Ethyl alcohol or ethanol is also known as spirit or simply alcohol (drinking alcohol, grain alcohol or pure alcohol). It is a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid with a characteristic odor. It has been used as an alcoholic beverage since ages.

Grades of ethyl alcohol

Ethyl alcohol is available as:

• Denatured alcohol: Ethyl alcohol is rendered unfit for human consumption by the addition of bitter or toxic agents such as denatonium benzoate, naphtha, methanol and pyridine. It is around 200 proof before denaturing.
• Pure alcohol: Also known as Beverage Grade Alcohol, pure alcohol does not have denaturants or additives. It is 192 proof and is derived from natural sources such as corn (organic alcohol).
• Absolute ethyl alcohol (USP alcohol): Absolute or anhydrous ethanol is used as a solvent for industry and laboratory applications, and as fuel alcohol. It may contain toxic benzene. It is classified as 200 proof.
• Wine spirit: This ethyl alcohol is about 188 proof.

Uses of ethyl alcohol

Ethyl alcohol has a wide range of applications. It is used as:

• Motor fuel: Ethyl alcohol is used as automobile fuel and as a fuel additive, and in cooking and lighting stoves in some countries.
• Electricity generation: Ethyl alcohol is used to generate electricity by fuelling Direct-Ethanol Fuel Cells (DEFC).
• Alcoholic beverages: Ethyl alcohol is the primary psychoactive ingredient in all alcoholic drinks – fermented beverages (beer, wine, cider, and mead), distilled beverages (whisky, brandy, rum, vodka, and gin), freeze-distilled beverages (applejack, ice beer) and fortified wines. Alcoholic beverages are also used as cooking additives to retain flavor, and for making vinegar, cider vinegar, malt vinegar, and wine.
• Feedstock: Ethyl alcohol is used as the base for industrial manufacture of organic compounds such as esters, amines, halides, ethers, acetic acid and butadiene.
• Antiseptic: Antibacterial properties of ethyl alcohol make it suitable for antiseptic use in medical wipes, hand sanitizer gels, etc.
• Drug: Ethyl alcohol works as an antidote against poisoning from toxic alcohols such as methanol and ethylene glycol.
• Solvent: Ethyl alcohol is used in perfumes, tinctures and paints as it is miscible with water.
• Cosmetics: It is used in deodorants.
• Art: Ethyl alcohol is used in design and sketch markers.

Production of ethyl alcohol

Traditionally, ethyl alcohol is produced by:

• fermentation of sugar with yeast
• hydration of ethylene from petrochemical feed stocks

Newer technologies used to produce ethyl alcohol are:

• hydrolyzing cellulose to produce sugars necessary for ethanol fermentation (cellulosic ethyl alcohol)
• fermentation of whey
• combining anaerobic bacteria (from commercial chicken waste) with carbon monoxide and hydrogen (from fossil fuels and synthetic gas)
• closed loop ethyl alcohol plants
• processing ethanol from feed stocks (recycled waste, hulls, etc.)

Denatured alcohol is exempted from federal tax unlike pure alcohol. The BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) regulates the grading and formulation of alcohol in the US. Grading of ethyl alcohol varies across countries.