So I forgot about a few bottles of chemicals (mekp, styrene, surfacing agent, pigments/tints) I left in my garage and they have now been exposed to some freezing temps since winter in New England has decided to kick in. Are they now compromised? Has anyone had experience with chemicals and the effects cold weather can have on them?
mekp - Should be OK
styrene - Should be OK
surfacing agent - Should be OK but check for waxy solids - warm it carefully (no microwave) and recheck before using.
pigments/tints - should be OK but check for chunks - mix with acetone or styrene and run through filter if necessary. It’s a good idea to run through filter after mixing with resin anyway… it will reduce streaking.
Cool sounds good. Thanks!!!
All of my poly chemicals and resin are kept outside in an unheated shed. I’ve never had a problem. Your wax solution may separate a bit but warming it up and shaking vigorously will disolve everything again. I keep epoxy resins in the house though as I think freezing temps with those might be a problem and they don’t stink.
Yea my SA kinda got solidified. not a liquid anymore. brought it inside and hopefully it liquifys. will let yall know.
It might take more vigorous heating than just bringing it inside. Be aware that the stuff in which the wax is dissolved is styrene and it is toxic…
Health effects[edit]
Styrene is regarded as a “hazardous chemical”, especially in case of eye contact, but also in case of skin contact, of ingestion and of inhalation, according to several sources.[5][12][13][14] Styrene is largely metabolized into styrene oxide in humans, resulting from oxidation by cytochrome P450. Styrene oxide is considered toxic, mutagenic, and possibly carcinogenic. Styrene oxide is subsequently hydrolyzed in vivo to styrene glycol by the enzyme epoxide hydrolase.[15] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has described styrene to be “a suspected toxin to the gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and respiratory system, among others.”[16][17] On 10 June 2011, the U.S. National Toxicology Program has described styrene as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”.[18][19] However, a STATS author describes[20] a review that was done on scientific literature and concluded that “The available epidemiologic evidence does not support a causal relationship between styrene exposure and any type of human cancer”.[21] Despite this claim, work has been done by Danish researchers to investigate the relationship between occupational exposure to styrene and cancer. They concluded, “The findings have to be interpreted with caution, due to the company based exposure assessment, but the possible association between exposures in the reinforced plastics industry, mainly styrene, and degenerative disorders of the nervous system and pancreatic cancer, deserves attention”.[22] The Danish EPA recently concluded that the styrene data do not support a cancer concern for styrene.[23]
Various regulatory bodies refer to styrene, in various contexts, as a possible or potential human carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers styrene to be “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.[24] Chronic exposure to styrene leads to tiredness/lethargy, memory deficits, headaches and vertigo.[25]
The U.S. EPA does not have a cancer classification for styrene,[26] but is has been the subject of their Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program.[27] The U.S. National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also currently is evaluating styrene’s potential toxicity[28]
What would be the most effective and safest way to warm up my SA?
Put it in front of a space heater for a bit?
SurferO-
I would not place flammable liquids in front of a space heater.
I put my tin of Add F inside an empty metal coffee can and fill it with hot water when it’s too cold for it to flow or mix.
Effective and safe heating, if you ask me, would be a warm water bath. Water conducts heat way better than air and has a high heat capacity, so it’ll keep it’s warmth for a decent amount of time relative to other substances. There’s also no heating element at a high enough temperature to blow stuff up, which is always a plus. So agreed with surfer o.
Supposedly you can freeze and then thaw epoxy with no issue. I don’t see why not. Cold=less energy for reactions anyway, so assuming you don’t torch it upon reheating it should be fine. It should just freeze/crystalize/whatever and undergo no chemical reactions, just the state change. But then again real life and theory aren’t always the same.
cool thanks guys. Warm water bath it is!
Mellor
**Be aware **that the stuff in which the wax is dissolved is styrene and it is toxic…
I wish I knew more back when, careful with that stuff Sonny.
Warming things up?
This has been battered about before.
And I think it was Barry Snyder that said, “what good is it to put warm resin on a cold board?”
I am lucky (So. Cal) but still I warm my shop to 78 about 2-3 hours before work.
And warm the resin needed in hot (at first) water.
Warm everything.
And “Watch out where the huskys go”
Love the Zappa Matt. Keep it coming.
And Mr. Snyder warms his resin to a steady 85 F with a reptile heating pad. Put it in an insulated box while warming, even better.
I keep my part A and add F on the ol reptile pad as well. works like a charm. I also have one of the pads inside a cooler that I keep my new resin bottles in. they stay about 75° in the cooler.