Both circulating alcohol and the tail fraction will be useful to you for subsequent rectifications, because they contain a large amount of ethyl alcohol. How to obtain ethyl alcohol from these fractions is the same as we described above.
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Most people associate the word mainly with alcoholic drinks. Although the use of this substance is not limited to the production of alcohol.

For example, medical alcohol, as its name suggests, is used in almost all branches of medicine.

Despite the fact that its main component ethyl is considered poisonous, its use in small doses and as an antiseptic, a base for compresses and a deodorizing agent, undesirable consequences doesn't call.

Formula

Medical is one of the varieties used in medicine. Therefore, they both have the same molecular formula – C₂H₅OH, displaying the chemical composition of organic matter.

How many degrees?

Medical water-alcohol solution is produced in 70% and 96% (the concept of “degree” is not currently used). If necessary, laboratory conditions It is possible to obtain absolute alcohol (100%). But the dry product is hygroscopic. The moisture it attracts quickly reduces its strength to 95-98%.

Compound

Medical alcohol is made from high quality raw materials. It is mainly obtained by fermenting grains or potatoes.

The resulting product is concentrated by distillation to form 96%.

Apart from water, the medical water-alcohol solution contains no other impurities.

Whereas in ethyl alcohol, depending on the degree of purification, certain substances may be present.

Is it possible to drink?

In principle, medical alcohol is not poisonous, since various tinctures and extracts are prepared on its basis medicinal plants, which are then taken, including internally. However, the instructions for the aqueous-alcohol solution used in medicine do not recommend taking it orally.

And the point here is not at all that the product is not sufficiently purified. When ingested medical alcohol A burn to the mucous membrane may occur due to the high strength.

Application

As already mentioned, medical alcohol is widely used in all branches of medicine.

Medical alcohol solution is used as:

1. Antiseptic and antimicrobial agent. It begins to cleanse effectively skin covering from viruses and bacteria even at 20% concentration. However, to obtain the maximum disinfecting effect, you need to use an alcohol solution of 70% strength. Treating surgical instruments and various surfaces in operating rooms with such a solution makes it possible to achieve sterile cleanliness.
2. Means of general anesthesia (anesthesia).
3. The main component of tinctures, extracts and dosage forms applied externally.
4. Antipyretic or warming agent. Rubbing the body with alcohol, due to the high degree of evaporation of the solution, allows you to achieve a powerful cooling effect that works effectively at high temperatures. Conversely, vigorous rubbing helps warm the body.
5. First aid for poisoning with counterfeit alcoholic drinks.
6. Defoamer. Using a concentrated alcohol solution, the mechanical ventilation procedure is performed. When accumulated in respiratory tract foaming mucus, the patient is allowed to breathe pure oxygen, previously passed through an alcohol solution.
7. An effective decongestant. Due to the dehydrating properties of the substances, alcohol compresses applied to areas of swelling help to draw out excess water.
8. Preservative for storing anatomical preparations.

How is medical alcohol different from food alcohol?

Many people are interested in what medicinal and food grade alcohol have in common. To the general These substances include the following:

• both substances are a type of ethyl alcohol;
• both are obtained as a result of fermentation of plant materials (see:);
• possibilities of use. Although medical alcohol is used in medicine, its high degree of purification allows it to be used in Food Industry. The same can be said about its food counterpart;
• Both of them do not have harmful impurities for humans, therefore, they can be consumed without fear of consequences. Naturally after diluting with water to an acceptable strength;
• They have similar strength indicators. In medicine, depending on the purpose, a 95% alcohol solution is used. Edible alcohol is produced with the same strength.

However, despite the fact that food and medical alcohol have much in common, they also have fundamental differences, which include the following:

• Only potatoes and grains of the highest standard can be used as raw materials for the production of a medical water-alcohol solution. As for food alcohol, the use of black molasses, various fruits and beet sugar. Consequently, the quality of the former is higher than that of the latter;
• These substances have different degrees of purification. Thus, the presence of certain impurities in a food-grade alcohol solution is allowed, which limits its use in some branches of medicine. There is nothing but water in an alcohol solution intended for medical purposes;
• The food grade alcohol solution is produced with a strength of 95%. Medical strength indicators can be 70% or 95%, depending on what manipulations it is intended for;
• and finally, for these products different sphere applications. If food alcohol, as its name suggests, is used in the food industry, then medical alcohol is widely used in various branches of medicine.

