How to determine ethyl alcohol at home. Ways to distinguish methanol from ethanol at home

Food ethyl alcohol (ethanol) - an important ingredient for a plurality of therapeutic tinctures and delicious drinks. However, in poor-quality raw materials there may be sewed oils - poisonous substances that can cause acute poisoning and even death. Fortunately, there are several ways to verify the quality of alcohol.

Quality pure alcohol is used not only in medicine, but also in food Industry. It is based on various tinctures, it is used for conservation. It is very important that alcohol does not contain harmful impurities.

Mirror and soda

Determine the purity of the alcohol will help the usual mirror and food soda:

Manganese

For this method, we will need potassium permanganate crystals ("Manganese"):

• Add multiple crystals into a glass of water - we get a lightweight solution of pale pink color.
• Three tablespoons of alcohol in a transparent glass, add a tablespoon of our solution with it. Take up time since the mixing.
• We observe a room in room temperature (20-25 ° C). Clean alcohol without impurities should be painted in a pale pink in 5 minutes. If the color change occurred earlier - alcohol is poor quality. And the faster it is painted, the more in it syuvous oils.

Checks for methanol

In order to save, unscrupulous manufacturers can not only deprive ethanol of the desired number of cleaning steps, but also mixing food alcohol with its poisonous technical "fellow" - methanol.

Detect this forgery will help us with raw potatoes. It is necessary to clean it from the peel and put in a jar with alcohol for 2-3 hours. Next, you need to get potatoes and check its color - the natural shade will talk about the purity of the product, and the pinkish - about methanol impurities.

If you do not have a potato or free time, fast way Recognize technical alcohol - set fire fluid. Ethanol will burn with a blue flame, and the fire from methanol will have a green shade.

But the most accurate method of methanol detection is considered formaldehyde test. To do this, we need copper wire. You need to split it on fire and immerse in alcohol. If the room has spread a sharp unpleasant smell - the wire saved you from the product with an admixture of methanol. Clean alcohol will not distinguish the smell, but in some cases light apple fragrance is possible.

Poisoning technical alcohol - One of the hardest. Even with the use of a small amount of this substance, the human body receives serious poisoning, which often leads to death. Now we will deal with how to distinguish methanol from ethanol. Events that occurred in the Republic of Czech Republic, in which fake alcohol Several thousand people received poisoning, make this information extremely relevant and very important.

The main problem lies in the absence of differences in taste, color and smell of food alcohol and methyl, which is also called technical. This lies the main cause of poisoning. Most often, ethanol is contained in a variety of household chemicals. However, there are cases when methyl alcohol Sell \u200b\u200bunder the guise of medical or food.

Methyl alcohol definition options

Origin. Purchase alcoholic beverages only in specialized stores, in the reputation of which you are confident. In this case, the probability of stumble upon a faked alcohol is much smaller than when buying in stalls and other dubious places.

The fire.It is easiest to check with what alcohol you are dealing with ignition. After the substance ignored, pay attention to the color of the fire. The ethanol fire will be blue, and at methyl alcohol - green.

Potato Test Using potatoes? Take a small part raw potato And throw it for a couple of hours to the alcohol you are checked. In case the potato will change its color and acquire a pinkish shade - in front of you technical alcohol. If the vegetable does not change its color, ethyl alcohol is in the container.

Formaldehyde method. This method is considered perhaps the most reliable. It is necessary to take copper wire and pump it on the plate or on another source of fire. Then, a hot edge should be lowered into a bottle with alcohol. The specific smell that appeared says that the technical alcohol is in front of you. Ethyl alcohol, in contrast to methanol, should not be released any smell when the wire is in contact.

Symptoms and consequences

Symptoms arising from methanol poisoning:

• painful breathing;
• strong headache;
• pain occurring in the abdomen and waist;
• abundant vomiting;
• general ailment of the body;

It should be noted that the first symptoms in poisoning with technical alcohol are similar to simple alcohol poisoning. However, in the case of methanol, the consequences will be comparable to the disaster. It very quickly destroys the vision, nervous system and vessels. Strong poisoning occurs when the total of 5 - 10 ml of substance is used. Death comes from 30 or more milliliters of matter.

