SLX Denatured Alcohol

[richard poitras]

SLX Denatured Alcohol

Does anyone know if there is a difference between SLX Denatured Alcohol and regular Denatured Alcohol? I was in Home Depot and they were selling the SLX kind and the clerk had no answer to what the SLX stood for?

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[alex grams]

SLX can be up to 50% methanol, which is a more volatile and hazardous alcohol. Check that against your denatured alcohol and see if the percentage is different. More 'pure' ethanol is typically more expensive.

[richard poitras]

I wonder if it can still be used like the regular alcohol say for mixing with shellac flakes. Or would you have to change your mixture? I am out of it and that’s why I was looking but did not want to get something that was not going to work for shellac.

[Scott Holmes]

I've used it for shellac and found no difference.

[richard poitras]

Thanks guys. I guess its nothing to wory about.

[Tim Howell]

Anything in this list to help out?

Table 1 – Solvent Evaporation Rates


Dissolving Solvent

Relative Evaporation Rate



Acetone

5.7



Ethyl Acetate

4.1



Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK)

3.8



Isopropyl Acetate

3.0



Methyl n-Propyl Ketone

2.3



Propyl Acetate

2.3



Methyl Isobutyl Ketone (MIBK)

1.6



Isobutyl Acetate

1.4



Butyl Acetate

1.0



Propylene Glycol Methyl Ether (Eastman PM)

.7



Methyl Isoamyl Ketone (MIAK)

.5



Methyl Amyl Acetate

.5



Propylene Glycol Methyl Ether Acetate (Eastman PM Acetate)

.4



Amyl Acetate

.4



Methyl Amyl Ketone (MAK)

.4



Isobutyl Isobutyrate (IBIB)

.4



Cyclohexanone

.3



Diisobutyl Ketone

.2



Ethylene Glycol Propyl Ether (Eastman EP)

.2



Diacetone Alcohol

.12



Ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate (EEP)

.12



Propylene Glycol Butyl Ether

.08



Ethylene Glycol Butyl Ether (Butyl Cellosolve, Eastman EB)

.08

[Peter J Lee]

If I recall correctly, the SLX designation refers to its use for cleaning, fuel and solvent somehow. Kleanstrip also makes a "green" version. Putting aside that label, its mostly ethanol rather than methanol which isn't quite as nasty for the human body. At least that's my understanding - corrections always welcome!

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> I wonder if it can still be used like the regular alcohol say for mixing with shellac flakes.

As already said, the KleanStrip SLX denatured alcohol contains more methyl alcohol than other denatured alcohol. Virtually all denatured alcohol contains some amount of methyl alcohol. It's added to ethyl alcohol to make the ethyl alcohol un-drinkable (denatured). Methyl alcohol evaporates faster than ethyl alcohol so any shellac made with significant amounts of methyl alcohol will dry faster. If the shellac is dissolved in pure methyl alcohol it may dry so fast that it will not level out.

Any of the normal alcohols will totally dissolve shellac flakes and except for some variation in evaporation time, the shellac will be identical.

[Peter J Lee]

Thanks for that info Howard - that's good to know. Looking back at my post, I just want to say I was talking about fumes and skin contact, not drinking it!