C

CDBridgesRV7A

Active Member
Good Day Folks,

I live in a part of Canada that does not sell MEK (environmental laws). Apart from Naptha what is a good alternative to MEK? The outside of a can of Naptha says not to use for cleaning, hence why I'm hesitant to use it. Plus it only comes in a 3.78L (1 Gal) can for $19.99CDN.

Thanks

Chris
 
Naptha etc...

Naptha, AKA Mineral Spirits, Petro Solvent, is useful to remove oily stuff from just about any surface including paint, various metals and is mostly non-reactive. We did an experiment with it to see how flammable it was, putting a small amount in an old tuna can. at about 45 f. Tossed lit match in, did not want to light, so used propane torch, once got going burned vigorously, so be advised.

Hangar neighbor has a HF parts washer which he filled with 5 gals. of the stuff,
seems to work just fine.

Petro engineers may want to weigh in here, because I certainly am not one, just a guy who used this stuff to clean parts for many decades, FWIW...
 
MPK

Most places have gone to MPK. Not quite as good, but better than anything else.
 
Many paint stores sell MEK under a different name, sometimes labelled "special thinner" or something similar. They will only sell it to industrial clients, so give them a company name "xyz aircraft" should work.

Sometimes the staff has no idea what's in the can, so have them look it up. About $40.00 a gallon.

Also, I've found that denatured alcohol will work to remove sharpie marks, etc. I use this prior to scuffing, and naptha (coleman fule-$15/gal) as a pre-wipe for painting.

MEK is still useful for Proseal cleanup and flux remover (electrical).
 
Chris,
I use acetone. I found that it does most of what MEK did, but maybe a little bit slower. Lowes and Home Depot decided to stop stocking MEK in my area and I found the "MEK Alternative" that they sell wasn't as good as the acetone.
 
I have not had a problem acquiring MEK in Nova Scotia. My( business) suppliers don't carry it on hand as we do not use MEK in the boatbuilding industry, but they bring it in when I need some.
Ron
 
Not sure what you are using it for.

If you are cleaning Proseal, my comment does not apply, but if you just mean for general cleaning before priming or cleaning off ink or Sharpie marker, etc, I have been using denatured alcohol with good results. A much healthier alternative.
Alan Jackson
Hartselle, Alabama
 
Acetone

MEK is quite a bit more toxic than acetone. Also, the MEK I was using was removing the paint from my tools. Acetone cleans-up uncured proseal (flame master) very well. I also use it to degrease parts and to dry parts that I've washed with soap and water. It's readily available, and a gallon is about $17 US.
 
Toluene

I used MEK, but I know several builders here who used Toluene. Personally I wouldn't, but it is an alternative. I would go with acetone.

Cheers

Jim
 
Jerry Cochran said:
Naptha, AKA Mineral Spirits, Petro Solvent, is useful to remove oily stuff from just about any surface including paint, various metals and is mostly non-reactive. We did an experiment with it to see how flammable it was, putting a small amount in an old tuna can. at about 45 f. Tossed lit match in, did not want to light, so used propane torch, once got going burned vigorously, so be advised.

Hangar neighbor has a HF parts washer which he filled with 5 gals. of the stuff,
seems to work just fine.

Petro engineers may want to weigh in here, because I certainly am not one, just a guy who used this stuff to clean parts for many decades, FWIW...
Click to expand...

Naptha and Mineral Spirits are not the same chemical.
Naptha is basically the same as Coleman fuel which does burn quite nicely.
Mineral Spirits is less flammable (the reason it is used in solvent tanks) but it is not nearly as good of choice for cleaning aluminum parts if you want them residue free for priming/painting.

Naptha is the primary component in paint prep/wipe down solvents such as acryliclean, etc.
 
Acetone is just as dangerous as MEK....be careful with any of these solvents.

Av8torTom said:
MEK is quite a bit more toxic than acetone. Also, the MEK I was using was removing the paint from my tools. Acetone cleans-up uncured proseal (flame master) very well. I also use it to degrease parts and to dry parts that I've washed with soap and water. It's readily available, and a gallon is about $17 US.
Click to expand...
 