Benefit or harm?

It is impossible to say unequivocally whether ethyl alcohol brings benefit or harm. Today it is difficult to find an area of ​​human activity where it is not used.

He brings invaluable benefits in medicine as a disinfectant. It helps maintain sterile cleanliness in operating rooms. It is indispensable in cooking various types medicines.

For humans, taking small doses of alcohol-containing drinks is also very useful. When entering the human body, they help to dilate blood vessels, thin the blood, thereby improving blood circulation.

It happens that only thanks to psychotropic effect Alcohol helps a person to dull severe pain.

The pronounced antiseptic properties of alcohol solutions have long been appreciated by cosmetologists. Most cleansing lotions are made from them.

Alcohol is the main ingredient in almost all alcoholic drinks. But in order to end up with high-quality, tasty, and most importantly safe products, you need to choose the right alcohol.

Alcohol can be of two types: ethyl and methyl. We will tell you below which of them can be drunk or eaten, and what color they burn.

Ethyl or ethanol

Ethyl alcohol comes in two types: food and medical. It is suitable for consumption, however, before doing so it must be diluted with water, otherwise due to the high concentration of alcohol you can get serious burns digestive tract and oral cavity.

Without special manipulations, it is impossible to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol by eye. Both liquids are transparent, with a characteristic odor, and the same density. True, methyl has a neutral aroma, which is expressed rather weakly and is felt only when “sniffing”, while ethanol vapors are sharper and hit the nose.

This product is obtained by distilling wort that has previously undergone the fermentation stage. You can also get it yourself at home, however, for this you need to use a special distillate - a moonshine still.

Reference. Homemade moonshine, prepared from quality raw materials and in accordance with technological rules, is in no way inferior in quality to industrial alcohol.

But it is worth understanding that with long-term use of this ethyl product in large quantities may appear alcohol addiction. Therefore, all drinks prepared on its basis must be consumed in small quantities.

Methyl or methanol

Methyl or technical alcohol, which is popularly simply called methanol- This industrial product, it cannot be used as food in any form. This liquid is obtained from legnin, formic alcohol and wood.

This product is used to make solvents and formaldehyde. When working with such a substance, be sure to follow safety precautions, since methanol has a strong and pungent aroma and can also cause severe burns to the epidermis.

Reference. Industrial alcohol is absorbed into the body much more slowly than ethanol; it destroys the nervous system, causes severe poisoning, and also impairs vision.

That is why, while doing self-production alcohol-based drinks, it is very important to use the correct product.

When purchasing alcoholic beverages in stores with a proven reputation, the risk of poisoning from a “scorched” product is significantly reduced. Most often, drinks with methyl alcohol are sold in kiosks, sales tents, by hand, at unauthorized points of sale and drinking, as well as near train stations.

How to determine the species?

However, in order to independently determine what type of alcohol is presented, it is not at all necessary to take its samples to the laboratory. There are several simple ways to determine the type of alcohol:

