Recently, the term “isopropyl alcohol” has been liken to poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts, what exactly is isopropyl alcohol? Where is it used? What are its characteristics? Is it dangerous? Perhaps too many reports have caused public panic, and subsequently, direct associations with isopropyl alcohol have been made, akin to with the aromatherapy bottle, and controversies arises; such reports have led to over-generalized and inadequate knowledge of isopropyl alcohol, knowing some features but not the others.
Dr.Billy Wang , who holds a Dotorate in Biochemistry from American Latest York University, and Senior researcher of German Nuremberg Biochemistry Research institute, he gave a specialized explanation from an expert angle on the above questions. Isopropyl alcohol is used more commonly as a synthetic chemical additive, as a solvent for the production of Latex, shellac, volatile plant oil and resin. Actually, isopropyl alcohol could be commonly present in our every day life, like in non-alcoholic beverage, candy, dried provision food; and in on a regular basis products including emulsion, shaving cream, ethyl alcohol cotton pad, and so forth, have in them, traces of isopropyl alcohol.
Dr. Wang emphasized, that although the temperature of an ignited aromatherapy bottle could be very high, even when by accident toppled, and spilling the essential oil inside, it will not of itself start a hearth. Furthermore, statistical data shows that, using Bel’Air’s plant essential oil as example, after ignition, the typical density over 6 hours, of isopropyl alcohol content within the air is 5.4ppm, in comparison with 25ppm present in non-alcoholic beverage, 10~75ppm in candy, and 77ppm in dried provision food; the isopropyl alcohol density present in plant essential oils is far lower, and much below the usual by Gong Yan Institute, harmful limits of the air at tolerance standard 400ppm!
It cannot cause harm to the human body, furthermore, for such a low volatile density to achieve the (2% is 20000ppm) density, which is required for an explosion to happen, is even tougher. Moreover, all plant essential oil, no matter origin, contain isopropyl alcohol content; the isopropyl alcohol solvent contained in essential oils prepares the burner head to achieve its functional temperature, and enables a smooth flow of essential oil through the ceramic burner head, maintains its temperature, and enables essential oil to vaporize at a moderate temperature, and enables essential oil to vaporize at a moderate temperature to spread through the air, achieving the effect of aromatherapy. Due to this fact, taking the spatial volume of a median home as example, under normal environmental circumstances (akin to normal temperature, and open spaces), it’s not possible for the speed of natural vaporization inside a brief timeframe, to achieve the extent for detonation and create an explosion.
Using a median home of 30 square metres as example, to realize the lower limits of detonation requires 36 litres of isopropyl alcohol to completely vaporize, which is sort of not possible in the actual life. Furthermore, a median person uses essential oil in aromatherapy for less than a number of hours, which is enough to keep up a room filled with fragrance for twenty-four hours. Isopropyl alcohol is common in our on a regular basis life. Emphasis shouldn’t be to completely annihilate or just reject its usage, but reasonably to grasp its effects and methods of application. Public and government agencies needn’t regard isopropyl alcohol, which has been a part of our on a regular basis life, with undue suspicions.