caldigger Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 12 hours ago, ynot said: If the root is not frail, You could try some toothpaste and an old toothbrush. Give it a light scrubbing, then rinse. That might not be too bad to try, very low key abrasion with toothpaste ( not the gel type ). I have used toothpaste on various items with no ill effects. Just make sure your tooth ends up minty fresh! I guess lesson learned here...fossils and candy bars don't mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp45914 Posted January 13, 2019 Author Share Posted January 13, 2019 4 hours ago, thelivingdead531 said: Was the tooth a fresh find when you put it in your pocket? I ask because the thread below is what came to mind as a possible explanation to the color change, especially since the solutions provided above haven’t been working. Nope, it was bought as a gift for me and it was fine when I got it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp45914 Posted January 13, 2019 Author Share Posted January 13, 2019 4 minutes ago, caldigger said: That might not be too bad to try, very low key abrasion with toothpaste ( not the gel type ). I have used toothpaste on various items with no ill effects. Just make sure your tooth ends up minty fresh! I guess lesson learned here...fossils and candy bars don't mix. Haven’t thought of that yet, I’ll try it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 18 hours ago, caldigger said: If acetone didn't do it, alcohol likely won't come close to touching it Different solvent will dissolve different things sometimes Doren. Could try an ultrasonic cleaner? John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tp45914 Posted January 14, 2019 Author Share Posted January 14, 2019 16 hours ago, JohnBrewer said: Different solvent will dissolve different things sometimes Doren. Could try an ultrasonic cleaner? That could actually work! I will have to order one tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 On 1/13/2019 at 12:57 PM, JohnBrewer said: Different solvent will dissolve different things sometimes Doren. Sorry I'm late to the game here, but yes, you are correct. There is a whole discipline around this topic in Organic Chemistry. I don't claim to be an expert on the subject but I did write a chapter on solvent cleaning in my textbook on printed circuit technologies for the electronic industry many years ago. At a very high level, contaminants can be classified in one of two categories: polar or non-polar. Polar contaminants consist of molecules which possess an electric dipole moment. Non-polar contaminants consist of molecules with zero or near-zero dipole moment. (I apologize to the non-chemists in the audience, just believe me.) Non-polar compounds are good insulators and are often organic in nature. The fundamental rule in cleaning is "like dissolves like." If you have a polar contaminant you should use a polar solvent to remove it. For non-polar contaminants, you should use a non-polar solvent. Alcohol is an example of a polar solvent, while detergents are generally non-polar. Acetone is unusual in that it has both polar and non-polar components, making it reasonably effective on a wide range of contaminants. But it isn't universally effective, so there may be times when there are better solvents for a particular contaminant. By the way, the biggest danger with acetone is that it is highly flammable. That is why it is rarely used in the electronics industry. As for other health hazards, they are much less significant. It is not a carcinogen, the biggest risk is irritation of your nose and throat if you inhale too much. Your body even makes acetone as part of its metabolic process. There are few reports of long-term effects in humans. That doesn't mean you can be careless in using it. Use gloves and ensure good ventilation whenever you use it. But you don't need to panic if you get a drop or two on you once in awhile. Here's a link to a page about acetone from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/acetone.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 OK Steve, if you were to accidentally get candy bar wrapper ink/ chocolate on a porus circuit board, what would you suggest using to remove it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 1 hour ago, caldigger said: OK Steve, if you were to accidentally get candy bar wrapper ink/ chocolate on a porus circuit board, what would you suggest using to remove it? Chlorinated fluorocarbons are by far the best, especially one known as TTE. It does a bang-up job of cleaning, is non-toxic, and non-flammable. Alas, those are the class of solvents known to enlarge the hole in the ozone layer so they are illegal now. Citrus-based solvents in water are the replacements, but those came along after I was promoted to management and forgot everything technical I once knew, so I can’t tell you how good they are. Hope that helps. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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