Product Overview
Isopropyl Alcohol 70% USP Grade is a clear, colorless solvent composed of 70% isopropanol and 30% water. This undenatured formulation is procured under the USP Grade designation, a distinction frequently specified by buyers in pharmaceutical manufacturing, analytical laboratories, and quality-controlled cleaning operations. The 70/30 water balance gives this product a slower evaporation rate than anhydrous IPA, which extends surface contact time during cleaning and extraction workflows — a property that matters to operators who need dwell time on substrates.
Alliance Chemical offers this product in pack sizes from 1-quart bottles through 330-gallon totes, covering everything from benchtop formulation work to full-scale production runs. As a Class 3 flammable liquid (UN1219, Packing Group II), every shipment leaves our Taylor, TX facility with DOT-compliant hazmat documentation.
Why This Concentration
The 70% concentration hits a practical sweet spot for many industrial buyers. The 30% water fraction slows evaporation, giving operators more working time on a surface before the solvent flashes off. For cleaning and degreasing in manufacturing environments, that extended contact window often matters more than raw solvent strength. In extraction processes — pulling active ingredients from botanical or pharmaceutical matrices — the water component can improve selectivity for polar compounds that pure IPA would leave behind.
If your process is sensitive to residual moisture, or if you need a faster flash-off for electronics or optics work, a higher-concentration isopropanol (such as 91% or 99%) may be the better fit. The 70% grade is ideal when your workflow benefits from the water fraction rather than fighting it.
Buyers specifying USP Grade are typically working in regulated or documentation-heavy environments — pharma QC, compounding, cosmetic formulation — where the grade designation tracks through their procurement records. If your application has no such requirement, a technical-grade IPA at 70% can reduce cost without changing the chemistry.
Chemical Profile
Isopropyl Alcohol 70% USP Grade (also known as Isopropanol or 2-Propanol) appears as a clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic rubbing-alcohol odor. Its molecular formula is C3H8O with a molecular weight of 60.10 g/mol and a CAS number of 67-63-0. At the 70% v/v concentration, the solution has a density of 0.872 g/mL at 20 °C and a vapor pressure of 33 mmHg at 20 °C — moderate volatility that balances effective solvent action with manageable evaporation in open-air handling. It is fully miscible with water, which means dilution and rinsing are straightforward in any water-fed process line.
Industrial Applications
Isopropyl Alcohol 70% serves a range of real-world industrial and laboratory workflows:
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Surface Cleaning and Degreasing — One of the most common uses in manufacturing. IPA 70% cuts oils, greases, and light residues from metal parts, tooling, and assembly surfaces. The water fraction helps dissolve ionic contaminants (salt residues, flux) that pure solvents leave behind, making it effective for cleaning operations that span both organic and water-soluble soils.
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Solvent for Extraction — In pharmaceutical manufacturing, the 70/30 IPA-water blend is used to extract active pharmaceutical ingredients from raw matrices. The water component modifies polarity, improving extraction selectivity for certain target compounds compared to neat isopropanol.
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HPLC Mobile Phase Preparation — Analytical chemistry labs use IPA 70% as a mobile phase component in reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The USP Grade designation is a procurement filter in labs that track solvent grade through their analytical records.
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Laboratory Reagent — General-purpose solvent and reagent in research settings for reactions, sample preparation, and equipment wipe-down between runs.
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Cosmetic and Personal Care Formulation — Used as a solvent component in personal care products. Formulators working under cGMP or similar quality systems often specify USP Grade to match their raw-material documentation requirements.
Handling & Storage
Isopropyl Alcohol 70% carries a GHS signal word of Danger (per the product's GHS classification). The applicable hazard statements are:
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H225 — Highly flammable liquid and vapor
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H319 — Causes serious eye irritation
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H336 — May cause drowsiness or dizziness
All three statements are per the product's GHS classification.
PPE: Wear chemical splash goggles and nitrile or other solvent-resistant gloves during handling. In poorly ventilated areas or during prolonged exposure, use respiratory protection rated for organic vapors.
Incompatibilities: Keep away from strong oxidizers (permanganates, chromates, peroxides) and strong mineral acids. Contact with these materials can initiate violent reactions or fire.
Storage: Store in a cool, well-ventilated area away from heat sources, sparks, and open flame. Use HDPE or glass containers — IPA can degrade some plastics and elastomers over time. Keep containers tightly closed to limit vapor accumulation and evaporative loss. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight.
Hazmat & Shipping
Isopropyl Alcohol 70% is regulated for transport as a flammable liquid. The governing classification:
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UN Number: UN1219 (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Proper Shipping Name: Isopropanol (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Hazard Class: 3 — Flammable Liquid (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Packing Group: II (per 49 CFR 172.101)
Every shipment of this product leaves with the required DOT shipping papers, labels, and placards as applicable to the quantity and packaging. Our warehouse team in Taylor, TX handles Class 3 flammable liquids daily — proper inner packaging, absorbent material, and outer container selection are built into our pack-out process. Shipping guidance for this product is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is included with every order and is available in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. A Technical Data Sheet (TDS) detailing product specifications is also available on request. Lot-specific Certificates of Analysis (COA) can be provided — contact us at the time of order to request one matched to your shipment.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
This product ships in pack sizes from 1-quart bottles to 330-gallon totes, so you can match your order to your actual consumption — bench-scale R&D through full production — without sourcing from multiple suppliers. Unlike suppliers who bolt on hazmat handling as an afterthought, Alliance Chemical has shipped DOT-regulated chemicals daily since 1998 and holds USDOT registration number 2188383. We have served over 50,000 customers across industrial, laboratory, and manufacturing operations. Content on this page is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist.
