Drano uses Lye but I wouldn't touch that stuff (drano OR lye) for
anything. Very nasty. I'd rather deal with paper residue...
--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Leon Heller"
<leon_heller@h...> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Thomas P. Gootee" <tomg@f...>
> To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2004 9:58 PM
> Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Dextrin as release from TT paper
>
>
> > Two slightly-related observations, since this thread's aim seems
to be
> > about achieving better/easier release of the paper from the board
and
> > toner, after the toner transfer: (PLEASE, also: Read the section
farther
> > below, about a special request for everyone's help/participation,
which
> > requires a quick test of as many different printers and copiers
as
> > possible. i.e. yours too.)
> >
> > 1.) I posted a question, a while back, in a sci.chemistry Usenet
> > newsgroup (http://groups.google.com), asking specifically if
anyone there
> > could suggest any sort of substances or procedures that would
tend to
> > dissolve paper but not dissolve toner (nor copper). I think that
there
> > was only one suggestion that I hadn't already tried that also
seemed worth
> > investigating. And that was: Sodium Hydroxide, a.k.a. "Lye",
a.k.a. NaOH.
> > I haven't been able to find the time (or the lye) to try it, yet,
though.
> > If anyone HAS tried it, or can try it sooner than I can, I would
> > appreciate hearing about it. (Suggestions for common sources of
lye would
> > be appreciated, also.)
>
> In the UK, NaOH is available from some ironmongers and builders
merchants,
> for clearing drains and sinks. I use it as a resist developer. I
just made
> up a small quantity of a saturated solution and put a small piece
of paper
> in it. It doesn't seem to have done anything to it, although the
solution
> was quite hot due to the heat produced when the NaOH was mixed with
the
> water.
>
> I've just tried a Google search for a solvent for cellulose, which
is what
> paper basically consists of, and they are generally rather complex
> compounds. Schweizer's reagent (a cuprammonium hydroxide solution)
was the
> first and probably simplest, I think it was used for making rayon.
Sodium
> hydroxide mixed with carbon disulphide (CS2) is used commercially
for
> dissolving cellulose, presumably in a pressure vessel. I remember
using CS2
> at school many years ago, it's very nasty stuff.
>
> Leon