# glue removal from glucose test strips



## nthawk52 (Sep 9, 2013)

having one heck of a time getting the glue off test strips. so far i've soaked 111 strips in non-acetone nail polish remover for 4 days, shaking the jar (covered) frequently. the solution turned from pink to amber after 2 days so i filtered it in a coffee filter. strips still really tacky. put strips in new jar and covered with "new" polish remover. STILL tacky!
Here's my question: can I soak them in pure (sic) ethyl acetate for better results? Or is there a better way?


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## Harold_V (Sep 9, 2013)

nthawk52 said:


> having one heck of a time getting the glue off test strips. so far i've soaked 111 strips in non-acetone nail polish remover for 4 days, shaking the jar (covered) frequently. the solution turned from pink to amber after 2 days so i filtered it in a coffee filter. strips still really tacky. put strips in new jar and covered with "new" polish remover. STILL tacky!
> Here's my question: can I soak them in pure (sic) ethyl acetate for better results? Or is there a better way?


Keeping in mind I have no experience with these things--------can you say incineration?

Harold


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## Geo (Sep 9, 2013)

i used the brand name "goof off". its works great but its too expensive to do small lots. if you can find the active chemical in the formula that is the correct solvent for the glue, it could save you some money.


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## Pantherlikher (Sep 9, 2013)

Harold_V 

As there is plastic involved, would pyrolizing be better?
My thought would be pyrolizing so there is nothing more added to the mess.

B.S.


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## Harold_V (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks for the enlightenment. I was not aware that they were plastic. That does change my perspective, yes! 

I am unable to provide an opinion in regards to pyrolization (I have no experience in that arena), but if you can control the resulting vapors/fumes, I expect it would be better. 

Can you tell me what you recover from these strips? 

Harold


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## Geo (Sep 9, 2013)

glucose test strips for diabetes testing (as far as i know) have three types of traces. gold, silver and carbon (or graphite) traces is the ones i have found. the value in them as far as the gold can be as little as .5g to 1g per pound of strips. the pound is without any type of pretreatment. the carbon traces contain no PM values as far as i can tell. the silver traces i cant reply on because im still collecting myself and haven't processed any.


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## Harold_V (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks, Geo. It appears we never stop learning, even when we're not trying.

Harold


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## nthawk52 (Sep 10, 2013)

to possibly clarify this issue... these are accu-check strips (plastic) with a piece of plastic covering the gold circuitry underneath. when removing the cover strip there is a substantial amount of glue residue remaining. i've read here that NON acetone nail polish remover helps break down this substance and does not permeate the PM. since the active ingredient in this remover is ethyl acetate i would think that would be effective. if someone has a better idea i'd like to know. i am awaiting a bottle of 99.9% ethyl acetate to attempt this approach. incineration i think would just leave me with a carbonized blob of gunk, hence i want to avoid that. from my research on the boards here, the consensus is that there is .009g of gold per strip, and my test run of 111 strips should yield .999g's. when i eventually get the sticky stuff off i will attempt to put the gold in solution using hcl/cl then drop with smb (after many washings, and testing with smb).
Am i on the right path here?


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## Geo (Sep 10, 2013)

ethyl acetate is not a good solvent for the glue. WD40 would be better if you heat it (dont ask how i know :twisted: ). gasoline is also a good solvent for that glue and before anyone blows a gasket, its no more explosive than most any other solvent. ive played with solvents alot when i was younger and used to play tricks on people. take a cigarette filter and remove the paper and have someone hold it between their fingers. place a drop of ethyl acetate or nail polish remover on it. it will instantly dissolve into a sticky mess thats not easy to remove. i know most of this is off topic but ive used Styrofoam and gasoline as a good fiberglass patch as it dries very hard. the ethyl acetate will not dissolve the glue or if it does at all, it is very slow. MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) or lacquer thinner is a good solvent for the glue http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butanone . try different things until you find something that works for you.


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## nthawk52 (Sep 10, 2013)

that sound good... the MEK thing, forgot about that, might give it a try. again am i on the right track for refining these little buggers?


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## Harold_V (Sep 10, 2013)

Geo said:


> gasoline is also a good solvent for that glue and before anyone blows a gasket, its no more explosive than most any other solvent.



