GPI rubber/urethane plates sticking together/melting?

[gatorguy.]

I bought these plates from CL a while ago and they are sticking to each other fiercely and also look like they are melting. They'll literally start dripping the coating off. They are in air conditioned space, so it's not like they are literally melting. Has anybody seen this and can anything be done about it???

I emailed GPI and they basically said "sounds like the urethane is having some sort of chemical breakdown... the only thing to really recommend is to purchase new olympic plates".

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[ajsat23]

I bought these plates from CL a while ago and they are sticking to each other fiercely and also look like they are melting. They'll literally start dripping the coating off. They are in air conditioned space, so it's not like they are literally melting. Has anybody seen this and can anything be done about it???

I emailed GPI and they basically said "sounds like the urethane is having some sort of chemical breakdown... the only thing to really recommend is to purchase new olympic plates".

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I have some intek plates with this coating. The only thing I have noticed is that when the humidity gets higher the plates seem to get a little tacky. Maybe a dehumidifier would help? Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[rthawker]

Were they in decent condition when you bought them? It looks like the seller used something to clean the plates up that reacted with the coating. Too bad you bought them off CL otherwise you could get refund/replacement. I would suggest cleaning all of your plates with warm soapy water to remove any possible contamination. Good luck.

[deadwoodgregg]

I have some of those plates. They are rubber coated. Sometimes they will stick together slightly if they are laid down flat on top of each other. How come all of them arent doing that? Have you been cleaning them with a chemical that dissolves rubber? Have the affected plates been subjected to extreme heat from something. Has a chemical been leaking onto some of the plates? Those are older style plates. They would have done this before now if it was an issue with the manufacturing. They have had to have been exposed to heat or chemicals in some way.

[gatorguy.]

Whoever I bought them from must have used something on them. They had tried to put paper between them to keep them from sticking together when I bought them but the paper just stuck on the plates. I didn't know any better at the time. I probably shouldn't have bought them. Seems the 25# and smaller plates are the worst. I have to literally use a pry bar to get the 5's and 10's apart sometimes and they are on a weight tree. That's just if I push them too close together on the tree! Aggrevating.

[cm45]

I would clean them up like rthawker suggested. My guess is also this might have occurred from some chemical reaction.

[PacificStrength]

Looks like they were near very intense heat as in a fire given the extent of their deformity.

[deadwoodgregg]

Gatorguy, if you want to sell those plates I would buy any that aren't melted from you if you are fairly close to the east Tennessee area. Especially 5, 10, and 25's. I'm always interested in rubber or urethane olympic grip plates from decent companies.