Isopropyl alcohol, also known as isopropanol or propanol 2 or rubbing alcohol, is a colorless, flammable chemical compound that has a very strong odor.
This alcohol is used in the manufacture of a wide range of various industrial and household chemicals and has been used as a base material in many chemical products such as disinfectants, disinfectants and detergents.
Isopropyl alcohol is soluble in water, ethanol, ether and chloroform and is able to dissolve various substances including ethyl cellulose, polyvinyl butyral, many oils, alkaloids and natural resins.
Unlike ethanol or methanol, this alcohol does not dissolve in saline solutions, and some salt, such as sodium chloride, can be added to the solution to separate it from aqueous solutions.
Isopropyl alcohol becomes highly viscous with decreasing temperature and freezes at -89 ° C.
applications
• Halal
The substance dissolves a wide range of non-polar compounds and evaporates rapidly and is relatively non-toxic to alternative solvents. Therefore, it is widely used as a clean solvent in cosmetics, antifreeze, paints and resins, medicines, foodstuffs, inks and adhesives.
• Surface cleaner
Isopropanol antibacterial application makes it a surface disinfectant for household appliances (in household cleaning) and in the electronics industry (electronic components) for cleaning electronic devices such as magnetic tapes and head disks (such as those in audio and video recorders and Floppy disk drives have converted laser lenses into optical drives (eg CDs, DVDs).
• Disinfectants
The above product is a strong antibacterial agent, so it is used as an antibacterial, antiseptic and minor wound cleanser. It is often used in hospitals and laboratories for surface disinfection, purifiers, hand cleaning fluid for surgical team members, and a solution of 70-60% isopropyl alcohol in water for hand sanitizers and disinfection pads. The effect of this compound on viruses is not as great as that of bacteria, but it can still be effective. In the preparation of hand sanitizers, a combination of this substance and ethanol is usually used, to achieve maximum effectiveness and antimicrobial.
Isopropyl alcohol is mainly used in the production of household detergents. Many health and skin care products are also made using this organic compound. This second type of alcohol is an ideal compound for the pharmaceutical industry. Isopropanol can be converted to acetone and used as an intermediate compound. 2. Propanol is also used as an additive to gasoline.
Another application of isopropyl alcohol is its use as a solvent. This compound can solve a wide range of non-polar compounds. For this reason, this alcohol is also used to clean some parts and tools.
The chemical composition of isopropanol is almost harmless in terms of toxicity or irritation to the skin and eyes, but it is highly volatile and flammable. Therefore, containers and tanks for storing this chemical compound should be located in dry and cool warehouses away from heat and heat sources.
The amount of 2-propanol entering the environment if it exceeds its standard level can cause problems for plants and aquatic organisms. This material is classified as Class 3 (flammable and hazardous chemicals) for transportation.
Isopropyl alcohol is known as one of the most widely used organic solvents with an alcoholic structure in the world. Among the countries that produce, buy and sell isopropanol in the world markets, there are Asian and European countries.
Top exporters of 2-propanol with their export earnings are as follows:
• US $ 335 million
Germany $ 160 million
The Netherlands with $ 139 million
Japan with $ 107 million
South Africa with $ 107 million
The top importers of isopropyl alcohol with their export earnings are as follows:
Belgium – Luxembourg with $ 129 million
• The United States with $ 125 million
China with $ 103 million
India with $ 101 million
Germany with $ 83.3 million
