On 04/03/2020 13:25, Roger Hayter wrote:
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.
Aha! I had to check the definition of "aliphatic" but it brought back
distant memories of straight chains as about to closed rings.


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.


Thanks. I'm (slightly) wiser, and my memory pixies have been stirred ;-)


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.