Methylene chloride is great except that it can be an anesthetic and when exposed to flames generates phosgene which is HIGHLY TOXIC! Although it really does smell good and is a fantastic solvent.
Correction PVC RESIDUE can be easily removed. PVC damage is forever, because PVC damage is the result of Hydrochloric acid in the residue etching the surface of the coin. And once the surface is damaged (etched) it will always be so. No way to remove an etched surface. This is correct, which is why I always recommend once you remove the coin from the soak that, while it is still wet, you give it a FLOWING rinse with fresh acetone to flush away all the contaminants dissolved in the acetone from the soak solution.
Just to be very clear: Acetone may change the color of a copper coin or it may not. If the color is changed, it can be easily reversed.[/QUOTE] Can you share the color reversal procedure?
I did try the acetone flush and found the soapy water worked better. Probably due to the purity of the acetone I used. I just used a common hardware store brand.
Speaking of PVC Damage. Anyone care to speculate on whether or not this coin may be recoverable? It's pretty heavily contaminated...
Where do you even get it. It makes the best paint stripper but it’s getting hard to find and the non methylene chloride stripper is totally useless warning the stuff is nasty and very toxic
Can’t hurt to try. I bought a lot of early stuff that was utterly coated in green slime a 1837 no stars dime a bunch of 3c silver and some early Canadian stuff. The results were wonderful. Straight grade xf 45 on the dime green cac after I sold it too
Really. That makes sense. I almost killed myself when I was 18 I was stripping furniture in an outbuilding and using a salamander heater to warm it up. I’d gone in the house I think to warm up and let the heater run and I came back and went in and felt like I was gonna die. Couldn’t breathe coughing retching etc. went right back out the door and aired it out and never did it again but my lungs have never been quite right since
Well the problem is their asking price is around the same as a NGC ms63. I was just throwing it out there to kick around.
Methylene Chloride is a VOC-exempt solvent, however it is much more toxic than just about any other solvent that you can purchase at the hardware store. MeCl2 has been unavailable in retail formulations for years and was just outlawed in commercial formulations, also. It is a very efficient solvent, but it’s been banned - even by the current administration - so you know it’s some nasty stuff. It’s the carbon tetrachloride of the 20’s.
Remember, when the PVC plasticizer breaks down, Hydrochloric acid is a decomposition product. You need to remove that from the surface or the HCl will keep eating away at the surface. As others have said, once the surface is damaged, it can't be restored, but you still should remove any residue.
You’re pretty lucky. Methylene chloride has caused many deaths in the exact same way that you describe.
Search online. It's available from lab supply stores. However, if you're going to use it, do your liver and kidneys a favor and wear a respirator that can filter volatile organics (rated OV/P100). Of course, in a well-ventilated area, too. I'm by no means a solvent nanny, but dichloromethane (AKA methylene chloride or MeCl2) is a solvent that I have great respect for.
[/QUOTE][/QUOTE] No one suggested you were damaging your coins. I added a separate comment. When you first posted to "roll on" the chemical I ASSUMED you were doing everything else (drying) correctly. Sure, you carry it around on your body. This looks as if it can be turned into a beautiful coin.
