Chemicals
Harmless
Posts: 21
Registered: 11-5-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Copper & PVC
I'm looking for a chemical which can dissolve pvc (soft)(melting point 180° C) and yet not attack copper. The copper is insulated in a pvc tube and I
am in need of separating the two by a chemical reaction.
|
|
|
12AX7
Post Harlot
Posts: 4803
Registered: 8-3-2005
Location: oscillating
Member Is Offline
Mood: informative
|
|
Well, that won't be very hard, will it?
A lot of THF or cylcohexanone or whatever PVC solvent is best should do it, no? Of course you'll have to do a lot of washing to get clean copper
since the solution is sticky.
Tim
|
|
|
Chemicals
Harmless
Posts: 21
Registered: 11-5-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
thanks...will give it a shot and get back with results
|
|
|
Chemicals
Harmless
Posts: 21
Registered: 11-5-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
how lond do I have to leave the solution for the effect to take place?
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
"how lond do I have to leave the solution for the effect to take place? "
It depends on the solvent you are using and the molecular weight of the plastic. Soak it in some acetone for a few mins and see if it has lossened -
if so then scrape it off and wipe it with clean with some fresh acetone (or THF or whatever). If it hasn't had much effect then leave it for another
10 mins, half hour, 1 hour or as long as it takes (overnight even) to soften/dissolve - then clean it off. If it is slow then you could try
scratching the PVC, scoring it up so the solvent can work its way in easier (effectively increasing the surface area of the plastic - thus more sites
for solvent to attack)
If all else fails - can you use a blow torch to burn off the plastic and then clean the copper?
|
|
|
Chemicals
Harmless
Posts: 21
Registered: 11-5-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
the acetone had no effect.........
|
|
|
neutrino
International Hazard
Posts: 1583
Registered: 20-8-2004
Location: USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: oscillating
|
|
What you want is a good chemical resistance chart like this one or this one. Look at the chemicals you have available to you and find which solvents dissolve / destroy PVC.
|
|
|
IrC
International Hazard
Posts: 2710
Registered: 7-3-2005
Location: Eureka
Member Is Offline
Mood: Discovering
|
|
Methylene Chloride. CH2Cl2
|
|
|
Chemicals
Harmless
Posts: 21
Registered: 11-5-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Thanks IrC...will give it a try. The only effect from first suggestion is that the PVC was softened. But it did not dissolve it as I wished. The
object is as follows: I have a cable with isolated copper inside. second scenerio is that there is isolated alluminum.....rather than melting I am
looking for a chemical reaction to attack the pvc in a non toxic form and not attack the copper or alluminum element. I am using large containers for
the process
|
|
|
Chemicals
Harmless
Posts: 21
Registered: 11-5-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
IrC....why did you suggest CH2CI2 when according to the chart it is not recommended for PVC? What do you suggest I use??????
|
|
|
IrC
International Hazard
Posts: 2710
Registered: 7-3-2005
Location: Eureka
Member Is Offline
Mood: Discovering
|
|
You are joking right? Look at your question again. CH2Cl2 is not recommended as it dissolves PVC and the chart is titled "chemical resistance". You
don't want resistance, you want to get the PVC off the metal. CH2Cl2 does not affect the metal.
However it is not non toxic. Breathing the fumes will kill you. Skin contact will kill you. CH2Cl2 produces carbon monoxide in your bloodstream, and
also causes cancer. I used to use it to depot electronic black boxes. A container of it in the sun will explode from vapor pressure, you have to keep
it cool and in the dark. Not a fun or safe chemical to play with. Then again, nothing that will do what you want is going to be safe anyway.
|
|
|
Chemicals
Harmless
Posts: 21
Registered: 11-5-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
....thanks.....sound like a nice toy for July 4th........any other suggestions for a non-toxic chemical..........anyhow thanks for the help
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
"The only effect from first suggestion is that the PVC was softened"
If the THF softened the material then surley it is starting to dissolve - as I said you may even need to leave it over night, from the times on
your posts you left it a maximum of 2 hours. The list also indicates that PVC isn't resistant to THF. Once it softens, scratch the stuff up and
leave it to soak for longer.
[Edited on 23-5-2006 by DrP]
|
|
|
Chemicals
Harmless
Posts: 21
Registered: 11-5-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Hey what ya know!!!! It worked!!! Thanks DrP!!!
|
|
|
Archimede
Harmless
Posts: 33
Registered: 13-5-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Are you trying to cut into some electrical feeders to a building?
|
|
|
Mr. Wizard
International Hazard
Posts: 1042
Registered: 30-3-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Archimede
Are you trying to cut into some electrical feeders to a building? |
I'll bet he is trying to remove insulation from scrap copper wire. I got five hundred pounds of wire myself a few weeks ago in a bonanza dumpster
dive. I started to peel it by hand myself but it was too much work for another few hundred dollars. I let it go for much less with the insulation on
it. Burning it would have left a toxic cloud and wouldn't be practical for that much wire. You can't get it all.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
