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Why is propanol better cleaner than ethanol?
"David Peters" wrote in message ... Why is isopropyl alcohol (propanol) reckoned by many people to be a better general cleaner around the house than the ethyl alcohol (ethanol) which is found in methylated spirits? Thanks for any info. David ------ FOOTNOTE: I can add that here in the UK the main type of denatured alcohol we can buy for home use is "methylated spirits" and in the UK this is made up almost entirely of ethyl alcohol. http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1987/Uks...n_5.htm#mdiv14 I know that in the US denatured alcohol is not necessarily made of ethyl alcohol. This can lead to confusion about what someone is referring to, so for clarity I can repeat that I am referring to UK meths/ethanol. ] I strongly suspect that the cleaning power of ethanol vs. propanol depends on the nature of the dirt being removed. While it is an oversimplification, think of dirt as being either water soluble or oil soluble. Ethanol (two carbons and one hydroxyl group) will be more effective in removing water soluble dirt, while propanol (three carbons and one hydroxyl) will be more effective at removing grease (oil like substances). Lighter fuel is very effective at removing grease, but is even is more fire hazard than the alcohols. Ernie |
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