Alcohols for final wipe down?

MarkD51

MarkD51

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Hello folks,

I know many of you suggest always using some type of paint cleaner after a final polishing-glazing paint correction process, and before any LSP is applied, to assure proper bonding results.

But I have thought about Iso alcohols, and recently I mixed up a small solution of 15% alcohol-distilled water mixture, and now remember this alcohol I used was the 70% variety, often referred to as "Rubbing Alcohol".

Now I'm no chemist, but I seem to remember that with 70% Rubbing Alcohol, the other 30% is not just water, that there are other products added (A linament or such?). And the products that are added might hinder rhe cleaning properties.

I'm assuming this is not optimal, that I should be doing a mix from a purer 91% alcohol instead?

What's your thoughts on this?
Thanks, Mark
 
Clear isopropyl alcohol for medical use contains nothing else but isopropyl and sterile water - regardless if its 70% or 91%. Occasionally the product will also be available with a coloring in it (often green) and it is the same as above, just has the dye in it - that I wouldn't use.

Ethyl alcohol ("ethanol") is similar to the above, except it contains ethyl (drinking) alcohol, along with lesser amounts if other alcohols (often isopropyl) to "denature" it, or make it poisonous to drink.

There is no benefit to buying 91% isopropyl alcohol over the 70% version of it, other than it would take less "product" (90% alcohol) to dilute it down to your desired concentration. The "purity" of the product is identical.

However, the cost of 90% isopropyl often outstrips any benefit that is gained from "product saved" when using less of the stronger product.
 
swanicyouth said:
Clear isopropyl alcohol for medical use contains nothing else but isopropyl and sterile water - regardless if its 70% or 91%. Occasionally the product will also be available with a coloring in it (often green) and it is the same as above, just has the dye in it - that I wouldn't use.

Ethyl alcohol ("ethanol") is similar to the above, except it contains ethyl (drinking) alcohol, along with lesser amounts if other alcohols (often isopropyl) to "denature" it, or make it poisonous to drink.

There is no benefit to buying 91% isopropyl alcohol over the 70% version of it, other than it would take less "product" (90% alcohol) to dilute it down to your desired concentration. The "purity" of the product is identical.

However, the cost of 90% isopropyl often outstrips any benefit that is gained from "product saved" when using less of the stronger product.
Click to expand...

Well said.
 
I have been getting 99% medical grade alcohol from work that we use to clean fiber optic cables with .
 
Many thanks folks, for your advice, and for the links to Mike's Tutorials-Articles.

I guess my previous notions about 70% IPA are indeed false. I also did do a quick search on 70% IPA MSDS, and you folks are correct, it is only alcohol, and water, no other additives.

But as Mike explains in his articles, and as some others might say, there can be risks with alcohols on certain paints, and/or if improperly used.

Thus, it might be wise for me at some near future point to acquire some of these good paint cleaning products which are solely designed for this purpose.

Is it correct then, that on plastics, and trim, alcohol will pretty much be an easily gotten go-to product to first strip, and prep these materials for treatment of the cutting edge synthetic protectants-rejuvenators-restorers?
Mark
 
ww2717 said:
I have been getting 99% medical grade alcohol from work that we use to clean fiber optic cables with .
Click to expand...

Upon awakening to, and discovering, a rather refreshing 18 F (windchill-y) Ohio-morn…
-I have also found, per the above quoted posting, that it is not so quite refreshing,
to read, admittedly: Moral flexibility.

-With the costs associated with "Medical Grade" alcohols being acute, in comparison to their OTC
"Medicinal-Grade" cousins…I doubt very seriously that a Company condones its expropriation.
(I could be wrong though.)


Nonetheless...
-I’m a firm believer that a person that has a healthy work/life balance
is more apt to act ethically---while at either venue.

However…
-The above posting of this particular: "How To"… seemingly makes it appear that,
if one opts to follow its 'directions', one may be either a:
Kleptomaniac, survivalist, cheapskate, a garden-variety basic thief, or a combination thereof.

-I can only suggest that a person exhibiting such "character" traits seek:
Professional "Medical Grade-treatment". ASAP!!


And…(afterall):
-Most well-versed HR personnel have heard, and have grown wearisome, of the excuse/cliché:

"This (expletives deleted) Company doesn’t pay me enough not to steal"!


This is, of course, JMHO...
-To be taken with a grain of salt---not grain-alcohol.

