Posts

denatured alcohol vs rubbing alcohol

Denatured Alcohol vs. Rubbing Alcohol

/in /by

It is important to know the difference when you are comparing denatured alcohol vs rubbing alcohol. Read on to learn more, or if you are interested in purchasing a form of alcohol, shop our variety of alcohol and alcohol-related products by clicking buy now below!

denatured alcohol vs rubbing alcohol

How is Alcohol Used in Various Industries?  

Alcohol is one of the many organic compounds that companies use to clean parts or machinery involved with the manufacturing of a finished product. It is applied in a variety of industries and is also included in fuels, antiseptics, preservatives, and solvents. Products containing alcohol as a base have varying percentages of ethanol. For example, an alcoholic beverage can range anywhere from 2% percent to over 90% percent ethanol by volume, whereas an antiseptic often contains between 60 and 95 percent ethanol (they may also contain propanol or isopropanol). Alcohols such as ethanol and methanol are often used as solvents in the industry because it is more environmentally friendly than other solvents such as formaldehyde and tetrahydrofuran. 

What Is Denatured Alcohol? 

Denatured alcohol, sometimes referred to as “methylated spirits”, includes specific additives that make it non-drinkable. This form of ethanol has a bad taste, smells foul, and is poisonous if ingested. The additive (which is usually 10 percent methanol) serves to deter individuals from attempting to consume it for recreational purposes. Denatured alcohol has a wide range of applications- it is used to sand wood, as a fuel for small camping stoves, as a cleaning aid, and as a solvent.  

How Is Rubbing Alcohol Different? 

Rubbing alcohol is considered to be a “surgical spirit” rather than a “methylated spirit” since it is often used in medical environments. It consists of pure isopropyl alcohol or ethanol (most commonly isopropyl alcohol), usually at a concentration of 70% or 99%. Like denatured alcohol, it is used as a solvent, but it can also be used as a disinfecting and cleaning agent (for both medical and technological purposes), as an astringent, and even as a paint stripper.  

Applications of Denatured Alcohol vs Rubbing Alcohol  

As was discussed above, some of denatured alcohol’s common applications include: 

  • Solvent  
  • Cleaner for quick spot removal 
  • Fuel for camping stoves 
  • Sanding and finishing wood  

Some typical uses of rubbing alcohol include: 

  • Solvent 
  • Antiseptic  
  • Astringent  
  • Disinfecting agent  

In addition, both types of alcohol are highly flammable, making it important to take precautions when handling in an enclosed environment or using in large quantities. 

Looking For Denatured or Rubbing Alcohol?  

Shop all our alcohol and alcohol-related products conveniently online here, or for more information, email us today! We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sanitizing Food Preparation Surfaces with Sanitizers

/in /by

Prepping Surfaces for Food Preparation

With the constant news stories of food-borne illness rising each and every year, there is a need for more effective cleaning and sanitation procedures and materials in the food manufacturing industry. To ensure the lowest possible chance of illness resulting from unclean surfaces, detergent-based cleaners are not potent enough to remove pathogens. In a study performed by J Barker, results showed that detergents failed to decontaminate tested surfaces in all but one trial. Consequently, when developing a surface preparation procedure, it is critical to use a detergent-based cleaner and a sanitizer once the cleaner has been used to ensure the lowest chance of organic food contamination!

Disinfectants vs Sanitizers

Similarities

  • Designed to kill microorganisms
  • Regulated by US EPA

Differences

  • Sanitizers used on food-contact surfaces & soft surfaces
  • Disinfectants used on hard surfaces
  • Disinfectants used to destroy or irreversibly inactivate the microorganisms listed on their label
  • Sanitizers used at lower concentrations & for shorter periods of time
  • Disinfectants used at high concentrations & for longer times

It is important to remember that sanitizers are used to reduce bacterial count by 99.999% on food preparation surfaces within 30 seconds while disinfectants are used to kill all targeted organisms within 10 minutes. Therefore, utilizing both in a cleaning procedure will allow you to reduce chances of illness as much as possible.

