3d-printer-solvents

Where To Purchase High Quality 3D Printer Solvents

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3D Printer solvents, like isopropyl alcohol, are used to wipe clean 3D printing equipment after use, as well as clean 3D printed parts before curing. A solvent like isopropyl alcohol that is a  low VOC (low volatile organic compound) and has a high evaporation rate, is ideal for cleaning 3D printing equipment  as it will effectively degrease and clean the equipment without damaging the equipment or causing harm to the user with proper use. This is also an ideal solvent for soaking 3D printings to smooth out resin before curing. As isopropyl alcohol is a widely used solvent for everything from first aid to tech, you want to be sure to find a reliable supplier to provide your business with high purity and high quality isopropyl alcohol. Ecolink is a trusted, environmentally conscious supplier of chemical solvents like isopropyl alcohol, with the ability to provide bulk quantities from 5 – 55 gallons. If your business uses large amount of 3D printer solvents like isopropyl alcohol, purchasing in bulk from a company like Ecolink will not only insure that you receive a quality product, but will help your business save money by purchasing in bulk.

Why Should 3D Printers be Cleaned with Isopropyl Alcohol?

  • IPA (isopropyl alcohol) has a very high evaporation rate, which makes this solvent safe to use in the cleaning of various types of tech and electronic components including 3D printers, as damage from moisture is not a risk.
  • IPA is safe for users to handle. IPA is a low volatile organic compound, meaning it is not particularly toxic to humans as long as it is not ingested, and is handled with care.
  • IPA, in comparison to other chemical degreasers and solvents, is very affordable. This allows consumers to utilize a safe, high quality solvent without breaking the bank.

Looking for 3D Printer Solvents?

If your business could benefit from purchasing high quality, eco friendly, 3D printer solvents in bulk, contact us today to find the best product to fit your needs.

99 percent Isopropyl Alcohol IPA

Finding The Right Bulk IPA Supplier For Your Company

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Isopropyl alcohol, also known as IPA, is a versatile, colorless compound chemical, best known for its ability to clean and disinfect, especially in industrial settings which call for bulk IPA supplies. While IPA is used in several applications across many fields such as cosmetics, hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, and ear drops, this is a much more diluted form of IPA than what is used for industrial cleaning. Industrial IPA is 99% pure isopropyl alcohol, and has an extremely fast evaporation rate, making it a great cleaning agent for machinery, electronics, and other highly porous materials. Purchasing bulk IPA for cleaning is also much more cost effective than bulk supplies of similar agents like ethanol, methanol, or butanol. For these reasons, IPA is a great choice to use as an industrial cleaning agent, and finding a reliable supplier of bulk IPA is extremely important. Ecolink is an environmentally conscious supplier of eco friendly chemicals such as IPA. Selling bulk IPA in quantities (55 gallon IPA drums), Ecolink is reliable, and provides a high quality product that won’t break the bank.

Who Is Ecolink?

Ecolink provides bulk supplies of many eco friendly chemicals including IPA. If you are looking for the right cleaning agent for your company, Ecolink provides free samples of their chemical cleaning agents that you can try before you buy, to ensure you find the right cleaning agent for your business. If you feel your business could benefit from the use of a high purity IPA and the help of a knowledgeable bulk IPA supplier, consider Ecolink who can help find the right chemical cleaning agent for your industry.
? Electronics
? Medical
? Machinery
? Industrial
All of these industries and more need a high purity IPA to clean and disinfect without damaging the product or leaving behind dyes or residue. Bulk IPA from Ecolink can do just this, while being environmentally aware and cost effective. Visit www.Ecolink.com to learn more about bulk IPA and browse their full list of products and services.

what-is-sla-3d-printing

What Is SLA 3D Printing?

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SLA 3D Printing is a form of 3D printing that uses a laser or ultraviolet light source to harden a liquid resin into plastic. This style of printing works by layering the hardened plastic product to build the body of the three dimensional subject. SLA (stereolithography apparatus) technology was originally developed in Japan in the early 1980s as a system of 3D printing that could print functional products in a small amount of time. Today, SLA is still a widely popular form of printing and is often used in the  manufacturing of production materials and creation of high quality plastic models.

What is SLA 3D Printing used for?

  • SLA printing was originally created for the purpose of engineers producing high quality, plastic, prototypes in a time efficient manner. This is still a primary use of SLA printing.
  • This form of 3D printing has also gained popularity in the medical field. It is often used to create anatomically correct diagrams of the human body, used for education.
  • Many manufacturers also use SLA printing in the production of goods that have plastic components such as; jewelry, dentals tools, car parts, and prosthetics.

Cleaning SLA 3D Printing Machinery

SLA 3D printers generally consist of 4 parts; the resin tank, laser light source, perforated platform (building surface), and computer that controls the machinery and design. After a design has been completed, machine parts require some cleaning to ensure no resin is left to harden onto the surfaces. The best way to clean your SLA printing device is to wipe clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol (IPA).

For industrial and machine cleaning, Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is preferred over other alcohol cleaning agents such as Methyl Alcohol, Ethyl Alcohol, and Butyl Alcohol, as IPA has an ideal evaporation rate and vapor density in comparison to these other alcohol cleaning agents. At Ecolink you can find high quality, isopropyl alcohol to clean your SLA printer, ensuring the cleanliness and longevity of your device. Contact us today or shop our industrial cleaners and degreasers conveniently online here.

