Acetone Usage

crypto79

How does one treat coins before submitting them? Is silver cool? how long what do you rinse with does it dull anything? Should a novice stay away or is it some what easy?

AngryTurtle

Acetone does nothing but strip off organic compounds from the surface of the coin. - Oils, waxes, PVC, dip residue. It does nothing to (real) toning. My experience is that a few seconds rinse is all it takes. Be sure to rinse with clean acetone at the end.

Caveats:
1) Very Flammable and volatile! Use in well ventilated place.
2) I don't like getting it on my skin, and use gloves.
3) Some say it can harm copper - my experience has been OK, but the theory is don't let sunlight get on copper and acetone - there is a photochemical reaction.

Connecticoin

<< <i>2) I don't like getting it on my skin, and use gloves.
>>



What kind of gloves? Acetone will dissolve rubber gloves.

AngryTurtle

There are neoprene gloves you can get at the hardware store designed for chemical use. These will work.

Its been a while, but as I recall whatever brand of latex gloves I last tried this with seemed to hold up long enough to get the job done (as I said just a few seconds) . Or it might of been the green plastic painting gloves. - I guess you need to try and see. Also the plastic tongs should work, I have not tried them.

if you try without gloves, acetone will strip the oils off of your skin, and I have heard it does not do great things for your kidneys.

crypto79

Thanks so a 2min soak and then rince with distilled water should do the trick?

AngryTurtle

Yes, or even a soak and then a quick rinse in fresh acetone - it will then completely evaporate.

PerryHall

There have several past threads on this topic. The consensus is that acetone won't harm coins but it may discolor proof copper and will dry out or dull old copper that's been treated with Care or similar protective coatings. Be sure to read all the warnings before using acetone---high flamable, use in a well ventilated area, etc.

yellowjacket

Don't use water with acetone. It's useless. Acetone will evaporate very fast since it is quite flammable. DO use clean acetone as a final rinse.

Garrow

renomedphys

The safe way is to press into coin surface using soft cotton glove liner and bare fingers. Then rince the coin on edge using soaked liner so that acetone runs down the surface freely, causing loosened contaminates to flow off the coin's surface without hairlining, using a second glove liner to support the bottom edge of the coin. Then get out another clean liner and press into coin's surface again to remove any acetone plus residue. Then allow the coin to dry for a few minutes. Then pop it into a non-PVC flip and re-evaluate in a month or so to make sure the color is stable, as if there were ANY PVC contamination to start with, you're doomed.

notwilight

<< <i> Acetone will evaporate very fast since it is quite flammable. >>



Kindo like wood, paper, or dry grass?

Also, acetone is used as nail polish remover. It is not nearly as dangerous as many believe. Feel free to take as many precautions as you want but I believe women were already crazy before they started using acetone on their nails. --Jerry

astrorat

<< <i>

<< <i>2) I don't like getting it on my skin, and use gloves.
>>



What kind of gloves? Acetone will dissolve rubber gloves. >>



Nitrile gloves.

Lane

astrorat

You may want to consider using a purified form of acetone (e.g. HPLC grade) as the stuff from the hardware store is not purified and essentially you are adding contaminants to your coin. Although I do not know of any long-term results of using "dirty" acetone, why chance it?

Lane

crypto79

<< <i>

<< <i> Acetone will evaporate very fast since it is quite flammable. >>



Kindo like wood, paper, or dry grass?

Also, acetone is used as nail polish remover. It is not nearly as dangerous as many believe. Feel free to take as many precautions as you want but I believe women were already crazy before they started using acetone on their nails. --Jerry >>



That is the best thing I have read on the forum in weeks

rld14

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i> Acetone will evaporate very fast since it is quite flammable. >>



Kindo like wood, paper, or dry grass?

