The world's leading household antiseptic and disinfectant.
Isopropyl Alcohol, also known as Isopropanol or rubbing alcohol, is the world's most produced and efficacious antiseptic in the medical world today. It is the most popular and commonly known household disinfectant for wounds and can even be used for cleaning purposes. It is also used in the most known disinfectant, hand sanitizer, which can kill up to 99.9% of germs.
This clear liquid has many benefits, but is also highly flammable, and potentially deadly if ingested. This chemical can also be found in paint, ink, windshield deicing agents, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and toiletries, and lithography. It is also used as an ingredient in cleaners and polishers, as a chemical intermediate, and as a dehydrating agent and extractant.
However, Isopropyl Alcohol was not always used as a disinfectant. In 1920, the Standard Oil company first produced this solution by hydrating propene. At the time, its major use was not as rubbing alcohol, but for oxidation to acetone who's first major use was in WWI for the preparation of cordite, a smokeless propellant. Some of its early uses were also as an anesthetic.
This clear liquid has many benefits, but is also highly flammable, and potentially deadly if ingested. This chemical can also be found in paint, ink, windshield deicing agents, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and toiletries, and lithography. It is also used as an ingredient in cleaners and polishers, as a chemical intermediate, and as a dehydrating agent and extractant.
However, Isopropyl Alcohol was not always used as a disinfectant. In 1920, the Standard Oil company first produced this solution by hydrating propene. At the time, its major use was not as rubbing alcohol, but for oxidation to acetone who's first major use was in WWI for the preparation of cordite, a smokeless propellant. Some of its early uses were also as an anesthetic.
Why is Isopropanol better than Ethanol or Methanol?
Ethanol is most commonly known as drinking alcohol, however it also has many of the same antiseptic capabilities as isopropanol. So why then isn't ethanol used more commonly? The answer is because ethanol is taxed. Because it can be consumed as alcohol, it is heavily
taxed whereas isopropanol is mostly used for medical purposes and can not be consumed.
taxed whereas isopropanol is mostly used for medical purposes and can not be consumed.
Well if ethanol isn't better than isopropanol, then what about methanol? There are some clear reasons as to why isopropanol is favored over methanol. Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, has a very low flash point. This means that if it were to be on your skin and you were near an open fire, you would burst into flames. Also, methanol absorbs into the skin and eventually corrodes the optic nerve causing blindness.
As you can see, Isopropanol (Isopropyl Alcohol), is the most popular and commonly used household antiseptic for many reasons.