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To Rinse Or Not To Rinse...that Is The Question?

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MontCollector's Avatar
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 Posted 02/14/2016  7:10 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add MontCollector to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I took the 50 mile trip into town to get some 100% acetone. Now I have everything I need to dip/bathe some coins.

After reading several "How To" posts on this here and elsewhere, my question is if acetone is supposed to conserve a coin, why do people do a distilled water rinse at end? Doesn't this negate the conservative effects of the acetone?

Just a newbie wanting to make sure I am not doing more harm than good. Thanks!!
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Buddy's Avatar
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 Posted 02/14/2016  8:29 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Buddy to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I have no idea. I wouldn't.
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roundman72's Avatar
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 Posted 02/14/2016  8:32 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add roundman72 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
the acetone is to clean the rinse is to get the acetone off.
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MontCollector's Avatar
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 Posted 02/14/2016  9:56 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add MontCollector to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I understand the distilled water rinse is to get the acetone off...but doesn't it evaporate off fairly quick? If you use 100% pure acetone it should.
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Fuzzy317's Avatar
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 Posted 02/14/2016  11:28 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Fuzzy317 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I have also heard of people doing the final rinse with acetone to make sure there is no residue of what the initial acetone removed from the coin
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jbuck's Avatar
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 Posted 02/15/2016  09:33 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Never, ever rinse with distilled water! It makes no sense at all.

Always rinse with fresh acetone. This will remove any residue left when the initial acetone rinse evaporates.
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bpoc1's Avatar
United States
4078 Posts
 Posted 02/15/2016  10:11 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add bpoc1 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Always rinse with fresh acetone. This will remove any residue left when the initial acetone rinse evaporates.

Bedrock of the Community
United States
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 Posted 02/15/2016  10:35 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add just carl to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Some do this due leaving the Acetone just evaporate. This means whatever it dissolved will now land back on the coin. Some people rinse with Distilled water to get rid of whatever that was. IF you simply dip a coin in Acetone, pull out and don't allow whatever is now in the Acetone to land back on the coin. Problems with using distilled water is it does not evaporate fast enough and could absorb dirt in the air to now go back on the coins. Some people use a hair dryer to get rid of this excess water. This too will now blow dirt back on the coin.
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NoPoMoCo's Avatar
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 Posted 02/19/2016  12:06 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add NoPoMoCo to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
MontCollector, you did good if you really procured 100% acetone. Outside of specialty chemical supply companies, it's usually about 97% (natural grade). Most of the remainder is water, but also contained are non-volatile substances at trace levels. Acetone is such a good solvent that it's difficult to keep it pure. Evaporate some "clean fresh" acetone on squeaky clean glass and you may notice a faint white film. I don't know exactly what this stuff is, but it would coat a coin if not washed off before the acetone evaporates. I work in a lab (bottle washer emeritus) and use several rinses of distilled water then pure ethanol for spot-free scientific glassware. I haven't tried it, but a good denatured alcohol would probably work as well for coins. Just do a spot-check on glass first.
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T-BOP's Avatar
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 Posted 02/19/2016  08:39 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add T-BOP to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
NoPoNoCo , I think you just burst all of our bubbles over here. we finally got to a stage where using pure acetone without a distilled water final rinse was the 11th commandment . now you say acetone will leave a faint white film on our coins.
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jerseyben's Avatar
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 Posted 02/19/2016  08:50 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jerseyben to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Relax. Just use the acetone. It is fine.
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biokemist6's Avatar
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 Posted 02/19/2016  12:07 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add biokemist6 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Evaporate some "clean fresh" acetone on squeaky clean glass and you may notice a faint white film

If you have a white film, then the acetone that you use is contaminated. Clean, pure acetone(99.5% with the balance being methanol, isopropanol, and water) will NOT leave any residue behind.
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NoPoMoCo's Avatar
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 Posted 02/19/2016  6:41 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add NoPoMoCo to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
It's a simple test. A drop of acetone on glass - or better, on a mirror. If there's no residue you're good. If there's a film, get acetone from another source. It's dangerous to assume; I've learned that lesson many times.
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jbuck's Avatar
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 Posted 02/19/2016  11:43 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I think the point is to assume nothing and test the acetone before assuming it is pure.
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Andrew99's Avatar
United States
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 Posted 05/02/2016  09:58 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Andrew99 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I'd rinse with distilled water. Acetone potentially has trace acids or organic solvents dissolved in it. You are not capable of determining if it is pure by casting it onto clean glass as the amounts of contaminants that could cause harm are too low to see. If you can see a film, the acetone is horribly contaminated and probably shouldn't be used at all. You should never use technical grade acetone (97%) for numismatic purposes. I run an analytical laboratory and would not let that crap into the facility even to fill wash bottles.
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jbuck's Avatar
United States
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 Posted 05/02/2016  11:31 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I would never rinse with distilled water. Fresh acetone only.
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