 

IPA 99% Compared To IPA 70%

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The Differences Between IPA 99% and IPA 70%

IPA 99% or Isopropyl alcohol 99% is used in many applications as a powerful cleaning agent and method of preservation.

IPA 70% is not the same as IPA 99%. IPA 70% is found in common household products such as rubbing alcohol.

IPA General Information

  • Rubbing alcohol is a mixture of compounds, while isopropyl alcohol 99% is pure alcohol.
  • IPA 99% is more closely related to propanol, while rubbing alcohol derives from ethyl alcohol.
  • IPA 99% is not safe to ingest in any form and less common for consumer use, while IPA 70% as a product of ethyl alcohol can be found in common alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, brandy, and whiskey.
  • Rubbing alcohol is a variant of denatured alcohol.
  • Rubbing alcohol has 70-95% ethanol, and can also be found as Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol which contains around 95% ethanol.
  • IPA 70% is also less toxic and flammable than IPA 99% and evaporates more slowly.

Applications

IPA 70% can be more versatile than IPA 99%, because IPA 70% can be safely used for both industrial and household applications.

Both IPA 70% and IPA 99% are useful antiseptics and play an important role in at home and professional medical care.

This is one of the many reasons that while IPA 70% may be cheaper and more versatile than IPA 99% in some circumstances.

Why Choose IPA 99%?

Sensitive electronic devices, such as computer chips, and circuit boards, are best manufactured with IPA 99% because of its fast drying and low water content qualities.

IPA 99% is also a much more effective cleaning agent than IPA 70%, because of its extremely fast evaporation and the fact that it is pure, completely non denatured alcohol.

Though IPA 99% is flammable, it is the strongest alcohol cleaning agent available to ensure optimal medical and industrial cleaning.

IPA 99% can also utilized to remove most inks, pastes, oils, and other contaminants associated with machinery and printing.

High purity alcohol is much better for cleaning electronics, because that is what is used in the manufacturing of the product.

The important difference between IPA 70% and IPA 99% to remember is that the additional 30% of substance that comprises IPA 70 is not always water, there may be additives included that would not be safe for all cleaning applications.

This uncertainty is where the purity of IPA 99 truly comes in handy.

IPA 99’s extremely fast evaporation leaves no residue behind after any sort of application.

This is one of the many reasons why IPA 99 is a better cleaning agent than IPA 70.

Simply put, Isopropyl Alcohol 99% is a safe, pure, strong, and effective solvent and cleaning agent that is useful in the medical, household, laboratory, and manufacturing industries.

If you would like to purchase IPA 99%, please call (800)-563-1305 or purchase IPA online here.

ipa 99 vs ipa 70 infographic

Fast Drying Solvents: Preserving the Formulation of IPA

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In the industrial chemicals industry, “fast drying solvents” are broadly classified as solutions that evaporate faster than water — often exponentially so. Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is one among many fast drying solvents, but its behavior deserves special consideration due to its widespread use as a solvent. Specifically: What can be done to preserve the efficacy of IPA, so it remains a powerful cleaner instead of a water-heavy version of its former self?

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Evaporation of IPA

IPA evaporates at roughly the same temperature as the ethyl alcohol in beer: 180°F (82 °C). In industrial facilities, multiple sources of heat — machines operating, heat treatment processes, body heat, etc. — can combine to push the temperature of the work environment to 180°F and above. When this temperature is reached, IPA starts evaporating, leaving behind the solvent’s water, which evaporates slower than IPA.

The temperature of the work environment isn’t the only thing that impacts the evaporation of IPA. The solvent’s evaporation rate also depends on the material of the storage container and the container’s surface area. For example, a large, metal container of IPA promotes faster evaporation than a small, plastic container of IPA. Metal transfers heat more rapidly than plastic, and there’s a larger surface area through which heat can transfer.

Containers for IPA

When ordered in small quantities, IPA and other fast drying solvents often come in plastic containers that have a small surface area. But when you order industrial IPA in bulk, you often receive the solvent in a large, metal drum. In addition, the purity of the solvent is generally near 100%, so it can be used in pure form for tough cleaning jobs, or diluted with water for less stringent applications.

So, the evaporation rate of IPA and similar fast drying solvents is partly determined by the packaging of the solvent supplier. Before you order high-purity IPA in a large drum, it’s a good idea to inquire about the drum’s closure, asking if it features a design that helps limit the amount of IPA lost during transfer to smaller containers, such as spray bottles.

Where you store drums of IPA also impacts evaporation rate. The temperature of work zones where IPA is used may routinely surpass 180°F, but the storage area should be kept below this temperature, whenever possible. The temperature of IPA will remain below its evaporation point, which deters evaporation during the time it takes for the solvent to reach the temperature of the work environment.

When you store IPA in this manner, evaporation can be greatly reduced, regardless of storage container construction and the standard temperature of the work environment.

About Our Company

Ecolink is a supplier of environmentally safe and environmentally preferred industrial solvents. In addition to supplying stock solvents that are ready to ship, we create custom solvents for the requirements of specific users. To learn more about our IPA products and other fast drying solvents, call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to assisting you!

Check out our other IPA blogs below.