Gary Roberts wrote the following and asked for comments.

>Here's a little tidbit from a paper conservation text I was reading today...
>
>In order of potency, least to most, these are the solvents recommended for
>removing adhesives from paper:
>
>heptane
>benzine
>toluene
>acetone
>ethyl alchohol
>
>Surprised me, but than I haven't had Chem for many many years.  Comments
>anyone?

(snip)

Was that an _old_ text Gary?.  I think some of the info may be out of date.

People can be careless with their spelling and you may mean benz _i_ne in 
the old and european sense of petrol / gasoline / white gas.  If on the 
other hand you meant benz_e_ne, there is the critical difference that this 
stuff has been clearly shown to be a carcinogen in trace amounts  It was 
used for a wide range of uses but it is no longer stuff to use without very 
effective vapour and contact barriers.  People often confuse the two with 
unfortunate results.

Toluene is not a lot better from a Health and Safety point of view.

Acetone must still be considered safe enough, given its ubiquitous presence 
in nail varnish remover,  to say nothing of the way fibre glassers spill the 
stuff around.  (just say I was boatbuilding last night and my cats fled from 
the acetone smell when I walked in home)

Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is the basic ingredient of beer, whisky and some 
rocket fuels.  Great stuff, with only the obvious dangers.

Heptane I know nothing about.

Regards,

Tony