What to do with acetone/dry ice after cryo

rocketmann

rocketmann

Joined
Dec 24, 2005
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Guy's the title says it all, what do you do with the acetone after a cryo treatment. I assume that I need to get it out of the plastic cooler and into a glass container. Can the same acetone be reused? I have just started working with 154CM so this is new to me.

Thanks for any ideas.
 
If I recall, acetone will quickly evaporate if left open to air. But yes - kept in a sealed container it can be used multiple times. Eventually it will degrade and become so diluted that it will be useless but it can be reused. This depends on what you are doing with it of course. If you are doing critical cleaning (microelectronics) you probably won't want to use contaminated cleaning fluids.
 
You can reuse the acetone, but, before you put it in a sealed container make sure the dry ice has completely evaporated. If the dry ice is still putting off CO2 it will preessurre up the sealed container and it could rupture spraying acetone all over. BADDDDDDDD
 
I pour it back into the can and put the lid on loosely. After the can has returned to room temp, I give it a shake to release any dissolved CO2. Then I tighten the cap. I write DRY ICE BATH on the can, to note which acetone can is for epoxy clean up and which is the dry ice can.
 
If I'm reading you right, you have acetone in contact with plastic? If so that's not a great idea.

I use an old aluminum tea pitcher, fill it with crushed dry ice and pour acetone into it and do my heat treat. Once I'm finished I pour the acetone back into the steel acetone can and sit the cap back on it loosely and let it sit outside overnight. The acetone can become somewhat carbonated, like soda pop. The next day I cap it, shake it, uncap it to let any gas out, recap cap it and put it back into storage.
 
Just a note, cryogenic (cryo) treatment is usually used for liquid nitrogen (@ -196 C)and cold treatment is usually used for dry ice/solvent (@ -100 C) treatment. Deep cryogenic treatment is used for liquid helium (near absolute zero).
 
Thanks for the replys.
I figured the plastic was bad.
I know that dry ice acetone is not a true cryo but more of a cold treatment.
I will check my rockwell #'s after temper to see if we have any changes with the cold treatment.
 
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