Lifespan of Isopropyl alcohol? (used for paint stripping)

[KEFLON]

Hi guys

quick question like the title says:

How long does Isopropyl alcohol 99.9% last i.e. How many times can I reuse the same liquied?

Thanks

[stevenoble]

I've had my 'vat' of the stuff for about 8 months maybe longer and it is quite dirty now.But I filtered the paint dregs from it using an old piece of nylon stocking,so I am just left with the liquid now instead of all the 'slurry' that collects at the bottom.It still works fine although a fair bit of it has evaporated.Once it evaporates away I will buy a new bottle.

[KEFLON]

Thats great thks, would u recommend that I filter the liquid after every use.

Thks

[stevenoble]

Originally Posted by KEFLON

Thats great thks, would u recommend that I filter the liquid after every use.

Thks

Might be worth doing.It would certainly keep the sludgy buildup that accumulates at the bottom of the container to a minimum,although I don't think this buildup stops the Isopropyl from doing it's job.

[MPWR]

99.9% essentially has no water content. That means that if any volume evaporates, the proportions of what remains stays unchanged. I have a vat that's nearly three years old. I've replaced some volume (due to evaporation), but it's still just as potent as it originally was.

[jmwallac]

I've had the same stuff for almost a year and have stripped about 10 bodies and countless other parts. I'm better at stripping than anything else: just ask my wife!

I keep it in the bottle it came in; just pour it back after each use. If you let it sit, the junk sits at the bottom and the "good" stuff separates. I've tried filtering through a coffee filter, but didn't have much success. I don't think it needs to be filtered, although my stipped bodies tend to be tinted whatever color the last body was.

[MPWR]

Yeah, you can certainly filter the crap out, but it really effects the performance fot he alcohol little if at all. After stripping I scrub everything with soap and water, so I'm not really given to be concerned if the alcohol itself isn't quite clean.