Also, acetone is used as nail polish remover. It is not nearly as dangerous as many believe. Feel free to take as many precautions as you want but I believe women were already crazy before they started using acetone on their nails. --Jerry >>



That is the best thing I have read on the forum in weeks >>

zeebob

Lot's of links if you search the US Coin forum and World Coin forum using the keyword "acetone"

Thread 1

Acetone and Gold

Acetone and Copper

Acetone and a Silver proof

I posted the following text in "Thread 1"

I've been using acetone for a couple of years to remove PVC. The solvent works well.

I have had mixed success with acetone and copper. I won't use acetone on any copper that I thiink has more value than a couple of dollars. I use NCS for copper.

I have had zero success with the quick dip method. My experence is that careful inspection under good light and good magnification will reveal that the quick dip method leaves a lot of pvc on the surface.

I have had the most success with the following:

Work under a microscope 7x to 10x power. acetone melts velvet - I use a soft white cotton cloth on the stage.

1 - soak the coin for a while (15 minutes)

2 - use cotton swabs with no glue holding the cotton (these can be found from electronic supply houses) - should have a wood stick. NO PLASTIC.

3 - KEEP THE SWAB WET WITH acetone AT ALL TIMES. Very gently swab the coin surface.

4 - work the coin over until you are happy with the appearance. Be gentle don't leave hairlines.

edited to add 4.5 - repeat soak and scub as needed. Some coins have enough pvc that several soakings are required.

5 - change the swab as often as you need to. Just keep an eye on the color of the swab - green or brown means toss it and get a new one.

6 - setup a hair dryer and warm up the coin. Rinse the warm coin in clean acetone. holding the edge of the coin in your fingers put the wet coin in front of the hair drier. The acetone will evaportate.

7 - repeat the clean rinse on a warm coin 3 times.

The hair drier keeps the coin warm. The reason is that the evaporation of the acetone will cool the coin's surface. You don't want the coin's surface to drop below the dew point and condence water on the surface (that will leave water spots).

I have experimented with deionized water rinses and distilled water rinses, tap water rinses. I don't see any use for them.

acetone will evaportate cleanly. There will be no acetone left on the coin after evaporation. However, if the acetone is contaminated, their may be other contaminates on the surface after the evaporation evaporates. Will water remove those contaminates? It depends on what the contaminates are. Use reagent grade acetone and you won't have to worry about it. This acetone (reagent grade) can be purchased at chemical supply houses.

The risk of a water rinse (or condensation) is that the water you have won't be any more pure than the acetone you have. Also, you have to dry the water off and the surface tension of water will allow it to hid in the protected areas of the coins. I don't like water for coins.

I have had excellent results with silver, gold and clad. I have had mixed results with copper. I try to avoid circulated coins with other "gunk" on the surface. If "gunk" comes off, the toning under the gunk will be different than the rest of the coin - ugly result.

pvc will destroy a coin and I always remove it when I find it, but sometimes the area under the pvc is toned differently than the rest of the coin. Sometimes pvc hids corrosion that has already started. PVC is a scourge.

I gauge "success" by how many coins that I can have graded by PCGS (only PCGS), after pvc removal. The biggest risk with my method is that if you SCRUB with a swab you WILL scratch the coin. Practice the gentle touch - swab don't scrub.

To test just how sensative a coin might be to scrubbing, I got a pvc slimed Kurgerand and scrubbed it longer and harder than needed. This was just to see if I would damage the surface. I didn't see any damage under the microscope. I sent the conserved coin to PCGS, they sent it back as MS66.

This coupled with my success on something around 120 or so silver, clad and a few more gold coins has lead me to stick with this method.

acetone - flammable! Caution.

acetone - unhealthy - minimize exposure - work in well ventalated areas.

acetone - soluable in water - minimize exposure to skin.

acetone - keep out of reach of children and pets. Evaporates quickly, keep the lid on the stuff.

editted to add: don't spill the stuff on carpet. It melts synthetic carpet.

yellowjacket

Notwilight,

May I substitute "volatile" for "flammable" in my previous statement as a more appropriate word?

Garrow

Edit for spelling.

19Lyds

Some consider this "cleaning".