Acetone -cleaning insect specimens

[PaulFurman]

I tried some acetone for cleaning a honey bee with lots of dust and pollen but it gummed up the hairs making a mess.
Here's a comment from another thread:

Large pieces of dirt can be brushed off or blown off with a jet of air.
Smaller bits and sticky stuff such as pollen can usually be removed by vigorously swirling an insect in a vial of acetone for about 3 seconds. Repeat as necessary.

It's possible my acetone is contaminated, it's a quart can left over from a fiberglass project. Anyone else had experience with this? I've had limited luck rinsing in rubbing alcohol.

[Craig Gerard]

Paul,

I can't offer any help regarding the honey bee and acetone; but NU uploaded a link to an article some time ago that may be of benefit.

It is in the Macro & Microscopy Articles section of the forum: (it is mostly concerned with "digital imaging of beetles".
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=7149

Craig

[PaulFurman]

Thanks. Hmm, it mentions grease coming out of the critter... and suggests organic solvents like ethanol, which I interpret as vodka <grin> or ethylacetate. It's possible that the acetone pulled oils out of the body - acetone is supposed to be great for removing grease so maybe a longer soak. Oh well, just a dead bee found on the back steps but I guess I'd advise caution on good specimens.

wiki: [made from ethanol] "Ethyl acetate is primarily used as a solvent and diluent, being favored because of its low cost, low toxicity, and agreeable odor. For example, it is commonly used to clean circuit boards and in some nail varnish removers (acetone and acetonitrile are also used). Coffee beans and tea leaves are decaffeinated with this solvent.[3] It is also used in paints as an activator or hardener.[citation needed] Ethyl acetate is present in confectionery, perfumes, and fruits. In perfumes, it evaporates quickly, leaving only the scent of the perfume on the skin."

For the record, here's the subject in question, which is covered in fine feathery hairs that got matted and glued together when rinsing in acetone:
Stack of 99 at 6.5x with JML 21/3.5 at 3 sec ISO 200 on D700

[enricosavazzi]

I trust you are not using the acetone and rubbing alcohol sold in drugstores and cosmetic shops - they contain a lot more than just acetone and alcohol (especially oils that are meant to soften the skin and will gum up any insects or optics).

[rjlittlefield]

A good test of contamination is to place a drop of solvent on a glass plate and let it evaporate. The very best will leave no visible residue. If the residue is obvious and smears, the solvent is useless for this sort of cleaning. Many are somewhere in between, often leaving a thin ring. These can be used with care, draining or blotting as much solvent as possible before letting the specimen dry.

But it occurs to me that there is another problem with subjects like this bee. Long flexible feathered hairs like these may interlock and tangle even if the solvent leaves no residue at all. A live bee would keep them neatly combed, I suppose. I am not aware of a good solution to this problem.

--Rik

[PaulFurman]

Yes those finely feathered hairs are perhaps impractical to clean with solvents. If I could secure it firmly, canned air and a fine brush might be better. I cleaned a bird feather that way once with good results.

I use '91% Isopropyl Alcohol - First Aid Antiseptic' from the drug store. It comes in a less pure grade also. The acetone is Crown brand from a Tap Plastics store and does not state purity but it's intended for cleaning up nasty epoxy/bondo/polyester resins, etc & degreasing. Both leave a ring on glass when left to dry; the acetone probably a little worse.

I probably sloshed the acetone can against a paper towel with some of those resins on the dirty towel more than once. Acetone isn't terribly toxic but it dries very quickly and is extremely flammable. It'll turn your skin icy cold, it evaporates so fast... kind of scary... pretty common in nail polish remover I think. Acetone will strip some paints and melt some plastics. Bad choice for cleaning lenses mounted in painted barrels!