Best degreaser/brake cleaner

[jordan1]

What is the best between Acetone, Isopranol or Methylbenzene for ali/steel and brakes cleaning and degreasing. Used acetone but right out now so need to replace. Just wondered if you guys had your preferences.

 

[Parm]

Don't know about how effective the first two are but you want to stay well away from METHYLBENZENE no matter how good it is

 

[graffian]

METHYLBENZENE

It's organic it must be good.

 

[Spark plug]

If you want the best, IMO it has to be "Interflon metal clean" but make sure your sitting down for the price. I use it at work and it is the muts dangallies for degreasing and cleaning.

 

[blenkie1]

Don't know about how effective the first two are but you want to stay well away from METHYLBENZENE no matter how good it is

WHY?

 

[Bill Edwards]

Ordinary 'brake, clutch and parts cleaner' from motor factors works very well. Get it in a 5l container and a spray bottle. It smells strong, evaporates and takes oil and grease with it.

 

[Fazerruss]

WHY?

I'm guessing its the nasty one that if residue is left on metal during arc welding then mustard gas is created.

 

[blenkie1]

Will have to check what we use at work

 

[hotrodder]

Methylbenzene might be more familiar by it's other name, toluene? Used to be one of the ingredients in cellulose thinners IIRC along with xylene (dimethylbenzene). Both are excellent solvents (and octane boosters)* and the vapors are very good at giving users properly banging headaches or far worse if intentially inhaled. They're hydrocarbons, it's chlorinated solvents (for example trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene etc) that can decompose releasing phosgene if someone's daft enough to strike an arc on a part that's still wet with solvents

The MSDS for Interflon metal cleaner suggests it's very similar to brake cleaner (well, the non-chlorinated varieties we have in Europe) as two of the key ingredients are naphtha and propan-2-ol (aka isopropyl alcohol). Other common suspects in brake cleaner include acetone for example... http://www.retech.com/pdf/brake_cleaner_en.pdf

Personally i use brake cleaner as it's a better degreaser than straight isopropyl alcohol as well as being cheaper/easier to find- any motor factors unlike acetone or neat IPA which i have to go out of my way to find.


*the origional F1 turbo era "rocket fuel" was mostly toluene 'watered' down with something to meet the specific gravity and/or octane regulations i believe

 

[blenkie1]

Thanks for that hotrodder. Just had a look at the safety data sheet for what we use and it contains SBP3 (what ever that is), propane,
Propan-2-OL and butane. Mostly says the usual not to be inhaled, highly flammable (knew that) and bad for the enviroment. Never had any headaches or the like using it so should be ok. Mostly just to clean excess oil and grease off stuff before painting

 

[Master-of-none]

SBP3 = Special boiling point [range] 3, it's a mixture of petroleum distillates boiling between 102-121°C,
in simpler words, a petrol-like solvent

 

[Spark plug]

1 good method of telling the strength of solvents etc is to compare how much it stings when you get it in a cut

 

[jordan1]

Thanks all, getting too complicated, I think I will give brake and clutch cleaner a try this time.

 

[hotrodder]

Thanks for that hotrodder. Just had a look at the safety data sheet for what we use and it contains SBP3 (what ever that is), propane,
Propan-2-OL and butane. Mostly says the usual not to be inhaled, highly flammable (knew that) and bad for the enviroment. Never had any headaches or the like using it so should be ok. Mostly just to clean excess oil and grease off stuff before painting

Naphtha is a very general term for liquid hydrocarbons/petroleum distilates. As said SBP3 falls into this category and has exactly the same CAS number as the naphtha listed in the MSDS i posted. Fairly common for it be the main/only ingredient in panel wipe... http://www.midchem.co.uk/HSDS Midchem/MC025.pdf which was the first hit from googling SBP3 cas number