wrote:

On 04/03/2020 11:14, Roger Hayter wrote:
wrote:

On 04/03/2020 00:18, Graham. wrote:

I've just ordered a litre of IPA, I going to decant it into small
plastic bottles with a little hand cream.

Couldn't find any in the shops.

Typing ALK into Google suggests this is a hot topic.

Snap! I was going to say I'd done the same thing, but I ordered 5 litres
because it's useful stuff to have around (unless there's a fire!).

Does anyone know whether emollients such as Diprobase make good carriers
for the alcohol?

A cream *might* work if the alcohol doesn't disrupt the function of the
emulsifiers, but alcohol won't mix with a hydrocarbon-based ointment.

I'm not a chemist (unless A level chem 40+ years ago counts) but would
be interested to know why alcohol won't mix with a hydrocarbon-based
ointment. Alcohol is a hydrocarbon

Let me stop you there. Alcohol is an aliphatic alcohol (surprise) and
quite hydrophilic. *Not* a hydrocarbon.


and ethanol is added to petrol.

Don't know how that works. Maybe petrol has polar components. I doubt
you can get much alcohol to mix.


What's different about hydrocarbon-based ointments?

They are solid, plus some detergents and possibly emulsifiers but I'm
not sure.



FWIW, according to medicines.org the ingredients (excipients is
apparently the correct word) of Diprobase a Chlorocresol, Macrogol
Cetostearyl Ether, Cetostearyl alcohol, Liquid paraffin, White soft
paraffin, Phosphoric acid, Sodium dihydrogen phosphate, Sodium
hydroxide, and Purified water.


--

Roger Hayter