Isopropyl Alcohol for Cleaning Flux
Joe
91% isopropyl alcohol.
I just called a CVS, it's $2.79 for 16 ounces and $2.99 for 32 ounces.
That's 20 cents more for double the 16 ounce size. (This is in southern
California).
A mildly related question: In thinking about other uses for rosin, it
occurred to me that I haven't seen any pitchers using a rosin bag for
years.
Maybe it went the way of the vanishing caboose. :)
--- Joe
William Sommerwerck
> for 32 ounces. That's 20 cents more for double the
> 16 ounce size. (This is in southern California).
Even the quart size is overpriced. If you're willing to wait for a sale, you
should pay no more than about $1 per pint.
> A mildly related question: In thinking about other uses
> for rosin, it occurred to me that I haven't seen any pitchers
> using a rosin bag for years.
I can just see a pitcher tossing a roll of solder at the batter. <grin>
Arfa Daily
"Joe" <no...@given.now> wrote in message
news:none-25071...@dialup-4.231.173.83.dial1.losangeles1.level3.net...
91% IPA is not usually considered to be 'electronics grade', which should be
99.7% minimum. It's also not the most appropriate stuff for cleaning a lot
of flux, which requires a proper defluxing agent such as Electrolube Deflux
160
Arfa
Meat Plow
91 leaves a bit of residue in certain cases. After reading the
ingredients on a can of Flux-Off spray flux stripper I thought why not
just use 91 isoprop. It usually does work in conjunction with a
toothbrush. But like I said can leave a residue.
David Nebenzahl
> On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:57:25 +0100, Arfa Daily wrote:
>
>> "Joe" <no...@given.now> wrote in message
>> news:none-25071...@dialup-4.231.173.83.dial1.losangeles1.level3.net...
>>
>>> In one of the posts about solder, somebody mentioned CVS Drug Store for
>>> 91% isopropyl alcohol.
>>>
>>> I just called a CVS, it's $2.79 for 16 ounces and $2.99 for 32 ounces.
>>> That's 20 cents more for double the 16 ounce size. (This is in southern
>>> California).
>>
>> 91% IPA is not usually considered to be 'electronics grade', which
>> should be 99.7% minimum. It's also not the most appropriate stuff for
>> cleaning a lot of flux, which requires a proper defluxing agent such as
>> Electrolube Deflux 160
>
> 91 leaves a bit of residue in certain cases. After reading the
> ingredients on a can of Flux-Off spray flux stripper I thought why not
> just use 91 isoprop. It usually does work in conjunction with a
> toothbrush. But like I said can leave a residue.
Why mess around with isopropyl alcohol at all, since all of it contains
*some* water? Use denatured alcohol (methanol) instead, in a
tightly-capped container to guard against absorbing moisture.
--
The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,
with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.
- Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)
GregS
>On 7/26/2010 10:30 AM Meat Plow spake thus:
>
>> On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:57:25 +0100, Arfa Daily wrote:
>>
>>> "Joe" <no...@given.now> wrote in message
>>>
> news:none-25071...@dialup-4.231.173.83.dial1.losangeles1.level3.net...
> >>
>>>> In one of the posts about solder, somebody mentioned CVS Drug Store for
>>>> 91% isopropyl alcohol.
>>>>
>>>> I just called a CVS, it's $2.79 for 16 ounces and $2.99 for 32 ounces.
>>>> That's 20 cents more for double the 16 ounce size. (This is in southern
>>>> California).
>>>
>>> 91% IPA is not usually considered to be 'electronics grade', which
>>> should be 99.7% minimum. It's also not the most appropriate stuff for
>>> cleaning a lot of flux, which requires a proper defluxing agent such as
>>> Electrolube Deflux 160
>>
>> 91 leaves a bit of residue in certain cases. After reading the
>> ingredients on a can of Flux-Off spray flux stripper I thought why not
>> just use 91 isoprop. It usually does work in conjunction with a
>> toothbrush. But like I said can leave a residue.
