Distinguishing ethanol from methanol
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The ethanol purchased for student training had a very strong, unpleasant odor when opened after it arrived. It feels like methanol has been mixed in; is there any simple way to tell?
Give it a try and heat them up; their boiling points are different – methanol has a lower boiling point. Heat it to that temperature and see if bubbles appear
Can this be used to test methanol or ethanol? Did you learn your chemistry knowledge in physical education class?
Ethanol itself has a very strong alcoholic odor, and it is impossible to determine the presence of methanol just by smelling it. If medical ethanol is purchased from a reliable sales network or channel, it is generally of qualified quality and will not contain methanol. Unless it is denatured ethanol (that is, intentionally mixed with methanol, but it will be clearly labeled).
We have purchased several batches of material; the earlier batches didn’t have such a strong taste
Dangers of methanol poisoning! Look at the specific gravity!
Use gas chromatography to solve the problem, or carry out a silver mirror reaction after oxidation with acidic potassium permanganate
:Is L-methanol smelly? The ethanol you have is likely to be recycled ethanol; you can specify requirements regarding odors when placing the order. Since they dare to deliver it to you, its vapor quality must be satisfactory
It can be distilled at the boiling point of methanol to check for bubbles, or the specific gravity can be measured if a large amount is available
Drink a few different types of alcohol and you’ll understand – there are big differences in the flavors of various alcohols, with notes of freshness, richness, or soy-like flavors. There are many organic substances that affect these smells, and it’s not necessarily methanol