Oil Painting Solvent Comparison Chart

SOLVENT TYPE	Turpentine	Mineral Spirits	Odorless Mineral Spirits	Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits	Solvent Substitute	D-Limonene
TRADE NAME	double rectified English Distilled	Various Hardware Store Brands	Turpenoid, Thin-ex & others	Gamsol	Turpenoid Natural
BASE	Pine	Petroleum	Petroleum	Petroleum	Not Disclosed	Citrus Peal
EVAPORATION RATE	Fast	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Very Slow	Fast
HARMFUL VAPORS	Yes	Yes	Moderate	Moderate	Not Disclosed	Yes
PEL (Permissible Exposure Level)	100	100-200	200	300	N/A	30
ABSORBED THROUGH HEALTHY SKIN	Yes	No	No	No	N/A	Yes
FLASH POINT	90ºF	104ºF	125ºF	145ºF	N/A	116ºF
KB VALUE (Solvent Power)	56	36	28	28	N/A	N/A
USES FOR SOLVENTS
DILUTING PAINT	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
DISSOLVING ALKYD RESINS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
DISSOLVING NATURAL RESINS	Yes	Some	No	No	No	Yes
MAKING MEDIUMS	Yes	Yes (for mediums w/o Damar)	Yes (for mediums w/o Damar)	Yes (for mediums w/o Damar)	No	Yes
CLEANUP	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
COMMENTS:	Use with extra caution due to high evaporation rate and low PEL. Turpentine is absorbed through healthy, unbroken skin.	Cheapest form of petroleum distillate. Stronger solvent than odorless varieties.	More expensive than mineral spirit because harmful aromatic solvents have been removed.	Safest form of OMS, slower evaporation rate, and higher PEL.	Not a true solvent because less than half of it evaporates. Only suitable for clean up.	EXTREMELY LOW PEL. Regardless of pleasant odor, this solvent is suspected of being a liver and kidney toxicant.

N/A = Information not available