Are there new rules on the sale of meths?

[duncan99210]

The problem I have is SWMBO nicking acetone to clean her nails and forgetting to replace the lid. In the heat of a Greek summer, this quickly equals no acetone.....

Of course, I never leave the lid off such a volatile compound!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

But nail varnish remover is acetone! Just in a small pretty bottle rather than a rusty half-gallon can.

Traditionally so, anyway. Perhaps they have some new non-toxic low-VOC eco-friendly formulation now?

Pete

I thought it was amyl acetate, not acetone. It smells more like a ketone.

 

[macd]

For what it's worth, this is what Wiki has to say on the matter:
The most common type of nail polish remover contains the volatile organic compound acetone. It is powerful and effective, but can be harsh on skin and nails. It can also be used to remove artificial nails, which are usually made of acrylic and gel nails. A less harsh nail polish removal is ethyl acetate, the active ingredient in non-acetone nail polish removers, which also often contain isopropyl alcohol. Ethyl acetate is generally the solvent in nail polish itself.

....which seems to exonerate pyrojames (in matters of chemistry if not personal grooming )

 

[Hugh Foulis]

The problem I have is SWMBO nicking acetone to clean her nails and forgetting to replace the lid. In the heat of a Greek summer, this quickly equals no acetone.....

Of course, I never leave the lid off such a volatile compound!

To quote Woody in one of Americas funniest sitcoms "Cheers" "evaporation sure gets a lot of blame when really somebody left the lid off"

 

[VicS]

I thought it was amyl acetate, not acetone. It smells more like a ketone.

Acetone ( propanone) is a ketone CH₃COCH₃

Smells fairly similar to butanone ( methyl ethyl ketone or MEK) CH₃COC₂H₅

Amyl acetate is an ester CH₃COOC₅H₁₁ with a typical fruity smell

 

[oldsaltoz]

99% of nail polish remover has no Acetone at all these days.
This was in response to claims against manufactures causing health problems.

Good luck and fair winds.

 

[oldsaltoz]

How strange.
You can but Methylated spirits (Clear by the way not dyed) in any super market and most corner shops in Oz.

 

[VicS]

How strange.
You can but Methylated spirits (Clear by the way not dyed) in any super market and most corner shops in Oz.

In the UK the coloured ( clear but coloured) stuff, now officially call CDA ( completely denatured alcohol) is the only variety that can legally be bought/ sold without authorisation. It also contains other nasties which give it an unpleasant smell and taste. It is widely available.

The colorless variety formerly known as industrial methylated spirit (IMS) and now officially called IDA (Industrial denatured alcohol) is legally only available to authorised users.
For laboratory use we had written authorisation to purchase IMS but the annual quantity was limited. We had to send a copy of the authorisation to the suppliers.

Bioethanol, for heating, might have fallen through the cracks or perhaps suppliers were hoping it would! I notice that B&Q, the DIY stores chain, no longer seem to sell it although when I last looked the larger stores still sold the fires.

All grades are of course classed as "highly flammable" and must be appropriately stored. This may be a factor affecting whether particular stores stock it or not.

 

[Joker]

What, pray, is bioethanol?

 

[VicS]

What, pray, is bioethanol?

Ethanol produced for fuels by the fermentation of sugars , as opposed to the ethanol in alcoholic drinks which is produced by the fermentation .......... of ...........err ...... sugars!

 

[Amulet]

Aha. VicS ... since we have your attention. What is methylated spirit? Ethanol with added methyl alcohol? Or have I misunderstood? And, if my prior assumptions are correct, does methylation yield functional benefit over pure ethanol, or is it a way of discouraging you from drinking it? As oldsaltoz points out, every corner shop down under has a few bottles of meths in the fridge, so presumably they drink it when they run out of turps.

Ethanol produced for fuels by the fermentation of sugars , as opposed to the ethanol in alcoholic drinks which is produced by the fermentation .......... of ...........err ...... sugars!

 

[cliff]

Aha. VicS ... since we have your attention. What is methylated spirit? Ethanol with added methyl alcohol? Or have I misunderstood? And, if my prior assumptions are correct, does methylation yield functional benefit over pure ethanol, or is it a way of discouraging you from drinking it? As oldsaltoz points out, every corner shop down under has a few bottles of meths in the fridge, so presumably they drink it when they run out of turps.

Methylated spirits has poisonous or bitter substances deliberately added to it to make it unsuitable for drinking but no methanol is added. Methylated spirits is naturally clear and colourless although methyl violet is sometimes added to it in which case it is purple in colour Joe public is familiar with the purple (Methyl Violet) dyed variety).

 

[VicS]

Aha. VicS ... since we have your attention. What is methylated spirit? Ethanol with added methyl alcohol? Or have I misunderstood? And, if my prior assumptions are correct, does methylation yield functional benefit over pure ethanol, or is it a way of discouraging you from drinking it? As oldsaltoz points out, every corner shop down under has a few bottles of meths in the fridge, so presumably they drink it when they run out of turps.

yes methylated spirit is ethanol denatured with methanol ( or "wood alcohol") to make it unfit to drink. The coloured stuff ( mineralised methylated spirit, or now CDA) contains a dye (crystal violet IIRC) and various other additions to make it smell and taste unpleasant.

