What is the Difference between Denatured ethanol and Absolute Ethanol?

By | Jun 19, 2009
vverklin asked:


What is the Difference between and Absolute ?

Also what is the uses of each one?

Thank you,

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3 Comments so far
  1. mcalhoun333 June 21, 2009 8:06 pm

    Denatured ethanol is ethyl alcohol (drinking alcohol) that has add impurities to prevent people from drinking it. Ethanol is heavily taxed by the government when it is to be consumed, but denaturing it, labs can get away from having to pay a tax on it.

    I’d imagine absolute ethanol is 100% alcohol. Normally Ethanol can’t be distilled more than 95% ethanol 5% H2O. This is done by mixing it with a drying agent and then removing that.

  2. aestatisa June 23, 2009 7:25 am

    Denatured ethanol has been rendered toxic. There are a variety of methods for doing so, including adding toxins or bitter-tasting additives. Additionally, this means that it isn’t taxed on import or when sold at a store in the same way that drinking alcohol is taxed. Denatured ethanol is commonly used for burning in stoves.

    Absolute ethanol is the most pure form of ethanol that we can currently produce. It contains less than 1% water. Notably, it is also toxic due to trace benzene leftover from the purification process. It is commonly used in labs as a solvent.

  3. Flying Dragon June 24, 2009 6:19 am

    Denatured alcohol has one or more substances added to it to prevent it from being used for drinking. This type of alcohol is for solvent/industrial use. It could be used in a chemical laboratory, if the additives don’t interfere with your reactions.

    Absolute alcohol is anhydrous alcohol for use in a chemical laboratory etc. Since they often dry the alcohol by addition of benzene and then distilling off the ternerary azeotrope (alcohol/water/benzene) it might still contain a little benzene. Sometimes they use other drying methods, however.

    Supposedly the 95% ethanol (95% ethanol/5% water) is the one that could be drunk, but I am not absolutely certain. I would suggest you spend the extra money to get real liquor if that is your ulterior motive.

    PS: I would NEVER drink the punch at chemistry dept. parties because I never knew what grade of alcohol some idiot might have spiked the punch with.

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