1. All you need to do is set the liquid on fire. Can be poured a small amount of into any container, or you can simply moisten the edge of a cotton swab and bring it to the fire source. This method does not require the use of any special tools, and the diagnostic result is instantaneous. Ethyl alcohol always burns only with a blue flame, but the flame of methanol is green. But this rule only works for methyl alcohol without unnecessary impurities.
2. There is also the so-called potato test. A small root vegetable is thoroughly peeled and washed, then cut into two parts and both are placed in a jar. Pour alcohol over the potatoes and leave for 2-5 hours. If after this period the water has not turned pink, it means that the alcohol is ethyl alcohol, and it can be used in the future.
3. You can add a small amount of baking soda to a container of alcohol. If there is ethanol in the container, then the soda will be colored yellow and settles at the bottom of the container. If the alcohol is methyl alcohol, then it will completely dissolve.
4. Lightly heat the alcohol and add a couple of granules of ordinary potassium permanganate to it. If the liquid is of high quality, then no changes will occur. If methanol has been heated, then when potassium permanganate gets into it, it will begin to hiss and bubble strongly.
5. If you have a good industrial thermometer at hand, then a small amount of liquid can simply be heated in a metal container. At the moment when it begins to boil, its temperature should be measured. Ethanol boils at 80 degrees, and methyl alcohol begins to boil at 60 degrees.
6. Lang's test or discoloration of liquid. To do this, the liquid being tested is heated to 18 degrees in a small container. The manganese infusion is immediately poured into this and everything is removed from the heat. Now you need to time the time it takes for the liquid to color from dark crimson to light pink. The longer this process takes place, the better the quality of the liquid being tested. The best option is 10 – 20 minutes. For such a test you will need 50 g of alcohol, 2 g of water and 0.2 mg of potassium permanganate.
7. The simplest but most reliable is the so-called formaldehyde test. All that is needed is to heat it up high fire copper wire and lower it into a container with liquid. After 15 seconds, the copper is removed and sniffed. The stronger the aroma of formaldehyde, the lower the quality of the alcohol, which means you should never drink it.

Attention! When buying alcohol in random places or, especially, receiving a homemade product as a gift, smell it before drinking. If the smell seems too pungent or somehow unusual, do not be lazy to conduct a home examination to prevent severe poisoning.

Symptoms of poisoning and first aid

If methanol was nevertheless consumed, then this will be indicated by:

• flickering before the eyes and decreased visibility;
• severe headache and dizziness;
• strong cutting cramps in the stomach;
• nausea and vomiting.

The person may also have poor spatial orientation and lose consciousness. In such cases, first aid should be provided immediately:

1. Call an ambulance and explain that the victim has severe methanol poisoning.
2. It is necessary to give the person a soda solution to drink. The volume of liquid drunk should not be less than 1500 ml.
3. It is necessary to cleanse the intestines. To do this, first induce vomiting and then give an enema.

To intoxicate and neutralize methanol, the victim is allowed to drink 50 ml of slightly diluted ethanol every three hours. But you shouldn’t self-medicate at home. Only a medical institution can assess the degree of poisoning and provide proper assistance.

Ethyl alcohol poisoning

You can also be poisoned by ethyl alcohol if you exceed permissible dose consumption. The amount of alcohol entering the blood is measured in ppm (‰) - a conventional unit indicating 1/10 of a percent of alcohol per 1 liter of blood.

First aid for ethyl alcohol poisoning (hangover)

If a drunk is vomiting, it is necessary to give him the opportunity to empty his stomach properly, and if he is able to drink water, it must be offered in sufficient quantities. The more alcohol the body expels from itself at this stage, the better. It is important to ensure that the person does not choke on drink or vomit. The next morning after the “victim” sleeps off, he will need:

1. A tablet of acetylsalicylic acid and analgin (or aspirin + citramon) to relieve headaches.
2. Activated carbon, enterosgel or other sorbents.
3. Drinking plenty of water - mineral water, compote, sweet drinks are a good saver, since during “libations” the body loses glucose.
4. If you feel the urge to vomit, you can induce it artificially by drinking a glass of clean water first.
5. A refreshing shower, airing the room, a light walk.
6. Chicken broth, soup, some oatmeal, greens or a raw egg will start the stomach and help you recover faster.

You should avoid strenuous physical activity, exposure to contrasting temperatures, heavy food, and you should not get a hangover.

Video: how to check the quality of alcohol at home?

