Isopropyl alcohol 99%, or IPA 99%, is a clear, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinct odor. Cost-effective, HAPs-free and less toxic than methanol, it has long been recognized as a universal solvent. Due to modern manufacturing systems that now produce superior grades of IPA in high yields, expansion in market supply has fueled innovation in water sensitive applications.
The majority of IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol), is made by hydrating propylene, although it sometimes catalytically converted from acetone. Reversely, IPA can also be a precursor for acetone. Isopropyl Alcohol is the simplest secondary alcohol. Tethered to the middle of the molecule’s three carbons is its lone hydroxyl (-OH) group. Its oxygen has a partial negative charge, while the connecting hydrogen and carbon atoms have partial positive charges, making IPA a polar molecule. Miscible in water, IPA also dissolves a wide range of nonpolar compounds like oils and resins.
Although the electronics and medical device sectors consume the lion’s share of IPA 99%, it is also an essential process agent in alternate arenas. In this article we will examine some of the top industrial uses for IPA 99% as well as which grade might be appropriate for each.
Disclaimer: Because IPA is flammable in liquid and vapor form, and is an irritant, appropriate care should always be taken for storage and handling. These chemicals are meant to be used for research, industrial work, cleaning or disinfecting, hence they should be stored appropriately and away from young children and infants.
IPA 99% is a common cleaner and degreaser of cables, connectors, electrical contacts, LCDs, keypads, glass, fiber optics, cables, keypads, and tape heads. Since water poses a shock hazard when working with electrical components, using water-free IPA to clean electronics is compulsory for safety.
Specifically engineered for manufacturing semiconductors, Cleanroom grade IPA 99%. Additional steps such as submicron filtering are required to remove nano-sized contaminants that can disrupt electronic connections; therefore the cost of this premium product is higher. Containing only ppm level impurities, each lot is tested for 40 trace metals. With increasing concentration, the flash point of IPA is lowered while evaporation hastens, giving 99% purity potential for front end of the line (FEOL) washing of semiconductor wafers, printed circuit boards, and integrated circuits. Highly pure and nonpolar, it might be appropriate for rinsing away etchant salts, metal residues, thermal grease, and rosin solder flux. Exceptionally pure, anhydrous IPA 99% can be critical for dewatering and the final cleaning of wafers, silicon, solar cells, and fuel cells.

3. Coatings
IPA 99% is widely used in the coatings industry as a reagent for producing polymers as well as a dispersion agent for downstream. Intermediates that can be made from it include acetone, glycerol, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and bisphenol A, common precursors for resins and paints (CN102050713A). MIKB, a solvent for surface coatings, can be synthesized by reacting a gaseous mixture of acetone and IPA with hydrogen in the presence of an Aldol condensation catalyst [EP1931615A1]. Methyl methacrylate can be generated by condensing acetone and hydrogen cyanide and then copolymerized in an IPA solution to make acrylic.
IPA 99% is a common diluent for resins and paints. For impregnating cellulosic or fiberglass substrates with resin, IPA 99% might be used to thin saturating mixes to hasten penetration of the polymers into the media, after which it can be flashed off in an oven or left to dry. Because it dissolves uncured polymers, workers might also use it to wash tools, equipment, or spills.
IPA 99% Grade |
Potential Uses |
ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL 99% Cleanroom Grade LP |
FEOL cleaning - wafers, PCB, silicon, solar cells, fuel cells, copper films, tungsten, disinfectant, medical device |
ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL 99% HPLC Grade |
HPLC, UPLC, TLC, fluorescence, lab or research, environmental testing, medical device, disinfectant |
Isopropyl Alcohol 99% ( IPA 99% )Tech Grade |
General cleaning, solvent for inks, electronics, autos |
Disclaimer: Because IPA is flammable in liquid and vapor form, and is an irritant, appropriate care should always be taken for storage and handling. These chemicals are meant to be used for research, industrial work, cleaning or disinfecting, hence they should be stored appropriately and away from young children and infants.
References:
1 Drozdowski, B. & Ackman, R.G. J Am Oil Chem Soc (1969) 46: 371. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02636868 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02636868
2 Ivo Nikolaev Sirakov, Marcelo L. Larramendy, Sonia Soloneski (2019) Nucleic Acid Isolation and Downstream Applications, Nucleic Acids - From Basic Aspects to Laboratory Tools. Ch. 1 UR - https://doi.org/10.5772/61833 DO - 10.5772/61833 SN - 978-953-51-2264-7 PB - IntechOpen CY - Rijeka Y2 https://www.intechopen.com/books/nucleic-acids-from-basic-aspects-to-laboratory-tools/nucleic-acid-isolation-and-downstream-applications
3 Ankur M. Desai, Mark Andreae, Douglas G. Mullen, Mark M. Banaszak Holl, James R. Baker, Jr. Anal Methods, Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 Jan 1. Published in final edited form as: Anal Methods. 2011 Jan Acetonitrile shortage: use of isopropanol as an alternative elution system for ultra/high performance liquid chromatography; 3(1): 56–58. doi: 10.1039/c0ay00493f https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3092165/
9 Industrial Applications for Isopropyl Alcohol 99% (IPA 99%)
Chemicals IPA 99% Isopropyl Alcohol Isopropyl Alcohol 99%