>
>Why mess around with isopropyl alcohol at all, since all of it contains
>*some* water? Use denatured alcohol (methanol) instead, in a
>tightly-capped container to guard against absorbing moisture.
That would be fine if you used it in ZERO humidity.
Its not worth the trouble using 99.99%
95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.
I don't buy it, but the medical labs buy it.. Its safer than 99%
stuff due to dryers contamination as far as drinking. The
The denatured stuff probably has more residue.
Seems to me methanol has the ability to harm some materials
its used on.
I also have a 4L bottle of isoproypal 99.5% .001% residue
which is nice. I will ALWAYS have water on the board
after cleaning just from room humidity. I usually take
a hot air gun or pistol to heat dry the board
or put it under an incandesant light bulb.
A possible source for cleaning boards, gas tank alcohol, "dry gas"
probably mostly isopropal alcohol, probably 98% or better.
greg
Geoffrey S. Mendelson
> 95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.
How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).
Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.
Geoff.
--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
To help restaurants, as part of the "stimulus package", everyone must order
dessert. As part of the socialized health plan, you are forbidden to eat it. :-)
David Nebenzahl
> GregS wrote:
>
>> 95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.
>
> How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).
>
> Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.
Well, that's ethanol, which should also work fine, so long as you don't
mind the 5% water.
GregS
>GregS wrote:
>
>> 95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.
>
>How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).
>
>Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.
>
Yes I was reffering to the ethanol drinkable stuff that is not taxed.
Been used for years in medical parties.
greg
Geoffrey S. Mendelson
> Yes I was reffering to the ethanol drinkable stuff that is not taxed.
> Been used for years in medical parties.
For some strange reason, the cheapest booze you can buy in Israel is the
95% it costs about 25 NIS a fifth, around $6 INCLUDING TAXES.
pimpom
> On 7/26/2010 11:49 AM Geoffrey S. Mendelson spake thus:
>
>> GregS wrote:
>>
>>> 95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured
>>> stuff.
>>
>> How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).
>>
>> Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70%
>> Isopropyl.
>
> Well, that's ethanol, which should also work fine, so long as
> you
> don't mind the 5% water.
I use medical or denatured alcohol as a general-purpose cleaning
solution. When I need stronger stuff, such as on cruds of old and
hardened flux or when there's simply lots of it, I use automobile
paint thinner. Wiping with a piece of cloth or cotton wool is
usually enough and I rarely need to scrub with a brush.
The thinner can dissolve some plastics though. So some care is
needed, as is good ventilation. It looks and feels somewhat oily
but dries very quickly. A one-liter can costs about $3 US here.
GregS
I got some spray heavy duty flux remover with freon like component,
methelyne chloride, ethanol, and another component.
Its useless for regular cleaning. It dries too fast. I never had the
need to use other than alcohol for flux remover. When I
worked in a factory "DEC" in 1969, they had like washtubs with
spigots, and turn on the spigot out poured "TRI",
trichloroethane. It worked well. I still have a can around saying safety solvent.
Sometimes we would try to fix their modules, for some forgotten reason,
to fix a computer problem.
I also remember fellow in our section, working on something new, computer
"terminal monitors". There was some kind of problem, and he was taking some
boards into the mens room to wash them off. i guess they worked after that.That
was an interesting section with monitors, modems, and UARTS, and the PDP 8i
About 7 people.
I remember they used to sell cans about the size of paint sprays filled
with trichloroethane , sold as fire extinguishers.
greg
k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz
Not a wise move. The un-taxed stuff (not for human consumption) often
contains benzene.
Arfa Daily
"pimpom" <pim...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:i2knq7$6ls$1...@news.albasani.net...
Hope you never use it on a board that's got a lacquer type coating on it
then ... :-\
What amazes me, and I can't understand, is why all of these 'substitute'
chemicals are used by people, when the proper ones, designed for the job,
are really not expensive in the first place
Arfa
Sergey Kubushyn
Another question is why do they try to clean rosin with pure alcohol that is
extremely ineffective for that purpose?
