by pluto » Fri Dec 15, 2017 1:40 pm
Isopropyl alcohol is obscenely expensive here in Canada, about $6 or $7 for 500mL.
Methanol (often labelled "99.9% pure Methyl Hydrate") is quite cheap however! It can reliably be found for $10/4L and often much less. An equivalent volume of IPA would cost over $50!
Since the primary function of the IPA is to dehydrate the emulsion, it should be OK to substitute it with methanol, right?
I'll try to determine the effectiveness of methanol by using it to develop a hologram as if it were IPA, observing the hologram, then doing an IPA wash and observing the hologram again. If the hologram doesn't improve from the IPA wash, I think we can be sure that methanol is just as good
I will report back with my findings, but it would be great if somebody here could test it out as well. I'm just returning to holography after a year hiatus, and was never particularly good at it in the first place, so it would be good if somebody else could try this as well. If it works then we can all save a little bit of cash
Thanks!
P.S. What are your local prices for IPA and methanol?
Isopropyl alcohol is obscenely expensive here in Canada, about $6 or $7 for 500mL.
Methanol (often labelled "99.9% pure Methyl Hydrate") is quite cheap however! It can reliably be found for $10/4L and often much less. An equivalent volume of IPA would cost over $50!
Since the primary function of the IPA is to dehydrate the emulsion, it should be OK to substitute it with methanol, right?
I'll try to determine the effectiveness of methanol by using it to develop a hologram as if it were IPA, observing the hologram, then doing an IPA wash and observing the hologram again. If the hologram doesn't improve from the IPA wash, I think we can be sure that methanol is just as good :)
I will report back with my findings, but it would be great if somebody here could test it out as well. I'm just returning to holography after a year hiatus, and was never particularly good at it in the first place, so it would be good if somebody else could try this as well. If it works then we can all save a little bit of cash :)
Thanks!
P.S. What are your local prices for IPA and methanol?