Does acetone have a shelf life?

[TPring]

Looking to start cleaning up some dirty LCs this weekend.


I have a can of acetone that is at least 10 years old [barely used] -- does it get stale, bad, ineffective, etc. over time?

Thanks



edit: most everything I see on the interwebs is in regard to nail polish remover

[GrumpyEd]

I think it will be fine for anything.
Most things say best if used by a date, it doesn't mean it's bad after that.

[mustbebob]

Chemicals such as acetone tend to stay pretty stable when in their original container, even for a long. I have had some acetone for well over 10 years and have seen no depreciation in its effectiveness. The enemies for acetone are air, water and light which could cause things like crystallization and dilution. Keep it in it's original container and closed tightly, it should last for a very, very long time.

[jfines69]

Acetone has an indefinite shelf life... Like Bob stated there are things that do affect it but other than evaporation it will still do its job when kept in its original container and not contaminated... Nail polish remove has acetone in it but is not the same as acetone alone and should not be used on coins!!!

[Roller]

If it is in the can, it is good. If you can't see any in the can its gone into thin air.

[makecents]

Chemicals such as acetone tend to stay pretty stable when in their original container, even for a long. I have had some acetone for well over 10 years and have seen no depreciation in its effectiveness. The enemies for acetone are air, water and light which could cause things like crystallization and dilution. Keep it in it's original container and closed tightly, it should last for a very, very long time.

I did not realize that light messed with it. I keep what I'm cleaning in a clear glass container that looks like an oversized shot glass right outside the door and just have a piece of aluminum foil for a lid. This time of year, as long as I have the foil over it, it will last for weeks. Should I use a darker glass or cover what I have on the sides?

[TPring]

The enemies for acetone are air, water and light ...

Hmmmm, the same as beer.

[mustbebob]

I did not realize that light messed with it.

Sorry, I should have mentioned that ' direct sunlight' is what I meant here. Also, Without a proper cover, the acetone will begin to evaporate (even with an aluminum foil cap. I think safety should be a concern though. If it gets knocked over, a foil lid is not enough. If you can keep this chemical in it's original container, that is always best.

[jfines69]

Also the vapors from acetone are highly volatile!!!

[TPring]

... quick update/questions on my cleaning project.




Dropped about fifty+ '68-'69 Ss in a jar of acetone for about four hours. Coins weren't excessively dirty but, the goal was mainly to clean out the date/MM area of 'gunk'. I also swirled them around a bit in the jar. The acetone is in its original container.

After removing the coins from the acetone, I did not notice any difference in the clarity of the acetone -- I was expecting to see some discoloration. And, after washing off the coins and letting them dry, they 'seem' about the same. The aqua-colored verdigris[?] did not change, either.

Does this sound about right?

[VAB2013]

Also the vapors from acetone are highly volatile!!!

Yes, no smoking in the nail salon guys! The nail salon uses pure acetone to soak off acrylic nails and it stinks but they don't make you go outside or wear a mask. Because of that, I'm not really all that careful with it and use it inside just don't light a candle near it. I use a small glass jar with a lid (like baby food jar) and just use a small amount of acetone and just one coin so gunk from another coin doesn't get on it. Just enough acetone to cover the coin, so you waste less.

[mustbebob]

After removing the coins from the acetone, I did not notice any difference in the clarity of the acetone -- I was expecting to see some discoloration. And, after washing off the coins and letting them dry, they 'seem' about the same. The aqua-colored verdigris[?] did not change, either.

Does this sound about right?

The fact the acetone did not clean your coins is correct. We mainly use acetone to dissolve glues from stickers some folks out on coins. It is also useful for removing some PVC damage from storage in non archival flips. It can loosen up some verdigris, but not always. Some other chemicals such as Verdi-care are better for removing the verdigris.

[Maineman750]

I also use acetone to remove the invisible fingerprints that are left from oils, etc on our fingers

[Petespockets55]

......... Some other chemicals such as Verdi-care are better for removing the verdigris.

I've been meaning to ask if you soak the coins in Verdi-care or just apply it and pat dry? I bought some but there were no instructions.
Thanks in advance. Cliff

[mustbebob]

You can do it either way Cliff. It does not hurt to let the coins soak. It all depends on the severity of the verdigris. However, here is all the info you should need on it:

https://www.docdroid.net/kKYhdZn/verdi-care-instructions.docx