Chris,
I never liked using MEK, as it evaporates VERY quickly. I prefer to use lacquer thinner. [It's about 90% Toluene] Don't buy it at the local big box store or the local hardware store, you'll pay through the nose. Go to your local automotive paint supply store. Tell them you want "wash grade" lacquer thinner. Wash grade is the cheapo stuff painters use to clean their spray equipment with. The larger the volume you buy in, the cheaper it is. I buy it in 5 gallon steel drums. Costs about 1/2 of what you will pay [per unit] compared to buying a quart or gallon at the big box store.
As Brian just mentioned, be careful using it. Wear Nitrile gloves and have adequate ventilation.
Charlie
 
Not to be argumentative but...

Absolutely - ALL organic solvents should be handled with the utmost care. However, given a choice between MEK and acetone (from strictly a safety perspective), MEK vapors - in animals - are about twice as toxic as acetone vapors. MEK also seems to have neurological effects that acetone does not have. The literature is pretty thorough. Since in my opinion either one is acceptable as a degreaser/cleaner, might as well use the one that's less toxic.

Permissable exposure limits for some common solvents, in parts per million - notice acetone is the same as pure drinking alcohol.

Acetone 1000
MEK 200
Benzene 1
Xylene 200
Toluene 200
Methylene Chloride 12.5
Isopropyl Alcohol 400
Ethyl Alcohol (Absolute) 1000
Methyl Alcohol 200
 
Acetone from Wiki;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone
A pull:
Acetone is produced and disposed of in the human body through normal metabolic processes. It is normally present in blood and urine. People with diabetes produce it in larger amounts. Reproductive toxicity tests show that it has low potential to cause reproductive problems. Due to the higher energy requirements in pregnant women, nursing mothers and children, they have higher levels of acetone. Ketogenic diets that increase acetone in the body are used to reduce epileptic attacks in infants and children who suffer from recalcitrant refractory epilepsy.

I think it's the 'least dangerous' of our choices. :confused:
 
Last edited:
From Wiki...This is also what I have read about the acetone from MSDS forms.

Acetone has been studied extensively and is generally recognized to have low acute and chronic toxicity if ingested and/or inhaled. Inhalation of high concentrations (around 9200 ppm) in the air caused irritation of the throat in humans in as little as 5 minutes. Inhalation of concentrations of 1000 ppm caused irritation of the eyes and of the throat in less than 1 hour; however, the inhalation of 500 ppm of acetone in the air caused no symptoms of irritation in humans even after 2 hours of exposure. Acetone is not currently regarded as a carcinogen, a mutagenic chemical or a concern for chronic neurotoxicity effects.[19]
Acetone can be found as an ingredient in a variety of consumer products ranging from cosmetics to processed and unprocessed foods. Acetone has been rated as a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) substance when present in beverages, baked foods, desserts, and preserves at concentrations ranging from 5 to 8 mg/L. Additionally, a joint U.S-European study found that acetone?s "health hazards are slight."
 
Acetone is indeed relatively harmless - women have been removing fingernail polish with it for decades. I have no concern using it to clean gunk from my hands. Flammability is a much higher risk than exposure. Mineral spirits are good when cleaning a large surface area for this reason (as previously stated, don't use it for pre-painting prep). I also keep lacquer thinner around for tougher removals, but I like to use gloves for that stuff.

It is useful to remember that the exposure standards various government agencies put out are typically for 8 hours/day, every work day, forever. This is a very different exposure regimen that occasional use.

One important thing to remember is to not let any regulatory agencies know what works - lest they outlaw it!
 
Use this it's great

Montanna, big sky. "strong"
Wax and grease remover. TH5950

Stuff is awesome. Bought it at a pro
Auto body supplier.

Contents: Acetone, mineral spirits, xylene and
Naptha.
 
After the earthquake in Japan the cost of MEK more than doubled. As a result I don't buy it any longer. The **** I buy now is, well...****. It smells bad and doesn't work as well. It cleans paint OK but doesn't clean primer worth a hill of beans. All the solids fall out of suspension and stick to sides of my mixing cup.
 
Acetone for fuel tank prep?