Overview of a General Cleaning and Sanitizing Process for Food Contact Surfaces and Equipment

A usual method for cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces and equipment utilizes liquids and is in three steps: clean, rinse, sanitize.

Clean

  • Cleaning agents remove dirt, germs, objects, and impurities from contact surfaces and equipment.
  • For regulatory purposes, the cleaning agent is not required to be organic.
  • All cleaners or detergents used must meet the FDA’s requirements.
  • Cleaners and detergents have been developed to be rinsed off, so a rinse step is needed to prevent the contamination of organic foods from the cleaning agent’s residues.

Rinse

  • Rinsing with potable water will remove the cleaning agents from surfaces and equipment.

Sanitize

  • Sanitizers are used on cleaned surfaces to make certain that the surface is free of pathogenic microbes.
  • In most state and federal food safety protocols, a sanitizing step is required for food contact surfaces.
  • Since sanitizers are designed to leave anti-bacterial residue on food contact surfaces, they aren’t allowed to be in contact with organic food.
    • Consequently, USDA organic regulations permit the use of a few synthetic sanitizers for food surfaces.

Allowed Cleaners, Detergents, and Soaps

The only requirement for cleaners, detergents, and soaps in the food surface cleaning process is that they must be prevented from coming in contact with organic food. Thus, cleaning agents are required to be rinsed from the food contact surface prior to use. The USDA organic regulations do not specifically list any approved cleaners since the guidelines require the removal of any cleaner form food contact surfaces and equipment. Therefore, the proper removal of the cleaner will ensure that no residue will be in contact with organic foods.

Approved Sanitizers

  • Chlorine Materials
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Ozone
  • Peracetic acid/peroxyacetic acid
  • Phosphoric acid
  • Potassium hydroxide
  • Sodium hydroxide

Approved Sanitizers (Requires intervening step to ensure zero contamination

  • Isopropyl alcohol
  • Acetic acid
  • Ethyl alcohol
  • Citric products/limonene
  • Potassium permanganate
  • Sulfuric acid
  • Vinegar
  • Quaternary ammonia

How can Ecolink help?

To purchase and find technical support on sanitizers, like isopropyl alcohol, contact us today! We will work with you to find a suitable product for your needs. We also offer samples so that you can determine if our product is right for you! Call us today at 800-563-1305 or check out our shop!

 

Should you Reduce Tetrachloroethylene (PERC) Exposure?

/in , /by

Since the mid-1930s, PERC, also known as perchloroethylene, PCE, tetrachloroethylene, and tetrachloroethene, has been an effective organic solvent that has mainly been used in the dry cleaning industry and to a lesser extent, in metal degreasing. PERC was an ideal dry cleaning solvent because of its excellent cleaning power, stable, non-flammable properties, and gentleness towards many articles of clothing. Many of the qualities that made PERC a desirable dry cleaning solvent also contributed to its usefulness in vapor degreasing. However, there were concerns that workers who routinely breathed excessive amounts of the solvent vapor or spilled PERC on their skin were at risk of developing health problems. In 1993, research data had led many organizations to believe that PERC was a potential human carcinogen; as a result, California and the EPA decided to begin regulating the use of PERC by establishing a Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) and producing advisory content concerning workplace exposure reduction. The current Occupational Safety and Health Administration PEL for PERC is 100 parts per million (8-hour TWA).

Although the dry cleaning industry has refined the control of PERC and created new equipment that has much lower exposure than older models, there is still a necessity to reduce employee exposure to the solvent in order to prevent health hazards that could result from long-term exposure.

Possible health effects of PERC Exposure

  • Dizziness, drowsiness, and loss of coordination
  • Mild loss of memory, visual perception, and reaction time after several years of exposure
  • Redness and blistering of the skin after extended dermal contact.

Primary Sources of PERC Exposure

  • Loading dirty garments into the machine (when perc-contaminated air is displaced and forced out of the machine)
  • Removing garments, especially thick articles, before the drying cycle is completed
  • Transferring solvent-laden clothes into the dryer
  • Lint and button filter cleaning
  • Raking out the still (distillation unit residue)
  • Solvent filter changes
  • Water separator maintenance
  • Hazardous waste management

Replacement: Safe for You and Your Employees!

