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Isopropyl Alcohol As Pcb Cleaner


HDShadow
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Would like some advice.

US people here and on other Xbox forums seem to recommend isopropyl alcohol for all sorts of purposes particularly cleaning the MB and other related purposes.

What I would like to know is what is best as there are usually two grades available:-

Rubbing Alcohol typically 70% isopropyl alcohol. This is what people on the Xbox forums usually mention.

Lab grade isoproyl Alcohol typically 99.9% isopropyl alcohol.

Thing is rubbing alcohol is said in some sources not always to contain isopropyl alcohol but even when it does also contains water and other substances to discourage consumption. That's very much like methylated spirits, more commonly used in the UK for the same sorts of purposes.

However my research indicates that only lab grade ie. pure isopropyl alcohol is recommended for cleaning PCBs mainly because it doesn't contain water and those denaturing agents. Because it is purer it evaporates faster and is actually less good as an antiseptic because of that.

Knowledgeable opinions/recommendation?

 

 

Edited by HDShadow
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Confirmed what I thought.

There are some opportunist scammers out there particularly on Ebay who offer the 'lab grade' stuff at cheap-ish  prices and then do not deliver (literally). I fell victim to one supposed UK based seller with a good six year history and the item stated as being in the UK. But it turned out both were located in China and two weeks after ordering the guy suddenly disappeared as an Ebay seller. But got my money back very quickly thanks to Ebay/Paypal - quite impressed with that.

But browsing yesterday I came upon other reports of isopropyl alcohol buyers being ripped off.

 

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The local (300km away)supplier I use is currently using it to make hand sanitiser and has said for regular customers they can still supply limited amounts lucky for me I still  have a couple of liters left.

I have used methylated spirits to clean PCB's in the past as-well it just takes a bit longer to dry.

In all my years on eBay I have only had to get ebay/paypal involved twice once Paypal refunded my money and the other time the seller refunded my money with an apology after ebay got involved and then he asked for me to change my review.

 

Cheers

SS Dave


Soft modding is like masturbating, It get's the job done but it's nothing like the real thing.

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Hello,

in France at job, we use lab isopropolic alcohol that we buy at www.rs.com, this is an english BIG BIG compagny.( Previously called "radiospares", no this is not a spanish compagny !)

https://fr.rs-online.com/web/p/nettoyants-et-degraissants-de-precision/3493152/

this is made by 3M (US compagny) and the part number is:22779

bye, take care of you

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Interesting ^. I did not know they did isopropyl alcohol. I knew someone who use to work for them and as, ironically, they had no interest in electronics, they used their employee discount to get me some stuff I wanted relatively cheaply.

Just checked their web site (UK) and their pricing for isopropyl alcohol, including VAT/delivery, for 500ml and 1L is actually very reasonable in comparison to many of the Ebay alternatives. However both are marked as unavailable in the UK at present. Not surprising in the current circumstances.     

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