Does the Benzyl Alcohol or Benzyl Benzoate provide sterilization/disinfection for injectable gear?
I know one is used as the solvent and the other is prioritized as the preservative (sterilizer/disinfectant), or do they both play a role in solubility and sterility?
In other words, which one is most valuable in terms of safety/health?
Benzyl alcohol is there in small quantity (1-2%) to inhibit microbial growth, benzyl benzoate in large quantity (10-20%) as a solvent. Solvent is optional if you use an ester that dissolves readily like enanthate or are willing to compromise on concentration with other esters. The antimicrobial agent is not optional. Chlorobutanol can be used instead of benzyl alcohol if there is a problem with sensitivity or allergy there.
Once again, thank you FunkOdyssey! Would it be fair to assume that most people that use gear donāt know whatās in it? Iām kind of getting a hint of that.
Yes, I think that is a safe assumption.
Technically unless your gear is put into an Autoclave, is will not be sterile. Good sanitation while mixing and using no more than 0.2% concentration of BA will prevent painful injections.
If you want to do the extra work, use filters. A Watman 0.2 micron filter is small enough to filter out any sort of bug, as there are no viruses or bugs smaller than 0.2 micron. But unless you have power equipment to process or hands as big as baseball gloves, try something else.
After you get your gear brewed put in a 140C for 30 minutes., or 284F for 30 minutes, your gear will as close to sterile as you can get without buying an autoclave. The stoppers are safe in the oven until 385*F.
Remember, the timer starts for vials after the liquid is warm.
Use 45 minutes as a suggested real time in the oven.
I am in a Pharmacy related occupation, this is how I know.