Hi Guys,
Sorry to kick this post back to life, but the it was not clear from the original title what we are using the MEK for in the first place. I guess the question I have is has anyone sucessfully used Acetone for preparing their fuel tanks and cleaning up afterwards? Have the tanks been leak/blister free, and for how many years? I just bought a gallon of MEK in preparation for sealing my tanks and the more I read about this stuff, the more I wish I had a set of QB wings!
Cheers,
Tom.
 
tgmillso said:
Hi Guys,
Sorry to kick this post back to life, but the it was not clear from the original title what we are using the MEK for in the first place. I guess the question I have is has anyone sucessfully used Acetone for preparing their fuel tanks and cleaning up afterwards? Have the tanks been leak/blister free, and for how many years? I just bought a gallon of MEK in preparation for sealing my tanks and the more I read about this stuff, the more I wish I had a set of QB wings!
Cheers,
Tom.
Click to expand...

Get a good organic vapor respirator (like this one: http://smile.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Project-Respirator-Medium/dp/B00004Z4EB) and either a whole box of disposable nitrile gloves, or a good set of MEK-resistant gloves ($$). Wear them any time you're using it (suggest double layers with the disposables). Ventilate the area well and wear your respirator any time your MEK container is open or you're using MEK. Eye protection is probably a good idea too, in case of splashing.

Get a whole box of disposable gloves for doing the tanks. You'll use them up eventually.

Be careful and use your PPE, and you should be fine.
 
MEK

rmartingt said:
Get a good organic vapor respirator (like this one: http://smile.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Project-Respirator-Medium/dp/B00004Z4EB) and either a whole box of disposable nitrile gloves, or a good set of MEK-resistant gloves ($$). Wear them any time you're using it (suggest double layers with the disposables). Ventilate the area well and wear your respirator any time your MEK container is open or you're using MEK. Eye protection is probably a good idea too, in case of splashing.

Get a whole box of disposable gloves for doing the tanks. You'll use them up eventually.

Be careful and use your PPE, and you should be fine.
Click to expand...

I agree. The only place I used it on the tanks was to wipe the mating surfaces prior to assembly. Used less than 1/2 a quart. For all other cleaning I used lacquer thinner.
 
what IS this stuff!??!?

Like many of you, I thought I 'knew' what solvents were all about.

then they started changing. My autobody work experience, and sense of smell just didn't cut it anymore, with all these new blends, and the reduction of the scarier chemicals.

Now I tend to pull the MSDS to see what's really IN the stuff, and how much of what I think I need.
Note: since it's been only touched upon, if you want to protect yourself from vapours, most respirators aren't much more than a fancy uncomfortable dust mask. In fact, there are better dust masks now with activated carbon pucks on the nose!
Make sure you match the cartridge to the solvent you are using, ( there are dozens of different kinds) and clean, dry & 'bag' the mask when not in use, otherwise that expensive cartridge just filters your shop air until it's all used up!
keep a good airflow in the shop, used rags go into a sealed can, cap containers when using etc. etc.....and don't let people/kids hang around the shop when you are using solvents.
 
Dang.

I was hoping someone was going to come back with "MEK, why are you using that rubbish. We've been using XXX for more than XX years. It's XX times less toxic and the tanks have never leaked a drop."
Oh we'll, looks like I'll have to resort to plan B and dress myself up like I'm heading off for a day's work at Fukashima. Thanks all for the input.
Tom.
 
Other than MIK

CDBridgesRV7A said:
Good Day Folks,

I live in a part of Canada that does not sell MEK (environmental laws). Apart from Naptha what is a good alternative to MEK? The outside of a can of Naptha says not to use for cleaning, hence why I'm hesitant to use it. Plus it only comes in a 3.78L (1 Gal) can for $19.99CDN.

Thanks

Chris
Click to expand...

Depends on what you are doing. For cleaning aluminum for painting a Wax & De-greaser is much better than MEK because it doesn't leave behind solvent gas. This is better for using Pro-seal on fuel tanks too. You don't need MEK.

For removing old paint, primer, marker ink, Acetone works better.

For cleaning paint guns, brushes and tools, Lacquer Thinner is much better than MEK.

For general cleaning and de-greasing soap for painting works better.

I've stop using MEK and these things work better. Problem with MEK is the volatility and vapors.
 
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