Kinda unrelated but how high does the concentration need to be for cleaning solder flux off PCB's?
Kinda unrelated but how high does the concentration need to be for cleaning solder flux off PCB's?
Kinda unrelated but how high does the concentration need to be for cleaning solder flux off PCB's?What material is this? Probably doesn't matter what concentration though, it will either dissolve or it won't. If you're cleaning electrical contacts, I would avoid using water though.
Oh, by the way, please note that IPA and ethanol (drinking alcohol) are NOT the same thing. Ethanol is a harsher cleaning agent with higher reactivity than IPA.
Ale is warm, falt, undrinkably disgusting, used dishwater. It is not worth the honour of cleaning rubbish off my dirty keyboards -_- .Oh, by the way, please note that IPA and ethanol (drinking alcohol) are NOT the same thing. Ethanol is a harsher cleaning agent with higher reactivity than IPA.
You are wasting money and making a mess if you clean your keyboard with India Pale Ale.
There's no need to use the high purity ones for most cleaning purposes, though, as it'll just evaporate faster and make life more difficult for you.I just use >99% because I can just take it from the lab, really :p . The fast evaporation can be a big advantage though, especially when cleaning the inside of switches. Solutions leave small amounts of water when evaporating so I'd definitely use it when cleaning insides of switches.
Side note: Why would there be a concern that people would use Isopropyl alcohol in a drink? Are people that dumb? (apparently, yes). It's hella toxic if ingested and a very different substance (biologically speaking) from, say, the Ethyl Alcohol in Vodka.Yes, people are really dumb - some people drink flipping aftershave to get drunk, mate :p . It's certainly not hella toxic, though (though you certainly shouldn't drink it).
IPA is not safe for HHKB case at least. I don't know about keycaps.
I've used 99.9% IPA mainly to clean PCB after soldering. Also I sometime use it for other matrials and get bad results, HHKB case is one of them. I wiped inside of HHKB case(ABS) with Kimwipe wet with IPA and I found it changed texture slightly. Even worse, Kimwipe got black color in case of black HHKB.
IPA smells really bad, it makes me sick. If I have enough money I'll use ethanol definitely! (and good bier :D)
Thanks Oobly appreciate the insight. How do you know the SA brands :) Got my girlfriend picking me up some cleen green now :)
I think I am gonna avoid using the isopropyl, don't have the strength so that worries me and it worries me that it damages certain plastics in general. So thanks for the warning Psybin.
IPA is not safe for HHKB case at least. I don't know about keycaps.
I've used 99.9% IPA mainly to clean PCB after soldering. Also I sometime use it for other matrials and get bad results, HHKB case is one of them. I wiped inside of HHKB case(ABS) with Kimwipe wet with IPA and I found it changed texture slightly. Even worse, Kimwipe got black color in case of black HHKB.
IPA smells really bad, it makes me sick. If I have enough money I'll use ethanol definitely! (and good bier :D )
Thanks hasu, it's definitely not going near my HHKB now :)
Acetone is an oxidation product of IPA, so that's not impossible. IPA can form peroxides upon storage, so if you have a very old bottle you might get a smidgeon of acetone in it. Still shouldn't be noticeable, but it's not impossible. Again, if you want to be safe, just use soapy water :) .IPA is not safe for HHKB case at least. I don't know about keycaps.
I've used 99.9% IPA mainly to clean PCB after soldering. Also I sometime use it for other matrials and get bad results, HHKB case is one of them. I wiped inside of HHKB case(ABS) with Kimwipe wet with IPA and I found it changed texture slightly. Even worse, Kimwipe got black color in case of black HHKB.
IPA smells really bad, it makes me sick. If I have enough money I'll use ethanol definitely! (and good bier :D )
Thanks hasu, it's definitely not going near my HHKB now :)
That's... bizarre. Isopropanol on its own shouldn't have any effect on ABS...
Hmmm... some of the stuff sold might be adulterated with impurities that are detrimental to some ABS formulations- I've heard rumors of Acetone being present in small amounts in disinfectant grade IPA, but I thought that it was just that- a rumor. I guess... check in an inconspicuous area first? I'm definitely not going to argue with advice from Hasu.