The ad-hoc solution that is cheap and works really well is a mix of 60%
denaturated alcohol with 40% Xylene from a hardware store. Pure alcohol is a
very bad solvent for rosin flux, very slow and leaving a lot of white
residue.
And it only makes sense to invent something homebrew if very good flux
remover in aerosol cans is really unavailable. Otherwise just go grab a can
at your local Fry's (or whatever) and enjoy.
---
******************************************************************
* KSI@home KOI8 Net < > The impossible we do immediately. *
* Las Vegas NV, USA < > Miracles require 24-hour notice. *
******************************************************************
Jon Danniken
>
> Why mess around with isopropyl alcohol at all, since all of it
> contains *some* water? Use denatured alcohol (methanol) instead, in a
> tightly-capped container to guard against absorbing moisture.
Perhaps it is different where you live, but here in the US, denatured
alcohol is not methanol; it is, instead, ethanol with a denaturant added.
The denaturant can be methanol, or it can be any number of other chemicals,
so long as it is sufficiently adulterated to prevent a person from using it
for ingestion.
Jon
pimpom
I do take care to use it only where it won't do damage. The "some
plastics" was just an example.
>
> What amazes me, and I can't understand, is why all of these
> 'substitute' chemicals are used by people, when the proper
> ones,
> designed for the job, are really not expensive in the first
> place
>
Some people use the substitutes because they don't know better.
Others have good reasons: The "proper" ones are not easily
available in many parts of the world, including mine. And the
thinner serves other useful purposes too. It's a good
general-purpose solvent.
Arfa Daily
"Sergey Kubushyn" <k...@koi8.net> wrote in message
news:i2lakl$du0$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
Yes, the fact that it's not very good for some types of flux - rosin as you
say - was one of my original points. Alcohol is fine for cleaning general
crud and sticky things and greasy things, and I keep a can of Electrolube
99.7% electronics grade IPA for just those purposes, but I also keep a can
of proper defluxer for, well .... defluxing ....
Arfa
William Sommerwerck
> with a denaturant. The denaturant can be methanol, or
> a number of other chemicals, as long as it's sufficiently
> adulterated to prevent a person from using it for ingestion.
"using it for ingestion" = "drinking it" You will soon be visited by
Jacques Barzun and put to death in a most unpleasant manner.
Methanol is wood alcohol. It _is_ drinkable -- but poisonous. Among other
things, it causes blindness.
I've never tasted denatured alcohol -- a few drops are harmless -- so I
don't understand why denatured alcohol is "undrinkable".
GregS
Thats the 99% stuff that contains benzene.
greg
k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz
Much of the untaxed ethanol uses the benzene process.
k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz
Right. Methanol is a very poor denaturant. The idea is to make it
undrinkable, not lethal. Someone ralfing their guts out for an hour is
cheaper than blindness or death. Now, Sterno...
tm
<k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz> wrote in message
news:6umu46159hqem3o9a...@4ax.com...
The treatment for Methanol poisoning is Ethanol and lots of it. Usually by
IV.
tm
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ne...@netfront.net ---
k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz
AIUI, this swamps the liver so it doesn't produce as much formaldehyde at
once.
Dave Platt
k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz <k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz> wrote:
>>
>>Perhaps it is different where you live, but here in the US, denatured
>>alcohol is not methanol; it is, instead, ethanol with a denaturant added.
>>The denaturant can be methanol, or it can be any number of other chemicals,
>>so long as it is sufficiently adulterated to prevent a person from using it
>>for ingestion.
>
>Right. Methanol is a very poor denaturant. The idea is to make it
>undrinkable, not lethal. Someone ralfing their guts out for an hour is
>cheaper than blindness or death.
Yup. Recipies for denaturing ethanol seem to vary a lot by country
and by intended application of the denatured alcohol.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/27cfr21_03.html lists a
bunch of different formulas that are specifically defined and
authorized in the U.S. for certain applications. Some of them seem
downright scary:
Formula 2-C: To every 100 gallons of alcohol add thirty-three pounds
or more of metallic sodium and either 1/2 gallon of
benzene, 1/2 gallon of toluene, or 1/2 gallon of
rubber hydrocarbon solvent.
