Homebrew PCBs

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