A paint thinner is a solvent used to thin oil-based paints or clean up after their use, although all such solvents have other uses. Commercially, solvents labeled "Paint Thinner" are usually mineral spirits having a flash point at about 40°C (104°F), the same as some popular brands of charcoal starter.
Solvents used as paint thinners include:
- Mineral spirits
- Acetone
- Mineral turpentine (turps)
- True turpentine
- Naphtha
- White spirit
- Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)
- Dimethylformamide (DMF)
- 2-Butoxyethanol, or any of the other glycol ethers
Other solvents sometimes used in the production of paint thinners include:
- Ethylbenzene
- Xylene
- n-butyl acetate
- Butan-1-ol
While painting or making the paint of proper consistency by addition of thinner liquid there is an exposure to the vapours. ACGIH has established threshold limit values (TLVs) for most of these compounds. TLV is defined as the maximum concentration in air which can be breathed by a normal person (i.e., excluding children, pregnant women, etc.) in the course of 40 hours work (in US work conditions) per week, day after day through their work life without long-term ill effects. Normally in undeveloped world workers work with much higher exposure to these chemicals with consequent damage to their health.
Read more about Paint Thinner: Personal Use
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—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)