[sdiy] somewhat OT: trying to identify perf board chemical

[cheater cheater]

That's what I thought. WD-40 put on the board so that it doesn't
oxidize or even rust up.

D.

On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 9:20 PM, David G. Dixon<dixon at interchange.ubc.ca> wrote:
>> Sounds like a job for David Dixon! :)
>
> Well, Aaron, my specialty is more inorganic than organic.  However, if it
> were me (which it wouldn't be, because I don't use perfboard anymore), I
> would probably try rubbing the boards with acetone or gasoline to see if the
> sticky stuff comes off.  Of course, I would also use rubber gloves and
> goggles, and perhaps even a mask, and work in a well-ventilated area,
> preferably outside.  Then I would dispose of the spent solvent in an
> environmentally acceptable manner in accordance with local regulations.
>
> I think that once the slick stuff is removed, the boards underneath are
> probably fine.  It is probably a lubricant used during the drilling process
> to prevent the drill from overheating, which is left on because either the
> company is too cheap to remove it, and/or because it helps prevent oxidation
> during handling and shipping.  As such, it is probably something akin to
> machine oil, which often has a sickly sweet smell to it.  I'm pretty sure it
> isn't OSP (organic solderability preservative), because that stuff is
> typically only a few atoms thick, and would simply look like clean copper.
> Also, I doubt that they would waste that stuff on perfboard.
>
> That's my best punditry on the topic.
>
>
>>
>> - Aaron
>>
>> On Sep 2, 2009, at 3:45 PM, John Richetta wrote:
>>
>> > So, case in point: I bought one of his bigger lots of perf board.
>> > This stuff seems great: you can hardly find it any more, and never
>> > at a good price.  Well, the down side to the lot I bought is that
>> > the entire stack of it appears to be coated in some sort of slick,
>> > clear, slightly slippery chemical, that has a strong, plasticky,
>> > somewhat sweet smell to it.  Not sure how else to characterize it
>> > except perhaps as "artificial" and "volatile" smelling.
>> >
>> > (There is a remote chance that the chemical isn't really the source
>> > of the smell, or all of it, and that the perf board material itself,
>> > which appears to be mostly plastic, is what smells most.  I don't
>> > think this likely, though, given the dissimilarity of the smell to
>> > anything I've experienced with perf board, previously.)
>> >
>> > My question is: has anyone acquired such material before, and have
>> > any good guess as to what this chemical is?  I'd like to know how
>> > hazardous it might be.  The Chinese, no disrespect intended, do not
>> > have a great track record WRT electronics and toxic materials
>> > (arguably largely due to circumstances we help create), so I fear I
>> > could well be handling either toxic materials once produced here and
>> > shipped there, once it became illegal, or toxic material that
>> > originated elsewhere and should not ever be shipped into the country
>> > but was anyway, thanks to the wonder that is eBay.  Maybe it was a
>> > solvent used by his crew to clean up some boards in bad shape
>> > (doesn't look like they are anything other than brand spanking new),
>> > or perhaps it's a "preservative" chemical, in some way.
>> >
>> > I know, this isn't a lot to go on WRT the all-important point of
>> > "what exactly does it smell like," but I'm just hoping someone here
>> > might happen to have experience with this supplier, or (more
>> > remotely) some chemicals that might possibly be commonly used in
>> > this context.
>>
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