Acetone — Fibreglass Cleaning Solvent

Acetone is an essential solvent for anyone working with fibreglass resins, topcoats, and gel coats. You use it to clean brushes, rollers, mixing containers, and tools before the resin cures and hardens. Once polyester resin sets, nothing removes it. However, acetone dissolves uncured resin on contact. As a result, cleaning your tools immediately after use keeps them reusable and saves you money on replacements. If you are doing fibreglass pool lining work, acetone is not optional — it is as important as the resin itself.

What Acetone Is Used For

First and foremost, you need acetone for tool cleanup. Wash your brushes, rollers, and buckets in acetone as soon as you finish each batch of resin. Do not wait for the resin to start gelling, because at that point your tools are finished. In addition to cleanup, acetone also works as a degreaser for preparing the pool surface before you apply the first coat of resin. Any oil, grease, or contamination on the pool shell will prevent the laminate from bonding properly. Therefore, wipe the entire surface down with acetone and then allow it to evaporate completely before you start laminating.

Safety

Acetone is highly flammable and harmful by inhalation. For this reason, always work in a well-ventilated area and keep the container away from heat, sparks, and open flames. Furthermore, wear gloves and eye protection during use. Avoid prolonged skin contact because acetone dries out and irritates the skin. Do not pour acetone down drains. Instead, store it in the original sealed container in a cool, well-ventilated area away from ignition sources. Also keep it out of reach of children. UN 1090 classified.

Specifications

Product: acetone (propanone). Type: cleaning and degreasing solvent. Available in 5 litre and 25 litre containers. For use with polyester resin, topcoat, and gel coat cleanup. Highly flammable — store away from heat and ignition sources.