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When 99% Isopropyl Alcohol is the Best Fit
Isopropyl alcohol (chemical formula C3H8O) has several distinct percentages — 70%, 80-85%, 91%, 99%, and 99.9% — depending on your needs. Industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem’s extensive inventory contains 99% and 99.9% isopropyl alcohol.
What is Isopropyl Alcohol?
Isopropyl alcohol is a colorless, clear chemical with a pungent odor. It is widely regarded as the universal solvent because of its ability to dissolve a vast range of nonpolar compounds. Chemically, it is considered highly flammable with a wide range of combustion. Myriad industries find uses for 99% isopropyl alcohol, from automotive to pharmaceuticals.
Automotive
Isopropyl alcohol is the go-to product to strip wax from cars before painting or polishing. Added to lacquer, it decreases the lacquer’s viscosity. Within vehicle systems, isopropyl alcohol is miscible with water, meaning it will evenly mix with a water-based washer fluid or in a fuel tank to deter freezing in cold weather.
Coatings
The production of polymers, including acetone, bisphenol A, and glycerol, relies on isopropyl alcohol. It acts as a diluent in paints and resins as well, and many hand tools are rinsed with isopropyl alcohol to remove gummy residue.
Essential Oils
99% isopropyl alcohol is the medium to process essential oils, flavorings, nutraceuticals, and waxes.
Food and Beverage
Isopropyl alcohol has two distinct functions: it is safe to use on food surfaces and industrial machines as an industrial sanitizer, and it is used frequently in many areas of food production – dying, glazing, and food supplements. Another interesting role isopropyl alcohol 99% plays in the food and beverage industry is its part in the extraction of phospholipids and Omega-3 fatty acids from fish in the formation of triglyceride oil.
Cosmetics
Aftershaves, bath products, facial cosmetics, lotions, perfumes, and sanitizers include isopropyl alcohol as an anti-foaming agent, a diluent, an extractant, and/or a surfactant. Most notably in the nail-care industry, isopropyl alcohol cleans and polishes nails.
Medical and Pharmaceutical Industries
Medical equipment in hospitals and clinics is often sterilized with isopropyl alcohol. It also finds a role in wound dressing and skin treatments to prevent infection. In the manufacture of medicine, isopropyl alcohol is used to analyze, create, and purify compounds.
Electronics
In this sector, isopropyl alcohol 99.9% cleans cables, connectors and contacts, fiber optic components, keypads, LCDs, and tape heads. Safe and non-corrosive on most surfaces, including elastomers, painted products, and plastic, anhydrous 99.9% isopropyl alcohol leaves no residue as it cleans polar, non-polar, and ionic components.
Laboratories
Isopropyl alcohol 99.9% is considered chemical grade with the highest purity rating of contaminant-free. This level of purity is necessary for chemical laboratory reagents and for electronic use, when any amount of water is detrimental to delicate machinery. In fact, a huge percentage of isopropyl alcohol finds its way into the electronics industry.
Environmentally speaking, 99% isopropyl alcohol scored as “excellent” on the green solvent scale and is considered ozone safe. Bell Chem is your industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including isopropyl alcohol. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff give personalized attention to all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Chemicals Needed in a Brewery
The focus of chemicals in a brewery is twofold: they are necessary for stimulating the process of beer making and for cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing the brewing equipment and work spaces. Bell Chem is your industrial ingredient supplier for both these areas of maintaining a successful brewery.
The Importance of Brewing Water
Creating a distinct beer is reliant on water quality. Using municipal “tap” water is probably not in the best interest of the brewer since many chemicals and additives will inhibit the beer’s natural flavors. Before water enters the system, it is important to have it analyzed or to rely on a water source that will not change its level of purity.
Knowing the ions, minerals, pH, chemical ratios, and water hardness of your water source will make you a better brewer. Remember, the largest component of beer is water. If you choose to rely on groundwater, spring water, or municipal water, Bell Chem will be there with the chemicals necessary to balance the water to your specifications.
The main components of water and beer production in general are listed below, along with their effect on brewing.
Bicarbonate: This is the basic end of the pH scale, so the pH of the mash escalates when bicarbonate is added. Depending on the type of beer (pale beer contains less bicarbonate while stout contains up to 4 times the amount), the amount of bicarbonate will fluctuate.
Calcium: A water’s “hardness” is determined by the concentration of calcium and, to a lesser extent, magnesium. Calcium lowers the pH during mashing, stimulates yeast flocculation, plays a part in deterring beerstone, and helps precipitate proteins in the boil.
Chloride: Malt sweetness improves with chloride, improving a beer’s fullness.
Magnesium: Along with calcium, magnesium has a starring role in whether water is considered hard or soft. Magnesium adds a sour or bitter flavor in elevated quantities.
