IPA - Isopropyl Alcohol

Let’s start with what happens when some solvents are out-of-date. Solvents containing alcohol are hydroscopic, so absorb moisture from the air. What starts as 0.2% moisture could drift up to an unacceptable purity level, as it is exposed to ambient air. If sealed, this will happen extremely slowly. That depends on the packaging and sealing method, which we have full control of.

Once a container is opened, we no longer have control of it, so it is impossible to give a credible number. If you close it after every use, and have a humidity controlled environment, the same shelf life is probably still applicable. If you leave the container open and you are in the tropics, it will probably pass that unacceptable threshold a lot more quickly.

Whether or not 0.5%, 1%, or 10% moisture contamination is acceptable for your operation depends on what you are doing with it. Some aerospace customers absolutely demand their isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is 99.8% pure, so they manage their inventory very carefully. Other customers dilute 99.8% IPA with DI water to make their own 70% IPA for cleaning stencils. There really necessarily  a real-world expiration date for that level of criticality.

Every organization using hazardous chemicals within their facility has the responsibility to equip their facility and personnel to maintain exposure levels below the TLV. Personal monitoring badges can be used to measure exposure of a specific material. Then, depending on the threshold limit and the application, exposure can be controlled with PPE like masks, face shields, respirators, and even coveralls. If they don’t reduce exposure below the recommended limit, you will need to consider a special ventilation hood or even containment booth. As you can see, as the exposure limit gets down to a certain level, the equipment required to safely use the solvent can get impractical. At that point, your best option is to consider a safer alternative.

The personal hazard associated with a solvent is often defined using Threshold Limit Value (TLV), which is the recommended average exposure in an 8-hour day, 40 hour work week. The lower the TLV of a particular substance, the less a worker can be exposed to without harmful effects. TLV is stated on the SDS of chemical products, in additional to recommended personal protection equipment (or PPE). The threshold limit value of a solvent is generally set by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). The unit of measure is Parts Per Million (PPM). 

Yes, HDPE (plastic) drums are designed to accept commonly available 2” threaded spigots / spouts. Spigots are available at distributors, like at https://www.grainger.com/product/GRAINGER-APPROVED-Drum-Tap-6PFN4.

Yes, the hole in the center of the cap is designed to work with commonly available 2” threaded spigots / spouts. To use: 1) Remove existing cap, 2) replace with the 2" spigot cap, 3) make sure spigot is in the off position, 4) turn the carboy on its side so the spigot points down and check to make sure the spigot isn’t leaking. Spigots are available at distributors, like at https://www.grainger.com/product/DYNALON-Faucet-Includes-Closure-3UDG9.

There is a ratcheted ring on the bottom of the cap, which locks the cap into place and prevents it from unscrewing during shipment. To remove, insert a flathead screwdriver between the cap and the ring and pry it loose so the perforations break free. Then remove the ring. It is similar to removing the tamper-proof lock on a plastic jug of milk.

The shelf life of a product can be found on either the technical data sheet (TDS), available on the product page, or by looking on the certificate on conformance (COC). The COC can be downloaded by going to https://www.chemtronics.com/coc. Once you have the shelf life, you will need to add it to the manufacture date for a use-by date. The manufacture date can be identified by the batch number. The batch code used on most of our products are manufacture dates in the Julian Date format. The format is YYDDD, where YY = year, DDD = day. For example, 19200 translates to the 200th day of 2019, or July 19, 2019. This webpage explains and provides charts to help interpret our batch numbers: https://www.chemtronics.com/batch-codes.

Yes, it is a good idea to use gloves when degreasing. The solvents used in degreasers do a great job at breaking down greases and oils, which also happen to exist in health skin. If your hands are exposed to a degreasing solvent for enough time, oils will be drawn from your skin leading to “defattening”. Your skin will become very dry and you could eventually develop dermatitis, which looks more like a rash. In addition, some solvents like N-Propyl Bromide (nPB), Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Perchloroethylene (Perc) are highly toxic, so can be absorbed through the skin and cause issues like cancer, or impact liver or kidney function. Please wear gloves and other PPE as required.