isopropyl alcohol in the uk???

[Leon]

does anyone know where I can get sonme isopropyl alcohol in the uk? I've tried chemists/ pharmacies all of whom say they havent sold it for years. I have found it in aerosol form for cleaning electronic components, but i want a bottle of it really - i suppose i could spray the aerosol into a glass and catch the liquid, but that wouldnt be ideal. I want it so I can dissolve some phenidone.

Any clues anyone?? perhaps it has some different names/ brand names that I dont know of?

 

[Loose Gravel]

Also called propanol and rubbing alcohol in the US. Available here in drug stores by the pint or for cleaning circuit boards at industrial supply houses by the gallon.

 

[BarryWilkinson]

Hello Leon,

My wife, who works in a London Hospital, says they use isopropyl alcohol (IPA) daily. Although she said they tend to use Industrial Methalated Spirit (IMS) more because it smells less. She said she would ask around to find out if it is available over the counter locally.

Barry

 

[baronfoxx]

does anyone know where I can get sonme isopropyl alcohol in the uk? I've tried chemists/ pharmacies all of whom say they havent sold it


I use it for cleaning trannies and negatives and buy it in the local village pharmacy in 500ml bottles, they do not stock it but order it in for me, it usually comes in two days. dont go to the big chains stores ,find a small local pharmasist who will be more helpfull

 

[jjstafford]

Do you need 100% isopropyl? 70% is far more common largely because it is a better disinfectant. (100% tends to toughen the cell membrane of some bacteria such as TB while 70% penetrates, kills.)

Here in the USA we can buy it by the gallon if we want. Dunno what's going on there in the UK, but you folks are beginning to scare me.

 

[harveyje]

You also might consider grain alcohol. 190 proof is 95% and can be diluted. It sells in the liquor stores here as "Everclear". It is good old ethyl alcohol, the main ingredient in various spirits, etc.

 

[Bob F.]

Try ethanol: denatured ethanol is available as Tetenal DRYSONAL. I used it to dissolve phenidone when making up a batch of Pyrocat HD.

Bob.

 

[Loose Gravel]

You also might consider grain alcohol. 190 proof is 95% and can be diluted. It sells in the liquor stores here as "Everclear". It is good old ethyl alcohol, the main ingredient in various spirits, etc.

You can buy this at the hardware store as Denatured Alcohol or Shellac Thinner w/out the tax. For phenidone I prefer denatured alcohol, for electronics you have to use isopropyl.

 

[Ian Grant]

You can try:

Scientific & Chemical Supplies Ltd
Carlton House, Livingstone Rd, Bilston, West Midlands WV14 0QZ
Tel: 01902 402402

But I doubt they'd post it also you need to make an official company order but it's where I buy some chemicals. I collected some IPA last month.

Actually ask your local chemist shop's pharmacist, mine said he could get it for me very quickly, same or next day.

Ian

 

[Leon]

found some from http://www.rapidelectronics.co.uk/rkMain.asp?PAGEID=80010&STK_PROD_CODE=87-1080

I did ask quite a few pharmacists Ian, but got some quite concerning looks and terse negative replies, but I just did an Ask search and it looks like it is needed for making MDMA (ecstacy) so perhaps they thought they were doing the right thing (I do look a bit delinquent )

jjstafford - dont worry about us, we're doing just fine over here. But from where we're standing, there are some troubling rumbles coming from the north-west .....

 

[gainer]

If you have to make a special order anyway, try to get propylene glycol. It is a more satisfactory solvent for phenidone than is isopropanol, although it takes a litle heating. I don't think you will get the suspicious looks. Propylene glycol is found in many cosmetics, medicines and foods. Glycerine will also work, but is quite a bit more viscous.

 

[Leon]

I've ordered the IPA now, mr gainer ... but for future reference, does the glycerine need heating too? that would be much easier to get hold of

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Glycerine will require some heating and it is considerably more viscous than propylene glycol.

As Pat Gainer says, propylene glycol is benign stuff that is used in many food products, medicines and cosmetics. It should be readily available in the UK.

 

[bogeyes]

Leon, I mixed some phenidone in BLUECOL anti- freeze (ethylene glycol) available from any motor spares outlet £3.60 a litre. I put 175ml in a pyrex jug , 1 minute in a 600w micro wave, stir in 25g of phenodine , it dissolves in about 30 secs, top up to 250ml, voila! 10% solution of phenidone, 1g = 10ml Also did the same with my 25g of catchecol.

 

[bogeyes]

Leon, I mixed some phenidone in BLUECOL anti- freeze (ethylene glycol) available from any motor spares outlet £3.60 a litre. I put 175ml in a pyrex jug , 1 minute in a 600w micro wave, stir in 25g of phenodine , it dissolves in about 30 secs, top up to 250ml, voila! 10% solution of phenidone, 1g = 10ml Also did the same with my 25g of catchecol.

Looked at the phenidone 2 days later, crystals had formed in it, so it was re-heated and another 250mm of anti-freeze added. 25g phenidone to 500ml anti freeze cooled with no crystalization. The catechol stayed in solution just fine.
5g phenidone to 100ml ethelynegylcol 5% solution 1g = 20ml

 

[Woolliscroft]

I use a lot in a machine for cleaning LP records. I get it without trouble in a chemist in Chorlton, Manchester.

David.

 

[gainer]

Looked at the phenidone 2 days later, crystals had formed in it, so it was re-heated and another 250mm of anti-freeze added. 25g phenidone to 500ml anti freeze cooled with no crystalization. The catechol stayed in solution just fine.
5g phenidone to 100ml ethelynegylcol 5% solution 1g = 20ml

You have found the problem with hot solutions. As for phenidone, I find a 1% solution most useful if I am mixing small batches of developer, especially if I am going directly to the working solution. 0.05 grams of phenidone can replace 3 or more grams of metol, to give an idea of relative efficacy. That is only 5 ml of 1% solution. Thus about 1 tsp of metol crystals is roughly equivalent to 1 tsp of 1% phenidone solution.