How long do I soak an old coin or medallion in XYLENE? And is there different soak times for different metals? I have some stuff with little or no value that I'd like to clean. Thanks
You are going to really get some feedback here You are going to really get some feedback here - brace yourself!
AAAHHHhhhhhhhh. Sorry about that but as already noted this has come up lots and lots and lots of times. For one thing you should try the Search tab at the top for clean, cleaning, cleaned etc coins. Possibly in the hundreds or even thousands of items there. Next I suggest not cleaning coins unless you really don't care about them and assume no one else does.' After that go to www.atsdr.cdc.gov for info on possible toxic substances. With all that in mind even a brief dip in that stuff should be adaquate for removal of STUFF off your coins.
And whatever you do dont hold a naked flame or cigarette any were near the jar LOL also dont inhale it What sort of coins are you trying to clean? that is the question if they are crud coverd ancients then I sugest you use olive oil :high5: anything else I would not clean.
I'm not familiar with xylene. My solvent of choice is acetone. And to the best of my knowledge all common coining metals are inert with respect to acetone. Therefore time is not a factor. Which is good since all I would be trying to do is remove debris from a coin's surfaces, not change a coin's surfaces.
2. Effects on Humans: Xylene is an irritant of the eyes and mucous membranes at concentrations below 200 ppm, and it is narcotic at high concentrations [AIHA 1978; Proctor, Hughes, and Fischman 1988, p. 511]. The estimated oral LD(50) for humans is 50 mg/kg [EPA Health Advisory, 1987, p. 4]. Of three workers exposed to xylene concentrations of approximately 10,000 ppm for 18.5 hours, one died and two recovered slowly after a period of unconsciousness and retrograde amnesia; disturbances of liver and kidney function were noted in these workers [ACGIH 1986, p. 637; Baselt 1980, p. 286; Clayton and Clayton 1981, p. 3292]. Ingestion of xylene causes gastrointestinal distress and may cause toxic hepatitis [Clayton and Clayton 1981, p. 3294]. Aspiration of xylene or acute exposure to high vapor concentrations of this substance may cause chemical pneumonitis, hemorrhage into the air spaces, and pulmonary edema [Clayton and Clayton 1981, p. 3294; Klaassen, Amdur, and Doull 1986, p. 351]. A worker exposed to the vapors of a solvent containing 75 percent xylene (approximate airborne xylene concentration of 60 to 350 ppm) developed giddiness, anorexia, and vomiting [Proctor, Hughes, and Fischman 1988, p. 511]. After inhalation of high (not further specified) concentrations of xylene, workers may become flushed, feel hot, and experience confusion, dizziness, tremors, and other signs or symptoms of central nervous system toxicity [Clayton and Clayton 1981, p. 3294]. Blood dyscrasias that have proven fatal in at least one case are reported to have been the result of chronic xylene exposure, but these hematopoietic effects are now believed to have been caused by benzene, formerly a common contaminant of xylene [ACGIH 1986, p. 637]. Chronic exposure to xylene may cause central nervous system depression, anemia, mucosal hemorrhage, bone marrow hyperplasia, liver enlargement, liver necrosis, and nephrosis [Clayton and Clayton 1981, p. 3295]. Repeated contact of the skin with xylene causes drying and dermatitis [Clayton and Clayton 1981, p. 3295]. www.osha.gov
That's not correct. Silver and copper are anything but inert (that's why they tone). Gold isn't inert either, although it's less reactive that silver and copper. If you dip a coin in acetone for too long you will get a washed out look and the luster will be gone.
Thanks for the warning I'm basicly new to every thing about coinage including Coin Talk . What I was trying to clean was mexican coinage. Including a Mexican medalion. NOT!!! any value to myself or others "I checked" I tried in open air Xylene it left a film, Denatured Alkahol didn"t work, Laquer thinner didn't work, Brake cleaner worked the best with no residue. Just goofing off , Don't beat me to bad!!!!! LOL I do have the cleanest fingers in Michigan.
Well, I believe that if you use coins that have no value other than melt, you really can't hurt them. You can make them ugly but you won't ruin their value. Actually, I know of a lot of people who have experimented with coins that don't have collector value to either learn what damage from cleaning looks like (so they can spot them and avoid buying them) or to learn the fine art of proper cleaning. There is nothing wrong with experimenting with coins that don't have collector value IMHO.
Also, not exactly correct. I've put coins of all types in Acetone for days and even weeks. At one time someone posted a story on the internet how Acetone in the Sun will creat an photo type reaction with Copper and other metals. So I put a quarter, a few Dimes, a few pennies in a glass jar, covered it and put it on a window sill in my garage for days. Then moved it outside for several more days. After over a week I finally removed the coins. Absolutely nothing happened to any of the coins. Possibly one Dime appeared cleaner. Weird stories like this appear all the time on the internet by people that just like to say something and usually don't know what they are really saying. Also, please note the statement was inert in Acetone. Nothing to do with metals in air or other substances.
I refuse to believe that placing a coin in acetone for an extended period of time will be harmless to it. You guys can do it with your coins, I won't with mine.
The Xylene and/or Acetone should not leave a residue or film. You may have allowed that stuff to evaporate and whatever it disolved from the coin remained on the coin after the evaporation. Also, remember that when using such products to always use glass and clean glass. Those types of substances disolve materials in or on metals and plastics so you may have actually contaminated the solution depending on what you used. There have been many posts here about the usage of those products. There is that search thing at the top and if you type in Acetone or Xylene, you may find lots and lots of info on them. I've tried almost everything possible on a coin at one time or other. You reminded me of one I missed in the past. Brake Cleaner. Got to try that one. PS. Cloudsweeper99. Great info from OSHA and not to knock the info but I doubt 99.99999 % of the members here understand that.
The only word I didn't understand was dyscrasias- morbid general state resulting from the presence of abnormal material in the blood, usually applied to diseases affecting blood cells or platelets. The rest is pretty straight forward.
consider yourself one in a million. I've taught chem classes where the majority of students didn't understand what an element was.
i suggest cleaning witht he magic cloth that doesnt leave hairlines one member here has created it with magic
That is exactly what I am trying to do, see what a cleaned coin looks like. What is a he magic cloth? I didn't rinse any of the coins off, I wanted to see what type of residue the stuff I used would leave. I did use Glass for a container. chemical reactions !! A bald guy was retiring at work so we decided to make him a wig to wear. I was super gluing hairs together when I glued my fingers together with the sinthetic hair in between. It WILL catch FIRE!! With no way to put it out, Like Napalm. LOL
Great, another substance besides brake cleaners I haven't tried yet on coins, Napalm. I'll be that will get rid of any dirt, toning, corrosion, tarnishing. As to the residue, remember that some of it may be from not the best cleaned glass container, some dirt in the air and even your breath, pending on what you just ate.
You don't learn with the school of hard knocks with chemicals unless you want to end up in a coffin. Re-read the safety warnings that were posted. And remember that cyanide isn't ginger ale.
