Is isopropyl alcohol the same as mineral spirits?

Answer 1

According to Wikipedia, "White spirit(UK)

[note 1]or

mineral spirits(US),

[1][2][3]also known as

mineral turpentine,

turpentine substitute,

petroleum spirits,

solvent naphtha (petroleum)or

Stoddard solvent,

[4][5]is a petroleum-derived clear, transparent liquid which is a common organic

solventused in painting and decorating."

Answer 2

"All these things are distillation fractions of petroleum. By and large they are the aliphatic component of petroleum. Naptha is largely pentane and hexane while mineral spirits is a mix of somewhat larger molecules, probably mostly octane. By far the main difference among them will be boiling point (how fast they evaporate, flash point). In addition they will differ in minor components that will contribute more or less odor. None of these constituents should have any effect on the curing chemistry of a finish. Because they are distillation fractions they are all 100% volatile. How fast they evaporate will differ, which in turn will effect the flash point: -40 C for naptha and 0 C for mineral spirits. Mineral spirits evaporates slower than naptha. "Paint thinner" could be naptha or mineral spirits (or any of a number of other common names for these fractions-ligroin, petroleum ether, etc). So paint thinner may evaporate the same as, or faster, than mineral spirits depending on what the distiller decided to put in it. If it is cheaper it probably means that the boiling range of its constituents are less tightly controlled which should be of little concern in many finishing applications. Personally I use whatever is the cheapest. I would use naptha if it was cold and I needed to get something dry faster but its low flash point makes it a more flammable choice." For the record, as your loyal scribe and resident finishing expert, I will tell you that the paragraph above, contributed by Bill Tindall, is the one part of this thread that is completely correct.

Answer 3

No, isopropyl alcohol and mineral spirits are not the same. Isopropyl alcohol is a type of alcohol commonly used as a solvent or disinfectant, while mineral spirits is a petroleum-derived solvent often used for cleaning or thinning paint. They have different chemical compositions and uses.

Answer 4

No. Isopropyl alcohol is an alcohol, mineral spirits is a mixture of compounds distilled from petroleum.

Answer 5

only if u believe in theme.