----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Gwinn" <joegwinn@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, 05 June, 2003 10:13 PM
Subject: [OM] Ranking of alcohols by aggressiveness
> At 9:54 PM +0000 6/5/03, olympus-digest wrote:
> >Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2003 16:58:37 +0200
> >From: maarten.schulte@xxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: RE: [OM] ethyl or isopropyl
> >
> >I shouldn't use iso-propyl alcohol.
> >The stuff might damage the plastics and rubber parts of the camera.
> >methanol or ethanol are less agressive.
>
> It's the other way around. Isopropyl is the least aggressive of the
bunch.
>
> Basically, the smaller the molecule, the more aggressive the solvent. The
order is:
>
> Methyl Alcohol (most aggressive)
> Ethyl Alcohol
> Isopropyl Alcohol (least aggressive)
>
> Denatured alcohol is a mixture of ethyl and methyl alcohol, the intent
being to make it undrinkable. It is plausible that this would be called
"methylated spirits" in the UK.
>
> Methyl alcohol is also called "wood alcohol" in the US. Methanol (not
menthol) is the chemical name. For some reason, wood alcohol has
disappeared from hardware stores in the US.
>
> Isopropyl alcohol from drugstores in the US comes in two strengths, 70%
and 91%. The balance is water. The 91 0s the strength to use on cameras.
Not that it matters; I have never succeeded in dissolving adhesive gunk with
isopropyl alcohol, though it does work with oil and dirt.
In Canada the 99% version is widely available on drug store shelves.
jh
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