6 Apr
2011
6 Apr
'11
1:27 p.m.
On 6 Apr 2011 at 19:45, Pete Turnbull wrote:
Over here (UK) all the common flux removers we used to
use were based
on 1-1-1-TCE (trichloroethane). Not quite as horrible as PERC
(tetrachloroethylene) in many ways but now banned, while (to my slight
surprise) PERC isn't.
A trade name here was/is "Chlorothane" (not to be confused with
"chlorethane"). Great stuff, as chlorinated hydrocarbons go, fairly
safe.
It was banned as part of the Montreal Protocol because of its ozone-
depleting properties, not because of its toxicity. When I was
younger and more foolish, I used to wax the shop floor by dissolving
a glob of paste wax in a couple of gallons of chlorothane and then
swabbing it all over the floor. Buff after the solvent has
evaporated.
What do garage mechanics use for automotive degreaser in the
countries where Perc is banned?
--Chuck