Where to usually find isopropyl alchohol 99.9% or like atleast 70%?

[Bombastinator]

1 hour ago, rand_althor_cometh said:

Where do I find this in Sweden..

One of the big monkey wrenches in this one is the pandemic. There was a massive run on and scalping of high molarity alcohols and some retail companies simply pulled them off their shelves because it was too big a PITA. Different countries have different rules as well.  I can say where it would be findable in the USA before covid, but now? I don’t even know where to get such stuff where I live anymore.

[TetraSky]

I used to find them at my local pharmacy.
Ever since Covid started, they ran out of stock for MONTHS and it's only recently that they got new stocks... And even there, they are only carrying 70% for some reason...
 

70% is... fine. It just takes longer to dry and isn't as effective on grime and dirt. The higher water content also makes it an issue with electronics... so don't put too much, just dab a piece of paper towel and that's that. It must not be soaking wet.

[mariushm]

2 hours ago, rand_althor_cometh said:

Where do I find this in Sweden..

Pharmacies, Veterinarians and stores that sell pet medicine and stuff, stores that sell chemicals, you can order online from Amazon (.co.uk . de , other), local Swedish companies, it's not a restricted product.

 

May want to check the ingredients of some LCD screen cleaning sprays / solutions ... often they're 60-70% isopropyl alcohol, 25-30% water, and a bit of perfume and anti mold chemicals ... to clean thermal paste it's good enough.

 

And if you really can't find isopropyl alcohol, you can use acetone either as actual chemical or product (for example nail polish remover, check ingredients in regular stores for nail polish remover and you could buy one that's mostly acetone)

 

Other solvents that work just as well for cleaning thermal paste, heatsinks etc ... gaslighter fluid is quite a good solvent... just have to clean the surface afterwards with water to remove the remaining solvent.  Even regular gasoline works well.

 

[mariushm]

16 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

I used to find them at my local pharmacy.
Ever since Covid started, they ran out of stock for MONTHS and it's only recently that they got new stocks... And even there, they are only carrying 70% for some reason...
 

70% is... fine. It just takes longer to dry and isn't as effective on grime and dirt. The higher water content also makes it an issue with electronics... so don't put too much, just dab a piece of paper towel and that's that. It must not be soaking wet.

 

70% is better to kill bacteria and germs.

Why Is 70% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) a Better Disinfectant than 99% Isopropanol, and What Is IPA Used For?

 

Quote

Isopropyl alcohol,  60% and 90% alcohol with 10 – 40% purified water, is rapidly antimicrobial against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Once alcohol concentrations drop below 50%, usefulness for disinfection drops sharply. Higher concentrations of alcohol don’t generate more desirable bactericidal, virucidal, or fungicidal properties.

The presence of water is a crucial factor in destroying or inhibiting the growth of pathogenic microorganisms with isopropyl alcohol. Water acts as a catalyst and plays a key role in denaturing the proteins of vegetative cell membranes. 70% IPA solutions penetrate the cell wall more completely which permeates the entire cell, coagulates all proteins, and therefore the microorganism dies. Extra water content slows evaporation, therefore increasing surface contact time and enhancing effectiveness. Isopropyl alcohol concentrations over 91% coagulate proteins instantly. Consequently, a protective layer is created which protects other proteins from further coagulation.

Solutions > 91% IPA do kill bacteria, but sometimes require longer contact times for disinfection, and enable spores to lie in a dormant state without being killed. In this analysis, a 50% isopropyl alcohol solution kills Staphylococcus Aureus in less than 10 seconds (pg. 238), yet a 90% solution with a contact time of over two hours is ineffective. Some disinfectants will kill spores, which are classified as chemical sterilants.

 

[TetraSky]

2 minutes ago, mariushm said:

70% is better to kill bacteria and germs.

 

Yes.

But not when it comes to thermal paste, removing left over glue residue from crappy stickers and the likes. Basically what we do in the PC space. Which is what the second part of my post is about. Grime and dirt.

[akio123008]

I usually just use pure gasoline/cleaning petrol (whatever the correct term is) for this sort of general purpose cleaning of gunk. It works very well and it's cheap and easy to find at the hardware store or even a supermarket. It is also not used medically, so therefore unaffected by COVID.

[mariushm]

Just now, TetraSky said:

Yes.

But not when it comes to thermal paste, removing left over glue residue from crappy stickers and the likes. Basically what we do in the PC space.

