Composition of white spirit. White spirit: characteristic
Composition of white spirit. White spirit: characteristic

Video: Composition of white spirit. White spirit: characteristic

Video: Composition of white spirit. White spirit: characteristic
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White spirit is a special agent (solvent) that is intended for diluting various liquid alkyds, certain types of rubbers (specifically, it can be cyclo- and butyl rubber), as well as polybutyl methacrylate. In addition, with the content of epoxy esters in the composition of the treated substance, this spirit is able to dissolve it. What is white spirit used for, how to use it, how is it transported and what is it typical for? You will learn the answers to all these and many other questions while reading our article.

White Spirit
White Spirit

Scope of application

Often, white spirit solvent is used to dilute oil varnishes and obtain the substances listed in the previous paragraph. This tool is used for degreasing surfaces, washing the surface of products, parts and tools. “Does white spirit degrease qualitatively?” You ask. Such a solvent, due to its persistent and aggressive composition, which we will consider a little later, is able to dissolve even the mostpersistent substances, so when working with it, you need to take care of additional protective equipment in advance.

But back to the scope. In addition to degreasing, one of the main functions of this type of solvent is the dilution of thick and ordinary oil paints, thickened enamels and many other varieties and types of paints and varnishes. In addition, white spirit is able to dissolve a layer of thickened primer, drying oil, bituminous materials, etc. And in order for the result of the work performed to meet their expectations, experts recommend washing brushes and rollers in this solvent even before applying alkyd, oil and pentaphthalic enamels. Often white spirit is used in industry as a degreasing agent used before painting steel structures.

production of white spirit
production of white spirit

But in everyday life it is no less relevant. On the farm, white spirit is used as a solvent for various bitumen and grease stains. In addition, it is used to dilute paints and varnishes before applying them to the surface, including automotive mastics.

White spirit: specifications and composition

This substance is a strong solvent gasoline, which includes liquid aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. At the same time, the production of white spirit is carried out through direct distillation of oil, and in some cases even using special cleaning methods. According to its technical characteristics, this solvent is veryflammable. At the same time, the boiling point of this product is from 155 to 200 degrees Celsius.

In the manufacture of a substance such as white spirit, the following production rules are observed:

  1. The proportion of aromatic hydrocarbons in the volume of liquid obtained is no more than 16 percent.
  2. The distillation temperature should not exceed 160 degrees.
  3. It is strictly forbidden to add any mechanical impurities in the form of water, water-soluble alkalis and acids to this substance.

What is the difference between American white spirit and Russian?

white spirit solvent price
white spirit solvent price

Despite the common production technology and composition, as a result, foreign solvents have a lot of differences from domestic ones. Listing the characteristics and composition of the foreign “white spirit” product, we note first of all the level of purification from harmful volatile impurities. Here, the main difference is that foreign analogues go through several stages of additional processing during production, and therefore have practically no harmful toxic odor. Thus, the liquid obtained by American technology is more safe for humans when performing surface degreasing work. Unrefined white spirit is more potent, poisonous and dangerous to human he alth. And Russian companies in the production do not use the technology of cleaning the solvent from harmful substances. Therefore, the domestic product is more hazardous to he alth. However, at the same timeit is necessary to emphasize one important plus - such tools are faster and better clean the surface of unnecessary materials. This characteristic is achieved precisely due to the presence of those same harmful substances in the composition. In addition, domestic spirit of this type significantly exceeds foreign liquids in terms of density and fire hazard. That is why it would be wrong to call the Russian solvent low-quality - despite its toxicity, it cleans the surface of varnishes and other substances much more efficiently.

white spirit specifications
white spirit specifications

White spirit: composition. Presence of hydrocarbons

Also, one of the main differences between the substance in question is the level of concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons. As part of these funds, the presence of 16 percent of aromatic hydrocarbons from the total volume of spirit is allowed. In foreign analogues, such a substance is not used at all in production.

Adding to paint materials

White spirit, mixed with a part of water-based paint, significantly reduces its consumption, while not compromising the quality of the coating. However, here it is necessary to focus on the fact that such paint does not lose its properties only if the ratio of the addition of solvent to varnish is the most optimal. Otherwise, the addition of spirit to the paint will be tantamount to the use of water - the result of such paint work will be minimal. It is also necessary to remember that each manufacturer of this substance indicates its ownnorms and requirements when mixing this product with another.

What does he look like?

Based on the photographs presented in the article, we see that this type of spirit is a liquid substance of a transparent color. According to its viscosity properties, it resembles motor oil (even sometimes with a yellowish tinge). A characteristic smell (reminiscent of kerosene) is clearly felt at a distance of several meters. Vapors of white spirit are very dangerous for the human respiratory tract and can cause serious poisoning. Therefore, when working with this solvent, it is recommended to use a gas mask or respirator, special clothing with protective sleeves and thick rubber gloves. By the way, getting this spirit on the skin can cause a serious burn - this remedy is so powerful.

white spirit characteristic
white spirit characteristic

Marking

In Russia, this substance is produced under a single brand: "Nefras-C4-155/205". At the same time, the Cyrillic name "White spirit" is indicated on each label.

What is it stored in?

This solvent is often stored in plastic bottles. Their volume can be 0, 5, 3, 5 and 10 liters. In this case, the last three types of containers are presented in the form of a canister. On an industrial scale, large 216-liter metal barrels are used to transport white spirit. The shelf life of each of these liquids is different - from 3 to 10 years.

white spirit composition
white spirit composition

Fire hazard

Nefras-S4-155/205 solvent is one of the mostflammable substances among all those that are only available on the Russian market. To understand how active it is, it is enough to imagine that the entire fire hazard classification of liquids has certain classes (from the first, the safest, to the fourth, the most vulnerable to ignition). So, this type of spirit belongs to the highest - the fourth class. That is why experts strongly do not recommend using it near flammable elements, it is best to do this at a distance of several tens of meters. At the same time, it should be stored in a dark room. As for the storage temperature, everything is much simpler here - this spirit does not lose its properties at temperatures from -40 to +30 degrees Celsius.

does white spirit degrease
does white spirit degrease

How much does White Spirit solvent cost?

The price of this substance directly depends on the volume of the container in which it is filled. The least expensive (35 rubles per unit) will be a liquid placed in a 0.5-liter plastic jar. Further, prices rise in parallel with the volume of the product being sold: 55 rubles will have to be paid for 1 liter of funds, a 5-liter and 10-liter canister costs 270 and 530 rubles, respectively. A metal barrel with white spirit with a volume of 216 liters costs about 8-8.5 thousand rubles. In some cases, there are liquids in 20-liter canisters. They cost about one thousand rubles per unit.

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