Solvents For Shutters- New Info

[P3D Bill Davis <bd3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

After my recent (Digest 2093) reports on solvents for shutter cleaning, we
wondered if there were any "safe" solvents out there.  There might be, I
found out today.

I was perusing one of the industry journals I receive at work and came
across an article on solvents for industrial degreasing operations.  The
article was a case study of a ball point pen manufacturer's experiences in
replacing an older solvent-cleaning system in light of the changes that had
come about due to regulations restricting the use of certain previously
popular solvents.  A sidebar discussed chlorinated solvents. Selected
quotes could apply to camera cleaning so I am relaying them here.

"The typical chlorinated solvents for metalworking include methylene
chloride (MEC), perchloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TE), and the
related chlorinated products carbon tetrachloride and 1,1,1-trichloroethane
(TCA).  The solvents are useful in a variety of industrial applications
because of their ability to dissolve a wide range of organic substances,
their moderate-to-extremely rapid evaporation rates, low flammability and
relative inertness to chemical activity.  Moreover, exposure to vapor
concentrations within recommended guidelines will not result in any known
adverse effects on most people, say experts at Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, MI).

Methylene chloride (MEC) is a powerful and versatile solvent known for its
high solvency...  Also, MEC is virtually nonflammable, having no flash
point, as determined by standard tests...  The solvent removes grease, oil,
tough paint residues, and hard-to-dissolve resins from
temperature-sensitive parts.

...Studies on the health effects of MEC show that the human health profile
is excellent, as long as exposure is within the recommended guidelines.

Perchloroethylene (PEC or perc) is a solvent used in a variety of cleaning
applications.  It is useful for oils, waxes, and greases, and is compatible
with most plastics, coatings, resins, elastomers, and rubbers... Also, the
solvent's resistance to degradation by water makes it useful in wet
applications.

Dow says that PCE will not present a health hazard to workers when used
according to the manufacturer's instructions and government regulations.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is known for its cleaning power and is noncorrosive
and recycles easily.  TCE has proven safe to handle and use in a plant
environment when following all recommended precautions.  Because TCE is
classified as a VOC [volatile organic compound], which contributes to smog
generation, state and local regulations generally restrict its use in
emissive applications.

Because of the belief that 1,1,1-trichloroethane and carbon tetrachloride
deplete the ozone layer, the federal government phased out their production
for all applications, except for specified intermediate uses in
industrialized nations as of December 31, 1995, through the international
Montreal Protocol and the US Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990."

I hope this is of some use.
Best regards,
Bill Davis
mailto:bd3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx



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