If you have doubts about the alcoholic liquid you are purchasing, it is better to do several studies simultaneously to determine its quality. Watch a video that uses the Lang method - one of the simple ways you can check the quality of alcohol at home:

The main difference between ethyl alcohol and other types of such substances is its suitability for oral consumption. Other types of alcohols have properties that are more or less toxic to humans, so the ability to distinguish between their types will minimize the risk of chemical poisoning. The greatest danger of all types of non-food alcohol is methyl alcohol, due to its cheapness, prevalence and similarity in taste and smell to ethanol. Other types of alcohols (for example, isopropyl) are less common, but due to their similarity to food alcohol and toxic effects on the body, they also pose a significant danger.

Knowing the main differences between common types of alcohol and ethyl alcohol will help minimize health risks when drinking alcoholic beverages.

The dangers of methyl alcohol

It is worth knowing that methanol is no different from alcohol in color, taste and smell.

To distinguish potable alcohol from non-potable alcohol, appropriate research is required, which is not always done. Very often, based on the confidence that it was food grade alcohol that was purchased, this substance is consumed internally. The result will be severe poisoning, and in the absence medical care- death.

In addition to knowledge of how to distinguish ethyl alcohol from methyl alcohol and in general, you will need to have information regarding the main effects of methanol on the body, know the symptoms of poisoning and primary aid.

Drinking vodka with methyl alcohol causes the following effects on the body:

• bilateral inflammation of the optic nerve, which can cause blindness;
• damage to the central nervous system;
• damage to the urinary system;
• destructive effects on the protein structures of the body, metabolic disorders.

Shortly after consuming this substance, the following symptoms appear:

• nausea, vomiting, sharp abdominal pain;
• fog;
• visual impairment (“floaters” before the eyes);
• headache;
• dizziness;
• increased salivation;
• an increase and then a sharp drop in blood pressure.

Thus, if no action has been taken to distinguish methanol from ethyl alcohol, some time after this substance enters the body, more severe consequences develop. The time of onset of such manifestations will depend on the amount of toxic substance entering the body.

Such manifestations include the following:

• visual impairment up to complete blindness;
• the appearance of pain in the legs and head;
• superficial alcoholic coma: speech impairment, vomiting, decreased body temperature, spontaneous urination;

deep alcoholic coma: swelling of the eyelids, dilated pupils, lack of response to painful stimuli, breathing problems, seizures and tachycardia.

Attention!

In the absence of medical care and in the case of consuming a significant amount of methyl alcohol, death can occur.

How to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol at home

There are several ways to distinguish food grade alcohol from technical grade alcohol at home. Each of them, provided correct implementation experience allows you to distinguish good alcohol from bad with a fairly high probability. If the results of several types of tests are the same, the type of substance can be determined with high probability.

Some of these methods include the following.

Flame color

One of the most simple remedies A way to distinguish drinking alcohol from technical alcohol is to set it on fire. Ethanol will have a bluish flame color, while methanol will have a greenish flame color.

Reaction with potatoes

When peeled potatoes are placed in a container with alcohol, the type of substance can be determined by the color change of the vegetable. For the reaction to occur, it is necessary to soak the potatoes in alcohol for at least two hours. If the color of the potatoes changes to pink, this indicates methanol.

Boiling temperature

Another way to distinguish industrial alcohol is to monitor its boiling point. Ethanol boils at a temperature of 78 °C, and methyl already at 64 °C.

Reaction with baking soda

When mixed with ethanol baking soda gives an insoluble yellowish precipitate. Methyl alcohol remains clear when soda is dissolved in it.

Reaction with potassium permanganate

You can also distinguish medical alcohol by adding a little potassium permanganate to it. In the case of ethanol, this will not cause any visible reaction. The reaction of methyl alcohol will produce gas and the smell of formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde test

This method, which allows us to distinguish drinking alcohol from methanol, is considered the most reliable.

To carry it out, it is necessary to lower a red-hot copper wire into the alcohol being tested. If this results in the release of a strong odor of formaldehyde, then this is methyl alcohol. When ethanol reacts, it produces an apple cider vinegar smell.

Lang's test

This method of distinguishing industrial alcohol from medical alcohol will require the presence of potassium permanganate, as well as a small container in which the alcohol can be heated.

