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Old 03-July-2009, 01:02 PM
grant hutchison grant hutchison is online now
Order of Kilopi
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Originally Posted by clop View Post
Does it sterilise things better? Is it less toxic? Does it evaporate quicker or slower?
About the same toxicity, as I understand it. Isopropyl alcohol evaporates quicker than n-propyl alcohol, because it's a rounder molecule with lower intermolecular forces, and therefore has a lower boiling point. If anything, that makes it less good as an antibacterial for skin preparation, because it leaves the skin so quickly. So I'm guessing ease of production is the deciding feature.

Grant Hutchison
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