Is methanol doing anything useful to the task? Perhaps EU regulations permit that much methanol in the preparation, but if I were making up a replica of the Clearaudio cleaner, I’d delete the methanol, or wear laboratory gloves whenever handling it.
The "Very Best Record Cleaning Formulation"
The "Very Best Record Cleaning Formulation"
I am providing this formulation for all who are interested in the very best, and can be proven and demonstrated to be the "Very Best". It can easily be made from available ingredients. On the surface, it appears to be very simple. However, it is based on extensive complex chemistry along with precise mathematical calculations and verifiable data.
You may use it with absolute confidence and be truly assured that it is beyond doubt the "Very Best". You may use it for your personal needs. Or, archival entities may use it for their purposes with confidence. Or, you may choose to start an enterprise that makes and packages quantities as either a "ready-to-use" or a "Semi-concentrated" version for sale and distribution knowing that nothing better exists. You have my blessings and encouragement with one condition. And, that is, that the pricing represents a "fair margin", and, not an obscene gouging, typical for such products.
Initially, I had prepared a presentation that briefly introduced myself, and provided the thought processes, design parameters, and the necessary basics of chemistry, physics, and mathematics to assure you and allow you to be absolutely confident in this formulation. I made a considerable effort to keep it as simple, but, also as thorough enough to achieve this confidence. However, that presentation entailed 5,239 words, typical of such a requirement, however, unacceptable in length by this website forum.
I have no option other than to offer the formulation as a 100% parts by weight version suitable to produce 1 Kilogram of the cleaner, and, invite you to question me about any aspect of the formulation.
Professionally, I am a Chemist, more specifically a Polyurethane Chemist. I have a Doctorate in Chemistry as well as two other Doctorates and a M.B.A.. I held prominent positions in significant corporations before being encouraged to start our (wife and I) manufacturing facility servicing those I previously worked for. We started, owned, and fully operated this business. We eventually obtained 85+% Market Share in our sector in Medical, Automotive, Sporting Goods, and Footwear areas before retirement.
The Audio Industry is extremely technical and many brilliant minds have contributed their talents over the decades in order that we may enjoy music today as we choose. Like many other technical industries, those of lesser minds and values invade the arena with their "magical" inspired revelations and offer their "magical" ingredients and items to all at extremely high prices. They promise that if only we are willing to part with our money - they can provide these items to you that make your audio system sound as if the orchestra, or vocalist, is in your room with you. And, after all, "magical items" must be expensive, otherwise, they would not be "magical".
This disturbs me enormously, and, it is for such reasons, I feel compelled to provide realistic and truthful information that conforms to basic Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematical Principals in those areas with which I am very knowledgeable and familiar.
"Ultimate Record Cleaner Solution"
Ingredient Amount by Weight (Grams)
Distilled Water 779.962
Ethyl Alcohol 220.000
Tergitol 15-S-7 (Dow Chemical) 0.038 (Approx. = 2 Drops)
1,000.000
Important and/or Relevant Criteria
1.) Distilled Water ONLY. Do not use deionized, tap, rain, or spring water. Distilled Water is readily available in most grocery stores. Check labeling to be certain that it is distilled and not deionized. The pricing is comparable.
2.) Ethanol must be purchased at a "Liquor Store" or a "Liquor Control Board" that is suitable for human consumption, and the appropriate taxes must be paid. This assures that the alcohol consists of only Ethyl Alcohol and water. You need to purchase the 95+% version, also known as 180+ Proof. NOTHING ELSE is acceptable. (100% Ethyl Alcohol is not available under "normal" circumstances). Denatured alcohol from a Hardware Store or elsewhere is PROHIBITED, as well as ANY other alcohols.
3.) Tergitol 15-S-7 is made by Dow and is available on the internet in small quantities from Laboratory Supply Houses such as Fisher and Advance, etc.. I have no affiliations with either Dow Chemical, or Fisher, or Advance. You MUST use Tergitol 15-S-7 ONLY. No other Tergitol product is acceptable for this designed formula, and you need to acquire the undiluted form only.
4.) The above cleaner formula will result in a non-foaming (VLF) Surfactant Formulation that exhibits the following:
Surface Tension of 28.5 dynes/centimeter @ 20 C. (68.0 F.)
Surface Tension of 28.2 dynes/centimeter @ 25 C. (77.0 F.)
5.). A Surface Tension of 28.5 dynes/centimeter is Remarkable and will properly clean records of all organic soilings, and all oily substances, as well as very significant amounts of inorganic soilings. This available Surface Tension coupled with the Azeotropic Characteristics of very rapid evaporation and spotless drying occur because of the selection of Ethyl Alcohol and the very specific concentration determined as 22.00% p.b.w., further improves the products abilities. The "Ease-of-Use" and "Spot-Free" results are to be accepted.
