Blisters in Hypalon ?

[Jd1]

I have a WalkerBay hypalon RIB. It's maybe 10 or so years old (I am the second owner).
The dinghy lives inflated on my foredeck.
I just put it into service for this year and I am noticing a whole bunch of small blisters at the bow where the hypalon sits/touches the deck. This area is not exposed to sun.
The blisters are between about 1 mm and 5 mm in diameter and domed outward. They seem to be air filled. It looks like the outside coating of the hypalon has detached from the underlying fabric and air pressure from inside the tube is pushing the detached 'plastic' coating out to form a bubble.
Is this a normal hypalon failure mode?
Can it be fixed without a giant patch ? The total area covered is about 2 sq ft.
I have seen the occasional bubble in other areas but that is just the occasional blister. The area that I am concerned with has maybe a hundred tiny blisters.
I suspect that as these blisters fail, the leakage rate from the tubes will go up. I have no idea if the rate of leakage will really increase or if it would be a nominal increase only.
Any suggestions as to what is going on ?

[zeehag]

this became an issue after the patent dupont held for hypalon, their invention, was made public domain. 20 yrs after the invention and registration of patent.
it seems the recipe was slightly changed from original and now yes it bubbles. caribe had same issues for a time as well.
how do i know this info?? my dad worked for dupont and filled me in on information for a time until he died a couple of years ago. funny how chemical engineers know so much about so much.
i avoid it now unless i can find an ancient avon roll up.
no i donot know how to repair it short of patching the bubbled area with a hypalon sheet. good luck.
i row a walker bay rigid 10 ft dink.

[Otia]

Jd1, did it look like this:


I pulled my dinghy out of the water after 2 weeks being left still and what a surprise my dinghy had blisters everywhere it was in contact with the water.
It is an AB rib, aluminium and hypalon. The aluminium is fine.

Anyboday has an idea what could have caused this?

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Otia

Jd1, did it look like this:


I pulled my dinghy out of the water after 2 weeks being left still and what a surprise my dinghy had blisters everywhere it was in contact with the water.
It is an AB rib, aluminium and hypalon. The aluminium is fine.

Anyboday has an idea what could have caused this?

the new recipe for hypalon is not the original one . it makes voids and blisters. i said this earlier but not read, obviously. dupont sold patent recipe after 20 yrs, which is the norm. now it is no longer dupont. as the recipe is different it will do odd stuff.
same pyrex when dow sold that patent to china oopsy now it blows up in folks faces. stuff happens when patents are sold. this is one of those things.

[Otia]

Originally Posted by zeehag

the new recipe for hypalon is not the original one . it makes voids and blisters. i said this earlier but not read, obviously.

Thanks for your reply Zeehag. Yes, I had read your post. Nonetheless, a lot of ppl have hypalon ribs, and AB hypalon ribs in particular are very popular, yet I haven't seen blisters like that ever. Your post is intriguing, yet it does not explain what could have caused these blisters.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Otia

Jd1, did it look like this:


I pulled my dinghy out of the water after 2 weeks being left still and what a surprise my dinghy had blisters everywhere it was in contact with the water.
It is an AB rib, aluminium and hypalon. The aluminium is fine.

Anyboday has an idea what could have caused this?

Your picture is broken or at least on my IPad.
However have you contacted AB?
Being that it was just on the surfaces that water touched has me thinking there may have been some kind of solvent spill on the water, cause I wouldn’t expect water to have an effect.

[a64pilot]

Now the pic link works

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Otia

Thanks for your reply Zeehag. Yes, I had read your post. Nonetheless, a lot of ppl have hypalon ribs, and AB hypalon ribs in particular are very popular, yet I haven't seen blisters like that ever. Your post is intriguing, yet it does not explain what could have caused these blisters.

from what i have seen not all get the blisters--i have seen caribe with em and aquasport(?) with aluminum floor-- was made in 2000 or so. my caribe had a huge bubble in pontoon on top.
i think i would just not trust hypalon to not blister. if this affects air containment i would repair and publicly comment as you have done. if under warrantee replace.
best o luck.
solvent spill makes sense...
and folks wonder why i row a plastic rowboat....i gave up on all that fanciness some 9 yrs ago.