With increasing regulations regarding PERC usage, the best solution to keep employees safe and prevent compliance headaches is replace PERC and use FluoSolv! FluoSolv is a solvent degreaser that is also commonly used for metal degreasing. If our existing blends of FluoSolv aren’t right for you, then contact us to create a custom blend that fits your needs! There are no charges for samples (up to 1-gallon), so check our FluoSolv page or give us a call today! 

 

Our HCFC based aerosol is discontinued – See what’s taking its place!

/in /by

Out with the Old, In with the New

SELECT FREE is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-based solvent used in many electrical maintenance applications and has been known for its exceptional cleaning performance. SELECT FREE is designed to clean contacts, relays, and other critical electronic components. It was manufactured as a replacement for CFC-113 contact cleaners, but the time has come for SELECT FREE to step down. Ecolink has discontinued the sale and production of SELECT FREE due to the hazards associated with HCFC.

EPA Ban on HCFC

On January 1, 2010 the EPA placed a ban on production, import and use of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b with exceptions. In 2015, updates included all HCFCs and exceptions were limited to refrigeration equipment. By the year 2020 the phaseout will be complete and the servicing of systems with R-22 will rely on recycled or stockpiled quantities.

Carry on with FluoSolv AP

With the HCFC ban, SELECT FREE was inevitably discontinued and replaced by FluoSolv™ AP manufactured by NuGenTec. The solvent FluoSolv™ AP is an effective cleaner for de-fluxing electronic assemblies and other intricate electrical parts. FluoSolv™ AP is ideally balanced to deliver performance and worker safety.

  • Non-ozone depleting chemical (ODC)
  • Low global warming potential (GWP)
  • Low toxicity; high allowable exposure limit (AEL)
  • Chemically stable; will not turn acidic
  • Flash point of 44°C

This product is recommended for use in modern vapor degreasing equipment or spray and wipe aerosol application. FluoSolv™ AP is a stable azeotropic blend that is easy to reclaim by a simple distillation process.

55 Gallon Drum | 5 Gallon Pail

Why You Should Rethink Purchasing Acetone From a Reseller

/in /by

Using a distributor is the first choice for many businesses to purchase industrial supplies since it is both convenient and consolidates purchasing. However, there are several benefits to be had by buying directly from the resellers’ provider that you should be aware of.

Acetone Resellers

Are You Buying Acetone Cleaner Through One of These Distributors? We have a deal for you!

If you are purchasing commodity chemicals like Acetone from any of these national distributors, you may have considered who they’re sourcing from, and if it is possible for you to use the same supplier. The answer is yes! Ecolink saves you time by cutting out the middle man and helps your bottom line by avoiding distributor markups. We sell our products through these companies because they are good at what they do, but there are times when the benefits make buying direct the superior option. In the case of a chemical like Acetone, we guarantee you will enjoy the savings.

Call (800) 563-1305 to learn more about commodity chemicals offered by Ecolink or email us at acetone@ecolink.com.

Getting Pure Acetone Cleaner for Less

One 55 gallon barrel of Acetone can be purchased for $451 in our online shop. If you browse reseller pricing, you will see 55-gallon drums selling at prices up to 5x our current rate! Why pay more for the exact same product? Our pricing has remained consistent and we’re able to pass the savings to you by avoiding markups that result from products passing through too many channels. We also have low minimums for customers that need less.

Industrial Solvent: What You Need, When You Need It

Knowing how vital it is to have the tools you need to operate when you need them, we believe it’s important to be aware that most resellers do not keep products like Acetone in stock. By ordering directly with Ecolink, you will benefit from same day shipping and reduced freight costs. In addition, communicating directly with the supplier can add value to customers who need more accurate, real-time information on the products and their use.

Understanding the benefits of buying direct will help you make a more informed decision about your chemical solvent purchasing. If you need to talk to one of our chemical advisors, you can reach us at 800-563-1305 or at acetone@ecolink.com. If you would like to purchase Acetone from our shop, click on the links below:

?Acetone | 55 Gallon Drum                 ?Acetone | 5 Gallon Pail