blackfoxDJ Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 Hi, I've got these two coins, a Kanishka I circa 150 bc and a roman Constantinus II circa 340. Both contaminated by PVC. So far no surface damage present, only sticky to touch. How can I remove it safely? We have no one who do that here in Brazil, so I'm on my own. Common coins I do it with acetone (nail polisher remover as 100% pure acetone is not available for sale without a special permit). Thank you in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKK Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 That's unfortunate about acetone availability because one really isn't supposed to use nail polish remover. That said, if I had to choose between leaving PVC slime on the coins and using the slightly wrong thing, I'd use the slightly wrong thing. Is there any sort of a local business that uses real acetone that would let you use a little? Got a friend who works in a lab? By the way, your Kushan piece, if your ID is correct, would be from from c.150 CE, not BCE. It's challenging to find good references for Kushan coinage. I recently went through a whole bunch of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackfoxDJ Posted June 17, 2020 Author Share Posted June 17, 2020 7 minutes ago, JKK said: That's unfortunate about acetone availability because one really isn't supposed to use nail polish remover. That said, if I had to choose between leaving PVC slime on the coins and using the slightly wrong thing, I'd use the slightly wrong thing. Is there any sort of a local business that uses real acetone that would let you use a little? Got a friend who works in a lab? By the way, your Kushan piece, if your ID is correct, would be from from c.150 CE, not BCE. It's challenging to find good references for Kushan coinage. I recently went through a whole bunch of it. My mistake, i meant AD, i.e. CE, thank you. I'll try with a friend of mine who's a chemist. The reason why pure acetone is controlled here is related to it's use in drugs production... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKK Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 2 minutes ago, blackfoxDJ said: My mistake, i meant AD, i.e. CE, thank you. I'll try with a friend of mine who's a chemist. The reason why pure acetone is controlled here is related to it's use in drugs production... Understood. I bet it'd get good money in a favela, if one dared go there. The nice thing about acetone is that if your friend gives you some, it will evaporate. No evidence. If you get a small amount, I would use it very sparingly, as it may take repeated soakings to get all the slime off. Two coins do not require much acetone in order to clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbbpll Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 If acetone requires a special permit, I would be wary that your nail polish removers are non-acetone, which are usually ethyl acetate. I have no idea what ethyl acetate does to coins. Since you've used it before I guess you've checked the ingredients; just something that popped into my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackfoxDJ Posted June 17, 2020 Author Share Posted June 17, 2020 15 minutes ago, kbbpll said: If acetone requires a special permit, I would be wary that your nail polish removers are non-acetone, which are usually ethyl acetate. I have no idea what ethyl acetate does to coins. Since you've used it before I guess you've checked the ingredients; just something that popped into my head. Both kinds are available. The one that I use actually contains both acetone and ethyl acetate. So far no harm noticed in any metal. Take a long time though, around 24 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWB Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 (edited) Is THF (tetrahydrofuran) available without a permit? That will work. Also if high concentration hydrogen peroxide is available, that should work quickly on PVC plasticizers. (Just keep your H2O2 away from rocket powered torpedoes -- might be injurious to your submarines....) Edited June 17, 2020 by RWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackfoxDJ Posted June 17, 2020 Author Share Posted June 17, 2020 23 minutes ago, RWB said: Is THF (tetrahydrofuran) available without a permit? That will work. Also if high concentration hydrogen peroxide is available, that should work quickly on PVC plasticizers. (Just keep your H2O2 away from rocket powered torpedoes -- might be injurious to your submarines....) Hydrogen Peroxide is. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