No more explosive, perhaps, but that's not the only issue. The ignition point is very low, so the fumes are very easy to ignite, unlike many solvents. For example, you could most likely use Stoddard solvent in a basement and not experience a problem with fire, even with a gas water heater near by. Gasoline, by contrast, is pretty much a guaranteed fire/explosion in the same conditions. 

There are several hydrocarbon solvents that are far safer to use than gasoline----which, in my opinion, should NEVER be used as a solvent. 

That's my opinion. YMMV!

Harold


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## Geo (Sep 10, 2013)

thank you Harold. yes, i should have added a warning to never use gasoline in any other manner than its intended purpose in an enclosed space. normally i would never recommend any use gasoline for anything but it is such a good solvent that its hard to ignore. if anyone were to ever use gasoline as a parts cleaner or solvent, be sure to use it outside and well away from any ignition source. aside from the obvious, gasoline fumes are heavier than air and flows like water on the ground.the fumes are invisible and can travel for many tens of feet without dispersing.

sorry about omitting that warning.


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## FrugalRefiner (Sep 10, 2013)

When I was a kid, my Dad was burning some trash in the backyard of our house. Old wood and such as I recall. To get it started, he tossed on some gasoline (much as suggested by Hoke). He was safe about it. He tossed on some gasoline, let it soak in a bit, and set the gas can a good 10+ feet away next to the back porch stairs (more about that 10 foot estimate in a moment). He lit up a match and tossed it onto the pile and it went up with a satisfying whoosh! Great stuff as a kid! Fire! Cool! 

Gasoline fumes are flammable. As the fuel evaporates out of the gas can, the fumes tend to drop to the ground and spread. Then came the second whoosh! I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time, looking at the right spot, to see a flame move from the fire, travel across the ground towards the porch, and finally go up in a blaze over the gas can, sitting next to the wooden steps. I have to hand it to my Dad. As he told my Mom to call the fire department, he reached out with a garden rake he was using to tend the fire (about a five foot handle), hooked the handle on the flaming gas can, and slowly swung the can over to the fire (hence, the ten foot estimate). Since the can didn't have a cap on it, there was no build up of pressure or explosion. The gas continued to burn from the can until it was gone. The wood pile burned down to coals. My Dad told my Mom to cancel the call to the Fire Department.

It was an formative experience in how gasoline can be ignited from a source of ignition more than ten feet away from nothing but the fumes coming off the can.

Dave


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## FrugalRefiner (Sep 10, 2013)

Geo said:


> gasoline fumes are heavier than air and flows like water on the ground.the fumes are invisible and can travel for many tens of feet without dispersing.


 Geo beat me by a few seconds. :lol:


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## Shaul (Sep 11, 2013)

You can also add Palladium to the PM content.

Shaul


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## Harold_V (Sep 11, 2013)

I commented as I did because of the number of fires I've read about by folks using gasoline to clean parts in their basements. 

There are too many safer ways to even consider its use for anything but fuel.

Thanks for printing the safety comments. We do NOT want any readers picking up less than acceptable habits by reading this forum. Using gasoline for anything but fuel for an engine is certainly one of them. If a reader chooses to use it for other reasons, we don't want to be held responsible. 

Harold


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## nthawk52 (Sep 11, 2013)

I whole hardheartedly agree that gasoline belongs in an internal combustion engine, ONLY!
My concerns may sound paranoid to some, but I do not want to mistakenly concoct some kind of unstable and dangerous compound (s). The chemicals we are using are already pretty dangerous. Your comments are WELL taken.
I am going to try the ethyl acetate (if it ever shows up) and see if it will have better and reasonably faster results.


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## Woodworker1997 (Sep 11, 2013)

This may sound silly but, I am going to try some cheap Vodka. It has worked in the past for me as a good degreaser.

Derek.


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## nthawk52 (Sep 11, 2013)

Let me know if that works out for you...good old alcohol...ha ha.....


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## macfixer01 (Sep 12, 2013)

Geo said:


> i used the brand name "goof off". its works great but its too expensive to do small lots. if you can find the active chemical in the formula that is the correct solvent for the glue, it could save you some money.




I was going to suggest trying a similar product "Goo Gone" sold for removing sticky labels off of new dishes and things. I believe most of these type products are citrus oil based?


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## Palladium (Sep 12, 2013)

http://goldrefiningforum.com/~goldrefi/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=15397


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