Still poison can be revealed by smell

After the tragedy with a "hawthorn" in Irkutsk, local residents declared a boycott of illegal alcohol. The population even organized a patrol, which reveals the place of illegal sales of alcohol. Nevertheless, today, no one is still insured against the table of drinks based on methyl alcohol. We learned whether there is a way to check at home the presence of methanol in alcohol.

To do this, we turned to the professor of the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of RAS Alexander Terentyev.

The main problem with determining the presence of methanol in vodka or, for example, in the same "hawthorn" lies in the insufficient concentration of this substance in the liquid. Methods for identifying poison exist, but applicable only in cases where methanol in the container is clean or its concentration more than half of the total volume.

There is a wisdom method for which a small hot wire will take, "says Alexander Terentyev. - It is necessary to lower it into the liquid, and then pull out and sniff. If in the tank methanol, the smell will be very unpleasant if ethanol is neutral.

For the second method, you will need an ordinary thermometer. Put the liquid on the stove, turn on the fire, lower the thermometer and observe, at what mark the boiling process begins. Methanol will begin to boil about 60 degrees, and ethanol - in the area 80.

Both of these methods are quite accessible, but again in cases, if we are dealing with a large concentration of methanol, - explains the professor. - The most unpleasant situation when methanol will be with impurities or it will be less than half. Here I can not imagine how at home it is to identify. Simple manipulations are almost impossible.

In a chemical laboratory, it would be possible to conduct experience with manganese, but it is also very unreliable in the case of alcohol. After all, it is rarely sold in pure form, as a rule, manufacturers add extracts (the same hawthorn), and therefore the analysis will be inaccurate.

In principle, you can distinguish methanol from ethanol by smell.

For a chemist, it will not be difficult at all. But the usual people should remember that methanol has no pronounced smell, it is almost neutral. While the smell of ordinary ethyl alcohol is familiar with each of us.

Therefore, sniff. If it seems to you that for some reason the alcoholic drink does not smell familiar with alcohol, costs at least tolerance. And it is better to pour it into the sink - you will be healthier.

And on the contrary, the saturated smell of the bottle will mean that the drink is on a safe alcohol, because the standard enhances odors. And in different tinctures and in poor-quality vodka, excessively rich components often add. And the pronounced smell is not alcohol, but something else, most likely, will also say that the drink is safe. Regarding, of course: poisoning you can still earn. But at least in the morgue you will not find yourself.

Methanol is the worst, "Terentyev warns. - 30-50 grams - it is already blindness, and 100 grams and above - the deadly dose. That is, even if a person survives, then, most likely, he will blind. By the way, in the Soviet Union there were campaign pictures "Do not drink methyl alcohol!". They depict a man in sunglasses and with a stick.

It seems that these pictures are time to release again and distribute on the outputs from the subway.

Ethyl alcohol serves as the basis for all strong alcoholic beverages. Surrogate potion is produced from methyl alcohol - a component from the same class of organic compounds. The use of methanol is fraught with severe poisoning, disability and even with death. An unprepared person on external signs to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl is difficult. If the bought beverage causes a suspicion, you can resort to home tests that will allow you to identify a dangerous component.

How to check ethyl alcohol or methyl

Food alcohol and deadly poison are similar to each other. Both compounds are a colorless, easily flammable liquid. But methyl alcohol has a less pronounced smell than ethyl. This is the only difference that deliberately issues the deadly substance.

If when scolding a bottle into the nose beats a recognizable vodka "aroma", it serves as a faithful sign of high-quality alcohol. But the absence of smell should alert. Drinking such a product is not worth finding out the nature of its origin. Determine the class of substances with the help of subright funds without leaving the house.

Home Methods Definition

Starting experiments, it is important to realize that the home laboratory will not replace the specialized. There are 7 ways to identify methanol in the drink:

1. Rate the color of the flame during alcohol ignition.
2. Conduct a test with raw potatoes.
3. Determine the booster temperature of the substance.
4. Take experience with food soda.
5. Assess the reaction of the substance with manganese.
6. Test test with copper wire and flame.
7. Apply Lang's sample.

For accuracy, it is worth using several ways to identify alcohol in the product. The result will be more accurate if the bottle contains pure methanol or its concentration is more than half of the total volume.