Exact compositions vary from country to country but it may be legal to import other EU countries blends.

I would not want to drink turpentine, turpentine substitute or white spirit any more that mineralised meths. The IMS that is just ethanol and methanol is probably ok .... except for being toxic.


Read all about it at https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ion-distribution-and-use-of-denatured-alcohol

any differences from what I have said are because I am not up to date. Other things are now used in place of methanol in CDA I notice, and it need not now be coloured

 

[VicS]

Daft yarn about keeping absolute alcohol ( ie pure ethanol.)

One lab I was in charge of many years ago had a small stock ( "7/8 gallon")of absolute alcohol. I dont know why.

Once a year the man from the customs came and inspected it.

Eventually he queried why we kept it and suggested we disposed of it. I said I'd think about it and let him know on his next visit.

Next visit I said OK we dont need it. "Ah", he said, "then all I have to do is witness you pouring down the sewer"

I said," It's silly to waste it Ive got some methanol I dont need either how about i mix the two and chuck it in with the IMS"

He explained that if i wanted to do that he would have to take samples of each and of the mixture for analysis before he could authorise such an action.

So he watched me do what I suggested and wrote up his report to say he had witnessed me pour it down the drain!


Also a funny tale when a later customs man arrived at the main gate to check our stock of IMS.

In my wine making days and Id been experimenting with ways of determining the alcohol content of wine by distilling the alcohol out and measuring the density when diluted back to its original volume.

People said they'd never seen a few bits of lab glassware emptied and a set distillation equipment dismantled so quickly before.

 

[VicS]

Daft yarn about keeping absolute alcohol ( ie pure ethanol.)

One lab I was in charge of many years ago had a small stock ( "7/8 gallon")of absolute alcohol. I dont know why.

Once a year the man from the customs came and inspected it.

Eventually he queried why we kept it and suggested we disposed of it. I said I'd think about it and let him know on his next visit.

Next visit I said OK we dont need it. "Ah", he said, "then all I have to do is witness you pouring down the sewer"

I said," It's silly to waste it Ive got some methanol I dont need either how about i mix the two and chuck it in with the IMS"

He explained that if i wanted to do that he would have to take samples of each and of the mixture for analysis before he could authorise such an action.

So he watched me do what I suggested and wrote up his report to say he had witnessed me pour it down the drain!


Also a funny tale when a later customs man arrived at the main gate to check our stock of IMS.

In my wine making days and Id been experimenting with ways of determining the alcohol content of wine by distilling the alcohol out and measuring the density when diluted back to its original volume.

People said they'd never seen a few bits of lab glassware emptied and a set distillation equipment dismantled so quickly before.

 

[Amulet]

Thanks, and no, I wouldn't drink turps. My tongue in cheek reference was to the Australian colloquialism "On the turps" to refer to immoderate alcohol consumption. Now, I could ask what the Hell surgical spirit is, which is called "specially methylated spirit" in Australia I think.

yes methylated spirit is ethanol denatured with methanol ( or "wood alcohol") to make it unfit to drink. The coloured stuff ( mineralised methylated spirit, or now CDA) contains a dye (crystal violet IIRC) and various other additions to make it smell and taste unpleasant.

Exact compositions vary from country to country but it may be legal to import other EU countries blends.

I would not want to drink turpentine, turpentine substitute or white spirit any more that mineralised meths. The IMS that is just ethanol and methanol is probably ok .... except for being toxic.


Read all about it at https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ion-distribution-and-use-of-denatured-alcohol

any differences from what I have said are because I am not up to date. Other things are now used in place of methanol in CDA I notice, and it need not now be coloured

 

[VicS]

Now, I could ask what the Hell surgical spirit is

IDA, or maybe TSDA, and other ingredients which probably vary but should be listed on the label. q.v.

 

[aquaplane]

But nail varnish remover is acetone! Just in a small pretty bottle rather than a rusty half-gallon can.

Traditionally so, anyway. Perhaps they have some new non-toxic low-VOC eco-friendly formulation now?

Pete

Acetone and ethyl acetate about 50:50 IIRC. It helps to keep the nails moist if you add 5% glycerine to replace the oils the solvent strips out.

 

[Daydream believer]

How strange.
You can but Methylated spirits (Clear by the way not dyed) in any super market and most corner shops in Oz.

Goes under the brand name "XXXX" they ship some of it over here too

 

[Daydream believer]

Acetone and ethyl acetate about 50:50 IIRC. It helps to keep the nails moist if you add 5% glycerine to replace the oils the solvent strips out.

Acetone, Ethyl Acetate IIRC glycerine
Sure you are not a muslim, posting a secret bomb making recipe under cover of this thread
You lot get up to all sorts of tricks once you have been well "radicalised"
Blow your self up & MI5 will say that they knew about you 5 years ago but thought you were a sailor--- as if!!!!
Then Seajet will come on & say what a lovely clever child you were, & blame the forum for being rude