Thread: stoves
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Old 12-01-12 | 09:17 PM
  #150  
prathmann
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Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Bay Area, Calif.
Originally Posted by nun
Research Grade Ethanol is 99.9% ethanol and ok to drink, but it really needs to be mixed with something to make it in anyway pleasant. Everclear (grain alcohol) is 95% ethanol and also makes good fuel as well as an interesting cocktail.
Non-denatured laboratory ethanol is commonly classified as either 'absolute' (nearly 100%) ethanol or as 95% ethanol which has 5% water content. I would not recommend consumption of absolute ethanol (although I tried some as a teenager) since to remove the last bit of water requires a process (azeotropic distillation) that uses highly toxic chemicals (typ. benzene) and some trace impurities are likely to be present in the alcohol. Better to use the 95% ethanol where the remaining 5% is just water. And, of course, any denatured ethanol should never be consumed.
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