paint thinner

[StephenK]

I am having a discussion about the chemical break down of paint thinner. I have always believed paint thinners are a combination of other chemicals such as mineral spirits, MEF acetone,etc..... Someone had posted on Facebook that thinner is the "parent" chemical to all those other chemicals it is just diluted down to make everything else. And he said he got his info from a chemist. My issue with that is if you look on a can of thinner it will have mineral spirits, acetone etc .... in it. So how can thinner be the parent chemical all these others come from? Would really love to hear from product company chemist on this one as well as everyone else

 

[FUNX650]

•I don't think of "paint thinner(s)" as being the
parent from which other solvents are derived;
or, even, the bastardizaton of certain solvents
in order to create a particular type (or types)
of any given (Brand) of paint thinner.


Instead:
•Paint thinner(s) are, simply, just:
substances/(solvents)...that are used to thin
or remove oil-based paints...(and, nowadays
by extension: latex-based paints, as well.)


•Here are some of the solvents that are either
used as, or contained within, "paint thinners":

-aliphatic hydrocarbons, turpentine, glycol ethers,
methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), xylene, ethylbenzene,
mineral spirits, acetone, etc....

Hmmmmm...
Very similar to the substances that you say
are listed on your paint thinner's container:

Go figure!!



Bob

 

[roguerobot]

Former chemist here, but not in the paint industry.

I suspect the confusion comes from history. Oil based paints, lacquers and varnishes were 'thinned' using turpentine, a solvent that comes from diluted pine sap. So this might be where 'original' or 'mother' solvent comes from.

As usual, turpentine was found to be harmful, so safer (and cheaper) alternatives were found in what is called 'mineral spirits', which are petroleum based.

If you are asking what it is composed of, thats where it gets really complicated. Kind of like asking what gasoline is, since neither gasoline or mineral spirits are a pure chemical solvent, but a complex mixture, from a distillation. Wikipedia does a good job.

Acetone is actually organic, not petroleum based.