Dear sir;
In u.s.a. do you use odorless mineral spirits for cleaning the furs in the tunbler sawdust.Wath is this product and wow much can i use?
I know that in some tanneries in my country they use trichloroethylene for the same porpouse. is this better ?
expecting to hear from you soon, my best regards.
mário Ferreira
Portugal
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This is just a small portion of the MSDS for TCE. You best read the entire thing and stay away from it if at all possible.
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TCE
Hazard And Precautions
WARNING! ACUTE:INHALATION:HIGH CONCENTRATIONS-IRRITATION,HEADACHE,DROWSINESS,DIZZINESS,INCOORDINATION.DELIBERATELY CONCENTRATING & INHALING MAY BE HARMFUL OR FATAL.INGESTION:NAUSEA,DIA RRHEA,NERVOUS YSTEM DEPRESSION.ASPIRATION MAY CAUSE LUNG INFLAMMATION & DAMAGE.EYES:IRRITATION.SKIN:IRRITATION,DRYING;ABSORPTION POSSIBLE.EPINEPHRINE & SIMILAR DRUGS MAY INDUCE CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS. CHRONIC:REPORTS ASSOCIATE REPEATED & P ROLONGED SOLVENT OVEREXPOSUREWITH PERMANENT BRAIN & NERVOUS SYSTEM DAMAGE.LIVER DAMAGE IN ANIMALS (MFR).SUSPECTED CANCER HAZARD:CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH MAY CAUSE CANCER.
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I would not recommend using the Trichloroethylene! It can cause liver damage and as "cyclone" mentioned above - even the MSDS sheets for it paint a very grim picture. It's an excellent fat dissolver - but the risks out-weigh the results.
The Odorless Mineral Spirits is simply Kerosene without the odor. The same Kerosene used for heating fuel. For the same reason - Kerosene is simply Mineral Spirits. Both are petroleum products. It isnt considered as fast-acting as the Trichloroethylene for degreasing - but it is safer to use and a much higher flame point than Trichloroethylene. Keep in mind that when you drum, the friction of the sawdust builds up heat and theoretically your Drum could explode if you used a volitile solvent.
To use Odorless Mineral Spirits - in a 6'high by 4' wide Drum - we would add 100 lbs. of sawdust and 1.5 Quarts (approx 1.5 Liters) of the Odorless Mineral Spirits. This is a good mix for relaxing back the skins after they have been oiled and dried, as well as removing any tanning oil splash in the fur or hair, and removing the natural oils in the fur or hair.
Thank you, very much
My best Regards for you
Mário
Causes leukemia in children. Pre-Puberty