[Amps] Trichloroethene

[gdaught6 at stanford.edu]

On 16 Mar 2006 at 3:41, Jim Kearman wrote:

> I remembered the solvent we used to clean the Motorola radios was
> trichloroethylene, commonly called  trichloroethene. Pretty nasty
> stuff if you breathe it, especially if you intend to have kids,
> (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichloroethylene>) but a great
> cleaner. 

Warning, warning, Will Robinson.  Not to be confused with 
trichloroethane, TCE = trichloroethylene is VERY bad for you.  Your 
liver, for instance, is in grave danger.  Besides breathing it, it is 
absorbed through the skin as well.  If you don't have protective 
clothing including gloves and a fume hood, I'd strongly recommend 
AGAINST using it for anything.  

[That said, it is indeed a good cleaner for many things.  When I was 
at Fairchild we used it as a degreasing agent, and it was especially 
good at removing soldering flux from PC boards.]

73,



George T. Daughters, K6GT