Sodium: A flavor enhancer. Be careful not to add too much or the flavor becomes salty, or, if combined with sulfate, the flavor becomes strong and bitter.
Sulfate: Want a crisp, dry beer? Add sulfate. Use sparingly in dark beer, but increase in many ales. Sulfate does not combine well with chloride in higher amounts since it leads to a mineral-like flavor.
Chemicals for cleaning, disinfecting, sanitizing, and maintaining a brewery are abundant. While some systems must be disassembled for proper cleaning, other brewers prefer a clean-in-place system. Bell Chem wants you to be aware of the function of many brewery chemicals regardless of your brewing setup.
These are some examples of the chemicals involved in brewing and what they do in the brewing process.
Sodium hydroxide: Breaks down organic soil
Phosphoric acid, iodine, and nitric acid: Remove beerstone and hard water scale, passivate stainless steel, and neutralize soap
Peracetic acid: Disinfects and sanitizes equipment by cleaning heavy soils when combined with hot water, or low soil with cool water.
Peroxyacetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, chlorine dioxide, and sodium hypochlorite: Sanitize and disinfect
Antifoam (silicone) cleaners: Clean blow-off buckets, kettles, and fermenters
Phosphoric acid: A foaming acid cleaner retaining the original quality of taste when parts are soaked in it as it removes rust, hard water scale, proteins and grease, and debris.
As you can see, the beer brewing process involves a number of food and industrial chemicals. Bell Chem is your industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including brewery chemicals. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff give personalized attention to all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Medical Uses of Zinc Oxide
Zinc oxide is recognizable to many as the white sunscreen smeared on the noses of lifeguards, but this remarkable chemical continues to fascinate as scientists develop new methods of utilizing its properties. Bell Chem, your industrial ingredient supplier, wants you to know the latest on zinc oxide and its role in the medical world.
Nanoparticles
Zinc oxide nanoparticles have a short history – only around 20 years – but the sheer amount of uses discovered within that time is astonishing. Nanoparticles are microscopically small bits of zinc oxide. These tiny particles are easy for the body to utilize. When used in this form, zinc oxide is able to treat diseases like diabetes and cancer, as well as deter bacteria while maintaining its biocompatible status.
Common Uses
Some of the most common uses for zinc oxide are for its anti-inflammatory and ultraviolet reflection benefits. Inflammation is a response to a pathogen, but inflammation is often painful and many people experience inflammatory responses outside the norm. Zinc oxide is able to bring down the level of inflammation, which reduces pain and increases blood flow.
Many sunscreens on the market are chemical barriers, which may lead to UV rays being internalized through the skin and causing cellular damage. Zinc oxide, on the other hand, is a physical barrier that reflects UV light and prevents it from reaching the skin.
Hospital Settings
Zinc oxide has a 3,000-year history of wound treatment and healing of soft tissue injuries. Applied directly to wounds and burns, zinc oxide attracts new epidermal cells to critical areas, establishes blood flow to those affected areas, which expedites the healing process and reduces complications related to wounds. One surprising characteristic of zinc oxide nanoparticles is their luminescence, which helps with bioimaging. When recorded on imaging film, zinc oxide glows where the body has stockpiled it.
Disease Treatment
The binding property of zinc oxide aids in transporting life-saving drugs throughout the body in a less-toxic manner than other methods at a fraction of the cost of other treatments. Zinc oxide targets uncontrolled cancer cells without the dangerous side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Zinc oxide is biodegradable as well as biocompatible. Add the drug delivery factor, and zinc oxide can carry cancer drugs to specific sites within the body as it takes on the cancer cells. Zinc oxide also helps treat diabetes when it binds insulin to keep it structurally stable, aiding in the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. Zinc oxide also has a part in insulin synthesis, secretion, and storage.
The body has a delicate balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) performing vital functions, such as cellular signaling and homeostasis. Excess ROS is a different story, however, since great numbers of ROS damage DNA. Scientists have determined zinc oxide will seek out cells with excess ROS and cause these cells to undergo apoptosis (cell death). This same function affects bacteria similarly. With all of these amazing benefits and more still to be discovered, Zinc oxide has been a huge help to the ever-evolving medical field.
Bell Chem is the industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, zinc oxide. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Common Food Preservatives and What They Do
When most people think of food preservation, their minds immediately focus on chemicals. While chemicals are a huge contributor to preserving the foods we would like to savor for more than two days, physical methods of preserving, such as refrigeration and canning, are also essential.
Today, most manufacturers rely on both types of preservation to keep foods as fresh as possible for the longest amount of time. Food ingredient distributor Bell Chem’s strong inventory of preservatives will ensure your company has the proper tools to keep consumer foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and other products on the shelves of local stores for as long as possible.
