Sure no science, just age and experience. It seems that things
closer together on the cracking tower dissolve or combine easier
than things far apart on the tower. Diesel would be my first
choice - closer to the tars and asphalts on the tower.

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______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...
Howdy,

I need to dissolve some asphalt potting tar off of a transformer
(metal content). In the past when I have done this, I have used
gasoline, which does work. The usual technique is to put the
unit in a bucket of the solvent and let it sit for a few days,
brush off whatever is soft enough, and repeat until a sufficient
amount of tar is removed to allow access to the innards.

Now, however, being somewhat more cautious, I am entertaining
thoughts of using a less volatile solvent, in the interest of
safety. Ideally, I won't be giving up too much solubility in
the process

I have narrowed it down to a few choices, diesel, kerosene,
naptha (Coleman fuel), or paint thinner (mineral spirits).
Diesel would be about as cheap as gas, which is a plus, but I am
unsure as to it's ability to dissolve tar.

Any thoughts on which would be the best solvent for dissolving
asphalt tar?

Thanks,

Jon