Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime (KETO) and Your Health

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

https://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk/blogs/news/methyl-ethyl-ketoxime-keto-and-your-health

 

On 1st March 2022 it became unlawful to sell paint products with more than 0.1% concentration of Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime (abbreviated to KETO in industry) in it to the general public. This follows the official classification of this specific chemical as a class 1B carcinogen approximately 2 years ago. It will still be possible to sell paint products containing more than this concentration for "professional use" with the correct labelling applied.

 

We are aware that this fact has become a discussion point over the past day or so on UK based social media platforms due to the effect it is believed to have on another brand of model paint. We decided, to avoid the risk of being afflicted by assumptions to fill a void in available facts, to make the positive statement that Colourcoats enamel model paint is not affected by this change. Our formulation is compliant with the latest regulations.

 

As has always been the case when using paints of any type, particularly when airbrushing, please continue to use your common sense - ensure the workspace is well ventilated, avoid inhaling atomised paint mist from your airbrush and you won't go too far wrong. Extraction booths are inexpensive nowadays, and you don't really want to have clouds of paint dust of any chemistry settling on all the rest of your stuff in the room you model in do you?

[Ratch]

@Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies when I worked at Mettoy (80s) we used Methyl Ethyl Keytone in our paint mixes, is that the same stuff?

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

27 minutes ago, Ratch said:

@Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies when I worked at Mettoy (80s) we used Methyl Ethyl Keytone in our paint mixes, is that the same stuff?

 

MEKO is a derivative of MEK. It's used as an anti-skinning agent.

[Rolls-Royce]

On 3/4/2022 at 7:48 AM, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

 

MEKO is a derivative of MEK. It's used as an anti-skinning agent.

Oh, yeah. More like an anti-SKIN agent. MEK will take your skin right off...

[sinnerboy]

Reading the above posts, surely this should be barred from general sale then. I bought a 500ml bottle of Amazon last week £8.99

[Paul J]

Wasn't  this once used as liquid poly as Slaters Mek Pak? I used to use this a lot. And what is the current liquid poly glues we use nowadays such as the Tamiya stuff  and so on.?

[sinnerboy]

2 minutes ago, Paul J said:

Wasn't  this once used as liquid poly as Slaters Mek Pak? I used to use this a lot. And what is the current liquid poly glues we use nowadays such as the Tamiya stuff  and so on.?

i believe it was, certainly smells the same as SMP. Tamiya extra thin is Acetone & Butyl Acetate.

I use MEK  for sprugoo filler ( a lot chaeper than using Tamiya ) and for thin adhesive, although not as good as TET as dosnt seem to melt & weld as TET does. still I find it ok for general stuff...and at 9 quid certainly cheap.

[speedy]

We used MEK at work for cleaning aircraft components and it’s great at removing PRC and other sealants. I’ve used it as a glue for kits for years as it’s brushworthy but does pong. So it’s ventilation is king. Also takes the moisture out of your skin and will make your fingers go white if you have a spillage.

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

9 hours ago, Paul J said:

Wasn't  this once used as liquid poly as Slaters Mek Pak? I used to use this a lot. And what is the current liquid poly glues we use nowadays such as the Tamiya stuff  and so on.?

 

There are many things not on sale to the general public which can be purchased online and through some large outlets thus. Those same large online sellers have previously been fined for routinely ignoring Dangerous Goods regulations in most respects including how they're posted. Nothing's declared, not packaged correctly and the carriers thus don't know they have a fire risk rolling about in the back of their can or being loaded onto a 737 cargo flight.

 

All that said, MEK is actually really useful and I have a big can of it too. I suspect the bottles of plastic weld glue you can buy for bonding plumbing pipework contains a lot of MEK also. Certainly smells like it.