It's better than plain water or spit.  Just as other solvents like acetone (C3H60) or MEK (C4H80) or ethanol or  trichloroethylene (really bad for your lungs and body, carcinogenic, don't use inside) are better than isopropyl alcohol..If you can't get 97%+, then even 70% is better than nothing.

 

You could also use plain sanitary alcohol (here it's sold everywhere in small bottles, and it's blue due to the extra chemicals used to make it not food grade), or denatured alcohol used for thinning paints (go to a hardware / paints store and get some)

[Bombastinator]

6 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Yes.

But not when it comes to thermal paste, removing left over glue residue from crappy stickers and the likes. Basically what we do in the PC space. Which is what the second part of my post is about. Grime and dirt.

It’s a tricky problem.  Ram across a post earlier about someone with leaking thermal pads looking for something more potent than high molarity alcohol.  I’m thinking a thermal pad would leak silicone oil, but I could be wrong and it might depend on the pad. It turned into an internet rabbithole, but the upshot is there are things that work as well but cause other problems. 

[JP!]

On 3/12/2021 at 6:43 PM, mariushm said:

It's better than plain water or spit.  Just as other solvents like acetone (C3H60) or MEK (C4H80) or ethanol or  trichloroethylene (really bad for your lungs and body, carcinogenic, don't use inside) are better than isopropyl alcohol..If you can't get 97%+, then even 70% is better than nothing.

 

You could also use plain sanitary alcohol (here it's sold everywhere in small bottles, and it's blue due to the extra chemicals used to make it not food grade), or denatured alcohol used for thinning paints (go to a hardware / paints store and get some)

Why does isopropyl gets recommended and used a lot on videos to clean eletronics, instead absolute or anhydrous alcohol?

 

Perhaps you can enlighten on the chemistry but i have seen a few sources claiming than isopropanol / IPA is not suited for some plastics, such as polycarbonate in PCBs, yet almost every video i see it is used specifically for that.

 

For instance this source: https://labproinc.com/blogs/chemicals-and-solvents/ethyl-alcohol-vs-isopropyl-alcohol-for-cleaning-electronics-in-the-lab

 

JP

[SeanChronicR]

Anywhere that sells first aid supplies really...

 

Drug Store / Pharmacy (tomato tomata)

Grocery (first aid section)

 

or if you're fancy and likely English European

 

The Chemist

[TetraSky]

38 minutes ago, JP! said:

Why does isopropyl gets recommended and used a lot on videos to clean eletronics, instead absolute or anhydrous alcohol?

 

Perhaps you can enlighten on the chemistry but i have seen a few sources claiming than isopropanol / IPA is not suited for some plastics, such as polycarbonate in PCBs, yet almost every video i see it is used specifically for that.

 

For instance this source: https://labproinc.com/blogs/chemicals-and-solvents/ethyl-alcohol-vs-isopropyl-alcohol-for-cleaning-electronics-in-the-lab

 

JP

Well, if you read that source of yours, it says exactly why isopropyl alcohol would be preferred versus anhydrous ethanol or absolute ethyl alcohol

"Ethanol’s drawback is that it can sometimes leave oil traces on the surface it evaporates from. These traces of oil can subsequently cause malfunctions in highly sensitive electronics. This drawback is highly minimized when using the purest form of ethanol, but the most sensitive electronic components may still have problems when cleaned with ethanol as a result."

 

Also because it's more readily available, maybe?

I have seriously never seen a single bottle of ethyl alcohol before. While isopropyl alcohol can typically be bought at any local pharmacy or drug store.

[Bombastinator]

15 hours ago, TetraSky said:

Well, if you read that source of yours, it says exactly why isopropyl alcohol would be preferred versus anhydrous ethanol or absolute ethyl alcohol

"Ethanol’s drawback is that it can sometimes leave oil traces on the surface it evaporates from. These traces of oil can subsequently cause malfunctions in highly sensitive electronics. This drawback is highly minimized when using the purest form of ethanol, but the most sensitive electronic components may still have problems when cleaned with ethanol as a result."

 

Also because it's more readily available, maybe?

I have seriously never seen a single bottle of ethyl alcohol before. While isopropyl alcohol can typically be bought at any local pharmacy or drug store.

Pure ethyl is also highly poisonous and both hard to both manufacture and keep pure. 99% not nearly so much, though 100 proof ethanol is 50% pure and it can’t be sold legally in the us at over 140 proof for anything but very specific stuff.  but really really pure ethanol is a PITA.  My dads lab used pure ethyl sometimes he was a cellular research entomologist. A janitor once found a bottle of pure ethyl and drank some because hey, superhooch!  He nearly died. It was close.  

