Connecting to Collections Care

Hello everyone, 

We have recently hired a safety specialist at the museum and we realized that the way the collections staff are labeling bottles of chemical mixtures is not up to code. At the museum we make a mixture of Paraloid B72 and Acetone to label objects. We put the mixture into tiny nail polish bottles for easy application. The nail polish bottles with the mixture in it are not labeled. 

Does anyone have protocols for making their label mixtures? Do you have specific labeled containers? Does it depend on the acetone to B72 ratio? Do you have any suggestions on how we could be doing this process better that lessens the safety hazard? 

I would appreciate any advice or suggestions. 

Thanks!

Hi Martha, 

Thank you, this is very helpful!

The question and answer made me wonder what you use the acetone mixture for?  Sounds like you put it in the labels?

Thank you!⁷

We label our bottles with a flammable sticker.

We use a 20% weight/volume solution for mixing the Paraloid B72 for marking numbers on objects.  Stephen Koob's method is the easiest for dissolvijng Paraloid B72 in acetone - put the beads in a net bag and suspend it with thread in the container of acetone. If you're not in a hurry just pouring the beads into the container of acetone and then gently agitating it over a few days results in full solution. Hope this helps

Helena

Hi Helena,

Thank you for the response, that is very helpful!

Hi Rachel, 

Thank you, I will look into the safety diamonds!

Hi Katherine, 

Thank you so much, these resources are extremely helpful! 

 Hi Nikki,           
 
Thanks for reaching out to C2C Care! I would recommend a combination of Martha and Helena's responses. The nail polish bottles should be labeled "B72 in Acetone" with a date, and a small flammable sticker. They do sell small ones in sheets, I found these that might fit a nail polish bottle: Brady Flammable Labels

I'd also recommend the method for mixing B72 Helena mentioned, it makes the beads go into solution so much easier. Here is the article Helena mentioned if you'd like to read for yourself: Preparing and Using Paraloid B-72 Mixtures

All the best, 

Liz

Hi Elizabeth, 

Thank you for the resources, I appreciate it! 

Hi Nikki,

This is what OSHA says they require:

Labels for a hazardous chemical must contain: •    

Name,    Address    and    Telephone    Number    •    

Product    Identifier •    

Signal    Word •    

Hazard    Statement(s) •    

Precautionary    Statement(s) •  

Pictogram(s)

Given that you are using nail polish bottles, Martha Singer's advice is sound: identify the contents using words not symbols; add a date you made the mixture (helps you figure out later how old it is and if you want to use it!); add initials of the person who made it; if you have one of those diamond stickers, you could add in the numbers for acetone (blue/health - 2; red/flammability - 3; yellow/physical hazard - 0); if not, writing "flammable" on the container would be very useful. I would say those are the most critical. Good luck,
Catherine

Hi Catherine, 

Thank you for the help! I definitely have a good amount of recourses to start labeling bottles!