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The official "Is this chem ok to use? / Where can I find ...?" thread

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endlessness

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It is a common question that people ask, if a certain chemical is OK to use for extraction or not, and also where to find such and such chemical. Instead of cluttering up the forum with hundreds of threads about it, those who have these question can post here (and threads made with such questions will be merged here).

But before asking such questions, here's a few important links you should THOROUGHLY read:

Check what your solvent contains here thread

FAQ: Is my solvent/chemical OK to use ?

The Suppliers section
 
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Transform said:
Naphtha is always a mixture. Ideally you'll want one that evaporates cleanly.

The attached SDS appears to refer to a suitable product.
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Thank you for the reply. I understand that ultimately I'll have to do an evaporation test but can you see by the MSDS if there's any red flags in regards to the other ingredients?

Like as far as MSDS's go, does this look like an appropriate solvent to purchase to try an evaporation test on?

It's just I have bought a number of lighted fluid brands which have all failed the test so I just want to try buy something with more probability for success rate rather than wasting more money on a product that might be blatantly useless based on the MSDS yano?
 
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Transform said:
Brake cleaning fluid has to evaporate without residue.

Added as an afterthought ;)
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Thank you. It's just I see other chemicals outlined in it that I was unsure of and unfortunately it looks like the best I'm going to get where I live.

So if do an evaporation test with this product and it leaves no residue, is it generally safe to assume that it's good to go?

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to try to do this properly.
 
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WuShaMan said:
Thank you. It's just I see other chemicals outlined in it that I was unsure of and unfortunately it looks like the best I'm going to get where I live.

So if do an evaporation test with this product and it leaves no residue, is it generally safe to assume that it's good to go?

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to try to do this properly.
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The SDS outlines the composition of the product. "Naphtha" is a decidedly generic term.

And yes, that's what an evaporation test's for.
 
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Transform said:
The SDS outlines the composition of the product. "Naphtha" is a decidedly generic term.

And yes, that's what an evaporation test's for.
Click to expand...
Based on further browsing, would you mind telling me, between these 2 products, what would be your personal preference based on the SDS?
 

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  • HMAI0201A.pdf
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  • BCL5-SDS.pdf
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Transform said:
I'd rather you tell me which you think might be best, and why. Further response tomorrow 😴
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I think [BCL5] could be best because it only has 2 properties outlined;

1. Naphtha 60-100% (which is what I'm looking for)

2. PROPAN-2-OL 10-30% (which seems to be isopropyl alcohol, which seems to evaporate quite easily and quickly)

Whereas the other product has much more properties, which don't seem to be inherently an issue, but does leave more room for error when it comes to an evaporation test.

As for the container aspect, I presume it wouldn't matter because surely the container material would be appropriate for the given substance. Additionally, the product is used to clean car parts so it shouldn't have any micro plastics seeping into it, I would imagine.

Thanks for returning the question back to me. I have been learning so much by interacting with you over a few posts.
 
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Stop right there! The isopropanol (propan-2ol) will screw up your exraction if you don't know exactly what you're doing. The other one (Holts) has the correct composition:
Hydrocarbons, C6, isoalkanes, <5% n-hexane, Hydrocarbons, C7, n-alkanes, isoalkanes, cyclics
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which is basically a description of naphtha. Naphtha is always a mixture of hydrocarbons, and n-alkanes, isoalkanes and cyclics are merely subsets of the group. Individual components have specific names, like hexane, heptane or 1,1,3-trimethylcyclohexane.

Naphtha has numerous synonyms, e.g. ligroin, which I've detailed repeatedly in various of my other posts.
 
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Transform said:
Stop right there! The isopropanol (propan-2ol) will screw up your exraction if you don't know exactly what you're doing. The other one (Holts) has the correct composition:

which is basically a description of naphtha. Naphtha is always a mixture of hydrocarbons, and n-alkanes, isoalkanes and cyclics are merely subsets of the group. Individual components have specific names, like hexane, heptane or 1,1,3-trimethylcyclohexane.

Naphtha has numerous synonyms, e.g. ligroin, which I've detailed repeatedly in various of my other posts.
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Thank you for the head's up. I still have much learning to do I see, I'm watching that forum you linked, thank you.

I don't mean to be a pest, I have used the search function but now I feel I have a better understanding of the SDS sheets for naphtha, so thank you.

I'll try do my own further research, rather than pile up the forums with redundant questions. Thank you for all your help Transform 🙏
 
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Hey all. I was looking for an alternative NPS to Shellite as the last couple haven't passed an Evap test. Found this and looked the goods to my newb eyes. Evaporates clean.
Tried an extraction with it and got what looks like cloudiness/fine crystals floating in it after 24hrs in the freezer but nothing dropping out like I have with the Shellite.
Anyone tried this or does it look right according to the composition on the SDS?
solventSDS.pngsolvent.jpg
 
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Bruce_Willis said:
Hey all. I was looking for an alternative NPS to Shellite as the last couple haven't passed an Evap test. Found this and looked the goods to my newb eyes. Evaporates clean.
Tried an extraction with it and got what looks like cloudiness/fine crystals floating in it after 24hrs in the freezer but nothing dropping out like I have with the Shellite.
Anyone tried this or does it look right according to the composition on the SDS?
View attachment 102398View attachment 102399
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Looking at the SDS, you've a light aromatic solvent component, plus maybe the xylene, which will be inhibiting much if not all of the freeze precipitation due to their greater solvent power for DMT. The cloudiness may even be ice crystals.

You'll have to pull the DMT back out with an acid like white vinegar and…
minnyaybeee :ROFLMAO: (sorry, bit of an in-joke there.)

So, it's mildly messed up but easily recoverable, especially if you understand the fundamentals of extraction. That is, assuming the "ingredients at levels determined not to be hazardous" don't in fact comprise up to 60% of the solvent mixture, as one might validly infer by taking the lowest value of each of the ranges. Typical Aussie nanny-state chemophobic lame-assery if it did, of course.

It would be useful to see the whole of that SDS just to be sure, especially if there's a UFI reference code. Looking at the SDS of another (or an older version) of their degreaser, there's more than a chance it may contain a nonionic surfactant, which would be far from ideal. Where did you find the SDS you've screenshotted? A link would be far more use than a screenshot of one excerpt.
 
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Transform said:
I think this is the one:
Not the same brand, could be a different formulation.
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Yeah that's the exact SDS I read for it.
Thanks for your response, might just skip using this altogether then. Actually after reading it the way you have it explained it the "balance" could be anything really and the haven't disclosed what the balance is... I have understood that right?
Either way I guess its back to trying to find clean evaporating Shellite.
 
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