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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: laclogan on May 22, 2020, 02:59:52 PM

Title: Can I use Denatured Alcohol as Ethanol?
Post by: laclogan on May 22, 2020, 02:59:52 PM
Hey guys, I'm going to buy some Ethanol to use in a video synthesis I'm about to shoot but there's a lot of alcohol makers in my country so the government doesn't approve sellling pure ethanol anymore instead they sell denatured ethanol which contains denatonium benzoate in small portions so what I'm asking is can this denatonium ruin my reaction? thank you in advance.
Title: Re: Can I use Denatured Alcohol as Ethanol?
Post by: wildfyr on May 22, 2020, 03:01:50 PM
Ah, song as old as time with reagent alcohol. Depends on precisely what reaction you are trying to do!
Title: Re: Can I use Denatured Alcohol as Ethanol?
Post by: laclogan on May 22, 2020, 03:05:49 PM
Ah, song as old as time with reagent alcohol. Depends on precisely what reaction you are trying to do!
Well thanks for the answer and I'll use it as an extraction solvent but I think I should do a little research about Denatonium first. If that doesn't work then I might have to produce ethanol by myself using the sugar recipe lol hope that turns out well! thanks again
Title: Re: Can I use Denatured Alcohol as Ethanol?
Post by: hollytara on May 22, 2020, 11:31:36 PM
denatonium benzoate is a bitterizing agent - quaternary ammonium cation and benzoate anion.  Has a horribly bitter taste.

If you distill the ethanol it will leave the denatonium behind. 
Title: Re: Can I use Denatured Alcohol as Ethanol?
Post by: Babcock_Hall on May 23, 2020, 10:04:03 AM
Other forms of denatured have small proportions of other alcohols (methanol and isopropanol IIRC) or other solvents.  Possibly those would not interfere with your experiment.
Title: Re: Can I use Denatured Alcohol as Ethanol?
Post by: laclogan on June 07, 2020, 06:28:38 AM
denatonium benzoate is a bitterizing agent - quaternary ammonium cation and benzoate anion.  Has a horribly bitter taste.

If you distill the ethanol it will leave the denatonium behind.

Thank you so much pal, I must say you're a life saver.