Isopropanol: Characteristics
Why chip-grade IPA costs several times more
What this tab covers The physical and chemical properties that set its grade, price and uses, with the commercial grades and the standards that define them.Grade matters more than chemistry: technical grade for solvents, pharma grade (IP/USP) for APIs and sanitisers, and electronic grade with ppb-level metals for chipmaking, which sells at several times the technical price (indicative).
Properties that matter commercially
| Property | Value / specification | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purity | technical and USP grade at least 99.5-99.8%; electronic grade 99.99%+ with metals under 1 ppb (indicative) | Pharma and chip uses need low water and metals. | industry standard (indicative) |
| Boiling point | 82.5°C | Fast evaporation for cleaning and drying. | standard physical data |
| Water azeotrope | 87.4% IPA by weight | Determines purification cost. | standard physical data |
| Flash point | about 12°C | Flammable liquid handling. | standard safety data |
Commercial grades
- Technical/industrial grade
- Pharma grade (IP, USP, EP)
- Electronic/semiconductor grade (SEMI C12 and above)
- Cosmetic grade