Color flame

Test is best carried out in a dark room, eliminating all possible light sources. Experimental fluid is poured into a shallow capacity, and then ignited. Estimated the color of the flame and the rate of sunbathing of the substance. Ethanol lights up quickly and burns a pale bluish flame. Methanol lights up slower and has a greenish tint when burning. For experience, cotton sticks will be suitable: they are wetted in the liquid and bring to the source of fire.

This method cannot be called superval, since it is difficult to determine the color of the flame if the beverage contains impurities. Thus, with the addition of boric acid, both substances are burning the same - green flame.

Reaction with potatoes

The experiment should be carried out only with colorless beverages. The liquid is poured into a transparent glass, then a slice is put into it. raw potatoes And leave for 3-4 hours. If during this time the root plane changed its color to pink or married, then the glass is surrogate. If potatoes remained unchanged, the drink does not pose a threat to health. Metamorphoses with vegetable occur due to the interaction of starch with the test compound.

The lack of a method is a long time to wait to make sure the safety (or danger) of the experimental fluid. Therefore, the potato test is not too common in the people.

Boiling temperature

Check the availability of poison in the alcohol-containing drink, if you bring it to a boil. For testing, a thermometer is needed, resistant to high temperatures. The liquid is poured into refractory dishes, immersed in it the device and put on fire with it. Waiting for the moment of boiling drink and evaluate the results. Ethyl alcohol boils at + 78 ° C, methyl - at + 64 ° C.

The result will be accurate if the tests are pure alcohol. If you need to check the alcohol-containing liquid, which is most of alcoholic beverages, it is impossible to rely on this method.

Food Soda Reaction

Experience is based on difference in interaction with an alkaline medium of ethyl and methyl alcohol. It can be clearly shown to be demonstrated if you add some food soda to both substances (1 tsp for 1 cup) and mix the solutions well. Surrogate Rasolrit white powder Without the residue and will save its transparency, while in the food alcohol, the soda will fall on the bottom of the sediment in the form of yellow flakes.

This home instruction on checking alcohol will work if the drink itself is colorless. If dark-colored wines, port wine, brandy or beer are subjected to the tests, muddy sediment on the bottom and not to see.

Reaction with permanganate potassium

Surrogate and legal alcohol enter into interaction with potassium permanganate. Differences in the reaction when mixing two components and become the main proof of the presence (or absence) in the methanol drink. This test is good because it can be used to color and dark-colored fluids.

In a glass with alcohol, a manganese is added at the tip of the knife and follow the reaction. If there is a rapid selection of bubbles, methyl alcohol is present in the glass. If the gas does not stand out, but an acetic smell is clearly felt, the experimental fluid is not dangerous for the body.

Formaldehyde test

To carry out this experiment you need copper wire. Copper wire is suitable, but in this case it is cleaned with an insulating coating. The tested drink is poured into a glass. The metal is glowing on fire and quickly placed in the liquid. If it has an admixture of methanol, soon there will be a smell of formaldehyde in the air. Food alcohol will not highlight odor (sometimes can smell with heavy apples).

The main disadvantage of this method is that not everyone knows how the formaldehyde smells. This substance can be determined by a specific hospital "aroma", which is characterized by special resistance.

Sample Langa

Disassemble two alcohol will help Lang's sample or fluid oxidation. The sample will need a glass test tube or a transparent narrow vessel. The test tube is first rinsed with a fluid subject, and then poured 50 ml inside. Capacity for 10 minutes placed in warm water (temperature + 15 ° C), tracking to the outside the water was above the level alcoholic beverage. With the help of a syringe, 1 ml of a solution of manganese, prepared from 1 liter of water and 0.2 g of potassium permanganate is added. The composition is stirred and placed again in water.

Next, the time flows, which will take the lightening of the liquid from the saturated pink to light pink. The longer the oxidation occurs, the safer drink. Ethyl alcohol discoliates fluid for 10-20 minutes, methyl - almost immediately.

