HELP!

What solvents are in one of the leading penetrating epoxies?

Let's call this leading product Product X. Solvents in this popular product - as listed in their MSDS dated 4/15/95 for quote "either Part A or Part B" (this means these chemicals are in both parts of the epoxy). Percentages of each are vague on most MSDS sheets. All the MSDS states is "weight % < 50% for all of the listed compounds. Generally the compounds listed on MSDS sheets are in listed in decreasing amounts.

Unlike most epoxy data sheets, the vendor's msds does not list the standard epoxy components (like the epoxy polyamines, nonyl phenol, etc.), only the required hazardous compounds.

aromatic hydrocarbon CAS # 64742-95-6 * (very common - similar to gasoline or kerosene - see comment below)

xylene (common paint store solvent)

toluene (common paint store solvent)

isopropyl alcohol (2-propanol) (common, cheap rubbing alcohol)

2-butanone

4-methyl 2-pentanone

2-heptanone

4-methyl 2-hexanone

2-pentanone

dipropylene glycol monomethylether

diisobutyl ketone

ethyl acetate

isobutyl acetate

ethyl 3-ethoxy propionate

propylene glycol monomethylether acetate

hexyl acetate

isobutyl isobutyrate

diacetone alcohol

cyclohexanone

Volatile organic content (VOC) 675 grams / liter - These exceeds the legal VOC limits anywhere in the USA. This product can be sold only because of the use of 'exempt' solvents like napththa (aromatic hydrocarbon 64742-95-6). This product is not based upon science and solvents but rather cheap chemicals that can be legally sold in the USA.

Note: There are 1000 grams in 1 liter of water. Epoxy is heaver than water, solvents are lighter.

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AROMATIC HYDROCARBON. I tracked down this unidentified hydrocabon by its listed CAS number. This compound is Type 1 Naphtha (Naptha). Technically gasoline and kerosene are considered naphthas too (according to www.encyclopedia.com/htm/n1/naphtha.asp). However, aromatic naphtha is generally obtained from the distillation of coal tar rather than petroleum.

Like other solvents such as xylene, naphtha does a good job of soaking into dry wood. Unfortunately, pure naptha separates out from the epoxy. To fix this you add other more traditional solvents (MEK, acetone, etc.) along with the naphtha. Note that naphtha can be generated from (I believe) coal - which is formed from wood, so one of our competitor's ‘crazy' claims about a special wood based product is perhaps not so crazy after all. Also their use of Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) can also be 'wood based.' We always just assumed they were talking about the epoxy part of the product, but if they were really talking about their primary ingredient, the naptha, it begins to make more sense.

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FEEDBACK FROM READERS SINCE THE POSTING OF THIS ARTICLE

Email I received 10/10/01

Hello Paul (info@epoxyproducts.com):

I'm replacing half of the wood inside the transom, part of a stringer,
both motor mounts and the floor in a 21' day cruiser with a 260 HP MerCruiser
engine and stern drive . One of the other Epoxy distributors (that you
compare) says that their epoxy is a virgin wood derived resin. What does
this mean and how does that compare to your resin? By the way I appreciate
your articles on resin, it has taught me to ask more questions.

thanks, Kim

IN RESPONSE I SENT HER THE FOLLOW POST I FOUND ON WOODENBOAT

MAGAZINE'S ONLINE BOAT BUILDING FORUM

Post by Dave Carnell on the WoodenBoat Forum (http://media5.hypernet.com/cgi-bin/UBB/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro)
Topic "Chemicals from Wood" post date: 8/15/2001

Wood Chemicals

The most offensive promotion of **** and related products is the claim that because they are derived from wood they retain the properties of wood. This is 100% charlatanic hokum. *** ****** uses it much more than *****.

1. Their epoxy resins are not derived from wood. They are the same petrochemical products everyone uses, made by companies such as Dow and Shell.

2. Some of their solvents could be made from wood, but it is extremely unlikely that they are today. In any event, chemical molecules have no DNA or heredity that ties them to their originating raw material and its properties. When I was a kid you bought "wood alcohol" at the hardware store. It was methanol made by destructive distillation of wood.

Ford operated a large continuous wood distillation plant at Iron Mountain, MI, where they made much of the solvents needed for their finishes from scraps of the maple, birch, etc. used to make their car bodies. Ford dealerships around the country sold Ford charcoal from the plant for picnic fires. During our investigation of alternatives to petrochemical feedstocks in the 70s we discovered why that plant could run for weeks without external heat. Differential thermal analysis of wood decomposition showed that there was an exothermic reaction involved that made it self-sustaining. The first synthetic methanol was made in 1925 by DuPont's synthetic ammonia plant at Belle, WV, as a by-product of the gas purification system of the ammonia plant. It soon became the major source of methanol. The synthetic methanol molecules are identical to those derived from wood, as are the molecules of any other solvent regardless of the raw material source.

Anyone who claims chemicals derived from wood have any properties related to wood is indulging in worse hokum than P. T. Barnum ever thought of.

Authors note: I suspect the mention of the 'wood link' might be based upon not the epoxy but the 4th solvent listed in the msds sheet - Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol, which can be made from wood).

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Other Links:

Penetrating epoxies - www.epoxyproducts.com/penetrating4u.html

Treating rot - www.epoxyproducts.com/rot.html

Competitor's penetrating epoxy solvent list - www.epoxyproducts.com/solvents.html (this page)

More on primers - www.epoxyproducts.com/primer.html

Sealing wood (tests) - www.epoxyproducts.com/woodseal.html

Using copper powder in epoxies - www.epoxyproducts.com/copper4u.html

link to commercial site

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