Bob
 
How much 70% IPA is required to make one liter (approximately 1.06 US quart) to produce a final 10% dilution of IPA?
Solution: Let X be the amount of 70% alcohol required. The final concentration will be 10% alcohol and 85% H2O. Therefore,
70% X = 10% x (1.06 quart)
Solving for: X = (10 x 1.06) / 70 = 0.15 quarts (or one sixth of a quart).
If starting with 90% IPA, then the amount required to produce 15% final concentration is: (15/90)(1.06)=0.12 quarts (or three twenty 25th parts of a quart).
In general, to obtain a desired volume of IPA at any final %, it is required an X amount of initial % IPA according to the following formula:
X (off-the-counter IPA) = (final % desired divide by off-the-counter %) times desired volume
 
I happen to purchase i the alcohol through our company supplier with my own funds Sir I just refereneced to the fact that we use it for cleaning fiber. I also have bought it on amazon. Back to the topic at hand.
 
ww2717 said:
I happen to purchase i the alcohol through our company supplier with my own funds Sir I just refereneced to the fact that we use it for cleaning fiber. I also have bought it on amazon. Back to the topic at hand.
Click to expand...

So...(and in order to be, as per your request: "back to the topic at hand")...

-Other than work-place related...
To/for what purpose(s) do you use "Medical Grade" alcohol offsite?

'Curious Bob'
 
IPA wipe is what I bought it for. However you have to dulite properly or it can cause the clear coat to soften. I hope that this resolves your curiosity on the issue. Thank you for you input and have a great weekend.,
 
FUNX725 said:
So...(and in order to be, as per your request: "back to the topic at hand")...

-Other than work-place related...
To/for what purpose(s) do you use "Medical Grade" alcohol offsite?

'Curious Bob'
Click to expand...

I have a friend, who is president of Osage Audio, and the manufacturer of Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions Record Cleaning Products.

I understand that he buys a higher grade of Iso Alcohols for his formulations, as he states that off the shelf grades may also have other impurities contained within (solids-etc)

Probably not so important for paint cleaning-prepping tasks.

Of course purity of such solutions can also be effected-compromised by what type of vessel they are stored-kept in.

Usually, you rarely see chemicals-medicines in glass containers nowadays, unless they are medical grade brown glass. That high grades of plastic are actually better I understand in many cases. Mark
 
ww2717 said:
IPA wipe is what I bought it for.

^^^As I've been alluding to:
Which of the "Medical Grade alcohols" did you purchase?^^^

I hope that this resolves your curiosity on the issue.

^^^Believe or not...Not quite^^^
Click to expand...
-What is your definition of: "Medical Grade alcohol"?
(It must be entirely different than mine.)

-I still find it hard to believe that anyone would spend ~ $66.00...for 4 fluid oz...
To purchase Medical Grade Isopropyl Alcohol, Reagent, for "IPA wipe-downs"

-Then there is Medical Grade Pure Alcohol (Ethanol/Everclear) that has an even steeper cost association...
Plus Federal Taxes/Import-Tariffs!!

Just saying...

BTW:
-I'm done with this: HPLC/ACS/USP/NF methods/standards for: "Medical Grade alcohols"...
-Unless you desire to continue, that is.

Bob
 
Yeah there Eddie I like only paid $20.00US for a gallon and its says medical use only on the bottle. As to whether its actual medical grade as to what you are referencing to there Eddie I don't know. If you want the rest of the gallon give me a ship to address and it's yours .Catch you later there EDDIE..

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
 
Can Methol Hydrate be used for wipe down ? I've heard it is used for de-icing in gas tanks. It is quite cheap.
 
sunday joe said:
Can Methol Hydrate be used for wipe down ? I've heard it is used for de-icing in gas tanks. It is quite cheap.
Click to expand...
-Sometimes being sold as/used to describe: Methanol...but erroneously, I'll add.

Methanol is often added to products such as:
-Rubbing Alcohol (ex: The 70% Ethyl Alcohol version) to denature ethanol
-Some anti-freezes, de-icers
-Windshield washer resevoir fluids

Just taking washer resevoirs fluid into consideration...
-There have been reports of 'paint damages' from their oversprays
that's left too long to linger/dwell.

Bottom-line:
-Although relatively inexpensive...
I personally wouldn't use methanol for: "Wipe-downs"!

:)

Bob
 
FUNX725 said:
-I still find it hard to believe that anyone would spend ~ $66.00...for 4 fluid oz...
To purchase Medical Grade Isopropyl Alcohol, Reagent, for "IPA wipe-downs"
Click to expand...

Not all higher purity IPA is medical. Over here in the UK (which you can bet will cost more than in the US), 99% isopropanol costs about £1.2/litre. In actual fact, it probably costs more to buy 70% because it is rather limited in its use here.
 
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