General > General Technical Chat
Killing yourself with solvents (Alcohols and Hydrocarbons I have loved)
mc172:
I don't know if this is even meant for here but I wish they would stop scenting flux cleaner, why does everything need to smell like fake oranges when I want to clean up some flux? Drives me nuts.
SilverSolder:
--- Quote from: mc172 on May 18, 2020, 01:37:37 am ---I don't know if this is even meant for here but I wish they would stop scenting flux cleaner, why does everything need to smell like fake oranges when I want to clean up some flux? Drives me nuts.
--- End quote ---
Orange oil is actually an excellent cleaner/degreaser - the smell may be real!
amyk:
--- Quote from: SilverSolder on May 18, 2020, 01:57:08 am ---
--- Quote from: mc172 on May 18, 2020, 01:37:37 am ---I don't know if this is even meant for here but I wish they would stop scenting flux cleaner, why does everything need to smell like fake oranges when I want to clean up some flux? Drives me nuts.
--- End quote ---
Orange oil is actually an excellent cleaner/degreaser - the smell may be real!
--- End quote ---
More precisely, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limonene
TerraHertz:
--- Quote from: mc172 on May 18, 2020, 01:37:37 am ---I don't know if this is even meant for here but I wish they would stop scenting flux cleaner, why does everything need to smell like fake oranges when I want to clean up some flux? Drives me nuts.
--- End quote ---
This. One of my current gripes is the common household cleaner "Ajax spray n' wipe" that I use for many things. Used to be non-scented. But for years now it's only been available in supermarkets in various obnoxiously over-scented forms. Lemon, 'Ocean Fresh Fragrance', etc. It pisses me off greatly.
Keep meaning to contact the company and ask if I can buy it in bulk drums, without any added scent. Being pretty sure the answer would "no", is about 50% of why I haven't tried. (The other 50% relates to laziness.)
helius:
--- Quote from: TerraHertz on May 18, 2020, 12:40:45 am ---In Australia there is (was?) a solvent sold in hardware stores called "White Spirits."
...
It was very good for general cleaning of grimy dust, like when restoring old 2nd hand electronics equipment cases. I used to use it frequently, holding a soaked pad of tissue in bare fingers as a wipe.
End result when doing this a lot over a few months - pretty bad peripheral neural damage.
--- End quote ---
Probably a significant percent of n-hexane. See comments here, and here is a news article.
It was very widely used until the 1990s. Even worse stuff, like n-propyl bromide, was in flux removers after that!
Even when using relatively non-toxic hydrocarbon solvents like heptane (paint thinner, odorless mineral spirit), absorption into the skin causes inebriation and lethargy comparable to taking several alcoholic drinks. Solvent intoxication is a major unrecognized cause of car accidents.
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