The extensive applications of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) span across various industries:

Electronics:

• IPA is widely used as a cleaner and degreaser for various electronic components such as cables, connectors, electrical contacts, LCDs, keypads, and tape heads.
• Its water-free nature makes it indispensable for cleaning electronics safely, with additional filtration required to remove nano-sized contaminants.

Extractives:

• Due to its ability to solubilize non-polar compounds, IPA is utilized in processing essential oils, fats, flavors, waxes, and nutraceuticals.
• It facilitates the extraction of phospholipids and Omega-3 fatty acids from fish for high-quality triglyceride oil production.

Coatings:

• IPA serves as a reagent for producing polymers and as a dispersion agent in the coatings industry.
• It is a precursor for various intermediates like acetone, glycerol, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and bisphenol A, used in resins and paints.
• IPA is commonly used as a diluent for resins and paints and aids in impregnating substrates with resin.

Pharmaceuticals:

• IPA is utilized in pharmaceutical manufacturing for creating, purifying, and analyzing compounds, as well as for decontaminating reactors.
• It serves as a protic solvent in multi-step organic reactions and is suitable for lab analyses such as HPLC, GC, fluorescence, and TLC.
• IPA is employed in the synthesis of eluent systems for critical analyses due to its low non-volatile content.

Molecular Biology:

• Histological grade IPA is used in molecular biology for preparing samples for downstream molecular reactions, concentrating and purifying DNA, and preventing salt precipitation during DNA extraction.

Automotive:

• IPA finds applications in the automotive industry for car care, including stripping waxes before painting or polishing, thinning lacquer, and as a thawing agent in windshield washes and fuel tanks.

Personal Care Products:

• IPA is formulated into aftershaves, bath products, cosmetics, hand sanitizers, lotions, perfumes, and nail care products for its extractant, diluent, anti-foam, or surfactant properties.
• It aids in polishing nails and cleaning nail surfaces, imparting high shine.

Medical:

• IPA is widely used for general sterilization in medical facilities, including sterilizing medical equipment, cleaning surfaces, and skin treatments and dressing.

Food Industry:

• IPA is utilized in the food industry for processing dyes, glazes, supplements, vinegar, and for sanitizing surfaces, reactors, tools, and vats.
• It helps in disinfecting equipment during evaporation and is preferred for cleaning surfaces used in food or beverage manufacturing due to its non-toxic nature.

Each industry benefits from the unique properties of isopropyl alcohol, ranging from its solvent capabilities to its sterilization properties, making it a versatile compound across various sectors.