[Youn]

Generally speaking, most people who do 3d printing pick up the 91%+ Isopropyl at your local pharmacist in the states I pick mine up at CVS or Walgreens.  You should also be able to just order it also on Amazon.   

[JP!]

22 hours ago, TetraSky said:

Well, if you read that source of yours, it says exactly why isopropyl alcohol would be preferred versus anhydrous ethanol or absolute ethyl alcohol

"Ethanol’s drawback is that it can sometimes leave oil traces on the surface it evaporates from. These traces of oil can subsequently cause malfunctions in highly sensitive electronics. This drawback is highly minimized when using the purest form of ethanol, but the most sensitive electronic components may still have problems when cleaned with ethanol as a result."

 

Also because it's more readily available, maybe?

I have seriously never seen a single bottle of ethyl alcohol before. While isopropyl alcohol can typically be bought at any local pharmacy or drug store.

Thank you,  but isn't absolute alcohol exactly that purest form?

 

Anyway, i believe you answered: isopropyl is easier and cheaper to find specially in the US.

 

In my country at least, absolute ethanol is easily available and before a few years ago i have never heard of isopropyl.

 

About 25 years ago when i worked with computer maintenace we used ethanol to clean it, that's why i made the question as well. We used to buy 98% ethanol at the supermarket.

 

JP

[Bombastinator]

42 minutes ago, JP! said:

Thank you,  but isn't absolute alcohol exactly that purest form?

 

Anyway, i believe you answered: isopropyl is easier and cheaper to find specially in the US.

 

In my country at least, absolute ethanol is easily available and before a few years ago i have never heard of isopropyl.

 

About 25 years ago when i worked with computer maintenace we used ethanol to clean it, that's why i made the question as well. We used to buy 98% ethanol at the supermarket.

 

JP

There is ethanol, methanol and a bunch of other alcohols.  There are even alkyds which are acidic alcohols.  I used to use em to paint with.  Like using spike lavander oil or Japan drier but more predictable and less color shift.  They can mimic oil resins but dry faster.  I’ve never even heard of absolute alcohol.  I’ve heard of absolut brand vodka.  Like all vodkas it’s dilute ethanol, water, sugars, and other things.  If absolut alcohol means 100% ethanol it will potentially kill you, tends to evaporate right out of the bottle and is wildly hydroscopic so leaving a cap off will dilute it with water. Also apparently it still has issues.  My suspicion is absolut alcohol and isopropyl are the same thing.  I don’t know though.

[JP!]

41 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

There is ethanol, methanol and a bunch of other alcohols.  There are even alkyds which are acidic alcohols.  I used to use em to paint with.  Like using spike lavander oil or Japan drier but more predictable and less color shift.  They can mimic oil resins but dry faster.  I’ve never even heard of absolute alcohol.  I’ve heard of absolut brand vodka.  Like all vodkas it’s dilute ethanol, water, sugars, and other things.  If absolut alcohol means 100% ethanol it will potentially kill you, tends to evaporate right out of the bottle and is wildly hydroscopic so leaving a cap off will dilute it with water. Also apparently it still has issues.  My suspicion is absolut alcohol and isopropyl are the same thing.  I don’t know though.

Absolute alcohol = anhydrous alcohol, which means ethanol with no more than 1% water: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol#Absolute_alcohol

 

Isopropyl is not ethanol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol

 

JP

[Bombastinator]

1 hour ago, JP! said:

Absolute alcohol = anhydrous alcohol, which means ethanol with no more than 1% water: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol#Absolute_alcohol

 

Isopropyl is not ethanol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol

 

JP

This is what I’m saying.  Not all alcohols are ethanol.  They might be using a different alcohol because really pure ethanol has problems so severe it is actually difficult to handle. I don’t know if there are other alcohols that might not have these problems. I know that any ethanol sold outside of certain provisions in the US has to have another chemical added to it to make it unpalatable. leftover from prohibition.  Gasoline is one that is used which is why e85 can be sold.  There are others though.  I didn’t read the isopropyl link so I’m not 100% what it is.  It could be an entirely different alcohol or ethanol mixed with another chemical.  It’s possible this chemical could also stabilize things. I don’t know.  Doesn’t really matter though.  It is possible to get ethanol without additives in the US, so it’s not like it’s not researched. 

[JP!]

