From: REMOVE_THISdwilkins@means.net (Don Wilkins)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Spontaneous Combustion
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 14:00:45 GMT

On Wed, 11 Nov 1998 01:37:41 -0800, Rev Chuck
<cdub@-REMOVE_THIS-erols.com> wrote:

>Oil paints contain ingredients called "siccatives" that accelerate
>drying by giving up oxygen.

Siccatives absorb moisture and do not necessarily give up oxygen.

"paint driers" usually are metal compounds which accelerate the rate
of oxidation of drying oils. Frequently these are cobalt soaps but
other compounds are used. These metal salts (soaps) change valence in
the process of oxidizing the drying oils and do not normally provide
or use up oxygen in the "drying" process.

The process is not understood to the extent that one can predict with
certainty how a particular drier will behave in a given paint. A lot
of trial and error went into arriving at the final formulation.

From: REMOVE_THISdwilkins@means.net (Don Wilkins)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Spontaneous Combustion
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 13:21:35 GMT

On Fri, 13 Nov 1998 19:41:35 GMT, russ@kepler-eng.com (Russ Kepler)
wrote:

>In article <36503ae9.7176150@news.wcta.net>,
>Don Wilkins <REMOVE_THISdwilkins@means.net> wrote:
>>On Wed, 11 Nov 1998 01:37:41 -0800, Rev Chuck
>><cdub@-REMOVE_THIS-erols.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Oil paints contain ingredients called "siccatives" that accelerate
>>>drying by giving up oxygen.
>>
>>Siccatives absorb moisture and do not necessarily give up oxygen.
>>
>>"paint driers" usually are metal compounds which accelerate the rate
>>of oxidation of drying oils. Frequently these are cobalt soaps but
>>other compounds are used. These metal salts (soaps) change valence in
>>the process of oxidizing the drying oils and do not normally provide
>>or use up oxygen in the "drying" process.
>
>Is that what "Japan Dryer" is?  I always understood that to be
>something to accelerate the polymerization of oils, but have never
>seen it.  I've often seen it in a formulation for a paint and
>wondered...

I am not sure.

There is a MSDS for a "Japan Drier" which indicates that it is a high
boiling (300 +) organic compound or mixture of organic compounds. The
latter is more likely since there was a wide boiling range. Typical of
a lot of MSDSs..... The necessary piece of paper exists but it doesn't
tell you a whole bunch about the product. It is a paint additive.

The manufacturer did not appear to be Japanese.