Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is a compound with the chemical formula C3H8O or C3H7OH or CH3CHOHCH3. Chemical elements that form the compound make it colorless — a desirable quality for cleaning minutely porous materials that could absorb color from cleaners — and highly evaporable, which makes it an optimal solution for cleaning soils from electronics.
Consequently, care must taken when using an IPA in an environment that has ignition sources. Fire hazard must also be considered when storing the popular cleaner. And workers who use IPA regularly can benefit from wearing respirators — and potentially other protective gear, depending on whether IPA is combined with other elements to create an IPA cleaner.
Classes of IPA
There are several classes of IPA based on intended use: industrial, cosmetic, pharmaceutical (USP), reagent, and electronic. At Ecolink, we specialize in IPA for general industrial use and cleaning electronics. Industrial grade IPA is primarily used as a solvent and cleaner. Electronic IPA is used in the same capacity, cleaning printed circuit boards (PCB) and flat panel displays (FPD), along with a many other electrical parts and apparatuses.
IPA Vs. IPA Cleaner
IPA from IPA cleaner is splitting hairs. IPA itself is a formidable cleaner; albeit, one with various purity levels that impact how and where it is used. The term ”IPA cleaner” commonly refers to cleaners containing the compound along with other active ingredients.
An IPA cleaner — as distinguished from pure IPA — commonly refers to cleaners using IPA to create industrial cleaner, such as IPA-based acetone, 2-bromopropane, and propene. However, because IPA with high a purity level is an excellent cleaner, organizations often use IPA alone, both as a general cleaner and a solvent for cleaning electronic components.
IPA Purity Levels
The efficacy and range of application for IPA depends on its purity. For example, pharmacy-grade rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizers, and disinfecting wipes commonly use a 60%–70% IPA solution in water. But industrial grade IPA frequently contains over 99% pure IPA.
The high purity enhances the compound’s natural qualities. Beneficial for cleaning electronics, evaporation rate increases. Another benefit is that high-purity IPA cleaner is affordable and more efficacious compared to other solutions (e.g., ethanol, n-butanol, and methanol). for some of the same applications.
IPA’s primary downsides are high flammability and high evaporation rate. As mentioned previously, the high evaporation is excellent for cleaning electronics; however, depending on the amount used, a special air filtration system and personal protective equipment (PPE) may be needed in the application environment.
Need an IPA Cleaner?
If you’re in the market for an IPA cleaner, check out our lineup of IPA solutions before you buy. We offer high-purity IPA, with the option to acquire it in bulk supply, standard shipments, or as needed. We also offer free samples of all cleaners, so you can try before your buy.
To explore IPA cleaner opportunities at Ecolink, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to supplying high-purity IPA for your general and electronics-based cleaning needs!
Isopropyl Alcohol: What is An IPA Cleaner?
/in IPA/by Industrial DegreasersIsopropyl alcohol (IPA) is a compound with the chemical formula C3H8O or C3H7OH or CH3CHOHCH3. Chemical elements that form the compound make it colorless — a desirable quality for cleaning minutely porous materials that could absorb color from cleaners — and highly evaporable, which makes it an optimal solution for cleaning soils from electronics.
Consequently, care must taken when using an IPA in an environment that has ignition sources. Fire hazard must also be considered when storing the popular cleaner. And workers who use IPA regularly can benefit from wearing respirators — and potentially other protective gear, depending on whether IPA is combined with other elements to create an IPA cleaner.
Classes of IPA
There are several classes of IPA based on intended use: industrial, cosmetic, pharmaceutical (USP), reagent, and electronic. At Ecolink, we specialize in IPA for general industrial use and cleaning electronics. Industrial grade IPA is primarily used as a solvent and cleaner. Electronic IPA is used in the same capacity, cleaning printed circuit boards (PCB) and flat panel displays (FPD), along with a many other electrical parts and apparatuses.
