i've bought a couple of the cellulose thinners from halfords before, fine, they're convenient. but this time i decided to get a 5 litre drum of it. went to the paint shop, and the guy said it was fine for cleaning and spraying.

the halfords one smells quite nice lol and is perfectly colourless
this new one is rank, and slightly yellow. its says on the bottle 'contains toulene'. is toulene the main thing in cellulose thinners?

i'm sure its the same stuff, but surprised it smells different, and looks different. i'd thought the yellow would affect the colour of the paint? doesn't seem to right enough

Toluene, also known as methylbenzene, or Toluol, is a clear water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners, reminiscent of the related compound benzene. It is an aromatic hydrocarbon that is widely used as an industrial feedstock and as a solvent. Like other solvents, toluene is also used as an inhalant drug for its intoxicating properties; however, this causes severe neurological harm.


Toluene reacts as a normal aromatic hydrocarbon towards electrophilic aromatic substitution.[3][4][5] The methyl group makes it around 25 times more reactive than benzene in such reactions. It undergoes smooth sulfonation to give p-toluenesulfonic acid, and chlorination by Cl2 in the presence of FeCl3 to give ortho and para isomers of chlorotoluene. It undergoes nitration to give ortho and para nitrotoluene isomers, but if heated it can give dinitrotoluene and ultimately the explosive trinitrotoluene (TNT).



So to answer your question its part DYNAMITE

[Edited on 1-3-10 by mangogrooveworkshop]

This is what i found on the stuff - don't know what it will do to your paint though......LOL (Toluene, also known as methylbenzene, or Toluol, is a clear water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners, reminiscent of the related compound benzene. It is an aromatic hydrocarbon that is widely used as an industrial feedstock and as a solvent. Like other solvents, toluene is also used as an inhalant drug for its intoxicating properties; however, this causes severe neurological harm)

You beat me to it ...........

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache%3An-sSJnMkoh8J%3Awww.birdbrand.co.uk%2Fmsds%2FCellulose%2520Thinners.pdf+what%27s+in+cellulose+thinners% 3F&hl=en&gl=uk&sig=AHIEtbR8n5uFMsSqBzxg-WJpXv_JFPs-5A&pli=1

Try this then..................Toluene is a common solvent, able to dissolve paints, paint thinners, silicone sealants,[6] many chemical reactants, rubber, printing ink, adhesives (glues), lacquers, leather tanners, and disinfectants. It can also be used as a fullerene indicator, and is a raw material for toluene diisocyanate (used in the manufacture of polyurethane foam) and TNT. It is also used as a cement for fine polystyrene kits (by dissolving and then fusing surfaces) as it can be applied very precisely by brush and contains none of the bulk of an adhesive.

Industrial uses of toluene include dealkylation to benzene, and the disproportionation to a mixture of benzene and xylene in the BTX process. When oxidized it yields benzaldehyde and benzoic acid, two important intermediates in chemistry. It is also used as a carbon source for making Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes. Toluene can be used to break open red blood cells in order to extract hemoglobin in biochemistry experiments.

Toluene can be used as an octane booster in gasoline fuels used in internal combustion engines. Toluene at 86% by volume fueled all the turbo Formula 1 teams in the 1980s, first pioneered by the Honda team. The remaining 14% was a "filler" of n-heptane, to reduce the octane to meet Formula 1 fuel restrictions. Toluene at 100% can be used as a fuel for both two-stroke and four-stroke engines; however, due to the density of the fuel and other factors, the fuel does not vaporize easily unless preheated to 70 degrees Celsius (Honda accomplished this in their Formula 1 cars by routing the fuel lines through the muffler system to heat the fuel). Toluene also poses similar problems as alcohol fuels, as it eats through standard rubber fuel lines and has no lubricating properties as standard gasoline does, which can break down fuel pumps and cause upper cylinder bore wear.

In Australia, toluene has been found to have been illegally combined with petrol in fuel outlets for sale as standard vehicular fuel. Toluene attracts no fuel excise, while other fuels are taxed at over 40%, so fuel suppliers are able to profit from substituting the cheaper toluene for petrol. This substitution is likely to affect engine performance and result in additional wear and tear. The extent of toluene substitution has not been determined.[7][8]

Toluene has also been used as a coolant for its good heat transfer capabilities in sodium cold traps used in nuclear reactor system loops.

Toluene can be inhaled for its intoxicating effects. Low to moderate levels can cause tiredness, confusion, weakness, drunken-type actions, memory loss, nausea, loss of appetite, and hearing and color vision loss. These symptoms usually disappear when exposure is stopped. Inhaling high levels of toluene in a short time may cause light-headedness, nausea, or sleepiness. It can also cause unconsciousness, and even death. Toluene may negatively affect kidney function.[9]

Toluene has also been used in the process of removing the cocaine from coca leaves in the production of Coca-Cola syrup.[10]

Use in a well ventilated area, chemical also used as a fuel additive for carb and fuel injection cleaner.

Toluene and Acetone are common ingredients in thinners. I've recently bought some new thinners and the smell is very different from the previous stuff I've had. It works just as well though. I've used a few different types and they've all been water clear though.

Quiet a lot of people use cellulose thinners as an octane booster as per the above - not sure what all the implications of this use are. But is ever I turbo my 4AGE Blacktop I will try it and see as the engines are cheap to replace

It depends on the quality of the thinners. I buy gunwash thinners where my wife works for about £4 for 5 litres but the good stuff is available in different speeds, faster to slower drying for different conditions and the difference between them and gunwash is chalk and cheese and costs about the same for 1 litre. Use the cheap for priming and the good for top coat and there is not much to do to get a shine but they do also contain isocyanates so wear a decent mask.

have allways found fast thinners smells of pear drops.....

doesnt taste like it thou....

sounds as thou you have gunwash. ok as long as the damp dosnt get to it, basicly reclaimed cell thiners?

^ thats what i thought, but i said it was for thinning paint, he said it would be fine. hmm, never mind, seems to have done the job, but just surprised by the colour and smell.

lol tnt and octane boosters awesome

here's the results anyhow

this


to this



to this



seems good enough it'll probably all flake off again though...

Results look like a garage explosion and snow!!!

you missed a bit on the big square bit

quote:

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Originally posted by boggle
have allways found fast thinners smells of pear drops.....

doesnt taste like it thou....

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quote:

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Originally posted by MikeR
you missed a bit on the big square bit

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Nasty stuff that can be absorbed by the skin and will attack the nervous system.

Be warned, take ALL the proper precautions, gloves, eyeshields, and cover up the skin.
Dont let it be absorbed into your clothes (and then get against the skin).

Solvents.... Excellent tools... but a BAAD thing to have attack you.

Please Take Care.

quote:

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Originally posted by wilkingj
Nasty stuff that can be absorbed by the skin and will attack the nervous system.

Be warned, take ALL the proper precautions, gloves, eyeshields, and cover up the skin.
Dont let it be absorbed into your clothes (and then get against the skin).

Solvents.... Excellent tools... but a BAAD thing to have attack you.

Please Take Care.

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quote:

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Originally posted by blakep82
ooh i know. full overalls, latex gloves, mask with new filters, everything

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quote:

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Originally posted by wilkingj

quote:

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Originally posted by blakep82
ooh i know. full overalls, latex gloves, mask with new filters, everything

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You will want better than Latex Gloves, they will melt in less than a minute

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