Can I use alcohol to clean PCB?
Yes you can. For example, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is used, which is internationally approved according to the standards required by the main electronics manufacturers. Due to the increasing demands on ecology and purity of production, this solution was used mainly in the past, when lead was used as an admixture of solder pastes. Today, IPA is no longer so effective. It does not wash the soldering residue perfectly, but only etches the solder paste residues and then partially dissolved impurities remain on the board. Especially when we're talking about NO CLEAN pastes. Either wash thoroughly and sophisticated or not at all! Leaving aside the weaker washing efficiency, another disadvantage is flammability and high VOCs. DCT fluids have a VOC between 18-25%. Even better results can be achieved with a water-based liquid that contains, for example, solvents and alkalis - our Decotron range. Our fluids also have a much better lifespan and several times the capacity to bind impurities. Modern soldering materials are no longer so easily soluble with pure alcohol alone.