6.). Be aware that an "ideal temperature of use" also exists for this formulation. And, that reasonable temperature is 40 C. (104.0 F.). Further increases in temperature offers no improvement, therefore, confirming the proper use of the term "ideal". I mention this not because of of any substantial improvement, but, only to be aware of its’ existence. And, if you have a choice to utilize a room that is warmer than another, select the warmer room closer to 104.0 F. There is no need to elevate the temperature of the records or the materials. Simply be aware that 104.0 F. Is ideal.
If interest is expressed in this submission, I am willing to provide additional submissions regarding other materials, and, other areas of interest. Such as"Best Contact Substance", "Best lubricants for turntables", " Better Dampening Materials" for turntables and tonearms, and, most significantly, "Best" material for "Turntable Platter/Vinyl Record Interface" usually called "Record Mats". The last item will certainly disturb many individuals and anger many suppliers.
Whatever I may contribute is substantiated by Science and Testing, and Verifiable. Science has no Opinions. Opinions in these matters are best reserved for those who rely on their imagination and wishful thinking.
Also, I have no vested interests in this Industry. Simply possess some scientific knowledge that also relates to some aspects of the Audio Area, and I am willing to share that information if requested!
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- 470 posts total
Thank you for the experienced advice about the device in advance. It is sincerely appreciated. I received an e-mail today that my machine is to be delivered this 4 October 2023, and, I am looking forward to it. With regard to the 99.5% ethanol in water, I have purchased some in the state of Missouri, and quite a lot in the state of NewYork. Also, it can be purchased at any Liquor Control Board retail outlet in Ontario, Canada. Commonly known as the "LCBO" outlets in Ontario, the pure Ethanol is not a stock item - it must be requested. Any time I have ordered it in Ontario, it had arrived in less than a week. Likewise, it is also available in Quebec Liquor outlets, but, again it must be requested. It cost less in Quebec than in Ontario, and when I had to travel on business to Quebec, I would order some, and I would be able to pick its up within two days at most, and return home with it. When in Missouri, I also needed to request it first at the local store and it was received within two to three days. I needed to pay in advance as I did in Ontario and Quebec. In Buffalo, New York it was much easier because the large outlets such as Premier Liquor actually had the bottles in stock. It is a matter of declaration when you cross the border. Legally you need to be in the US for 24 hours to re-enter Canada without any problem. You can also make advance arrangements to purchase the Ethanol "Duty-Free". It costs less, and again you always need to pay in advance. For me, I always found the "Duty - Free" situation a pain, and could not be bothered. I believe you will encounter MORE difficulties obtaining some from a supply house. Remember this is a consumable item to make punches and other drinks as well, and as such, you NEED to pay the appropriate Liquor Taxes. The outlet MUST also be ABLE to COLLECT these taxes, I do not see how you can obtain some from a supply house. If your Liquor store is being difficult, call, and find one that will order some for you. Keep in mind, I was always required to pay in advance when I placed my order. With the exception of the locations in Western New York State where the item was a stock item. You can not avoid paying the appropriate taxes, and only certain outlets, such as Liquor Stores are able to collect such taxes. I thought you lived in New Hampshire. I recall these huge Liquor Stores located at the State Border because of the lower taxes in New Hampshire. Sorry, that was just a very frequent reminder and flashback to my many trips through the New England states. I once knew all the roads of Nashua and Concord, New Hampshire. I forgot Portsmouth! I know I can get easily get Larostat 264A from BASF, but, I have know idea if it is available to the public. I will look into that for you because it is far superior to what you are currently using. BASF only recently developed a better product, but, I do know that it is restricted to certain industries only. I probably should not have even mentioned that - just ignore this last sentence. I will be getting back to you soon. Good luck finding a cooperative Liquor Store! Regards, Wizzzard P.S. For your better understanding, we have a residence in New York State, and in Ontario, Canada. |
Yes, I live in New Hampshire and we have huge State stores. They only stock the 75%. I did not ask if I could order 100 %. I'll give it a try. If you could get the Lorostat for me I would greatly appreciate it. Just let me know how much I owe plus shipping and we will make arrangements. I get denatured alcohol on me all the time. It is the primary solvent in shellac. When French polishing furniture we handle tampons of cotton cloth filled with cotton balls soaked in shellac for hours at a time. Methanol is only a problem if you drink it which is why it is in the ethanol. Can you get drunk pouring ethanol on your skin? Lacquer and lacquer thinner are another proposition altogether. I wear gloves and a mask for that. |
