HellstormOP - 6-1-2012 at 13:01
Hello,
in a previous thread (https://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/viewthread.php?tid=17...) I asked for a suitable thickener for acetone to accomplish a certain project.
Since I hardly got useful answers, I decided to split the topic up and ask certain chemistry-related questions within the appropriate sub-board in a
separate thread with a suitable title. Please keep the general discussion about this project in the main topic, which is referenced above.
The criteria for a thickener that I need are:
- It has to be obtainable, affordable and handleable by the average non-professional in Germany.
- It must not significantly decrease the solubility of acetylene in acetone (this is in fact optional if you don't know if the thickener causes a
such effect. However, this makes thickeners unsuitable which would require the addition of water to the acetone, as that would CERTAINLY greatly
decrease the solubility of acetylene in it.)
- It has to form a semi-solid and/or shear-thinning mass with the acetone. Preferably, shear stress should turn the mass into a liquid with rather low
viscosity. After the shear stress is gone, it should retain its original viscosity rather quickly.
- Combustibility is not required, combustion-inhibiting properties are not desired.
- It shouldn't be needed in quantities larger than about 5% by mass.
- Combinations of thickeners are welcome.
Thickeners I've already tried:
- Nitrocellulose: ping-pong balls (which were definitely made of NC, I tested them by setting one on fire) proved rather unsuitable, and higher-grade
NC is currently unavailable to me.
- Silica extra light (Cab-o-Sil, Aerosil): Displayed promising properties and is cheap, however I'm rather unsatisfied with the amount I had to add,
and with the viscosity/consistence.
Lambda-Eyde - 6-1-2012 at 13:12
Have you tried polystyrene? It will happily dissolve in acetone, though I'm not sure if it gives the properties you're looking for, it's way too long
since I experimented with it. A fun demonstration is to take a long bar (~1 m) of styrofoam and force it into a beaker with a small amount of acetone.
HellstormOP - 6-1-2012 at 13:17
I've thought about that, but apparently I would need far too much polystyrene to achieve any major increase in viscosity, and it would be a sticky goo
instead of a semi-solid/thixotropic/viscoelastic/shear-thinning mass.
Neil - 6-1-2012 at 19:57
You mean you want to make pretty Napalm
HellstormOP - 6-1-2012 at 23:24
No. It should burn for a VERY short period of time, if you mean this...
bahamuth - 7-1-2012 at 00:45
Perhaps this would help though not meeting all your requirements..
Link
Hycar
If you could get your hands on some of that you could experiment...
"Hycar 1422 is pre-crosslinked
poly(butadiene-acrylonitrile) latex containing about 34% acrylonitrile in the monomer charge"
HellstormOP - 7-1-2012 at 07:00
Nice idea actually. However, apparently Hycar is just 2% Cabosil, which is silica, which was already tested by me.
divalou - 30-10-2012 at 08:19
I am also trying to find something to thicken acetone, but for a completely different purpose.
I need an acetone gel to dissolve keratin-glue bonds in hair extensions. I use a "quick remover gun" which uses "quick remover gel".
This is the description & ingredients of the product:
"The dissolvent gel which is used with the quick remover neutralises the adhesive strength of the bonding under the influence of the pressure and UV
light. It is clear to see when the bonding is ready to be removed. 2 bottles, cartridge for Quick Remover For professional use only. Neutralizes the
adhesive strength of the bonding under the influence of the pressure and UV light. Dermatologically tested. INGREDIENTS: Alcohol denat, Aqua,
Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Acrylates Copolymer, UV-reactant, Fragrance Oil"
I'm not a chemist or anything of the sort, so any ideas would need to be extremely accessible and simple!
Hope you guys can help.
Thanks xx
SM2 - 31-10-2012 at 06:00
If you want the viscosity to change in a lower direction, I'd mix my acetone with a little water and methyl cellulose. You don't want to load up your
solvent, saturating it, if it is to be used as a solvent. Then take your acetone goo, and slather onto whatever needs the treatment. This still
doesn't stop the problem of rapid loss through ambient evaporation. Perhaps PVC skin gelatin would keep it on longer?