Potting with Silicone Wire

Blue Robotics Products Potting
1

I am trying to use two 8AWG silicone wires to supply power to my MATE ROV. I tried to use both wetlinks and potted connectors, but neither maintained a seal on the underwater enclosure. Is there another potting compound I can try or a technique I can use? I noticed that the Acetone didn’t really affect the wire when I used it as much as others did.

2

I resolved the situation, I just needed to lightly sand the wire jacket before cleaning it.

3

Hi @Makenna, welcome to the forum :slight_smile:

WetLink Penetrators form a compression seal - if you have the correct seal size and plug compression for your cable then it should seal properly, and it’s somewhat surprising if that wasn’t the case. Out of interest, did you follow our Choosing a WetLink Penetrator for your Cable Guide, or did you decide on the appropriate size by some other means?

In addition, silicone is known for its resistance to chemicals - it’s not super surprising that acetone may have failed to change the surface, and/or a potting compound had difficulty adhering to it. It may be necessary to use a potting compound that’s explicitly made for silicone.

Glad to hear you managed to find a solution. Was that with a potted or WetLink penetrator? :slight_smile:

4

I am similarly potting silicone wire. If you could share the potting compound you used and any process specifics that would be very helpful.

5

I used a potable penetrators and G/Flex 650 epoxy. To prep the wire jacket, I used 80 grit sandpaper, then cleaned it thoroughly with the Blue Robotics prep wipe. Make sure that you can feel texture of the part of the wire jacket being potted when you are done. Then, pot as normal with the G/Flex and allow to cure for the maximum time. You might see the wire peeling away from the epoxy where it meets the wire, but the connection was solid inside for me. Good luck!

6

If the epoxy is peeling away from the cable there’s no way of knowing how much is actually sealed. If you choose to operate like this make sure to be extra vigilant with regular vacuum tests to ensure a decent seal, and try not to go too deep if possible.