In article ,
K wrote:
Eddy Bentley writes
K wrote:
The milkiness is probably because it forms an emulsion, rather like
salad dressing. Oil on its own repels water, but if you mix it up
vigorously with water, the oil and water droplets get dispersed amongst
each other.
Thanks, Kay. So would that mean then that because Jeyes so easily forms
an emulsion that it's not going to be much good at repelling moisture
and wetness from exposed wood and I might as well forget using it near
wood for that reason?
No, not necessarily. As I said, oil and water can form an emulsion (as
in salad dressing) but oil on its own will repel water - eg if you oil a
cast iron frying pan you will protect it from rust.
Hmm,
Jeyes fluid started life as some sort of coal-tar derivative and
contained a good deal of carbolic acid or phenol as it is better known.
Its a very good biocide, so thats why it is used as a disinfectant
and why it worked as a weed killer etc etc.
These days phenol is considered unacceptable so I think they've
changed the recipe a bit. Old advice as to its uses may no longer
be applicable.
There's a "material safety data sheet" here
http://www.jeyesprofessional.co.uk/_...ets%5C511160%2
0Jeyes%20Fluid%201L_JP_SDSP-1.pdf
There's some chlorinated cresol and some 'tar acid' as the biocides, and
I don't imagine terpineol is good for life-forms either. There's also
a bit of isopropyl alcohol. The hazardous bits only amount to maximum
40% of the product so there's something else in there too. Water
and detergent or soap jump to mind. It says it forms an emulsion
and its observed to so I guess there is an emulsifier in there.
While Kay's oil-water/vinegar mix will form an emulsion, it is unstable
unless emulsifiers are added. Like mustard powder and egg in the
mayonnaise. Because emulsifiers are already in the Jeyes
fluid I wouldn't reckon it would make as good a wood preservative
as a mix of tar-oils in solvent without emulsifier (creosote).
According to the RHS, the use of jeyes fluid as a soil steriliser
was banned in 2003.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/learning/publi.../pesticides2.a
sp
It doesn't mention its use as a weedkiller or wood preservative, mainly
I suspect because there are better products for both applications.