# Naphtha as a degreaser?



## xxl (Mar 19, 2002)

A friend of mine uses naphtha to clean stuff (small engine parts, that sort of thing), and asked me if it was okay to use it to clean bike stuff. Since I only knew of the stuff as either: 1) an ancient type of soap used by really old ladies; or 2) the category of petroleum distillates that includes gasoline, kerosene, etc., I didn't have the best answer. I told him that it'd probably play hell with anything rubber or plastic on his bike, but I couldn't really say much else.

So, I know some of you are chem-ee types; how about a professional opinion? Can you use it as such, or what?


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## stevee (Feb 4, 2005)

Cigarette lighter fluid is naptha. I can't remember what it likes to eat, but we used it to clean platens on record or disc molding presses prior to mounting the nickel stampers, because it was a solvent that evaporated quickly but not too quickly and left no residue. Obviously flammability is an issue and it may not be the best thing in the world to breathe, but it has been in common use for a long time. I used it to clean duct tape residue off of my motorcyle seat when changing tape that I had placed over a small rip. I got lucky and found a good used seat with no rips or tears and ended that problem. An internet search will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about naptha and then some.


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## Dave_Stohler (Jan 22, 2004)

Actually, cigarette lighters use butane, not naptha.


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## 4bykn (Jan 28, 2001)

I think he was refering to the old "Zippo" type lighter.


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## stevee (Feb 4, 2005)

4bykn said:


> I think he was refering to the old "Zippo" type lighter.


That is affirmative. Try Jonee hand warmer fluid if you want mass quanity. I was sort of expecting someone to mention butane since the proliferation of the Bic, but in the interest of brevity I thought I would run it up the flagpole without the disclaimer. I imagine mothers could probably suggest some uses for the stuff. Seems like I vaguely remember something about using it to get chewing gum out of hair and to remove stains from clothing. It can be a major skin irritant. I remember the burning sensation from my early days as a smoker overfilling my lighter many times and sticking it in my pocket. A few of those times the fluid found its way to the nether regions.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Nickel stampers?*



stevee said:


> we used it to clean platens on record or disc molding presses prior to mounting the nickel stampers


NOW you're dating yourself!


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## Bill70J (Sep 23, 2004)

*White Gas*



xxl said:


> A friend of mine uses naphtha to clean stuff (small engine parts, that sort of thing), and asked me if it was okay to use it to clean bike stuff. Since I only knew of the stuff as either: 1) an ancient type of soap used by really old ladies; or 2) the category of petroleum distillates that includes gasoline, kerosene, etc., I didn't have the best answer. I told him that it'd probably play hell with anything rubber or plastic on his bike, but I couldn't really say much else.
> 
> So, I know some of you are chem-ee types; how about a professional opinion? Can you use it as such, or what?


Naphtha works very, very well as a degreaser. In fact, years ago, it was sold at gas stations as a product called "white gas," which people used as a parts cleaner and as fuel in blow torches, mantle-lanterns, and camping stoves. The problems with using it are really threefold. First it's extremely flammable - more so than gasoline. Second, it's an environmental hassle to get rid of once it's contaminated. And third, it's got some health hazards associated with it so you need to use the proper respirator and other protective equipment (gloves and safety glasses). Nevertheless, if you're careful and have a means to dispose of it, it's hard to beat as a degreaser. You're right, though, you need to be careful what you use it on - as it will affect materials in much the same way as gasoline.

What is naphtha .. you mentioned "petroleum distillate," and that's exactly what it is. It's a material that is typically derived from a first distillation of crude oil or other field-produced "natural gasolines." It is a mixture of straight chain hydrocarbons that typically boils between 120 - 200 degrees F. By itself, it can be used as one of the many components that refiners use to blend gasoline, but its volume contribution to the blend is limited by its low octane, and by it's relatively high volatility (which contributes to gasoline's vapor pressure, or RVP). Because of these limitations, refiners will often put as much as they can into gasoline, then either use the rest -- or sell it to others who can use it -- as a raw material to make ammonia, hydrogen, ethylene, or other "petrochemicals."


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