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Denatured Alcohol Specifications

Denatured alcohol is a colorless, liquid form of alcohol to which chemicals are added to alter the chemical makeup of the product, making it poisonous to humans when consumed. Denatured alcohol is commonly ethanol with chemicals including methanol, isopropanol and gasoline added to change the purpose of the alcohol.

  1. Ethanol

    • Ethanol is a form of alcohol commonly used for denaturing; its chemical composition is CH3CH2OH. Ethanol, also known as grain alcohol or ethyl alcohol, can be consumed for its alcoholic effect on the human body. When ethanol, or any other form of alcohol, is used to create denatured alcohol, the proteins within the alcohol are altered by the introduction of another form of alcohol. The second form of alcohol that is introduced uncoils the alpha helix and beta sheets within the ethanol protein to an irregular shape, allowing the composition of the alcohol to be altered.

    Rubbing Alcohol

    • One of the most commonly used forms of denatured alcohol is rubbing alcohol, which is commonly sold in pharmacies and stores throughout the U.S. Rubbing alcohol is usually made up of a 70 percent alcohol solution, with 30 percent water added to the alcohol mixture. The chemicals added to rubbing alcohol create a poisonous chemical with a foul odor that can cause reactions such as blindness when consumed. When placed on the skin, rubbing alcohol disinfects damaged and inflamed areas by breaking down the bacterial cell wall of the skin, and denatures the proteins within the cells of the skin. A stronger solution of 95 percent would not have the same effect as a 70 percent solution, with a 95 percent denatured alcohol solution blocking the path of the alcohol within the liquid from entering the cells of the body.

    Fuel

    • Ethanol is a form of alcohol that has grown as a form of renewable energy as the reliance of the human race on fossil fuels diminishes. Ethanol is denatured with the addition of gasoline to create a denatured alcohol that is is a high octane fuel capable of creating energy when burned within a combustion engine. To denature ethanol for renewable fuels, gasoline is commonly added to the fuel in various mixtures to create fuels capable of performing at different levels. Common ethanol mixtures are E10, which is made up of 10 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline, and E85, a higher performing fuel with 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

    Laws

    • The chemical added to alcohol to denature it is usually dangerous and causes problems when consumed. The poisonous nature of denatured alcohol has resulted in the introduction of rules and regulations by the U.S. federal government regarding the storing and movement of denatured alcohol products.

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