I use to work in a cell phone shop and we used hexane to clean the phones. It worked great because it was oily like mineral spirits so it dissolved oil very well but it evaporated much faster, had less of a odor, and was safe on plastic. I now work as a handy man and it would come in handy to degrease metal and plastic. I cant seem to find it available anywhere. Are there any common cleaners that have it as its main ingredient?
You could try using rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl Alcohol). I’d imagine it would have the same advantages (I use it for wiping fingerprints and the like off my gadgets).
Most electronics retailers will sell bottles of it (or at least wipes impregnated with it).
I have tried Isopropyl Alcohol but it dosen’t remove oils nearly as well. Hexane is oily (oil removes oil) so it works much better than alcohol, which is like water.
I think Hexane is going to be hard to find.
I use “Goo Gone” or one of the other citrus (d-limonene) - based degreasers, and they work pretty well. I’ve also used some stuff from Castrol that works extremely well at removing motor oil and grease.
Goo gone is basically just xylene and is not safe on plastic. I have tried the d-limonene-based degreasers and didnt like them they left a residue behind. The nice thing about hexane is it would evaporate leaving no residue behind.
Yeah, that’s great, but it causes cancer, so it’s being phased out, especially for non-industrial uses.
And, Goo Gone is NOT xylene. It’s Kerosene (or some other light petroleum product)-based.
actually hexane dosen’t cause cancer in fact they use it to make soybean oil
You are confusing Goof-Off with Goo Gone. Goo Gone is citrus oil based and does not contain hexane, and is generally safe for plastics. Good Off will take off paint and damage some plastics.
I see hexane on eBay.
From ToxFAQs™ - Letter A | Toxic Substance Portal | ATSDR
How likely is n-hexane to cause cancer?
There is no evidence that n-hexane causes cancer in people or animals.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the EPA have not classified n-hexane for carcinogenicity.
What.
Not cancer, but repeated exposure can cause extensive peripheral nervous system failure. A few years ago, it poisoned a mess of Chinese factory workers because it was just such a good solvent for cleaning touchscreens and other phone pieces that their employers didn’t want them wasting time using a safer, less-efficient cleaner.
Apparently it’s also popular with people trying to get high. :dubious:
And yes, in that article it notes that it’s used commercially as a solvent to help extract oil from seeds.
Maybe not cancer, but n-hexane has been shown to have some neurotoxicity. Of course, you’re more likely to buy hexanes, which of course are mostly four and five chain length isomers.
Have you tried Lectra-Motive by CRC?
It is for cleaning electrical engine parts. You spray it on and it runs off like water taking grease, oil, dirt, wax with it and evaporates almost immediately leaving no residue. Available at almost any auto parts store.
It’s great stuff, no handy man’s tool kit or garage should be without a can. Here’s a link to CRC with spec sheet:
Oops, I just noticed it is not plastic-safe.
CRC Industries | Global Supplier of Chemical Specialty Products
Cyclohexane is much safer than n-hexane. As a bonus, decreased solvent-solvent interactions mean that it can often dissolve more.
Ah, extract soybean oil. Makes much more sense.