In a message dated 9/9/01 12:59:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time, owner-pianotech-digest@ptg.org writes: << 7. The silicon as used by both Baldwin and Wurlitzer is one of the safest products in the technicians arsenal of chemicals. The MSDS sheet indicates no harmful effects from swallowing, skin absorption, inhalation, and skin contact. Even eye contact is listed as "may cause minor irritation and swelling of the conjunctivae". It will not aggravate existing medical conditions. The flash point is 390 degrees F so it is safe in the trunk of a car. The vapor density is listed as HEAVIER THAN AIR. (brings into question the "traveling uphill" suspicians). ------------------------------ >> List, Now, as for the Silicon. You are confusing the element Silicon with silicone or silicone rubber. I think this topic has been breached before. Webster's says: silicon: a tetravalent nonmetallic element that occurs combined as the most abundant element next to oxygen in the earth's crust and is used especially in alloys. silicone: any of various polymeric organic silicon compounds obtained as oils, greases, or plastics and used esp. for water-resistant and heat resistant lubricants, varnishes, binders, and electric insulators silicone rubber: rubber made from silicone elastomers and noted for its retention of flexibility, resilience, and tensile strength over a wide termperature range. What we are talking about is silicone. Heavier than air isn't really the question. Frequently (almost always) oils, greases, plastics and rubbers are not pure compounds, but mixtures. They can contain other components such as antioxidants, plasticizers, etc. which do, in fact, volatilize out of the silicone and can deposit on something else. Volatile compounds can come out of, say, a car dashboard and coalesce onto the car window, ( it's that new car smell) or out of a CD jewel case onto a CD. If you really think that something came out of the silicone and deposited on something else, IT COULD HAVE. The problem is that you don't really know what is in the silicone (and by the way, Baldwin probably doesn't either). If you have been sensitized to something, you can react to it and they wouldn't necessarily have to put it on the MSDS. WD-40, according to the company and a 25 year rep. says it has never contained "silicone" . They did produce a product under a different name that did. The sales representative however did not recommend WD-40 for use on wooden parts and I wouldn't either. FWIW Mark Ritchie RPT
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