How toxic is burnt undercoating fumes?

[Rufblackbird]

The past week or two I've been cutting my '76 apart with the help of my new plasma cutter. My brother has been bïtching about the smell, the dust, and the "mess" that I've been producing. He's even gone as far as kidnapping my plasma cutter for a day and now has held my welding helmet hostage for the past few days. Parents are also making me stop cutting due to the fumes and "dust" that gets into the house. What I want to know is, how toxic is the fumes produced by the burning undercoating? Smell is most strong when I'm cutting through a lot of crap; not much at all when it's just clean metal. I've got a fan blowing at all times...but the smell is what's getting to everyone else but me. Moving out is currently not an option. I just wish I could afford to.

I guess the only real technical aspect of this thread would be how to slice and dice a dead 911 quickly and painlessly? Sawzall is out of the question since it's "loud" and "dusty."

current on hold pics:

[jester911]

Well since you are in Hawaii it can't be to cold outside.

Why not move it outside to your cutting?

[dean]

I am with your brother. Those fumes aren't good for you. Set up a flow through ventelation. With fresh air coming in and bad going out.
That car is going to be quite the project to put back together.

[Mike Kast]

Is the goal to put it back together? I digress...
Just because the fumes and dust don't bother you now doesn't mean they won't give you cancer later.

[randywebb]

Exactly. Ventilate well. I doubt if EPA has commissioned studies on this - but it is bound to be chock full of PAH's, branched and unbranched HC's and a witches brew of nasty stuff.

[Jesset100]

Like my dad would say "Tink bradda tink of koss da fumes not good fo you lo lo" hehehe

[Rufblackbird]

Originally posted by Jesset100
Like my dad would say "Tink bradda tink of koss da fumes not good fo you lo lo" hehehe

Yeah...I guess it would've been a good idea to do it outside. I'll test that theory with the '74 at my friend's house.

I had a fan blowing towards the fumes out of the garage at all times, so I wasn't really affected. Then again, my brother is just a little whining bìtch who complains about every little thing.

[iolguy]

Well, here is my experience. I burned off all the undercoating with a propane torch and scraped off with a spatula. My face was in close proximity to this as I was on my back on the floor or inside the engine bay. Initially I didn't use any respirator and each night I had some breathing issues. I finally decided to use a respirator for a paint spray mask. Worked much better. The chemical constituency of the compounds released from your cutting were probably different than mine were. The higher temperatures of the plasma cutter caused greater chemical bond breakage so it would be hard to say what came off (I am a polymer chemist... the undercoating is a polymer). I am not sure but I believe the undercoating is a Polyvinyl chloride based material with some asphalt like additive to increase flexibility. Anyway, it isn't good to breath. Get a respirator and some decent ventilation.

[SLO-BOB]

Originally posted by Mike Kast
Just because the fumes and dust don't bother you now doesn't mean they won't give you cancer later.

This is what would scare me.

I've cut up parts cars using a sawzall and a Milwaukee "12" blade called the torch. I go through one blade per car and it's amazingly fast. Plasma cutters are scalpels-this is an axe. A little loud (wear hearing and eye protection), but better than emphasema.

[RickM]

Here's the link to the Wurth MSDS Material Datasheet in PDF format for download:

Black Underbody Seal / Stone Guard
http://www.wurthusa.com/en/msds/index.php?send=OK&searchtext=075&dbfield=dial&image2.x=16&image2.y=10

Keep in mind this is for application. While the solvents have evaporated from the application burning may be worse.

I'd use gloves with a respirator and as much ventilation as possible.
Wurth also has a # to call for such questions: 1-800-255-3924.

Good luck.

[atlporsche]

<-------see the giraffe...

that explains it all...

sjd

[widebody911]

My throat is still a little sore from Saturday's cab conversion and all the burning undercoat from welding.

[wholberg]

Burnt undercoating is bad stuff. I don't know what brand you have, but 3M rubberized undercoating contains limestone (corrosive), toluene(carcinogenic and neurotoxic), solvent naptha (carcinogenic), asphalt, propane, butane, kaolin(a ceramic dust or clay, probably silica hydrate), magnesium aluminum silicate, oleyl imidazoline silicate(almost certainly carcinogenic), and quartz silica.

Quartz silica is probably crystalline, and can cause silicosis of the lungs if breathed in sufficient amounts.

According to the 3M MSDS, combustion of their undercoating may give off the following: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, phosgene (WWI poison gas. Very, very bad. May cause chronic lung disease and/or emphaesema), chlorine (toxic, turns to hydrochloric acid in the lungs), toxic vapors, gases and particulates.

So, the lesson is that it is safer to assume that anything petroleum -bases gives off very bad gases when burned, and adequate ventilation with appropriate respiratory protection is an absolute necessity. I would think that a good painting respirator that removes organic vapors would be best. Use appropriate protection and be around long enough to see your grandchildren.

[Rufblackbird]

Thanks for all the great info guys...I'll buy a respirator before starting on the 2nd car.