Precautions

Methanol is a potent poison that causes poisoning and follow-up complications. Only 5-10 g of a hazardous substance can cause blindness, and 30 g is considered a deadly dose. The toxic effect of the compound manifests itself not only when it is used inward, but also when interacting with it. So, a pair of methyl alcohol penetrate the respiratory tract and through the skin, causing irritation of mucous membranes, vision disorders, headaches, neuritis. That is why when working with methanol, care must be taken, even if there is no intention to drink it. The following rules will help protect yourself:

1. It is possible to work with the substance only in a ventilated room.
2. Respiratory organs need to be protected with a respirator, put on rubber gloves on the hands.
3. It is forbidden to pour a dangerous substance into the sewer. It should be collected into a hermetic container and convey to special structures engaged in the destruction of hazardous substances.
4. If the poison hits the skin or hands, it is necessary to wash it off with plenty of water. If the alcohol fell on clothes, it is necessarily erased in warm water.
5. When accidentally swallowed methanol, it is necessary to immediately seek medical attention.

You can buy alcoholic beverage based on methanol, without suspecting it. In the risk group, patients suffering from alcoholism. The dependence on the alcohol is so strong that a person does not realize that he drinks poison. Alcohol abuse, periodic regions make a person look for cheaper analogs of legal alcohol. Therefore, cases of death with death with a quiet outcome with regularity appear in the media news.

In order to avoid unpleasant consequences, you need to acquire alcohol in proven places - in the wine sections of large hypermarkets, specialized stores. Do not purchase alcohol in dubious places, with hands or at home winemakers. When buying should always be paid to the presence of an excise brand, informative label and high-quality packaging. Ate the acquired drink does not cause confidence, it is better not to use it at all.

Test: check your medication compatibility with alcohol

Enter the name of the drug in the search string and find out how compatible with alcohol

Alcohol is part of many tinctures and drinks. It accelerates the impact and improves the effect of the use of independently prepared drugs. However, the use of a poor-quality product will not help health, but on the contrary, hurt him.

What are the sovous oils?

In a poorly purified product, there is a large number of so-called sigh oil, the oversupply of which causes severe intoxication of the body. These include:

• acetic and oil and oil-ethyl esters;
• acetaldehyde;
• acetyl;
• furfurol;
• alcohol harmful to humans: isoamyl, isopropyl, isobutyl.

The joint impact of these components can lead to the formation of an ulcers, the emergence of renal, hepatic, heart failure, damage to the central nervous system, and in particularly severe cases - to death.

Danger

Symptoms of poisoning diluted product: difficulty breathing, vomiting, sharp headache, abdominal pain, lower back. When they appear, it is necessary to immediately call "ambulance"!

How to check the quality of alcohol at home?

You can determine the purity of the product using the food soda and the mirror. To do this, on the surface of the mirror with a soft sponge you need to gently apply soda. Next, wash off with it with cool water, wait until the mirror successes, and drop on the surface a few drops of alcohol. If the product is clean, after evaporation on the mirror there will be no divorces.

Another method is the use of potassium permanganate crystals (mangartee). It is necessary to prepare a light solution of this means, dissolving its pinch in a glass of water. Then 1 tbsp. l. This solution is mixed with 3 tbsp. l. Product checked. For room temperature Pure liquid is painted in a pale pink color for 5 minutes. If this happened earlier, it means that the alcohol is strongly diluted with fusey oils.

How to check the availability of methanol?

Unfair manufacturers often dilute ethyl nutritional techniques (methanol). It is used in the manufacture of glass, organic dyes, solvents and is used to use a serious threat to human body.

Helpful information

When igniting ethanol is burning bluish color, methanol - green.

In color and smell, it is impossible to distinguish two substances, but it is possible to determine the type using potatoes. The purified vegetable must be put into the container with alcohol for several hours. If he acquires a pink shade - methanol prevails in the product.

In order not to worry about the quality of the product, you can purchase a distillation system of continuous action, developed in the laboratory of the production complex "Rope", and produce it yourself.

We can enjoy therapeutic herbs, natural drugs, as well as special equipment for the production of oils and other beneficial substances - for example, a modern distillation installation. It will help quickly and simply distinguish alcohol at home, controlling his impurities, composition, fortress. The resulting product in quality exceeds many factory counterparts, can serve as an excellent basis for useful home phones, fragrant delicious drinks. Call!