Solvents For Shutters, part 2.

[P3D Bill Davis <bd3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Solvents For Shutters, part 2.

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS: 
               	
ACETONE:  Contact can irritate the eyes or skin.  Exposure can irritate the
eyes, nose and throat.  High concentrations can cause you to become dizzy,
lightheaded, and to pass out.  Natural rubber or vinyl gloves are recommended.

MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone):  MEK can irritate the skin causing a rash or
burning feeling on contact.  The liquid can severely burn the eyes, leading
to permanent damage.  Exposure to the vapor can irritate the eyes, nose,
throat and mouth.  Exposure to high concentrations can cause dizziness,
lightheadedness, headache, nausea and blurred vision.  Higher levels may
cause you to pass out.  There is limited evidence that MEK is a teratogen
in animals.  Until further testing has been done, it should be treated as a
possible teratogen (may damage the developing fetus)in humans.  Neoprene,
nitrile or natural rubber gloves are recommended.


TOLUENE: Exposure to the vapor can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat.
Higher levels may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and may cause you to
pass out. Death can occur.  Lower levels may cause trouble concentrating,
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headaches and slowed reflexes. 

XYLENE: Exposure can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. Xylenes can also
cause headaches, nausea and vomiting, tiredness and upset stomach.  Higher
levels may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and may cause you to pass out.
 Very high levels can cause death.  Nitrile gloves are recommended.

FREON 113:  This is a trade name for 1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2,2-Trifluoroethane.
 Very popular just a couple of years ago but most likely no longer readily
available due to Ozone Depletion Potential, like most of the CFCs
(Chlorinated Fluorocarbons).  The Montreal Protocol of 1990(?) effectively
phased out of these chemicals.  Exposure to Freon 113 can cause sleepiness.
 It can also cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. High exposure
can cause the heart to beat irregularly or stop.  This can cause death.
Recommended gloves are butyl or nitrile rubber.

HEXANE:  Hexane may damage peripheral nerve tissue and result in muscular
weakness.  Overexposure may cause central nervous system damage.  Exposure
may cause severe irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.
Overexposure can cause dizziness, weakness, unconsciousness, nausea,
vomiting and diarrhea.  Death may result.  Nitrile gloves are recommended.

ETHANOL (ETHYL ALCOHOL):  Often found in a denatured form.  The denaturant
is toxic, causing central nervous system depression.  Toxicity varies from
oine individual to the next, with as little as 4ml ingested being toxic.
Denaturant is very toxic to the optic nerve, causing sight disturbances and
blindness well below the toxic level. Inhalation of ethanol vapors can
cause headache, drowsiness, lassitude, loss of appetite, and inability to
concentrate.  Vinyl or natural rubber gloves recommended.

ISOPROPANOL: Can irritate the skin causing a rash or burning feeling on
contact. It can also cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat.
Overexposure to the vapor may cause headaches, drowsiness, a loss of
coordination, collapse and death.  Natural rubber, neoprene, nitrile or
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gloves.

1,1,1 TRICHLOROETHANE (METHYL CHLOROFORM): It may cause mutations, handle
with extreme caution. All contact with this chemical
should be reduced to the lowest possible level.
Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. Exposure can cause may cause
dizziness and lightheadedness. Higher levels can cause unconsciousness,
irregular heartbeat and death.

VM&P NAPHTHA:  What is this stuff?  I don't know.  It was listed as 45% of
one of the tape head cleaners.

BENZENE:  Don't use it. Ever.  It is a known Carcinogen.

***********************************
A few additional words...

Tape Head Cleaners:  
It seems that almost any solvent can be packaged in an aerosol and called
Tape Head Cleaner.  I checked the MSDS' for over 30 different brands of
Tape Head Cleaners and found a *wide* variation in composition.
  
BobH mentioned Realistic Tape Head Cleaner in the aerosol can.  According
to the MSDS, Radio Shack's #44-1010A Tape Head Cleaner is 100% isopropanol.  
GC Electronics' Tape Head Cleaner is 100% ethanol.  
Digital's Tuco2 is/was 100% Freon 113.  
Many more were  blends of 65% freon and 35% isopropanol.
Others were blends of these or other chemicals like xylene, mehyl
chloroform, naphtha and even benzene.  

The message here is check the label carefully when buying Tape Head
Cleaners.  Know what you're getting.

Lantern Fuel:
Of the two brands I was able to check, Lantern Fuel 1 (Coleman) was listed
as being 100% petroleum hydrocarbons (not real specific here), the other
was composed primarily of hexane. No telling what other materials may be
packaged as "lantern fuel".  I couldn't find a chemical synonym for "White
gas", though I'd heard that name associated with lantern fuel since Boy
Scout days.  (Although we referred to it as "high-speed fire starter" on
winter campouts) I was under the impression that "white gas" was just
unleaded gasoline.  Is "white gas" just a generic term for a type of
petroleum?  Dunno.

What about Ether?  A list member in the Netherlands uses "ether" to clean
camera parts. "The ether I'm talking about is the one you buy in a small
brown bottle at the drugstore", he explains.  Does anyone know which
material this is?  Again, I seem to recall that "ether" was an early
anaesthetic, but I can't find a specific chemical commonly known as
"ether".  Anyone?



Which would *I* use?

With only two Kodaks and only a few dozen rolls per year total, my "average
exposure" to solvent cleaning has been something like once every other two
years or so.  Since I have a small quantity of one of the above
non-carcinogenic solvents safely stored now, I will continue to use it with
lots of ventilation, respect and common sense.    

If I had to go out and get something new:  I think I would definitely pick
the safest solvent I could find in an aerosol. Aerosols have a couple of
advantages. For one, the packaging is pretty resistant to leakage and
breakage, thereby preventing slow evaporation of the material into your
storage cabinet and by keeping out external contaminants, like water vapor
or dirt.  Another more important reason is the energy that an aerosol
provides.  

In a very general sense, there are four conditions affecting most wet
cleaning operations.  In no particular order: chemical strength
(detergency, solvency, emulsification, etc.), mechanical energy (scrubbing,
spraying, vibrating, etc.), heat, and time.  By reducing any one factor,
you have to increase the others to effect the same result.  Conversely, if
one factor is very increased, like a stronger solvent or detergent, you can
decrease the temp or elbow-grease requirements. I would not recommend
heating any of these solvents, so we can consider the temperature a constant. 

By using an aerosol jet, you're delivering a lot of concentrated mechanical
energy and can reduce the time factor and solvency requirements
considerably.  Gram for gram, an aerosol mist will volatize lots faster
than liquid in an open container, but my gut feeling is that judicious use
of the short duration and concentrated delivery of the aerosol shot would
allow smaller net exposures than dipping/dunking and drying would.  

I hope this has helped someone.


Again, please do not use any chemicals or solvents if you cannot do so with
the proper care. Read all cautions and FOLLOW THEM.  If you don't have the
means to abide by the warning statements, put it back on the shelf.  There
are few enough stereo photographers in the world as it is.

  




Best regards,
Bill Davis
mailto:bd3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Still searching for the "Any" key so I can strike it and continue. 


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