Isopropyl alcohol-IPA

Introduction

Isopropyl alcohol, also known as methylated spirits, dimethyl methanol, or 2-propanol, is the simplest secondary alcohol and one of the isomers of n-propanol. A colorless, strongly odorous flammable liquid with a scent resembling a mixture of ethanol and acetone, though less pronounced. Soluble in water, alcohols, ethers, benzene, chloroform, and most organic solvents. Miscible with water, alcohols, and ethers; forms azeotropes with water. Density (specific gravity): 0.7863 g/cm³, Melting point: -88.5°C, Boiling point: 82.5°C, Flash point: 11.7°C, Autoignition temperature: 460°C, Refractive index: 1.3772. Its vapors may cause mild irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat; it can be absorbed through the skin. Its vapor forms explosive mixtures with air. Explosive limits range from 2.0% to 12% (by volume). Classified as a moderately explosive hazardous material. Categorized as a flammable, low-toxicity substance. Vapor toxicity is twice that of ethanol; oral toxicity is the opposite.

Isopropyl alcohol is an important chemical product and raw material, primarily used as a dehydrating agent and cleaning agent in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, plastics, fragrances, coatings, and the electronics industry. It serves as a reagent for determining barium, calcium, magnesium, nickel, potassium, sodium, and strontium. It is also a reference material for chromatographic analysis. In the printed circuit board manufacturing industry, it functions as a cleaning agent and is used to create conductive plating in PCB holes. Additionally, it is employed in other electronic devices, including cleaning CD cases, floppy disk drives, tapes, and laser heads in CD or DVD player optical drives. Isopropanol also serves as a solvent in flexographic, lithographic, and gravure printing, and as an equipment cleaner. It is frequently included in ink formulations. It remains a vital solvent for laboratory dilution and extraction. Furthermore, isopropanol functions as a gasoline additive and de-icing agent for fuel pipelines. Within pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, it is employed to manufacture scrub solutions, hand and body lotions, preservatives, and pharmaceutical blushing agents. It is also employed in paints, thinners, coatings, cleaners, and polishes, as well as for surface sterilization, hospital disinfection, and food processing plants. In numerous industrial and consumer products, isopropyl alcohol serves as a low-cost solvent and extractant, often substituting for ethanol. It functions as a solvent for oils and colloids and is utilized in manufacturing fishmeal feed concentrates. Lower-grade isopropanol is used in automotive fuels. Its consumption as a feedstock for acetone production is declining. Several compounds are synthesized from isopropanol, including isopropyl acetate, methyl isobutyl ketone, isopropylamine, diisopropyl ether, isopropyl acetate, musk xylene, and numerous esters. Different grades of isopropanol are supplied based on end-use requirements. Conventional-grade anhydrous isopropyl alcohol typically contains over 99%, while specialty-grade isopropyl alcohol exceeds 99.8% purity (used in flavorings and pharmaceuticals).