Dangers Of Using Brake Cleaner

[Spawn-Inc]

If it was in the pre-puron days , then that is exactly what you created . See R12 rodent removal above .

it was r22.

Puron just like Freon is a brand name. It's not how to identify or talk about a refrigerant. This is one of my pet peeves. Even if it was R22 or R410A it's nasty to breathe and takes your breath away. R22 sure does taste like mustard. I'd like to shoot the engineers that designed the refrigerant piping in the units. There is almost always a low spot where oil lays. And of course there is always a braze joint there.

As far as gloves and brake cleaner. If they aren't solvent resistant they are almost worthless. Nitrile gloves will practically melt off your hands if directly exposed to solvents.

i can't say that r-22 smells like mustard to me, but i do enjoy the smell of 410a.

some of those engineers need to be fired for some of the stupid stuff i've come across on various units.

[shotstring]

Simple precaution is to not use liquids/solvents that were not intended nor designed to take on temperature extremes. Of course, you still have to worry about combining chemicals any time you use multiple oils, solvents or liquids and no one has all the information on the toxic gas that all the different combinations can create. I guess best advice is to not combine products or heat products that weren't intended to be heated. Easier said than done though in a practical sense. I used to work on heavy equipment, and we heated up most everything with a torch at one time or another. Didn't test for what oils or solvents were on the metal first. Just not practical to do so.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Phosgene gas is a byproduct of burning some refrigerants. The reason it burns and tastes like mustard is, back in WW1 it was called Mustard Gas!!

Not exactly.

Mustard 'gas' (works much better as a fine spray) contains sulfur and is classified in chemical warfare as a blister agent. Contact with skin produces huge blisters. Breathing it destroys the linings of the throat and lungs. There is no sulfur in the chlorinated hydrocarbons used in brake cleaners.

Phosgene needs only carbon, oxygen and chlorine, all available when a chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent is heated past a certain point. In chemical warfare it is classified as a choking agent because when breathed it inhibits lung function.

All that chemical warfare schooling I took in the army pays off, as does working nine years in a facility that produced chlorinated hydrocarbons (vinyl chloride, ethylene dichloride, tri-chloroethane, etc. by thousands of tons a day).

Safety: Use in ventilated areas. Chlorinated hydrocarbons are safe when properly used. Don't spray on something hotter than you can hold in your hand and you won't have to worry about evolving those nasties like phosgene and hydrogen chloride, but then there you are, sitting with a cauldron of molten lead in front of you and you're worried about sniffing a little solvent? Come on! A lot of people don't realize that until the sixties and seventies chlorinated hydrocarbons were used as anesthetics, which means that a medical professional would put a mask on your face and make you BREATHE this stuff on purpose.

Everything we do has danger inherent. We look at the dangers, lessen the risks to acceptable levels by being smart, and get on with life.

dale in Louisiana

[Smoke4320]

brake cleaner neverirem hurtenxjkxd anyonxch l;sa sa=oc
nuf said

PS don't put in on a spoon and light while on a plane either

[Old Caster]

Dale, You are so right.

[Nickle]

Brake cleaner and heat is BAD ju-ju.

Brake cleaner itself, unless real safe, non-cholorinated stuff (has to be both) is dangerous as can be.

Used to be in the same Army unit with a young guy that used to wash his hands at work with trichlorinated solvent. Well, we found out it's a cumulative poison when he got too much through his skin, and ended up with severe and PERMANENT problems. He ended up with a medical discharge, and a healthy disability pension, but those are never good.

The "safe stuff" seems to be citrus based, and might burn a little on the skin from the citric acid in it. Same stuff that's puts the pizzazz in lemonade and orange juice.

And, yes, sometimes trichlorimated or other "dangerous" solvent is the way to go. Just use with plenty of ventilation, don't breath the fumes and PLEASE make sure you're wearing appropriate safety gear. Best ventilation is using it OUTDOORS.

[Gunslinger]

I use brake cleaner to clean the case lube off of loaded rounds. I lay the rounds on an old towel, spray some brake cleaner on them and wipe it off with the towel. Do you think this can cause a problem the the rounds are fired???? I use nitrile gloves when reloading.

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive used it for years and am still kicking. We used to get it in 55 gallon drums at work. Used it to clean about everything and still use to even clean guns. I doubt ill quit because some yuppie says it will kill me. If i listened to all that **** i wouldnt eat beef, fish, sugar, coffee, ect and i guess i sure wouldnt be casting lead bullets.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Way to go, Lloyd!

I agree. compared to some of the other activities in which I've engaged over the years, brake cleaner is NOTHING!

dale in Louisiana