Apiezon® Greases
Suggestions for grease removal from surfaces
One very important advantage of the Apiezon family of vacuum greases is
that they can all be removed with ordinary laboratory solvents.
As all the greases are based on molecularly distilled hydrocarbons the best
solvents for them are hydrocarbons, particularly aromatics such as
xylene and toluene. The greases are also all soluble in aliphatic
hydrocarbons such as hexane. Most chlorinated solvents are also good
solvents and the greases are fully soluble in methylene chloride (di-chloro
methane) and trichloroethylene. We do know that hexane is often times the
solvent of choice because of its easy availability, and it is very useful
as a non-polar solvent, but its toxicity is too often either underestimated
or not taken seriously. The odor associated with hexane is less
objectionable than many aromatic solvents such as toluene, toluene, or
benzene, and this means that laboratory works are more inclined to expose
themselves to undesirable levels of the vapors.
If it is an environmentally "friendly" or "green" solvent, we would suggest
Hypersolve™, a product of Great Lakes Chemical Co., West Lafayette, IN.
However one might question the true environmental "friendliness" because it
is a brominated hydrocarbon.
In various countries, there are products often available called
"petroleum spirits", "petroleum ethers, or even "light petroleum".
We believe these terms to all be synonymous. Some times these product
descriptions are accompanied with a numerical designation, such as
"petroleum ethers, 40-60 fraction". These numbers correspond to the
boiling ranges of the particular solvent, in °C, and the different
products represented by different numbers, just represent different
fractions of the distillates. For example, we have been told
(but we don't know it to be factually correct ) that 40-60 fraction
is predominantly hexane, but it is by no means pure hexane, and it would
contain some molecular species that were both larger and smaller than hexane
(e.g. higher and lower boilers, as they are called).
The higher boiling fractions will not evaporate as cleanly as the lighter
ones, but all are good solvents typical greases and oils.
From our perspective, since the cleaning of microscope parts does not require
inordinately large volumes of solvents, we would recommend sticking to a pure
solvent, such as hexane. You will pay a bit more, but at the same time, you
are not going to be exposing the most critical parts of your column
instrument to solvents of unknown compositions.
The draw back of any of these hydrocarbon solvents, in addition to being
chemicals that should not be inhaled, they are also, highly flammable.
To Ask a Question or Make a Comment
To Place an Order or Request a Quote
Return to:
Friday July 04, 2008
© Copyright 1999 - 2008. By Structure Probe, Inc.
Contacting SPI Supplies and Structure Probe, Inc.
All rights reserved.
All trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
Privacy Policy
Worldwide Distributors, Representatives, and Agents
