Mike J

What do you guys think of this article?

http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

Cheers,

Mike

Ed Hughes

My God, that is as sobering as it gets. Thank you so much for posting this!

I've used tons of it building engines, thank goodness not around a heat source.

Mike J

yeah, me too, I use it by the box as a general cleaner when working on engines.... and you figure brakes get really hot, so what about using this to actually clean brakes??

600RR

Holy ****e! Many, many thanks for the info.

Suncountry

When i got my MIG last year, a friend warned me about brake cleaner and sent that artical to me. Scary stuff.

Quadcammer

I believe this only refers to chlorinated brake cleaner, which, in my experience is not very popular anymore.

1pcarnut

Holy crap. I still do some welding on occasion and this could easily have been me. Thanks for the warning!

diet97993

Many years ago while working on some brine chillers/air conditioning units for the covernment I was exposed to phosgene gas created when we spereated copper fittings. This stuff is just not restricted to brake cleaner (Hydro cloroethelyne) but was also used as a refrigerant in airconditioning units and in dry cleaning fluids. Any of you that may have worked in the aircraft industry in the 1960's and 70's may have come in contact with Tri-clorofloroethelyne which is pretty much the same stuff and when comes into contact with an arc or open flame will generate Phosgene gas. I spent a week in intensive care and was just lucky enough to escape with my life. I still suffer from kidney problems an my lungs don't work to capasity. From what I understand most of this stuff has now been banned by the EPA for industrial use.

matt777

Pretty scary. I do use brake clean occasionally and I know people who use it as a general cleaner in the garage. You would think that it would evaporate quickly so an occurrence like this would be rare.

jscott82

Wow... Thanks...

Count me in the group the uses brake cleaner regularly... I've even used it prior to welding, exactly as the author, so i guess I count myself lucky.

Quadcammer

once again gentlemen, chlorinated vs. non-chlorinated

Ed Hughes

Knock yourself out on that theory. I'm sure there are goodies in most solvents that would do bad things to you if vaporized with high heat.

Quadcammer

the article at present talks about phosgene gas, which includes chlorine.

While I don't think heating up any brake cleaner is a mensa worthy idea, you will not immediately create deadly gases with non-chlorinated brake cleaner.

NC TRACKRAT

While it would be rare to find chlorinated cleaner nowadays, many of us have a lot of products on the shelf from years back. Great incentive to do a spot check and dispose of same in a safe manner. Most counties have a recycling station for hazardous waste. Speaking from experience, having gone through Navy NBCD (Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Defense) School many years ago, Phosgene is almost as bad as Nerve Gas!