3 hours ago, James Evens said:

Would need to check the book but probably pre dry with zeolite A and then reflux with Na and add another chemcial before distilling it.

 

Anybody recommending this for cleaning PC stuf automatically disqualifies himself: Once you expose this liquid to the environment/air it pulls the water from it so you just lost everything.

 

What about PCBs?

 

That´s why i am asking, from the previous link:

 

"Not all electronic components are compatible with isopropyl alcohol cleaning, however. In particular, polycarbonate electronic components, typically in PCBs, seals and gaskets, are extremely harmed by exposure to an isopropyl alcohol cleaning solution. While it may be possible to mitigate the impact of the cracking which occurs when isopropyl alcohol seeps into the polycarbonate by using a more dilute cleaning solution, a better strategy is to avoid using isopropyl alcohol on these components entirely. "

 

JP

[Bombastinator]

7 minutes ago, JP! said:

 

What about PCBs?

 

That why i am asking, from the previous link:

 

"Not all electronic components are compatible with isopropyl alcohol cleaning, however. In particular, polycarbonate electronic components, typically in PCBs, seals and gaskets, are extremely harmed by exposure to an isopropyl alcohol cleaning solution. While it may be possible to mitigate the impact of the cracking which occurs when isopropyl alcohol seeps into the polycarbonate by using a more dilute cleaning solution, a better strategy is to avoid using isopropyl alcohol on these components entirely. "

 

JP

Heh.  For a moment there I read pcbs as polychlorinated biphenyls (which have been used in capacitors though not recently) rather than Printed Circuit Boards which are horrificly poisonous.

 

Acronyms continue to suck for me.

[tkitch]

32 minutes ago, JP! said:

 

What about PCBs?

 

That´s why i am asking, from the previous link:

 

"Not all electronic components are compatible with isopropyl alcohol cleaning, however. In particular, polycarbonate electronic components, typically in PCBs, seals and gaskets, are extremely harmed by exposure to an isopropyl alcohol cleaning solution. While it may be possible to mitigate the impact of the cracking which occurs when isopropyl alcohol seeps into the polycarbonate by using a more dilute cleaning solution, a better strategy is to avoid using isopropyl alcohol on these components entirely. "

 

JP

your own link says using it on PCBs is fine.

 

Don't use it on polycarbonate (which PCs generally don't have) or on Polystyrene (again PCs don't generally have)

 

But on the rest of PCBs it's fine.

[Siddharth Goswami]

Some Good Store like walmart or pharmacies

[Bombastinator]

42 minutes ago, tkitch said:

your own link says using it on PCBs is fine.

 

Don't use it on polycarbonate (which PCs generally don't have) or on Polystyrene (again PCs don't generally have)

 

But on the rest of PCBs it's fine.

Polycarbonate has become almost synonymous with chinese Watercooler parts but it’s really easy to pick out and see if you’ve got any.  Polystyrene could happen in older cheaper case furniture. It’s synonymous with “crap plastic”.  Might also find it in a video card shroud or two.  Still though, on a PCB?  Not likely. 

[JP!]

16 hours ago, tkitch said:

your own link says using it on PCBs is fine.

 

Don't use it on polycarbonate (which PCs generally don't have) or on Polystyrene (again PCs don't generally have)

 

But on the rest of PCBs it's fine.

 "In particular, polycarbonate electronic components, typically in PCBs, seals and gaskets, are extremely harmed by exposure to an isopropyl alcohol cleaning solution"

 

Extremely harmed means fine?

 

Also, aren´t printed circuit boards made out of polycarbonate?

 

JP

[JP!]

9 hours ago, James Evens said:

Are you sure about your source?

IPA shouldn't cause harm to PC.

I am not, that's why i made the question.

 

I agree that it shouldn't be a problem for a PC, but if it is for a PCB - which is a significant part of a PC - i am trying to understand why people use and recommend it.

 

JP

[mariushm]

Acetone can also be used (nail polish remover is typical use of acetone) ... though acetone can dissolve some paints (printed text on plastic sleeves etc)

It's cheap .... for example 7 uk pounds for 300 ml bottle, probably 10-12 pounds for 500 ml or 1 liter... here's the 7 gbp link : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acetone-Superior-Quality-Polish-Remover/dp/B0182QCU7E/

 

Oh yeah ... you can also use BRAKE CLEANER fluid ... as long as it's not chlorinated ( chlorinated brake cleaners are banned in EU, so most brake cleaners would be fine)