IPA Vs. IPA Cleaner
IPA from IPA cleaner is splitting hairs. IPA itself is a formidable cleaner; albeit, one with various purity levels that impact how and where it is used. The term ”IPA cleaner” commonly refers to cleaners containing the compound along with other active ingredients.
An IPA cleaner — as distinguished from pure IPA — commonly refers to cleaners using IPA to create industrial cleaner, such as IPA-based acetone, 2-bromopropane, and propene. However, because IPA with high a purity level is an excellent cleaner, organizations often use IPA alone, both as a general cleaner and a solvent for cleaning electronic components.
IPA Purity Levels
The efficacy and range of application for IPA depends on its purity. For example, pharmacy-grade rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizers, and disinfecting wipes commonly use a 60%–70% IPA solution in water. But industrial grade IPA frequently contains over 99% pure IPA.
The high purity enhances the compound’s natural qualities. Beneficial for cleaning electronics, evaporation rate increases. Another benefit is that high-purity IPA cleaner is affordable and more efficacious compared to other solutions (e.g., ethanol, n-butanol, and methanol). for some of the same applications.
IPA’s primary downsides are high flammability and high evaporation rate. As mentioned previously, the high evaporation is excellent for cleaning electronics; however, depending on the amount used, a special air filtration system and personal protective equipment (PPE) may be needed in the application environment.
Need an IPA Cleaner?
If you’re in the market for an IPA cleaner, check out our lineup of IPA solutions before you buy. We offer high-purity IPA, with the option to acquire it in bulk supply, standard shipments, or as needed. We also offer free samples of all cleaners, so you can try before your buy.
To explore IPA cleaner opportunities at Ecolink, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to supplying high-purity IPA for your general and electronics-based cleaning needs!
IPA Electronic Cleaning: An Overview
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersIsopropyl alcohol (IPA) is a popular cleaning solution in the industrial, commercial, and residential sectors. In each case, the compound is commonly used to clean electronics, ranging from computer components, to display screens, to parts in sound equipment.
There’s a difference between IPA you get from a local pharmacy and IPA you acquire from an industrial-grade supplier of cleaners for electronics. The small bottles you find on pharmacy shelves have roughly 80 percent purity; IPA dispersed in sanitary wipes often has slightly less. Industrial grade IPA, on the other hand, commonly has a purity of over 99%.
IPA Electronic Cleaning
No all electronic cleaning operations require a solution of nearly 100% IPA. To achieve the right IPA density, users can conveniently dilute the isopropyl alcohol with water, achieving a mixture perfect for the application. IPA electronic cleaning applies to the following electronic apparatuses components, among others:
? Contact pins (e.g., ROM cartridges)
? Magnetic tape
? Disk heads (e.g., legacy floppy disk drives)
? Optical disc drive lasers (e.g., CD and DVD)
? IC packages (e.g., CPUs)
IPA excels at removing oil, grease, and other handling soils from electronics. It also serves well as a remover of ionic salts from PCBs and excels at dissolving organic acids from rosin-based solder flux. However, IPA electronic cleaning can also have some potential drawbacks.
IPA’s polar nature makes it an undesirable option for cleaning non-polar oil and grease. This is significant, because the polar ionic contaminants and nonpolar grease and oil are frequently encountered in the cleaning operation. In this situation, polar IPA can be combined with a nonpolar solvent. If we don’t stock an IPA combo solution that addresses your needs, we’ll create a custom solvent for IPA electronic cleaning that addresses your specific needs.
Other Crucial Considerations
Because high-purity IPA is inexpensive compared to many electronic cleaning solvents — and because it possesses a wide range of applications — even solutions combining IPA and non-polar solvent can be quite affordable, making them popular options for upgrading to a more affordable solution without compromising the efficacy of the solvent.
Another crucial consideration is the high flammability of IPA. With an open cup flashpoint of 11.7°C (53.1°F; 284.8 K) and a closed cup flashpoint of 13°C (55°F), the compound should not be used for IPA electronic cleaning without safety measures in place, particularly flame-retardant personal protective equipment (PPE) and storing the solvent in an area lacking combustibles and ignition sources. The high evaporation of high-purity IPA that is beneficial for cleaning electronics causes the solution to combust quickly and burn fast.
