Ethanol

About This Product

Ethanol, ethyl alcohol, has the formula C2H6O and CAS number 64-17-5. It is a clear, colourless, volatile liquid with a characteristic odour, boiling at about 78 °C and fully miscible with water and most organic solvents. The two grades exist because of an azeotrope. Ethanol and water form a constant-boiling mixture at roughly 95.6 percent ethanol by weight, so ordinary distillation stops there, and 95 percent ethanol is the natural product of a distillery. Going further requires a separate dehydration step, by molecular sieve, pervaporation or azeotropic distillation with an entrainer, which is why absolute ethanol costs more. The choice between them is therefore practical: where water does no harm, as in cleaning, extraction, disinfection and many formulations, the 95 percent grade is the economical choice; where water would hydrolyse a reagent, shift an equilibrium or cloud a product, absolute ethanol is needed. Excise duty and denaturing requirements depend on the destination country and the intended use, and should be settled before shipment. It is used as a solvent and extractant in pharmaceutical, botanical and fine chemical manufacture, in cleaning and disinfection products, in inks, coatings and personal care formulations, and as a chemical intermediate for ethyl esters and ethers. Bio Green Chem supplies absolute and 95 percent ethanol in 160 kg drums or ISO tanks, with the full specification on ethanol content, water, acidity, methanol, higher alcohols and residue confirmed with the quotation. It is highly flammable and causes serious eye irritation; handle to the safety data sheet.