5 gallons of methanol per 100 gallons of ethanol is Formula 3-A.
--
Dave Platt <dpl...@radagast.org> AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!
Dave Platt
tm <the_ob...@whitehouse.gov> wrote:
>> Right. Methanol is a very poor denaturant. The idea is to make it
>> undrinkable, not lethal. Someone ralfing their guts out for an hour is
>> cheaper than blindness or death. Now, Sterno...
>
>The treatment for Methanol poisoning is Ethanol and lots of it. Usually by
>IV.
The same treatment is also used at times in cases of poisoning due to
ethylene glycol (antifreeze). If I recall correctly, the idea is to
saturate the liver's conversion-enzyme system with ethanol, thus
blocking the breakdown of methanol or glycol into toxic byproducts.
GregS
None of the 95%.
k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz
I wouldn't bet my life on it.
Paul E. Schoen
"GregS" <zekf...@zekfrivolous.com> wrote in message
news:i2kovd$d95$1...@usenet01.srv.cis.pitt.edu...
>
> I also remember fellow in our section, working on something new, computer
> "terminal monitors". There was some kind of problem, and he was taking
> some
> boards into the mens room to wash them off. i guess they worked after
> that.
Long ago (1980?) I remember having problems with leakage on a board that
stored voltages in polystyrene capacitors using CMOS switches and op-amps,
but the voltage would bleed off too quickly to be useful as a "memory". We
tried all sorts of flux removers and it still didn't work well enough. But I
had an idea that it might be ionic contaminants such as salt, so I took a
board into the mens room and scrubbed it with hand soap and flushed it with
hot water. Then I dried it with a heat gun, and "voila" it worked like a
champ rather than a chump.
I have had good results with isopropyl alcohol as a flux remover, applied
with a stiff "acid" brush with bristles cut short. It does leave a white
residue. But then I follow with a spray of detergent, scrubbing once again,
and the heat gun to dry it thoroughly. You need to be careful about
overheating, so I hold the board by hand on the edges and move the hot air
around. My fingers will hurt before I overheat the board. Seems to work very
well.
Paul
William Sommerwerck
> stored voltages in polystyrene capacitors using CMOS
> switches and op-amps, but the voltage would bleed off too
> quickly to be useful as a "memory". We tried all sorts of
> flux removers and it still didn't work well enough. But I had
> had an idea that it might be ionic contaminants such as
> salt, so I took a board into the mens room and scrubbed
> it with hand soap and flushed it with hot water. Then I dried
> it with a heat gun, and "voila" it worked like a champ rather
> than a chump.
Interesting observation.
Question... Wouldn't distilled water alone flush off ionic contaminants?
Paul E. Schoen
"William Sommerwerck" <grizzle...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:i32gbp$hnm$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Probably. But there may be some sort of oily residue that will be removed by
the detergent. And hot water from the tap is much cheaper. It may be good to
do a final rinse with distilled or deionized water. I have heard that some
people stack their boards in a dishwasher. But my method works for me and is
is very practical for small quantities.
Paul
Michael A. Terrell
We used a citrus based cleaner in a commercial board washing machine
at Microdyne. It was a modified stainless steel industrial dishwasher
with a separate solvent tank and fresh water wash. Then the boards went
into a board drying oven for 12 to 24 hours. This was for small runs of
boards stuffed and reflow soldered in house.
GregS
I noticed citrus based degreasers leave behind oil.
Thats a bad thing when you really want to paint something thinking
it will work. Bad for tape sticking also.
I think I allready mentioned mens room board cleaning.
greg
Michael A. Terrell
Mention whatever you want, but it was a NASA approved process. We
built telemetry equipment for the aerospace industry. NASA wouldn't
approve of your method. We built millions of dollars worth of equipment
per year.