To avoid self combustion of rags I used for mineral oils I use a paint can, with a tightly closing lid. Now all say the hardening of mineral oils -or specifically these days for me- Poly is a polymerization process and no just vaporization of the thinner.
is it safe to use that can with a safely closed lid? Or can the rag still fire up with the amount of oxygen in it?
When I open the can the rags inside are still wet and excellently usable. So why do they not get hard when the Poly reacts chemically and not only hardens with vaporization?
I use Latex and Vinyl gloves for finishing. Can they be thrown safely into the trash can, or can they also go up in flames autonomously?
Does actual mineral oil polymerize? My (admittedly limited) experience is that mineral oil stays wet. It may soak into the wood, thus ‘drying’ the surface, but there’s no reaction going on.
If it’s not reacting, it won’t combust.
The amount of material on gloves is inconsequential.
There would be limited air inside a sealed paint can so not likely to explode. During the cooler months of the year oily rags catching fire go way down. However during the summer months it is more likely for spontaneous combustion. What some people do is put a can with water in the shop and put oily rags in side submerged in the water. Of course you need a lid on the can. The water cools any chemical reactions you might get and since it is water it wont catch fire. Of course you will need to clean it out occasionally and change the water. You could put a tablespoon or cap full of bleach in the water. Just have a stick by the can and submerge the oily rag.