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 Replies: 9 / Views: 8,289 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2368 Posts |
I'm looking online for acetone for my coins, and a lot claim that they are 100% acetone. Apparently they can round to the nearest digit, because when I read the ingredients, they all say denatonium benzoate. After doing some research, I learn that denatonium benzoate is a bittering agent.
While half relieved that nobody will be able to lick my coins and get away with it, the presence of other chemicals concerns me. Has anyone used acetone with this before? It sounds like there is only a tiny amount in it. It can't harm copper, can it?
The scientific grade stuff is crazy expensive and you have to buy it in bulk, so I don't want to go on that route. Anyone have an alternative, or is the "stuff" that I'm tired of saying harmless?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Any reputable acetone will have denatonium benzoate in it, as a foil to the acetone being accidentally drunk. It's so universal (and the proportion of additive so tiny) that it's not even thought about when describing the purity of the acetone. There's no bearing whatsoever on the efficacy of the chemical.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
So called pure Acetone is available at Walmart, Kmart, Sears, Target, Menards, HomeDepot, Ace Hardware and many, many other places that carry paint. It usually comes in Quart sized cans and depending on where you live should cost from $3.50 to $5 for the Quart. If you want to check for the purity, simply place some on a clean glass dish and watch it evaporate. Normally there will be nothing left on the plate. However, even in a tightly sealed can, for some reason some impurities seap in at times. Denatonium is used in denatured alcohol, antifreeze, nail biting preventions, respirator mask fit-testing, animal repellents, liquid soaps, and shampoos. It is not known to pose any long-term health risks. Edited by just carl
11/30/2013 4:43 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4589 Posts |
Unfortunately children huff acetone to get high, so a small amount (1ppm) of a bitterant is required to be added.
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10034 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19937 Posts |
The amount of d.benzoate in consumer acetone is negligible.
Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Valued Member
United States
211 Posts |
You are not going to be able to find any purer Acetone for cheap. Denatonium benzoate is in ppm level quantities but will not vaporize. There will be a minute amount of residue left on the coin. While it is mild it's not chemically inert. But the effects of this chemical are so small it is not worth worrying about. Any water wash or any other thing you can do with a coin will introduce at least as much of another foreign material that could be equally problematic. Most of us do not deal with our coins in controlled, dust-free, clean rooms. And it's not feasible to get coins perfectly clean on the nanoscale and microscale, and it would provide little benefit.
Saying that denatonium benzoate is a problem is akin to saying you shouldn't touch anything because there are germs everywhere (and you will most certainly die!). The more you know, the more ammunition you have to worry yourself.
I'm sure the atmosphere around your coins is certainly much more harmful than this trace component in acetone.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
I'm sure the atmosphere around your coins is certainly much more harmful than this trace component in acetone.
Unfortuately that is so true. Even doing a test with a dish and Acetone, dust in the air could settle on that dish. People dust their homes almost weekly and in some places daily. Don't know where it comes from but I find dust on everything if I don't keep at it. Even in your home if you keep all doors and windows open, as you put on cloths, dust is emitted from that. Walking through a room on a carpet or rug, dust is spread. Even when you comb your hair, something is emitted into the air. And your breath is nothing a coin should endore either. There is not much you could do to eliminate all dirt from contacting your coins unless you can produce a vacuum. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36710 Posts |
Try hardware stores and building supply stores like Home Depot and Lowe's. It will be in the paint department.
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Replies: 9 / Views: 8,289 |
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Posted 11/30/2013 09:14 am
