Trichloroethylene.

Alistairr

Alistairr

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Does anyone know where i can get some???

Been using it for years and then the govement in there wisdom banned it a few years back, and now we've run out. I've tried other solvents, but nothing works as well as trichloroethylene.

I believe it also used to be sold at chemists, but now they can't get it either.

Anyone who doesn't know what it is, its a clear liquid which is used as a solvent for cleaning metals, it is also an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids, and spot removers.

Can anyone help me with some?

Cheers

Alistairr.
 
I'm pretty sure Trich. is now illegal to use other than in sealed units, we stopped using it several years ago.

Oh just read your post properly and seen you already know that! I'm not aware of anyone still selling it
 
I find Evo-stick cleaner and remover works well and obtainable from DIY in small tins and builders merchants in 5lts. I hope they don't go and ban it as well.
I believe Trich was banned as being carcinogenic.
 
Methylene chloride is the same stuff i believe we buy it in 205ltr drums for degreasing components from The Chemical Corporation. Their no in our neck of the woods is 02920880222 but i think there a national company so they may be able to point you in the right direction.
 
it was brilliant for getting any stains off clothes,used to be used in fire extinguishers,good for killing crickets! carcogenic, now they tell us, we used to use buckets of it with cotton waste and bare hands to clean power circuit breakers.
 
Old Fire extiguishers, the pump handle type, were carbontetrochloride. Like the ones on an AA motorbike and sidecar, very dangerous stuff, not carcogenic, but formed phosphoric acid in your lungs when breathed in after being heated. I seem to remember??
 
Thats a frightnening thought, we used Trich to clean the tape heads etc on the old mainframe computers, and used to always get it over our hands - it had that wierd cold sensation as it dried on your skin. Lets hope its not *that* carcogenic..
 
I like the way that you publicly discuss buying illegal products and then have a link to your personal website right underneath /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Classic!

Chris

P.S Sorry I have no info, it just made me laugh
 
[ QUOTE ]
Old Fire extiguishers, the pump handle type, were carbontetrochloride. Like the ones on an AA motorbike and sidecar, very dangerous stuff, not carcogenic, but formed phosphoric acid in your lungs when breathed in after being heated. I seem to remember??

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for all the replies, I may not have been completely clear in my first post.
We used the Trichloroethylene in our business to clean Upholstery fabrics and Carpets, was guarenteed to remove everything including oil, we've tried other substitutes over the years and not found anything that worked as well.
I know it was banned, but wondered if it was still possibly available in certain industries.

Also i thought that Trichloroethylene and Carbon tetrachloride were one and the same, as that was another name we used for the stuff.

Cheers all,

Al.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Thats a frightnening thought, we used Trich to clean the tape heads etc on the old mainframe computers, and used to always get it over our hands - it had that wierd cold sensation as it dried on your skin. Lets hope its not *that* carcogenic..

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes i did the same, never used gloves, it used to dry with a whiteness in the creases of the skin. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

No wonder they banned it!!!

Ok so if it is banned, what other metal degreasers are on the market that would work well on textiles? Household fabric cleaners are usless!!!

Al.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Supplier of a good substitute

not trike

but if you can think up a REALLY good reason for using the original stuff (complete with a full H&S risk analysis !)

UK supplier

[/ QUOTE ]

Opps, just re-read your post, the Solfro SRV might be a good alternative, wonder how it would work on fabrics.

Cheers

Al.
 
If its illegal why are we able to buy it in large quantities?.
It is a hazardous substance but as with all chemicals h&s regulations apply ie suitable gloves, mask,breathing aparatus.
The one thing you mustnt do is heat it enough to vapouris and inhail-not good news!
 
sorry lads!! I meant carbon tetrochloride (ctc) still carsogenic.still unable to get it, shame really for with care it was super for getting stains off clothes.
 
What do dry cleaning companies use these days? They used to stink of trike.

Carbon tetrachloride CCl4 is not the same as trike ClCH=CCl2. Unless you have good ventilation/vapour trapping equipment and breathing apparatus, I would keep well clear of both solvents. You can get some orful effects from them. True, 40+years ago when I worked in labs, we used to slosh these compounds and chloroform ( CHCl3), around like water. Now we know better.

BTW, someone mentioned the whiteness on one's hands when playing with trike - that occurred because the solvent removed the natural skin oils and "dried" the skin. Same happens with acetone and other very volatile solvents.
 
NO- IT IS NOT!

I am afraid you are seriously wrong. Methyline Chloride is the main constituent of paint stripper. It is indeed a great solvent and is used for degreasing metal components, but unfortunately it will attack and dissolve most organic compounds, even cured epoxy resins.
Trchlorethylene is now not used because it contravenes the Montreal Protocol (1987), as it is very high in VOC's ( Volatile Organic Compounds) ie ozone depleting, as well being carcinogenic.

As far as I know it would be impossible to buy it in this country.
 
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