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Rubbing alcohol

 

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Rubbing alcohol


 
 


Rubbing alcohol, USPUnited States Pharmacopeia

The United States Pharmacopeia is a compendium of drugs published every year by the United States Pharmacopoeial Convention...
 / B.P.British Pharmacopoeia

The British Pharmacopoeia is the authoritative collection of standards for UK medicinal substances....
is a liquid prepared for topicalTopical Overview

In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, throa...
 application prepared from specially denatured alcohol and containing 68.5-71.5% vol./vol. of absolute (ie. 100%) ethanolFacts About Ethanol

This article is about the chemical compound....
 (ethyl alcohol). Individual manufacturers can use their own "formulation standards" in which the ethanol content usually ranges from 70-95% v/v.

The term "rubbing alcohol" has become a general non-specific term for either isopropyl alcoholIsopropyl alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is a common name for propan-2-ol, a colorless, flammable chemical compound with a strong odor....
 (isopropanol) or ethyl alcohol (ethanol) rubbing-alcohol products. The confusion comes from the greater popularity of isopropyl rubbing alcohol, and as a result, individuals requesting "rubbing alcohol" generally expect and get an isopropyl alcohol product. However, the British PharmacopoeiaBritish Pharmacopoeia

The British Pharmacopoeia is the authoritative collection of standards for UK medicinal substances....
 and United States PharmacopeiaUnited States Pharmacopeia

The United States Pharmacopeia is a compendium of drugs published every year by the United States Pharmacopoeial Convention...
 standards (standards recognized in many countries other than the UK and USA) define rubbing alcohol as a mixture of ethanol and water of fixed proportions.

Standardization

In the United States, rubbing alcohol, USPUnited States Pharmacopeia

The United States Pharmacopeia is a compendium of drugs published every year by the United States Pharmacopoeial Convention...
and all preparations coming under the classification of Rubbing Alcohols must be manufactured in accordance with the requirements of the US Treasury Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, using Formula 23-H (8 parts by volume of acetoneAcetone

In chemistry, acetone is the simplest representative of the ketones....
, 1.5 parts by volume of methyl isobutyl ketoneMethyl isobutyl ketone

Methyl isobutyl ketone or MIBK, has a variety of alternative names:...
, and 100 parts by volume of ethyl alcohol). It contains 68.5-71.5% by volume of absolute ethyl alcohol, the remainder consisting of water and the denaturants, with or without colour additives, and perfume oils. Rubbing Alcohol contains in each 100 mL not less than 355 mg of sucrose octaacetateSucrose octaacetate Summary

Sucrose octaacetate is an acetylated derivative of sucrose....
 or not less than 1.40 mg of denatonium benzoate. The preparation may be coloured with one or more colour additives. A suitable stabilizer may also be added.

Physical Properties

Rubbing alcohol is a cellular, volatileFacts About Volatility (chemistry)

Volatility in chemistry is speed that a chemical compound evaporates....
, and flammable liquidLiquid

A liquid is one of the main phases of matter....
. It is transparentTransparency (optics)

In optics, transparency is the property of allowing light to pass....
, though it can be coloured as desired. It has an extremely bitter taste and (in the absence of added odorous substances) a characteristic odour. The specific gravitySpecific gravity

Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of the density of a given substance to the density of water, when both are at the s...
 of Formula 23-H is between 0.8691 and 0.8771 at 15.56°.

Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol

Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol, USPUnited States Pharmacopeia

The United States Pharmacopeia is a compendium of drugs published every year by the United States Pharmacopoeial Convention...
 / B.P.British Pharmacopoeia

The British Pharmacopoeia is the authoritative collection of standards for UK medicinal substances....
 contains 68-99% of isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol) by volume, the remainder consisting of water, with or without colour additives, suitable stabilizers, and perfume oils.
Isopropyl alcohol is oxidized by the liver into acetoneAcetone Summary

In chemistry, acetone is the simplest representative of the ketones....
. Symptoms of isopropyl alcohol poisoning include flushing, headache, dizziness, CNS depressionCNS depression

CNS depression refers to physiological depression of the central nervous system, for example in propoxyphene poisoning....
, nausea, vomiting, anesthesiaAnesthesia

Anesthesia or anaesthesia has traditionally meant the process of blocking the perception of pain and other tactil sen...
, and comaComa

In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness....
.

