE-C909 or LinqSil S-100 Mold Release Agent for yourself?

CAPLINQ is a specialty chemicals, plastics and products company that specializes in mold release agents including MJ Gordon Permasil #909C, Chemlinq MRE-C909, and LinqSil S-100 mold release spray. You can contact us if you have further questions about MJ Gordon Permasil.

About Chris Perabo

Chris is an energetic and enthusiastic engineer and entrepreneur. He is always interested in taking highly technical subjects and distilling these to their essence so that even the layman can understand. He loves to get into the technical details of an issue and then understand how it can be useful for specific customers and applications. Chris is currently the Director of Business Development at CAPLINQ.

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