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"Karin Conover-Lewis" wrote:

Rosalie

Okay, someone else also mentioned linseed oil. The problem is that in all
the shops where I've been where oily rags were generated, none of them had
linseed oil on them except in oil painting. In every other case it was
either mineral oil or other petroleum-based oils. Yet we always had to put
them in the "Oily Rags Can," which as I recall was a can with water in it,
for pick-up by the shop-rag service. On the boat I use Penetrol quite a
bit -- which may very well have linseed oil in it -- and they specifically
warn about spontaneous combustion with it.

That's because of OSHA regulations rather than because it is actually
necessary. (I was an OSHA inspector for the last 14 years before I
retired.) And also because of CYA on the MSDSs. No one wants to go
out on a limb and say it isn't possible with petroleum based oils. At
least that's MHO.

In any case the oil has to BOTH be able to oxidize (i.e. air is
present) in an exothermic reaction which produces considerable heat,
AND the rag has to be scrunched up so that there's no way for the heat
to escape.

I'll have to look at the Penetrol can and see what it says. I'd be
surprised if it had linseed oil in it, because I thought it was mostly
synthetic.


grandma Rosalie