White Spirit, also called Mineral Spirits or 200# Solvent Naphtha, can hardly be distinguished from Aromatic Solvent 200 and White Mineral Oil merely by their trade names. Nevertheless, they are three completely different products. Mix‑ups by procurement or formulation personnel may lead to technical failures such as non‑drying coatings and poor solvency. Their differences are analyzed from four aspects below.
I. Completely Different Chemical Compositions
-White Spirit (200# Solvent Naphtha)
Predominantly alkanes and cycloalkanes; distillation range: 140‑200 ℃. Aromatic content is 10‑18 wt% for regular grades and ＜1 wt% for dearomatized grades. It is a mixture of C7‑C12 hydrocarbons. It is a colorless, clear oily liquid with a petroleum‑solvent odor. Insoluble in water but miscible with most organic solvents. Classified as Class 3 flammable dangerous goods.
-Aromatic Solvent 200 (S‑200)
Mainly composed of heavy C10‑C12 aromatics with distillation range of 215‑290 ℃. Aromatic content ≥98 wt% with almost no alkanes. It is categorized as a high‑boiling aromatic solvent. The liquid is clear, ranging from water‑white to pale‑yellow. Its closed‑cup flash point is 90‑110 ℃ (＞60 ℃), so it is not a Class 3 flammable liquid.
However, containing components such as methylnaphthalene, it is harmful to aquatic organisms with long‑term adverse environmental effects, and is classified as Class 9 miscellaneous dangerous goods (marine pollutant).
-White Mineral Oil
High‑molecular‑weight saturated hydrocarbons obtained via deep hydro‑refining with nearly zero aromatics; distillation range above 300 ℃. Its carbon‑chain length is much longer than the foregoing two solvents. It is not a Class 3 flammable liquid. Its Class‑9 classification for sea transport depends on its degree of refining.
II. Key Physical and Chemical Properties
Evaporation Rate
- White Spirit (200# Solvent Naphtha): Medium evaporation rate. It dries gradually after application, neither evaporating extremely fast nor leaving excessive residues. Suitable for brush and spray applications.
- Aromatic Solvent 200 (S‑200): Slow‑drying; high boiling point with slow evaporation.
- White Mineral Oil: Virtually non‑volatile at ambient temperature; no solvent evaporation occurs.
Solvency
- White Spirit: Moderate solvency.
Suitable for: alkyd paints, ready‑mixed paints, oil‑based coatings, phenolic resins, oils and waxes.
Not suitable for: high‑polar resins such as epoxy, nitrocellulose and acrylic resins; cannot be used alone as thinner for baking finishes.
- Aromatic Solvent 200(S‑200): Strong solvency. It dissolves epoxy resins, amino resins, baking finishes, asphalt and heavy‑duty anticorrosive resins excellently.
- White Mineral Oil: Poor solvency for film‑forming resins and not a genuine coating solvent. Only compatible with oils and hydrocarbons; cannot be used as paint thinner.
III. Raw Materials & Production Routes
-White Spirit (200# Solvent Naphtha)
Raw material: Light kerosene fraction from atmospheric crude‑oil distillation
Process: Atmospheric‑vacuum fractionation → hydro‑refining
- Aromatic Solvent 200 (S‑200)
Raw material: Heavy C9/C10 aromatic by‑product from catalytic reforming unit
Process: Naphtha produced by atmospheric‑vacuum distillation goes to reforming unit for manufacturing benzene, toluene and xylene; residual heavy fractions are cut to obtain Aromatic Solvent 200.
-White Mineral Oil (Industrial / Cosmetic Grade)
Raw material: Heavy lube‑oil fraction (vacuum wax oil) from crude‑oil vacuum distillation
Process: Vacuum fractionation → solvent dewaxing → multi‑stage high‑pressure deep hydrogenation (hydro‑dearomatization)
IV. Main Applications
-White Spirit (200# Solvent Naphtha)
Coatings: Thinner for alkyd and oil‑based paints to adjust application viscosity and achieve good film leveling;
Industry: Degreasing of metal parts and cleaning of equipment oil contamination;
Auxiliary uses: Shoe polish, floor waxes, adhesives and other products.
-Aromatic Solvent 200(S‑200)
Used for heavy‑duty anticorrosive coatings, high‑temperature baking finishes, sealants, rubber solvents, agrochemical solvents, amino baking finishes and printing inks. Suitable for formulations requiring slow‑drying performance and strong solvency.
-White Mineral Oil
Used as lubricating oil, extender oil, carrier fluid, rubber‑plastic filler and in daily‑chemical products.Must never be used as paint thinner. Addition into coatings will cause permanent tackiness.
