naptha, for Jim

[Tim Keenan & Rebecca Counts]

Hi List (and Jim--I bet you knew I had to respond ;} )--

just an addendum (I guess I should read a whole thread before replying)

References available on request.

JIMRPT wrote:

> Naptha and Mineral Spirits are 'solvents'
> while Mineral oil is not.


If your child (or grandchild) ever gets pine pitch or tar in his or her 
hair, or on skin, I recommend using mineral oil as a solvent to remove it 
(or its cousin, Vaseline).  In fact, while walking on a beach in Michigan 
a few years ago, I stepped in a lump of tar (left over from a crude oil 
spill, I presume) and used a tube of lip balm to dissolve it.  Yup. Just 
a heavier petrolatum fraction).

>(Mineral oil is/was popular as a very effective,
> inexpensive, laxative)

The difference in toxicity (and reactivity) is due only to the size of 
the molecule.  The very long chains cannot pass through cell membranes.  
The shorter they are, the faster they go, and the more reactive they are, 
because there are more hydrogen sites available for reaction.

> When you mix Mineral oil and Naptha you are creating a mixture that is close
> to Mineral Spirits. (this is a guess on my part and not a fact, perhaps
> someone more knowledgeable will tell us)

Did I hear someone call? 8-]
Similar in viscosity, but the Naphtha fraction will evaporate and leave 
the Mineral Oil fraction behind.  Mineral spirits will eventually 
evaporate entirely, presuming it was well-refined in the first place.

>  Naptha and Mineral Spirits are both volatile, MIneral spirits leaves a
> discernable residue, Naptha doesn't.

Mineral spirits shouldn't, if a good grade (see above). "Volatile" means 
evaporates relatively rapidly (that also explains why N. and MS have 
quite an odor, and MO doesn't)

>Naptha vapors are explosive and Mineral
>Spirits vapors are not "explosive", though I am sure they are flammable.

See my previous post--that's the difference between a flash point of -40 
C and 0 C.  But at sufficient concentration in air, you can certainly get 
an explosion with mineral spirits.

> Mineral oil is not easily flammable, nor explosive, yet it is quite capapble
> of giving one the "flaming runs" :-)
> 

If you put a wick in it, it will burn beautifully.  It is more readily 
flammable than candle wax.

All that aside, my favourite snake-oil is Protek CLP--cures moles, colds, 
sore a**holes, and makes childbirth a pleasure!

If anyone wants to know about the chemistry of 
PTFE/polytetrafluoroethylene/Teflon, just ask!


Tim Keenan
Noteworthy Piano Service
Terrace, BC