What Is the Function of Isopropyl Alcohol?
Isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol, has many uses in industrial and residential environments. It is a member of the alcohol family and is produced by the hydration of propene in water. Isopropyl alcohol is low in toxicity, evaporates quickly and is effective in dissolving lipid-based compounds such as oil. For these reasons it is an effective cleaner and antiseptic. It is often used for cleaning jewelry and for clinical sanitizing; in high concentrations, it is capable of dissolving the lipid membrane that surrounds many viruses. It is also useful in cleaning electronics because of its short evaporation time.
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Cleaning
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Isopropyl alcohol is highly effective at removing oils. For example, fingerprints on electronic devices are caused by residual body oil being left on such devices. These oils collect dirt and dust, which makes the print visible. Isopropyl alcohol removes the underlying oil, thus removing the fingerprint. Similarly, oil can damage contact pins, such as those on a memory card, or at least disrupt communication across such contact pins. Isopropyl alcohol removes the oil from the pins and will evaporate before risking moisture damage. Isopropyl alcohol is also useful for cleaning disks, disk heads, optic drive lasers and monitors.
Antiseptic
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Isopropyl alcohol is often used as an antiseptic rather than a disinfectant, as its fast evaporation makes it inadequate at cleaning surfaces and tools unless they can be soaked in it. Solutions of isopropyl alcohol in water are capable of penetrating several layers of skin and are therefore useful in disinfecting injection sites. Higher concentrations of isopropyl alcohol are capable of denaturing proteins and dissolving lipids and nonpolar compounds, similar to acetone.
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Preservation
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Isopropyl alcohol is a suitable alternative for formaldehyde in preserving biological specimens. Isopropyl alcohol is considerably safer to use and nearly as effective. Concentrations of close to 100 percent are typically used for preservation, but solutions as low as 70 percent, which is typically the concentration found in homes, can also be used if need be.
Mechanical Uses
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Isopropyl alcohol is sometimes used by welders to clean welds before they are made. Impurities trapped in a weld can cause imperfections. Isopropyl alcohol is used to clean the weld and remove these impurities, ensuring a clean weld. Isopropyl alcohol can also be used to clean brake pads. Brake fluid occasionally leaks onto the pads and causes the brakes to perform less effectively; isopropyl alcohol removes the excess brake fluid. Isopropyl alcohol is also added to some fuel additives to prevent water in the fuel lines from freezing.
Other Uses
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There are many other less significant uses for isopropyl alcohol. It can be mixed in a 1-1 ratio with water and applied to ears to cure swimmer's ear. It can be used to remove ink and oil stains and to clean print heads. It is present in aftershaves and body lotion, and can be used as emergency nail polish remover, although prolonged regular exposure can damage nails and skin.
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References
- Photo Credit Cleaning materials image by TekinT from Fotolia.com
