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- Feb 13, 2017
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To digress, not to "hijack" the thread. The question was posed:
The "chemical" you are thinking of is "trichloroethane 1,1,1 Tech", which was outlawed some 20 odd years ago. I happen to have used it, extensively, though now aware of the hazards. It does something that no other solvent I am aware of does, penetrates the metal. A perfect solution for prepping metal for absolute cleanliness. And does not "eat" electrical varnishes (insulation). While in the service, we sprayed it from 5 gallon cans into the propulsion generators. (1500+ KW) It was often used on smaller DC motors while they were running, seems it is non-flammable. Flushed out the oil as fast as it could be sprayed.
The down side is that when exposed to heat or water, it creates a deadly gas, phosgene I think. There is a story about a welder on a trichco tank that struck an arc and fell over dead. It was outlawed in the steel mill before EPA took it off the market, because of the heat and water used on a caster.
A further downside is that the plastics used on modern electrical equipment get turned to powder, literally. As does aluminum, plexi(acrylic), paint, and most other synthetics. And worst of all, gives a hell of a "buzz" to the person using it when they breathe it.
With all the down sides, I have some on the shelf of my shop, both liquid and spray. There are times when nothing else will work. But I am aware of the hazards and only use a little and go outside so I have good free air. Hang onto the tapping fluid, it is not replacable. And use it sparingly, for the unavailability plus the fact that it works so well all you need is a drop or so. But be careful and be aware of the hazards.
Edit/Afterthought: A day late and a dollar short, as it were; The "Alumi-Tap by TapEze" fluid is not chloronated. It still reeks of peppermint oil but contains no chloronation. It is such chloronation that turns aluminium into powder. Trichlorethane is still used by gunsmiths for cleaning metal. Although I may be behind the times a couple of years there. But it still contains chloronated solvents and should not be used on aluminium.
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The "chemical" you are thinking of is "trichloroethane 1,1,1 Tech", which was outlawed some 20 odd years ago. I happen to have used it, extensively, though now aware of the hazards. It does something that no other solvent I am aware of does, penetrates the metal. A perfect solution for prepping metal for absolute cleanliness. And does not "eat" electrical varnishes (insulation). While in the service, we sprayed it from 5 gallon cans into the propulsion generators. (1500+ KW) It was often used on smaller DC motors while they were running, seems it is non-flammable. Flushed out the oil as fast as it could be sprayed.
The down side is that when exposed to heat or water, it creates a deadly gas, phosgene I think. There is a story about a welder on a trichco tank that struck an arc and fell over dead. It was outlawed in the steel mill before EPA took it off the market, because of the heat and water used on a caster.
A further downside is that the plastics used on modern electrical equipment get turned to powder, literally. As does aluminum, plexi(acrylic), paint, and most other synthetics. And worst of all, gives a hell of a "buzz" to the person using it when they breathe it.
With all the down sides, I have some on the shelf of my shop, both liquid and spray. There are times when nothing else will work. But I am aware of the hazards and only use a little and go outside so I have good free air. Hang onto the tapping fluid, it is not replacable. And use it sparingly, for the unavailability plus the fact that it works so well all you need is a drop or so. But be careful and be aware of the hazards.
Edit/Afterthought: A day late and a dollar short, as it were; The "Alumi-Tap by TapEze" fluid is not chloronated. It still reeks of peppermint oil but contains no chloronation. It is such chloronation that turns aluminium into powder. Trichlorethane is still used by gunsmiths for cleaning metal. Although I may be behind the times a couple of years there. But it still contains chloronated solvents and should not be used on aluminium.
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