Use IPA Electronic Cleaning
As long as you choose the right solution and follow safety precautions, an IPA electronic cleaning solvent is an effective, affordable way to address a variety of commercial and industrial grade electronic cleaning applications. When you make us your source, you have the option of using a stock solution or a custom solution specifically formulated to match your needs.
To get started on selecting an IPA electronic cleaning agent, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to supplying IPA electronic cleaning solutions!
Precision Cleaning of Parts: Common Mistakes to Avoid
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersPrecision cleaning is a refined cleaning process that removes super-micrometre particles and residues that are thinner than a monolayer. The maximum amount of dirt allowed on parts that undergo precision cleaning is ? 50 mg / m² (1).
Precision cleaning delivers a deeper level of cleaning than “intermediate cleaning” and “final cleaning”, but not as deep as “critical cleaning”, which is performed in a cleanroom environment to remove sub-micrometre particles and non-volatile residue. The maximum amount of allowable dirt for critical cleaning is ? 5 mg / m² (1).
Precision Cleaning Mistakes to Avoid
Precision cleaning of parts is the gold standard for cleaning most types of industrial parts, with precision cleaning being reserved for parts such as medical instruments and certain aerospace components — two classes of parts whose use has the least tolerance for accumulated soils.
Precision cleaning of parts isn’t a difficult process when performed using an parts washing machine. However, there are four mistakes newcomers to precision cleaning commonly make. Avoiding the mistakes below adds integrity to the parts cleaning process, helps protect parts, can cut parts cleaning costs.
The definition of precision cleaning above should define the parameters of your precision parts cleaning process. Too often, the process is ill-defined and conforms to the standards for intermediate cleaning or final cleaning. This can lead to poor parts performance and equipment failure.
Modern precision parts often contain more than one material and more than one type of the same material. For example, a motor part may feature high-grade plastic, as well as steel and copper. Each material must be considered when choosing a solvent for precision cleaning of parts. Otherwise, a solvent that isn’t compatible with all the materials could cause damage.
Not every parts washer has a solvent recycling system, but ones that do can significantly reduce solvent costs. For example, using a vapor degreaser in a washing system that recycles solvent separates used solvent from the soils it removed, returning the recycled degreaser to the solvent basin in the washing chamber, where it can be used for the next wash cycle.
There are several ways to use the wrong solvent for precision cleaning of parts; specifically, using the wrong solvent for the parts washing system, using a solvent that has a poor environmental safety profile, and using a solvent that doesn’t offer the best efficacy for removing certain soils. Ecolink will help you choose the most efficacious solvent.
Need a Precision Parts Cleaner?
If so, contact us today, and one of our solvent specialists will help you select the best precision parts cleaner for your needs. If a stock solution isn’t the best fit, we’ll formulate a custom solvent that’s designed for your unique requirements. To get started on selecting a solvent for precision cleaning of parts, call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form.
Aqueous Based Cleaners: 4 Cost Saving Strategies
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersAqueous based cleaners are often a good choice for the environment and workers who perform cleaning operations. The water base is friendlier to leaf and limb than many solvent based cleaners. In many cases, this is due to an absence or low volume of volatile organic compounds in the cleaner, which become known as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) when they evaporate.
Regardless of why an aqueous cleaner is right for your needs, there are at least four cost saving strategies you can use to minimize your investment. Let’s take a brief look at what they are.
1. Purchase in Bulk
When the seller offers a low price for bulk orders, the buyer essentially receives a lower cost for each unit that comprises the large order. Bulk orders are great for big companies and organizations that consistently use a large supply of aqueous based cleaners. They also work for smaller outfits that want to get a great price and store away most of the order to use it as-needed.
2. Buy As-Needed
Speaking of the “as-needed” supply model, it operates quite simply. A stock or custom solvent is matched with the customer’s needs, the customer’s product information (e.g., data for a custom cleaner formulation) is stored, and the customer can then order the product in practically any amount, on practically any schedule.
