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Old September 3rd 19, 04:46 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
AK[_2_]
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Posts: 226
Default Does anything dissolve paint thinner

On Monday, September 2, 2019 at 10:06:02 PM UTC-5, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Mon, 2 Sep 2019 18:28:52 -0700 (PDT), AK
wrote:

On Monday, September 2, 2019 at 4:49:25 PM UTC-5, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Mon, 2 Sep 2019 14:05:02 -0700 (PDT), AK
wrote:
You must never have used IPA on grease.


Actually, I have. It works well at dissolving hydrocarbon based
non-polar greases. It's also good for removing silicon grease from
CPU's and heat sinks. Not so good as a pre-wash for removing grease
stains.

It does not dissolve grease, it requires an organic solvent.
Andy

Alcohol is an organic solvent because it contains carbon linked to
hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen (except for carbonates, cyanides,
carbides, etc).


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol
...it is used widely as a solvent and as a cleaning
fluid, especially for dissolving oils

isopropyl alcohol vs degreaser
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/isopropyl-alcohol-vs-degreaser/
IPA is a solvent, it dissolves grease (and water, and anything
else) into itself, so you can wipe it away.

Degreaser is a surfactant, so it allows the grease/oil
to form microscopic globules in the water, which you then
wash or wipe away. It’s essentially concentrated soap.

Both will do the same job, but degreaser works better at
stripping large amounts of gunk off drivechains as the
degreaser and oil form an emulsion, which you can then wash
away. If you put IPA in a chain cleaner you’d just be diluting
the oil and it still wouldn’t wash off. IPA works best for
removing small amounts of gunk, or where you don’t want to
leave a trace of soap/water afterwards for example cleaning
calipers and levers after bleeding brakes, or sloshing around
in suspension forks to remove the last traces of the old oil
and any dirt.

By the way, you're welcome.


isopropyl alcohol vs degreaser
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/isopropyl-alcohol-vs-degreaser/
IPA is a solvent, it dissolves grease (and water, and anything
else) into itself, so you can wipe it away.


I am a retired chemist with over 35 years of experience.
And I had to dissolve many substances in order to run analyses and clean equipment.
You can say all you want, but IPA NEVER HAS and NEVER WILL dissolve oils and greases.
Andy


Well, I guess I'll just have to try it. Found a tiny 50 ml beaker and
added 10 ml of 91% IPA. I then dumped in a dime size blob of whatever
greases I could find around the house. I then stirred the solution
lightly (no stirring rod). If the grease dissolved into the IPA, then
IPA can be used as a solvent to clean it. If it remained mostly
intact, it's insoluble.

After that, I found a white pine board, and ground a dime size spot of
grease into the board with my thumb. I then wiped it clean with a
paper towel. In all cases, there was some residue embedded in the
wood. I then used a different paper towel to try and clean off the
residue. If IPA was able to clean the embedded grease, then I would
consider IPA a solvent.

Soluble? Pine board
Lithium white grease. Yes Yes
10-30wt engine oil. No Somewhat
WD-40 No No
3-in-one oil. Yes Yes
Unlabelled gear lube. Somewhat Yes
Moly disulfide grease. No No
Al2O3 thermal goo. Yes Most but not all
LPS3 (wax film lube). Yes Yes
Mystery black grease gun. Yes Most but not all

The results showing "most but not all" seem to have left a solid
particle residue in the grain of the wood which I could not remove
with IPA and scrubbing. The greasy carrier was removed, but not the
solid particles.

Sorry, no photos because I didn't want to get grease all over my
smartphone or camera. Maybe if I can dig up an accomplice, I can make
a YouTube video and become famous.

If I wanted to do it correctly, I would use a viscosity tester
(tilting glass slide). Or, I could stir more vigorously, and use a
centrifuge to see if the grease and IPA could be separated. If I feel
ambitious or someone has a better idea, I can easily re-run the tests
and add a few more greases that are more likely to be found on a
bicycle chain.

I can't conclude anything either way with what I'll readily admit are
two rather lousy tests. Offhand, it would seem that some greases and
oils will not dissolve in IPA, while others will to varying degrees.

Meanwhile, I'll burn some time pondering all the web sites
recommending IPA for grease and stain removal:
https://www.google.com/search?q=alcohol+grease+removal


Drivel: One thing that 91% IPA is good for is removing the sticky
depolymerized rubber goo (paint) from the surface of computer
keyboards, mice, toys, etc. (Thank you Logitech). I've had to
recycle or toss far too much of this stuff simply because I couldn't
remove the sticky goo. IPA works, but does require some heavy duty
scrubbing. What's left is bare plastic, but that's better than
dealing with the sticky rubberish mess.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558


I am not trying to give you a hard time, just trying to share what I have learned.

You used good test methods.

Your comment about

few more greases that are more likely to be found on a
bicycle chain.


got me very interested.

I recently had my local bike shop install a new chain.

I did not use any chain lubricant.

Within less than a week, my chain had a coating of grease.

So I thought, where did that grease come from?

I understand where the dirt comes from.

I remembered that I pretty much always ride at least once a week through water puddles or rain.

So I think that water + rain = grease.

For a while I used 70% isopropyl alcohol to pull out the water when I wanted to pull the water out of something so it would dry quickly.

I later learned that 90% IPA was much more efficient.

What do you think?

Andy


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