Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records
FYI, I have previously posted a bit of information on cleaning, and I have now complied that and much more into a paper titled “Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records”. Bill Hart of The Vinyl Press https://thevinylpress.com/ who has a keen interest in cleaning vinyl records is hosting the paper. He has written an article on the paper that captures it better than I could, and a link to the article that has the free-download load option for the paper (85 pages) is here: https://thevinylpress.com/precision-aqueous-cleaning-of-vinyl-records/ . If you have not been to his site, check-it out, there is a lot of good info, and its well written. While at his site, check out the about-tab and then scroll down and click on System-Notes-Austin-2017. He has a pretty impressive system and near the end shows quite a ‘cleaning station’; using both a Keith Monks vacuum-RCM and KL Audio UCM.
Best Regards and Stay Well,
Neil
Neil Thanks for looking at the Ecover Zero Non bio. It's very reassuring to have your thumbs up. Now for the acid stage, I see that - in the absence of Citranox - you suggest supermarket distilled vinegar diluted 50/50 or 75/25 with distilled water, with an additional few drops of wetting agent. Is the Dehypon ok to use as wetting agent in this mix? As an alternative to vinegar, is worth considering a solution made up from pure citric acid crystals which are easily obtained here? Thank you, Rob |
Rob, Yes, the Dehypon is ok to use as wetting agent in this mix. As far as the crystalline citric acid, this is where I stop. I am not getting into the formulating of products. The DWV + some drops of a nonionic surfactant wetting agent is as far as I go. 5% DWV is not the same as 5% citric acid, the citric acid is a stronger acid so you use less. Exactly how much less, can be calculated and then you into weight measurement which then further complicates the process - all more than I am willing to do. You could pose the problem at some chemistry forums and see what they would recommend to equal the acidity of 5% DWV and then dilute as specified. Neil |
“Ethanol” is ethanol or ethyl alcohol, a 2-carbon alcohol, not”denatured alcohol likely with isopropanol “. Propanol and isopropanol are two different isomeric 3-carbon alcohols. Not that it matters much. I would not recommend denatured alcohol for cleaning LPs, however. pH 8.6 I would say is at least mildly alkaline, probably OK. Most soaps are. |
@robjordan I am based in the UK and have adopted the Manual Cleaning Method, using the solutions recommended. To produce the correct mixture ratio's I purchased a weighing scale that is capable of showing a increment of 0.01g. I also bought a Pump Up Pressurised Bottle, to pressure rinse the LP with a distilled water, I like to see this used as a rinse method, it certainly will wash of the residuals, where as the mist bottle as a rinse, was a little too static when applied. There are other threads on here covering this same cleaning procedure during the time the PACVR Document was Rev-02 |
The company site lists denatured alcohol Denatured alcohol - Wikipedia while the SDS just lists ethanol. Here is an example of denatured alcohol - Microsoft Word - 6210GHS (chemtel.net) and this a safe solvent, but this is also denatured alcohol \\TAHOE\APPS\MIRS\REPORTS\MSWRPTM.FRX (mscdirect.com) and this is not safe for the record. But, the detergent is diluted 100:1 so even if 5%, in-use it would only be 0.05% - essentially inconsequential. Industrial cleaning generally accepts pH 6-8 as 'neutral', and Ecover diluted 100:1 should be right in that zone, the ingredients do not include any pH stabilizing (buffering) products like phosphates and silicates. However, the record is pretty immune to alkaline cleaners up to about pH 12. The problem with the high alkaline cleaners is they can be a bear to rinse and residue will dry to 'rocks'. |
