Properties
Isopropyl alcohol is miscible in water, alcohol, ether and chloroform. It will dissolve ethyl cellulose, polyvinyl butyral, many oils, alkaloids, gums and natural resins. It is insoluble in salt solutions. Unlike ethanol or methanol, isopropyl alcohol can be separated from aqueous solutions by adding a salt such as sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, or any of several other inorganic salts, since the alcohol is much less soluble in saline solutions than in salt-free water. The process is colloquially called salting out, and causes concentrated isopropyl alcohol to separate into a distinct layer.
Isopropyl alcohol forms an azeotrope with water, which gives a boiling point of 80.37 oC and a composition of 87.7 wt% (91 vol%) isopropyl alcohol. Water-isopropyl alcohol mixtures have depressed melting points. It has a slightly bitter taste, and is not safe to drink.
Isopropyl alcohol becomes increasingly viscous with decreasing temperature. At temperatures below -70 °C Isopropyl alcohol resembles maple syrup in viscosity.
Isopropyl alcohol has a maximum absorbance at 204 nm in an ultraviolet-visible spectrum.
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