3. Use a Custom Cleaner
Having a cleaner custom formulated for your unique needs often involves more upfront expense than buying a stock cleaner. However, if a stock solution poses problems to workers’ health and the environment, using a safer, custom solvent may be the most cost effective option, especially considering the high cost of sick days, workers comp claims, and injury lawsuits that may result from using toxic cleaners.
4. Buy From One Source
Some businesses reward frequent customers with special discounts and other incentives. It’s the company’s way of giving something back, while still making sales. We don’t often mention customer rewards when talking about the economics of solvent purchases, but the reward programs can save high-volume users thousands of dollars annually on aqueous based cleaners and other types of cleaning solutions.
In addition, getting everything you need from one supply source fosters a business relationship where the seller is highly motivated to meet the customer’s needs. Great customer service can win customers, but great customers can also promote a high level of customer service.
Shopping for Aqueous Based Cleaners?
If so, check out our selection of industrial grade, aqueous based cleaners that are formulated for a variety of applications. We supply both stock and custom solvents, and provide a free test sample for whatever you plan to buy, so you can see the solution’s efficacy for yourself. Request the sample and we’ll send it quickly.
To learn more about our aqueous-based cleaners, or to place an order, please call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email using our contact form. We look forward to learning about your needs and seeing how we can help!
IPA Cleaner Spray: Key Facts to Remember
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersSold on the industrial, commercial, and residential markets, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) cleaner has a wide variety of uses, from killing germs, to cleaning general surfaces, to cleaning electronic components that play a critical role in business operations.
Ecolink offers IPA cleaner spray solutions for industrial applications. These solutions generally have a higher IPA purity than business-to-consumer (B2C) IPA cleaners. The following key things to remember about IPA cleaner spray is based on this fact.
1. Range of Use
In terms of application, IPA spray cleaner is one of the most diverse spray cleaners for industrial settings, highly useful for cleaning general surfaces, removing soils from a wide range of electronic parts and apparatuses, and disinfecting surfaces, tools, and instruments.
However, when it comes to general cleaning, IPA cleaner spray isn’t suitable for all surfaces. Before you begin using an IPA spray liberally, check the user’s manual to identify any materials industrial grade IPA — or IPA of any purity level — isn’t designed to treat.
2. Low Flashpoint
IPA has an open cup flashpoint of 11.7°C (53.1°F; 284.8 K) and a closed cup flashpoint of 13°C (55°F). The flashpoint of an IPA cleaner spray is partly determined by its purity; specifically, what percentage of the solution is IPA, what percentage is water, and what percentage is comprised of another ingredient, and possible more than one.
If you use an industrial formulation, you’re probably using a product with high purity. This means workers should use flame retardant personal protective equipment (PPE) and special storage conditions should be observed.
The Orleans/Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Sciences recommends 99% IPA be “stored in [a] Flammable Area with other flammable materials and away from any strong oxidizers. In addition “Store in a dedicated flammables cabinet. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated, locked store room away from incompatible materials.”
3. Highly Evaporative
IPA with a purity of 99% and above readily evaporates in open air, leaving no residue. The high evaporation rate makes the compound great for cleaning electrical components that shouldn’t remain wet for more than few minutes, if not less. The high evaporation rate of a nearly pure IPA formulation also correlates with its easy flammability, which should be considered when establishing a range of use for IPA cleaner spray.
4. Longevity
High purity IP cleaner spray can last for long periods of time in unopened containers. However, as the Orleans/Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Sciences notes, “Peroxide formation may occur in containers that have been opened and remain in storage for more than 12 months.” This is important to remember when ordering IPA cleaner spray. How long containers remain in storage can impact the solution’s efficacy.
Need IPA Cleaner Spray?
If so, Ecolink can provide you with a stock solution or custom formulation quickly and affordably. In addition, we’ll provide you with a free product sample, so you can test its efficacy before the purchase. To get started on selecting the right product, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to helping you choose the right solution!