Food preservation is far from a new process. Ancient preservation techniques, such as rubbing salt into slabs of meat or drying fruits and vegetables, are still in use today. Modern methods of preservation include many of the pure ingredients from Bell Chem’s immense inventory, which are broadly categorized as either antioxidant or antimicrobial. Antioxidants are preservatives that prevent oxidation, which causes browning in fruit or odd flavors in packaged foods. Common antioxidants include the following:
Ascorbic acid: Bell Chem’s ascorbic acid reduces oxidation in cheeses and snack chips.
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, the powdered form of BHA): Commonly added to personal care products, butter and oils, beer, nuts, and snack foods.
Chelating agents: Disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and citric acid bind to metal ions and prevent oxidation.
Sulfites: Added to wines and dried fruits, sulfites maintain the natural color of products.
Vitamin E and rosemary oil: Natural antioxidants found in cereals and oils.
Antimicrobial preservatives prevent the growth and proliferation of bacteria, mold, and yeast. Here are some examples of antimicrobial preservatives:
Benzoic acid and benzoates: Jams, jellies and juices, carbonated beverages, and fermented foods benefit from the addition of Bell Chem’s benzoic acid.
Lactic acid: Found primarily in dairy products, lactic acid keeps these products fresher longer.
Nitrites and nitrates: Bell Chem’s sodium nitrite is ideal for preservation of many varieties of meat.
Propionic acid and sodium propionate: As an ingredient, propionic acid repels bacterial growth in bakery items.
Sorbic acid and sorbates: Much like propionic acid, sorbic acid is often a preservative in baked goods. It can also be found in wine and cheese.
Bell Chem is a food ingredient distributor based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, dozens of high-quality preservatives. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Understanding Microcrystalline Cellulose
When most consumers see the term “cellulose”, they think plants, and rightly so. Microcrystalline cellulose is not as easily recognized, but is certainly utilized in many formations. The term “microcrystalline” refers to the minute crystals within the material that can only be viewed via microscopy. This alteration to standard cellulose allows microcrystalline cellulose, derived from high quality wood pulp, to meet the United States Pharmacopeia standards for distribution in medicines. As a white, free-flowing powder, it is easily added to most substances. How can your industry utilize Tampa chemical supplier Bell Chem’s microcrystalline cellulose? Read below for more information.
Most tablets and capsules contain a small amount of medicine within a medium of microcrystalline cellulose that allows the dosage to be degraded over time.
Many granulated or powdered substances have a tendency to clump together, making it difficult to pour or measure them. Microcrystalline cellulose acts as an anti-caking agent to prevent this action.
Microcrystalline cellulose can be used to replace fat in many foods since its texture and cellular structure are similar, thereby reducing the caloric intake in food.
As an emulsifier, microcrystalline cellulose combines two liquids that would normally separate over time, such as oil and water.
Because microcrystalline cellulose is inactive, it does not alter any foods or medicines upon its inclusion. Therefore, many companies use it as an excipient to add bulk to products.
With so many uses within the food and pharmacy industries, microcrystalline cellulose is certain to fulfill many needs. Call Tampa chemical supplier, Bell Chem, at (407) 339-2355 (BELL) to speak with a knowledgeable representative concerning microcrystalline cellulose or any of their other dietary and pharmaceutical products. Please browse the Bell Chem website for a list of chemicals in Bell Chem’s inventory and information on their uses.
Phosphoric Acid Guide
The term “phosphoric acid” may mean any number of chemicals within this acid category. However, all phosphoric acids share several characteristics: they are derived from naturally occurring phosphate minerals, are water-soluble, and appear as a white solid or a clear, viscous liquid. Otherwise, the variety of phosphoric acids and phosphates are as different as the methods in which they are used in industry. The following information will break down the different members of the phosphoric acid family and give a few functions of each. Contact Tampa chemical supplier, Bell Chem, to find which member of the phosphoric acid family is perfect for your industry.
Monophosphoric (orthophosphoric) acid is the simplest inorganic phosphoric acid with the chemical formula of H3PO4. Monophosphoric acid is often used as a detergent and in potable water systems where it forms a protective barrier inside pipes.
Polyphosphoric acid is an inorganic chain of two or more monophosphoric acids. This larger molecule is utilized in the organic synthesis of acylations and cyclizations (commonly in adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, as well as adenosine diphosphate, or ADP). Polyphosphoric acid is often found in detergents, acts as a corrosion inhibitor in potable water systems, as a compound to aid in the processing of fish and meat, in carbonated colas, and in baking powder. Its most recognized function, though, is its use in fertilizers.
Pyrophosphoric acid (H4P2O7) is used in detergents to control corrosion in potable water systems, and as a compound to form adenosine diphosphate, which is essential for energy use in biological organisms.
Metaphosphoric acids are phosphate rings or strings and often appear as salts or esters. With a loss of hydrogen, the metaphosphate that forms is a food additive and sequestrant.