Methanol is doing absolutely NOTHING of value in a record cleaning formulation. In fact, it is the exact opposite. Although it is one of the only three alcohols that can be used in a vinyl cleaning formulation, the other two being Ethanol and Isopropanol, with Ethanol being the very best. It is more destructive to most vinyl formulations, whether they contain styrene, or not. It does not assist in any way with regards to the cleaning ability. Also, it is an alcohol that would be more likely to deplete any beneficial additives that were added to the vinyl formulation when the record was made Basically, Methanol should be avoided as much as possible. The Clearaudio "Pure Groove" Domestic formulation avoids the incorporation of Methanol as much as possible. As a Corporation, I do not know the exact limitations in Germany, but, in the US and in Canada, Corporations can be more specific with regard to the ingredients that are added to make it undrinkable. But, as an individual purchasing denatured alcohol you do not have this luxury. Also, Clearaudio must state "Denatured Alcohol" in their "Essence" product, and it MUST actually be denatured alcohol, in order that it can be shipped. Although it may sound crazy, they could not just use pure Ethanol, because there would be the assumption that some fool may actually drink the product. Yes, it sounds crazy but that product COULD be drunk without the harm that denatured alcohol would possess. It would be like a 12.65% wine (a very expensive wine) that would taste like crap and give you the "runs" for a few days - but, as I stated, it can be consumed. So, an entire different set of rules would have to be imposed, not just shipping regulations. Normal and sane people do not think of such things, but, government officials fortunately must. Yes, avoid Methanol as much as possible. And you are correct with regard to the dangers associated with handling Methanol. After this note to you, I will send an explanation to @mijostyn as well. Surly drinking Methanol is the most dangerous. I have the relatively recent 12th edition (all 5 volumes) of Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, and it states the following: The lethal human dose of pure methanol was estimated at 15.8–474 g/person as a range and as 56.2 g/person as the median. The dose-response relationship between methanol vapor in ambient air and urinary methanol concentrations was thought to be correlated. An oral intake of 3.16–11.85 g/person of pure methanol could cause blindness. The lethal dose from respiratory intake was reported to be 4000–13,000 mg/l. The initial concentration of optic neuritis and blindness were shown to be 228.5 and 1103 mg/l, respectively, for a 12-h exposure. The above is the abbreviated statement. The dermal contact explanation I will summarize, as that brief exposure to the skin is nothing to loose sleep overnight, however, if you have an open wound that really complicates matters. It is important to note (I believe that you also are a retired Physician) that the Bio-toxicity due to methanol exposure is caused by the metabolites rather than the methanol itself. The severity of the toxicity is related to the degree of metabolic acidosis rather than the exact concentration of the methanol itself. And, it should be obvious to prevent any entry to the eyes themselves, and, it is important to avoid the vapors attacking the sensitive protection of the eyes themselves. I, along with Physicians that my wife had worked with tried to get stricter warnings on "Automotive Windshield Washer" products without any success. When something is categorized as a "Consumer Product" , it is almost hopeless to have proper warning labeling. Also, we tried to have such products modified with Ethanol and some Isopropyl alcohol to reduce the dangers. But, that went nowhere as well. I should state that some years ago it was I and these same Physicians that were successful in composing many of the regulations for our "Ministry of Labor" that are in place to this day. So, we were credible when it came to Industry, but, lost when it came to "Consumer Goods" Sorry, but I will digress again about something else that is relevant to this subject. You can easily buy frozen concentrated orange juice at the food store, but, if that was an industrial item in a 55 (US) gal. drum, it would have to have so many warning labels on the drum that you would not be able to see the drum. Allow me some exaggeration for an effect please. Now, back to you wanting to duplicate the Clearaudio formula, I again would state that you use no more than 22.000% Ethanol. I know your question was somewhat hypothetical, but, I did need to repeat this. And thank you for possibly alerting others to the dangers of Methanol. You provided an important service by mentioning this danger. Thank you, Wizzzard |
Rather than repeating myself, I would ask you to read what I had written in tho post to him. Since that issue should be covered please feel free if you wish me to be more specific. Also, in your case I need to add a "secret" that was shared to me by an expert who restores antique furniture for Museums in Europe, primarily in Italy. My wife and I have been into antique furniture since before we were married, as well as collecting Oriental rugs. Yes we made some mistakes. And, yes we did more damage than good on some pieces that we regret to this day. Very early on the business I was in took me to Italy at least 8 times per year, later, it was more frequent. Our shipping agent introduced me to an absolute expert in various types of refinishing depending upon the value of the items. Yes, I also am fluent in Italian, so not a word was lost. You need to use Pure Ethanol again for the Ultimate "French Polish" or "Shellac" finishes. It makes an absolute world of difference. First, you must dissolve the shellac or "goma laca" in pure Ethanol and allow it to stand for 6 days minimum at 75 degrees F. Then you must carefully decant this into another bottle adding about 10% more pure Ethanol to this decanted liquid. This must stand undisturbed for an additional 8 days, again at 75 F. Then, you carefully decant again. The resultant is what you then use for your finishing. The percentage depends upon what you are restoring or finishing for the first time. You then use pure wool fleece, not cotton. balls. If you are not terribly critical, you can. use 100% pure cotton that was previously worn or used, like an old T-shirt that you are ready to retire and wash it a few times in a mild concentration of washing detergent. You will not believe the difference. Yes, I was skeptic at first, but, his demonstration made me a believer. What an Audio discussion that turned out to be! Wizzzard |
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