Uses

Rubbing alcohol can be applied as a cooling, soothing application for bedridden patients and athletes. It helps soothe deep down cold bones (e.g., shins) if rubbed into skin during winter seasons. It is also widely used for cleansing surgeons' hands and instruments and for the disinfectionDisinfection

Disinfection is the destruction of pathogenic and other kinds of microorganisms by physical or chemical means....
 of skin prior to penetration by a hypodermic needle. As an antisepticAntiseptic

An antiseptic is a substance that prevents the growth and reproduction of various microorganisms on the external surfaces ...
 it is good against vegetative bacteria and fair against fungi and viruses, but is ineffective against spores. It is widely believed that 70% ethanol provides the greatest reduction in bacterial count; however, this is incorrect. Other concentrations may be more effective, but their rate of kill is slower . In order to reduce the skin bacterial count to 5% of normal, 70% ethanol must be left on the skin for at least 2 minutes. Rubbing alcohol is also a feeble anestheticAnesthesia

Anesthesia or anaesthesia has traditionally meant the process of blocking the perception of pain and other tactil sen...
 and a mild counterirritantCounterirritant

A counterirritant is a substance which creates inflammation in one location with the goal of lessening the inflammation in a...
. It is not drinkable, although people have been known to attempt ingestion.

Rubbing alcohol is recognized as a rubefacientFacts About Rubefacient

A rubefacient is a substance for external application that produces redness of the skin e.g....
 because it evaporates quickly and is used to cool and soothe skin. It is, however, more widely used as an antiseptic for sterilizing surfaces or cleaning minor cuts or abrasions.

Isopropyl rubbing alcohol can also be supplied in a 99% concentration. This product can also be used to harden skin, such as in the case of the feet of novice hikers, or the fingertips of guitarists. Care should always be taken, and the label should be read carefully.

It is unsuited as a fuel in alcohol stoves because of the relatively low vapor pressureVapor pressure Overview

Vapor pressure is the pressure of a vapor in equilibrium with its non-vapor phases....
 of isopropyl alcohol, and because the water content will vaporize to steam creating excessive pressure in the stove.

In the UKUnited Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast...
 the equivalent skin preparation is surgical spirit which is always based on an ethyl alcoholEthanol

This article is about the chemical compound....
-methyl alcoholMethanol

Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH....
 mixture, and which often has the addition of small quantities of iodoformIodoform

The compound iodoform is CHI3. A pale yellow, crystalline, volatile substance, it has a penetrating odor and, analogous to...
 as a topical bacteriocide.

A typical modern composition for Surgical Spirit BP is: ethanol, methanolMethanol

Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH....
, water, castor oilCastor oil Summary

Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean....
, methyl salicylateMethyl salicylate Summary

Methyl salicylateCOOCH3; is a natural product of many species of plants....
, diethyl phthalate. It has a strong smell of wintergreen due to the presence of the methyl salicylate.

Cautions

Rubbing alcohol should be used in a well-ventilated area. Some cautions go so far as to say protective gloves should be worn while using it. Poisoning can occur from ingestion, inhalation, or consumption of rubbing alcohol.

Isopropyl rubbing alcohol is poisonPoison

In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause injury, illness, or death to organisms, usually by chemical...
ous and can cause permanent disabling illness or death if consumed.

Mixing rubbing alcohol with pool chlorineFacts About Calcium hypochlorite

Calcium hypochlorite is a chemical compound with formula2....
 can result in a haloform reactionHaloform reaction

The haloform reaction is a chemical reaction where a haloform is produced by the multiple halogenation of a methyl ketone in...
, generating lots of heat and boiling off its products as excess gas. If this chemical reaction is done inside a closed plastic container, the gas can build up until it ruptures violently. This can pose a serious risk of injury as the chemicals (such as bleach) and shrapnel from the container are thrown outward by the explosion.

External links

  • The difference between denatured alcohol and rubbing alcohol