Greetings
I’d like to ask about possible differencies between various odorless/low odor solvents. I use Winsor&Newton Sansodor for cleaning brushes, sometimes to make mediums or dilute paint. I have some amount left but soon I will have to buy more. The price for 1 liter can in the shop from which I usually buy the stuff is cca. 32 Euro. That is not really cheap. Recently, I looked at Kremer pigmente and also asked them about their alternative and I was told, that it is Shellsol T. 1 l can is for 5,36 Euro. That is striking difference. So I’ve been wondering what is the difference between them – or between odorless solvents in general. I looked into MSDS sheets of four odorless solvents:
W&N Sansodor ( http://www.winsornewton.com/assets/HealthandSafetyDataSheets/OIL%20COLOUR/Solvents/2011/Sansodor/04412869.pdf)
distillates (petroleum), hydrotreated light, CAS-No.: 64742-80-9, EC No.: 927-632-8
Schmincke Diluent N ( https://www.schmincke.de/fileadmin/sicherheitsdatenblaetter/2015/en/50026000EN.pdf)
Substance 1: hydrocarbons, C4-, butadien-free: 50 – 100 %, CAS: 93685-81-5, REACH: 01-2119490725-xxx
Substance 2: hydrocarbons, C10-C12, isoalkanes, <2% aromatics: 10 – 25 %, CAS: 64741-65-7, REACH: 01-2119471991-xxxx
Gamblin Gamsol ( https://www.gamblincolors.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/SDS-Gamsol.pdf)
Naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreated heavy CAS: 64742-48-9
Kremer Shellsol T ( https://www.kremer-pigmente.com/media/pdf/70460_SDS.pdf)
Hydrocarbons, C11-C12, Isoalkanes, < 2 %, 100 %, CAS-Nr not stated, EINECS-Nr: 918-167-1
If I consider just the term "odorless/low odor solvents", all these things should perform the same.But then I don't understand the difference in price.I guess, that various CAS numbers mean, that the composition is somewhat different in each case. Shellsol T is six times cheaper than Sansodor and Diluent N, but I suppose that doesn't mean that it is inferior product (and also I suppose Kremer wouldn't offer some sort of cheap "trash").
Can you explain meaning of those terms like hydrtretaed heavy, hydrotreated light, C11 (I saw msds of various solvents containing a range of these, like C11-C12, C9-C14, etc.)? How does it affect the nature and performance of solvent? Also, do you have any experience with Shellsol T in particular? What should I expect from it? If it performs that same as e.g. Sansodor there is no reason for me to go for Sansodor, which is six times more expensive.
Regards
Here is a very good article on this subject by one of our colleagues, Alan Phenix, who worked at the Getty Conservation Institute until recently.
https://cool.conservation-us.org/waac/wn/wn29/wn29-2/wn29-204.pdf