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UK/US Ethanol summary - If you care!

To: as@boris.umds.ac.uk (A.D.Smith)
Subject: UK/US Ethanol summary - If you care!
From: Les Myer <lmyer@qtm.net>
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 12:42:22 -0500
Cc: spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
Reply-to: Les Myer <lmyer@qtm.net>
Sender: owner-spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
>Methylated spirits (UK now) is ethanol, with some methanol added to make it
>unfit for drinking, and so not taxed as such.

Now it all makes perfect sense to me.
 
>So, if I'm getting the picture now, 
>       "denatured (US)" == "methylated (UK)" == "made unfit for drinking 
>>(anywhere)"

Actually, the UK description is more precise than the US version as it
actually gives an indication what the denaturing solvent is.  By George, I
think we've finally got it!

Since we've bantered this about for some time, I'll take the liberty of
trying to summarize and end the thread:

Alcohol (US) = ethanol          
Denatured ethanol (US) = ethanol + methanol or some other organic solvent    
Spirits (UK) = ethanol          
Methylated spirits (UK) = ethanol + methanol

Denaturing of ethanol is done to make the ethanol un-drinkable and therefore
it can be sold without liquor taxes.  In the UK, a purple dye is added as an
indication of methanol denaturing and to make it un-palatable. 

Ethanol burns well enough to use in specifically designed campstoves and
other applications, but not explosively because it has a lower vapor
pressure/flash point.  The lower vapor pressure hinders evaporation and
makes it less suitable as a thinner where subsequent evaporation is required.

Oils and waxes have limited solubility in ethanol due to its relatively
polar nature.

Les (learned some new stuff today) Myer 



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