Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Kentucky, post: 2547978, member: 33176&quot;]A word about PVC or polyvinylchloride...it is a polymer made from...vinyl chloride and is a clear, very rigid polymer.&nbsp; As PVC decomposes it can give off HCl (hydrogen chloride gas) which, when dissolved in water we call hydrochloric acid.&nbsp;&nbsp; As PVC is processed, to make it flexible, a plasticizer is added (a large molecule compound that gets between the polymer molecules so they can slide over one another).&nbsp; The most common plasticizer used to be DOP or dioctylphthalate.&nbsp; This is an ester.&nbsp; Now the plasticizer is an oily material that can ooze out of old PVC and get on coins.&nbsp; As the PVC decomposes, it gives off HCl which is held against the coin by the oily plasticizer residue...voila...trouble.&nbsp; The KOH or NaOH would destroy any DOP and incidentally would neutralize the acid.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in