Types of solvents
White Spirit
Solvent gasoline is a product of petroleum distillation. Its physical characteristics are as follows: clear, colorless liquid. Purpose: dissolution of nitro paints and some types of resins, as well as oil paints. In the case of paints and varnishes, the dosage of white spirit must be limited to 10% of the total mass of the paint and varnish material.
Turpentine
Colorless, often transparent, sometimes with a reddish or dark red tint, a liquid that is usually used in diluting paints and accelerating the drying of paintwork. Turpentine is mainly used to dilute oil paints
If you choose between refined and unrefined turpentine, then for painting surfaces you should pay attention to refined turpentine
Turpentine is highly flammable. Wood (unrefined) turpentine is obtained by dry distillation of wood; Gum turpentine - by distilling the resin of coniferous species The first must undergo additional processing, due to which the coloring components contained in the wood turpentine will disappear from the solvent composition.
To understand whether you are satisfied with the quality of turpentine, it is necessary to mix oil and turpentine in equal proportions to the surface. If, after a day, a strong film remains on the paintwork, the quality of the solvent is undoubted.
Gum turpentine, or, as it is also called, turpentine oil, is more environmentally friendly than wood turpentine: it is distinguished by a calmer smell and lightness.
Turpentine is also used to degrease coatings, despite the high cost of this solvent, which is justified by the high quality of the working material.
Acetone, amyl acetate, ethyl acetate
Solvents used in the case of nitro paints. Since these substances are quite easily miscible with water, care must be taken not to get into them: this can cause whitening of the transparent film. If you add butyl alcohol solvents to the composition of these substances, then the gloss of the varnish film will significantly improve.
Solvent
Commercial coal is a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons, which are obtained in the by-product coke production in the process of rectification of purified fractions of crude benzene. Physical characteristics of the solvent: it is a transparent colorless liquid, it is produced in three grades - A, B, C, which differ from each other in the following parameters: boiling point, density, small fluctuations in the content of chemicals such as sulfur and phenols in the composition.
Solvent is a high quality paint thinner, however, due to its toxicity, solvent is not as popular as turpentine. The solvent is used only for diluting pentaphthalic and glyphthalic paints.
Dichloroethane
The next solvent to be mentioned. This colorless, low-flammable liquid with a chloroform odor also tends to turn yellow due to exposure to sunlight.
Precautions when using this thinner: a prerequisite when working with this substance is the use of rubber gloves, since the thinner, due to the specific chemical composition, can significantly affect the skin of your hands
Driers
These are special additives that increase the decorative effect, as well as the water resistance of the ready-made dye composition. In addition, they can significantly reduce the amount of time required for drying oil paints, varnishes, drying oils, and oils.However, these additives have a rather serious drawback: when using them, the paint and varnish coating becomes extremely fragile, and therefore it is recommended, if possible, to do without their use in surface treatment.
Ideal solvents for some types of resins are substances such as gasoline and kerosene. They are also used for washing hands that are stained with paint and for cleaning work tools.
Solvents and thinners
The difference between solvents and thinners
Thinners - these are solvents that are not able to dissolve a given polymer alone, but when introduced into a polymer solution, they do not destroy its structure.
In fact, mixtures of solvents are very often used, their alternative names are numbered solvents.
So, the solvent R-4 (contains acetone and toluene) is suitable for dissolving and diluting alkyd paints and varnishes, enamels based on chlorinated polymers.
Waterborne paints and varnishes can only be diluted with water. You also need to remember that water must be poured gradually and in very small doses, otherwise the viscosity will decrease too much.
Characteristics of solvent 646
Solvent 646 (R-646) is the most famous among solvent masters.
It was first made in the 20th century. At first, it was used to dilute nitro varnishes, nitro enamels, its versatility was discovered much later, and it began to be used in diluting paints and varnishes to working viscosity, in the procedure for cleaning painting equipment and working tools. The many components that make up this solvent play a significant role in the ability to dissolve most organic substances.
Solvent 646 is a colorless / slightly yellowish liquid with a specific odor. The percentage of the following substances is included in its composition: toluene (50%), ethanol (15%), butyl acetate (10%), butanol (10%), ethyl cellosolve (8%), acetone (7%).
Thinner 646 is a fairly strong solvent, therefore, when using it as a working substance, you must observe safety measures and be extremely careful when using it.
After drying, the paintwork acquires an additional shine.
The choice of thinner depends on the working situation, the main parameters of the determination are the type of paint and varnish material and the ambient temperature during application of the material.
Solvent premium (Nefras A 130/150) in accordance with GOST 10214-78.
| The name of indicators | Standard according to GOST |
| 1. Appearance and color of the solvent | Colorless or slightly yellow transparent liquid |
| 2. Density of solvent at 20 ° С, g / m * 3, not less | 0,86 |
| 3. Fractional composition: Temperature of the beginning of distillation, ° С, not lower than 90% is distilled at a temperature, ° С, not higher | 134 150 |
| 4. Xylene volatility, no more | 1,2 |
| 5.Mass fraction of sulfur,% no more | 0,02 |
| 6. Volume fraction of sulfonated substances,%, not less | 99 |
| 7. Reaction of the aqueous extract | Neutral |
| 8. Content of mechanical impurities and water | absent |
| 9. Content of water-soluble acids and alkalis | absent |
| 10. Test on a copper plate | Withstands |
| 11. Color | Not darker than the reference solution |
Thinner 646 has the following technical characteristics:
volatility values for ethyl ether are in the range from 8 to 15;
the number of coagulation is not less than 35%;
acid number does not exceed 0.06 mg KOH / g;
the proportion of water (according to Fischer) is not more than 2%;
diluting effect - after drying, the presence of whitening and film is not observed, nitroenamel is characterized by a smooth surface without the presence of spots.
Scope of solvent 646
Solvent 646 technical characteristics allow you to use it to work with various paints and varnishes, including nitrocellulose, melaninoamide, glyphthalic, acrylic, epoxy.