Methanol or Ethanol?

Question

where can i find natural ethanol...i heard now in hardware stores they sale denatured ethanol which is poisoned so it is not used for the wrong purposes...nott that i wanna use it for the wrong purposes ..lol

but isnt rubbing alcohol..lethal if digested..im lookin for sumthin like wood alcohol that isnt poisoned deliberately like they do most..

Answer 1

Rubbing alchohol as you mention cant be drunk because of additives. Most pharmacy bought ethanol in the US (do not drink warning) contains some acetone from the manufacture process. Although it probably will not kill you quickly in small quantities, it is definately BAD to ingest it. Isopropanol is also sold as rubbing alchohol and it degrades into toxic acetone in the body.

Ethanol is used widely in science, but it is difficult to puruify beyond 95% because about 5% water remains after distilation. Further refinement is needed for use as fuel.

Research purpose/industrial alchohol can not be purchased in most cases by the general public, mainly for tax and legal reasons. Various chemical supply companies that sell to researchers such as Sigma and Fisher sell it but not to the general public. Even 100% ethanol is avalible at high prices from such companies.

Various drinks such as gin, vodka etc have high ethanol concentrations and are legal but of course they have other components remaining from their creation. (1 proof =.5% ethanol)

Some states used to legally sell 90% (non denatured) alchohol. I saw some about 20 years ago and probably some may still allow it. But I know that in at least California and Georgia it is currently illegal to sell it. Even if you can find the stuff there are far better (and cheaper) ways to get drunk.

Methanol is probably not obtainable except from various chemical suplly companies. In any case it will mess you up bad if you drink it. The body degrades methanol into formaldehyde so if you drink enough of it, you will save the embalmers some time (but unfortunately you would be dead). Methanol mixes are used as raceing fuels as well but drinking a mix of methanol and gasoline is probably a bit worse than just Methanol alone.

Answer 2

Ethanol is pretty much rubbing alcohol. Most of the ethanol is just 70% alc because if it were 100% it would just evaporate faster than it can be used for the specific purpose. You can buy ethanol practically any where, it's the percent that depends on where.