Organic phosphates, phosphates compounded with carbon, are frequently used in biogeochemistry (ecology), as well as in biochemistry.
With its multiple uses in dentistry, orthodontics, pharmaceuticals, the medical industry, computer hardware production, and as an industrial cleaner and sanitizer, phosphoric acid belongs in every business’s inventory. Contact Tampa chemical supplier, Bell Chem, at (407) 339-2355 (BELL) to speak to a knowledgeable representative concerning phosphoric acid or any of their other chemicals. You can also browse the rest of the website for a list of chemicals in Bell Chem’s inventory and information on their uses.
Industrial Uses for Guar Gum
Guar gum is renowned for its role as a thickener, emulsifier, and stabilizer in the food industry. These uses and many others also carry over to the industry as seen in the examples below.
Pet food and veterinary supplements use guar gum as a thickener and gel to retain water and suspend ingredients.
The pharmaceutical industry utilizes guar gum in powder form as a disintegrating aid in capsulized drugs. Before it is digested, guar gum acts as a binder in capsules as well. Its disintegration speed controls the amount and timing of drugs delivered into the body.
In cosmetics, guar gum is added to toothpaste and other substances in similar containers for constant tube extrusion. Guar gum’s thickening ability gives creams and lotions their texture.
The paper industry has found guar gum gives paper a denser surface for easier printing. Its bonding strength makes the paper easier to erase and write on, and it is the substance that helps paper fold. Sheet formation is enhanced with the addition of guar gum.
In textiles, guar gum is used in forms as a thickener for sizing, finishing, and printing. Guar gum’s flexibility factor reduces warping and snapping, its emulsifying activity reduces dust, and production is more efficient when guar gum is added.
The oil industry is the main consumer of guar gum. Well fracturing, shale oil extraction and fracturing, oil well stimulation, and mud drilling are enhanced with guar gum, where it is used as a suspending agent, stabilizer, surfactant, synthetic polymer, and thickener. Guar gum minimizes power requirements by reducing friction while drilling, and maintains drilling mud viscosities to aid in removing drill waste from deep holes. Geological, water, and oil well drilling also find guar gum advantageous.
In mining, guar gum acts as a flocculant to separate liquids and solids.
With its myriad industrial uses, guar gum has an application for almost any corporation. Find more information by browsing the Bell Chem website, or by calling a Tampa chemical supplier agent at (407) 339-BELL (2355).
Caffeine: Its Positive and Negative Effects on Your Health
Caffeine is a stimulant used in a variety of foods, beverages, and medicines. While you may be familiar with the caffeine content in many of the products you use, such as coffee and chocolate, caffeine also lurks in pain relief medication and as a treatment for apnea. To understand how caffeine affects you, either positively or negatively, Tampa chemical supplier, Bell Chem, invites you to read below.
Caffeine reduces drowsiness; as such it is an active ingredient in medication to keep you awake and alert.
Thoughts are faster and clearer when the body ingests caffeine because it is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant: caffeine is soluble in both water and lipids and, as such, diffuses over the blood-brain barrier. Caffeine is structurally similar to adenosine, a chemical that produces a cellular response that acts as a depressant. The similarity in structure causes cells to accept caffeine as a substitute for adenosine in adenosine receptors in the CNS. The change from a depressant to a stimulant increases focus and coordination.
Athletes use caffeine to enhance sports performance in sprints, endurance activities, and a number of team sports. By decreasing neuronal activation thresholds, caffeine seemingly reduces an athlete’s perception of effort, thereby stimulating additional muscle recruitment. While thousands of athletes stand behind caffeine’s effects on stamina, scientists report the results are unsubstantial.
Premature infants are treated with caffeine for bronchopulmonary dysplasia because it relaxes the muscles within the bronchioles to increase oxygen uptake. Its use also increases weight gain in infants since it is a metabolic stimulant and reduces language and cognitive delays when used over a short period of time.
Overconsumption of caffeine may produce caffeine dependency, a condition highlighted by nervousness, irritability, insomnia, and headaches.
Caffeine’s metabolic stimulation increases respiration, which rushes more oxygen to hungry cells. While the heart rate is reduced, force of contraction within the heart, along with constriction of blood vessels, increases blood pressure.
Caffeine is reported to increase fat utilization by stimulating epinephrine in the bloodstream. The fat oxidized in the blood spares the glycogen stored in cells, which boosts athletic performance and acts as an aid in diabetes maintenance.
In small to average doses, caffeine keeps the body in an increased state of readiness. This state is acceptable at certain times, but an onslaught of caffeine may prove detrimental to the body’s homeostasis. Learn more about caffeine and other chemicals by browsing the rest of the website, or calling the Tampa chemical supplier experts at (407) 339-BELL (2355).