To conduct the study, you will need to dilute 0.2 g of potassium permanganate in 2 ml of distilled water. Then heat 50 ml of alcohol to 18 ° C, pour the potassium permanganate solution into it and note the time when the color of the solution changes from purple to pink. If it took 10 minutes or more, then most likely you have ethyl alcohol.

Thus, the question of whether it is possible to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol can be answered positively.

How to distinguish other types of alcohols

Among alcohols there are many poisonous and toxic ones, so it is simply necessary to be able to distinguish them from each other, as well as to distinguish them from other substances with similar characteristics.

How to distinguish isopropyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol does not pose the same level of danger as methyl alcohol, but if consumed in large quantities it will also have negative impact on the body. The main reason for the harmful effects of this type of alcohol is the release of acetone during its breakdown in the liver. Also, the chemical composition of this substance causes a more abrupt onset of intoxication, which lasts much longer than after drinking ethanol.

You can distinguish isopropyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol by several criteria:

• smell: pungent, bitter, reminiscent of the smell of disinfectants;
• taste: bittersweet.

How to distinguish chacha from diluted alcohol

It will be much easier to distinguish chacha from diluted alcohol. Since chacha is actually distilled wine, such a product will differ significantly from diluted alcohol in both smell and taste.

Chacha has enough mild aroma and taste, in contrast to the sharp characteristic taste of alcohol. Therefore, even after trying once real drink, you can easily distinguish real chacha from diluted alcohol.

How to distinguish vodka from alcohol

It will be somewhat more difficult to distinguish vodka from alcohol. In this case, everything depends on the quality of the product. Quite often, cheap vodka is nothing more than simply diluted alcohol, so there can be no difference in this case.

High-quality vodka has a fairly mild taste and smell, which makes it different from a banal solution of alcohol and water. But this only applies to expensive brands. In the case of cheap vodka, there will be no differences due to the fact that it is most likely diluted alcohol.

How to distinguish moonshine from alcohol

To distinguish moonshine from alcohol, it is advisable to have an idea of ​​the smell of artisanal alcohol and medical alcohol. Basically, moonshine has an aroma with notes of the raw materials from which it is made, and also, to a certain extent, has the smell of residual fusel oils. Smell pure alcohol has no such impurities. Therefore, in order to be able to distinguish moonshine from diluted alcohol, it is advisable to have an idea of ​​​​the characteristic smell of alcohol made at home.

How to distinguish alpha alcohol from luxury alcohol

It is much more difficult to distinguish alpha alcohol from luxury alcohol. These brands of alcohols are quite close according to GOST standards and belong to the products of the highest degree of purification. It is virtually impossible to distinguish these two types of alcohol by smell and taste, without the appropriate experience.

How to distinguish alcohol from phenol

In some cases, it is also required to be able to distinguish alcohols from phenols. In everyday life, phenolic compounds in pure form are quite rare, but due to the high danger of such substances for health and life, it is necessary to be able to identify them by organoleptic characteristics.

The main indicator of the presence of a large amount of phenol in any solution is the clearly noticeable smell of gouache. Since this paint contains a significant amount of phenol, the smell of this substance is associated with it.

Phenol is a toxic substance. If it enters the body it causes severe burns. internal organs, disorder of the nervous, cardiovascular, urinary systems. At high concentrations or large amounts, exposure is fatal.

To what chemical property distinguishes alcohols from phenols, one can attribute its much less pronounced acidic properties.

How to distinguish a ketone from an alcohol

The need to separate the ketone from the alcohol in living conditions most likely won't be needed. At the same time, it is worth knowing that ketones, due to their characteristics chemical composition, are significantly more volatile. In particular, most substances in this group have a boiling point of about 52 degrees.

How to distinguish alcohol from acid

You can distinguish alcohol from acid both by the characteristic smell of the latter and by its reaction with various substances, for example, metals. Alcohols, unlike acids, upon contact with metal, do not form new compounds, which is reflected in a change in the color of the metal surface, and in the case of a high concentration of acid - destruction of the metal.