effect of zinc alloy?

[JBot]

I was reading one of DeeAnna's replies on the Tetrasodium EDTA vs. sodium citrate thread, and she mentioned pro-oxidant minerals/metals that can cause DOS. One of those was zinc.

I usually wrap my soap in paper, and to help it "breathe" a little better and allow people to get a peek at the soap without unwrapping it, I got this punch device that cuts out a swirly design near the edge of the wrapping paper. It's like a little window, but nicer-looking than a plain circle. The punch mechanism -- the part that actually cuts through the paper -- is metal. I contacted the manufacturer, who replied that the metal is a "zinc alloy."

My question is this: if the zinc alloy touches the edge of the paper when I make the punch, and then the paper is wrapped around the bar of soap, might I be transferring some zinc particles to the soap that could lead to DOS?

I haven't seen anything weird yet, but I've only wrapped a few bars in punched paper to see how they look, and that was about two months ago. If it was going to be a problem, would it be visible by now?

 

[IrishLass]

I use a punch on my wrapping paper, too (made by PunchBunch). This one: :https://www.thepunchbunch.com/product/medium-craft-punches/medium-scalloped-oval-23mm/

I'm not sure of what kind of metal it is made, though (never even thought about it to be honest). It looks like it could be a zinc alloy I suppose (it's a dull grayish silver). For what it is worth, I've never had DOS appear anywhere on my wrapped soaps in all the years I've been using it.


IrishLass

 

[BrewerGeorge]

Absent a chemical reaction between the paper and the punch, you're left with a mechanical ablation. Punching the paper should only be removing a micro-miniscule amount of zinc - counted in numbers of atoms - if any at all. Way to small to worry about.

 

[JBot]

I use a punch on my wrapping paper, too (made by PunchBunch). This one: :https://www.thepunchbunch.com/product/medium-craft-punches/medium-scalloped-oval-23mm/

I'm not sure of what kind of metal it is made, though (never even thought about it to be honest). It looks like it could be a zinc alloy I suppose (it's a dull grayish silver). For what it is worth, I've never had DOS appear anywhere on my wrapped soaps in all the years I've been using it.


IrishLass

Absent a chemical reaction between the paper and the punch, you're left with a mechanical ablation. Punching the paper should only be removing a micro-miniscule amount of zinc - counted in numbers of atoms - if any at all. Way to small to worry about.

Thank you both for your replies! Very reassuring. I was extremely pleased with myself for coming up with the punch as a way to preview a wrapped soap -- although it seems I'm not the first to have that stroke of genius -- and I'm glad it isn't likely to cause problems. IL, mine is also a dull grayish silver, so yours might be made from the same material. I'd be happy to email you the MSDS I got from the manufacturer.