How about ethanol or methanol?Ethanol and methanol are much the same, except slightly more aggressive. Both dry out faster than IPA, especially methanol. Methanol is also toxic to a degree at which it's actually dangerous, so don't use it.
Good to know thanks, i might use Ethanol because my local drug store only has IPA 50% which has been out of stock for a while.How about ethanol or methanol?Ethanol and methanol are much the same, except slightly more aggressive. Both dry out faster than IPA, especially methanol. Methanol is also toxic to a degree at which it's actually dangerous, so don't use it.
Acetone is an oxidation product of IPA, so that's not impossible. IPA can form peroxides upon storage, so if you have a very old bottle you might get a smidgeon of acetone in it. Still shouldn't be noticeable, but it's not impossible. Again, if you want to be safe, just use soapy water :) .IPA is not safe for HHKB case at least. I don't know about keycaps.
I've used 99.9% IPA mainly to clean PCB after soldering. Also I sometime use it for other matrials and get bad results, HHKB case is one of them. I wiped inside of HHKB case(ABS) with Kimwipe wet with IPA and I found it changed texture slightly. Even worse, Kimwipe got black color in case of black HHKB.
IPA smells really bad, it makes me sick. If I have enough money I'll use ethanol definitely! (and good bier :D )
Thanks hasu, it's definitely not going near my HHKB now :)
That's... bizarre. Isopropanol on its own shouldn't have any effect on ABS...
Hmmm... some of the stuff sold might be adulterated with impurities that are detrimental to some ABS formulations- I've heard rumors of Acetone being present in small amounts in disinfectant grade IPA, but I thought that it was just that- a rumor. I guess... check in an inconspicuous area first? I'm definitely not going to argue with advice from Hasu.
Isopropyl alcohol, (CH3)2CHOH, Isopropanol, 2-propanol, or for you chemists out there, IPA, shouldn't damage ABS, PBT, POM, Acrylic, Polyresin, or Polycarbonate, especially if used just for cleaning. Even 99%. There's no need to use the high purity ones for most cleaning purposes, though, as it'll just evaporate faster and make life more difficult for you.
However, it might do Bad Stuff (TM) to decals, pad printing, and that sort of thing. It really depends on what the manufacturer used, and as Ethyl and Isopropyl Alcohol are such common disinfectants, it'd be pretty unprofessional for the manufacturer to make keyboards that can be damaged by a wipedown with that stuff. Dye-sublimation, doubleshot, laser burned, or UV-cured acrylic printing shouldn't be affected.
Sometimes people get Isopropyl Alcohol mixed up with Acetone, as both are sold in drugstores in similar looking bottles and smell funny. Acetone will do terrible things to many plastics.
Side note: Why would there be a concern that people would use Isopropyl alcohol in a drink? Are people that dumb? (apparently, yes). It's hella toxic if ingested and a very different substance (biologically speaking) from, say, the Ethyl Alcohol in Vodka.
What are those caps made out of?Isopropyl alcohol, (CH3)2CHOH, Isopropanol, 2-propanol, or for you chemists out there, IPA, shouldn't damage ABS, PBT, POM, Acrylic, Polyresin, or Polycarbonate, especially if used just for cleaning. Even 99%. There's no need to use the high purity ones for most cleaning purposes, though, as it'll just evaporate faster and make life more difficult for you.
However, it might do Bad Stuff (TM) to decals, pad printing, and that sort of thing. It really depends on what the manufacturer used, and as Ethyl and Isopropyl Alcohol are such common disinfectants, it'd be pretty unprofessional for the manufacturer to make keyboards that can be damaged by a wipedown with that stuff. Dye-sublimation, doubleshot, laser burned, or UV-cured acrylic printing shouldn't be affected.
Sometimes people get Isopropyl Alcohol mixed up with Acetone, as both are sold in drugstores in similar looking bottles and smell funny. Acetone will do terrible things to many plastics.
Side note: Why would there be a concern that people would use Isopropyl alcohol in a drink? Are people that dumb? (apparently, yes). It's hella toxic if ingested and a very different substance (biologically speaking) from, say, the Ethyl Alcohol in Vodka.
I think you may be mixing up ethyl with isopropyl alcohol. Ethyl will kill your Filco keycaps.