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 Replies: 16 / Views: 4,869 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Yes, if you don't leave it soaking under bright lights for extended periods. Leaving acetone under intense light for extended periods can cause it to start breaking down and forming acetic acid which could start attacking the copper.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
8938 Posts |
As the others have said, yes it is. I've never had issues.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12477 Posts |
I've had some good results with it.
In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020
In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020
In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
QuarterHoarder72, Before and after pics please. John1  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Acetone is an organic solvent, not a corrosive INorganic solvent. Acetone will remove most fats, waxes and oils and greases from the surface of a coin, provided that they have not had the chance to form complex semi organic reaction products with the metal surface of the coin, such as fingerprint staining.
Fatty acids such as natural skin oils, can and will react slowly with copper and it's alloys. That is why if you do handle a pristine copper coin, you should immediately clean it with acetone. Still a threat but less so, with silver and copper nickel coins.
Acetone will not react with INorganic metals (including copper and it's alloys), their oxides or sulfides.
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Pillar of the Community
1110 Posts |
sel_69l-
I just hope acetone in Australia is the same stuff as acetone in the United States.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
In the past I've read how Acetone can effect Copper if also in strong and direct light. I placed some Copper coins in Acetone in a glass jar and put it in direct Sunlight for several days. Nothing happened. It is possible that whoever said that it does have an effect may have been using a different Sun than I was.
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
Yes Acetone is ok for copper coins , and in your case with that coin I would use Verdi-Care with toothpick and cotton swab right after the soak in Acetone .  |
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Valued Member
United States
178 Posts |
Pure acetone is completely safe to use on copper, even in direct sunlight. No appreciable reaction will ever occur at normal temperatures and conditions, lest you decide to heat the lot up in a sealed vessel with a blowtorch.
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Moderator
United States
189117 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
178 Posts |
jbuck, that paper you post is interesting and I was not aware of it.
In their study it should be noted that they scour the surface of the copper in order to remove the natural oxide/carbonate patina (that occurs on all copper) prior to the reaction. The presence of such a layer would inhibit their reaction from taking place. This would be consistent the with process affecting mint-red copper more strongly, as you claim.
Even still, I stand corrected. Copper may react with acetone under ambient conditions in the presence of direct sunlight!
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2156 Posts |
Thanks for all the responses! I wish I had Verdicare, but it seems to be sold out everywhere. I haven't been fortunate to come across any.
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Moderator
United States
189117 Posts |
Quote:
Even still, I stand corrected. Copper may react with acetone under ambient conditions in the presence of direct sunlight! Which is to say, you should be just fine using indoors (properly ventilated) or outside in the shade.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
If acetone is in direct contact with coins (copper in particular), and a reaction takes place, there must have been some other INorganic contaminant present, that is reacting independently of the acetone. I agree with the possibility that acetone in strong direct sunlight can break down in the presence of water vapor to produce acetic acid, which can in turn slowly attack copper and it's alloys. In this case the water vapor is the contaminant. The Verdict:- Pure acetone remains Not guilty !(Sorry, I've just had some recent experience on a court jury !)   If you give a coin a quick dip in acetone, any water vapor present will have no practical effect at all, and the acetone on the coin would have long since evaporated. That's cool ! Edited by sel_69l
10/15/2020 07:36 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
I placed some Copper coins in Acetone in a glass jar and put it in direct Sunlight for several days. Nothing happened. If I remember correctly the reaction materials on the copper were present but were also "microscopic". |
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Posted 10/14/2020 01:15 am
