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 Replies: 13 / Views: 6,574 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2368 Posts |
Is soaking a coin in distilled water considered cleaning as opposed to conservation? Here's why I was wondering, I was going to buy some acetone to remove some gunk of my cents. Since you may have read my earlier topic, 100% "pure" acetone contains trace amounts of denatonium benzoate.
My idea was to do an acetone treatment, and then soak the coins in distilled water to diffuse the denatonium benzoate off of the surface of the coin. Will pure distilled water have any negative effects on the coin or its patina? I don't want them to look cleaned.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1511 Posts |
The acetone will be fine on its own.. After soaking it you should do another rinse in new acetone and then let it dry/evaporate on its own, not dry it.
Acetone has been and is used by many, there's such trace amounts of denatonium benzoate that it really doesn't matter. If it was at all harmfuf to coins all of us and everyone else wouldn't use it...
I'm not sure about the distilled water hurting the coin, but it doesn't really matter as its completely useless. But the good thing about acetone is it evaporates completely away, and quickley. I'm not sure if the longer prosess of the distilled water evaporating could harm it.. Personally I wouldn't use anything but acetone.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Distilled water will leave more precipitate on your coin than will denatonium benzoate, which is effective in concentrations of 0.05ppm. That's why you don't rinse a coin off with water after using acetone - the acetone evaporates completely on its' own. Indeed, it's pretty effective at pushing water off the surface of a coin.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2368 Posts |
But when the acetone evaporates will it leave a film of denatonium benzoate or will those molecules evaporate with the acetone? I've read so many topics on this forum where half of the people do a final acetone rinse and the other half rinses in distilled water! I've seen experts say either one!  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
But when the acetone evaporates will it leave a film of denatonium benzoate or will those molecules evaporate with the acetone? The amount of Denatorium is so small even if there was some left on your coins you couldn't see it with a microscope. The amount added to Acetone is so minute, a quart contains a really minor trace if any at all. Some Acetone, according to the contents on the can, contains none of that stuff. Oddly enough not all distilled water is what it is claimed to be. There were reports sometime back of organizations that were selling so called purified water in those little bottles. It was found to be just tap water. And who knows just what Quality controls are done in the manufacture of Distilled Water. A problem with testing distilled water for purity is just how could you do that. If you put a small amount on a very clean glass dish and allowed to evaporate, it would have to be done in a closed, almost vacuum invironment. As it evaporates, it could also accumulate dust in the air leaving that dust as a residue. Therefore the so called Distilled Water you want to use may be just tap water or worse. One method to be sure would be to take a bottle of Distilled Water and send to a chemical company for analysis. This could cost more than a gallon of Acetone. And then too, if it came back as contaminated, now what? All I'm trying to say is con't get paranoid about the stuff you use on your coins. In most instances they've seen much, much more horrible stuff in the air or people's hands. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10034 Posts |
Posting this from a previous thread on acetone: Quote:
Did some reading and made an edit. The Denatonium is said to be the most bitter substance known, and therefore is used in quantities of only 10 parts per million(!) making its host liquid more bitter than people can tolerate.
I also read the definition of "pure" acetone allows for 5000 parts per million of unknown chemical. So the incredibly small amount of the Denatonium used is a moot point since it is very well within tolerance levels ... to be called pure. (syntax errors in original quotation replaced with "...") Here is the thread and it also shows the bottle I got at Dollar General for 1.75 - it also shows the bottles I get at Walmart. I can see no residue when I put acetone from both of these bottles in a clear glass dish and let it evaporate. I have used both of these on many coins and had absolutely no problems. |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Let's put it this way: A 55-gallon drum of acetone contains about one-quarter of a gram of denatonium benzoate. I'm not sure it's physically possible to split a hair that finely.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1584 Posts |
I use distilled water (reverse osmosis) after the first and/or second acetone soak. If a coin is dirty enough some or lots of the residue settles onto the coin surface after the acetone has evaporated. I always finish with acetone. This might be incorrect voodoo nonsense, but I am a creature of habit and I can't see how it can hurt.
It's become almost a ritual.
Disclaimer: I am an old man and set in my ways. Always defer to the real experts here.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19935 Posts |
Generally, the use of common solvents on coins is not considered cleaning. My feeling is that if the patina is left intact and the surfaces are left undamaged, the process is "conservation".
I always recommend finishing with acetone. The amount of d.benzoate in consumer acetone is negligible. Acetone will dehydrate the surfaces and ready a coin for long-term storage.
Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Moderator
United States
56855 Posts |
My sister makes her own distilled water and uses a digital tester to test for purity. John1  |
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Moderator
United States
187862 Posts |
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This might be incorrect voodoo nonsense, but I am a creature of habit and I can't see how it can hurt. As long as you always finish with acetone, I think you are going to be okay. |
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Pillar of the Community
917 Posts |
Quote:
I use distilled water (reverse osmosis) Well just to be picky about things, distilled and RO water are not the same. Distilled water is heated and the steam from that is condensed back in to water. RO on the other hand is passed through a semipermeable membrane "filtering" out all but the smallest particles.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1584 Posts |
I don't mind picky, LincolnGuy!
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Valued Member
United States
211 Posts |
Distilled water is fine. It won't hurt the coin. As long as you can dry it without using friction. It won't do much really...good or bad.
As other people have mentioned, there may still be better alternatives (especially if you are dealing with super rare, high grade coins).
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Replies: 13 / Views: 6,574 |
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Posted 12/01/2013 10:26 am
