Some Commercially Important Alcohols

Organic molecules such as carboxylic acid, amines, alcohols, and ethers have a wide variety of uses in our daily lives. Each functional group is associated with its own set of applications. Alcohols are well-known for their use in alcoholic beverages. In the article Commercially significant alcohols, you will learn about the uses of methanol, ethanol, industrial alcohols such as absolute alcohol, denatured alcohol, power alcohol, and alcoholic beverages.

 Alcohol

• Alcohols are organic compounds that include one or more hydroxyl groups (–OH) linked to an aliphatic carbon atom. Alcohol has the general formula ROH.
• Alcohols are classed as aliphatic or aromatic based on the degree to which the hydroxyl group is attached to the carbon.
• Aliphatic alcohols contain the hydroxyl group (–OH) linked to the alkyl group.

      For instance, methanol (CH3OH), ethanol (C2H5OH), and propanol (C3H7OH).

• Aromatic alcohols include the hydroxyl group –OH in the side chain of an aromatic hydrocarbon (benzyl alcohol).

For instance, benzyl alcohol (C6H5CH2OH).

Commercial Alcohol

Commercial alcohol is alcohol that is utilized for commercial purposes. Methanol (methyl alcohol, CH3OH) and ethanol are the most frequently used commercial alcohols (ethyl alcohol, C2H5OH).

Methanol

Initially, methanol required the combustion of wood chips in the absence of any air. A few carbohydrates in the wood were broken down during this process, releasing methanol vapors. Condensation is required to convert them to a liquid state. This is why it is often referred to as wood alcohol.

 Methanol can be synthesized commercially by catalyzing the reaction of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas (H2) at elevated temperatures and pressures. This mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen is produced when coal is partially burned in the presence of water. We can get the desired carbon monoxide ratio to hydrogen by carefully adjusting the water injected.

Methanol’s Properties

Methanol is an excellent polar organic solvent.

It is frequently used as a solvent in industry.

It is significantly more harmful than ethanol. You must understand that it can cause blindness or death if inhaled or ingested in excessive doses.

Methanol has a high octane rating and produces minimal pollution. This makes it suitable for a wide variety of automobiles.

 Ethanol

 Since ancient times, ethanol or ethyl alcohol has been widely used. It was created by fermenting fruit juices. They preserved the fermenting juice and drank it throughout the winter.

Numerous substances can provide the sugars and starches that ferment into simpler molecules. Ethanol is often known as ‘grain alcohol,’ frequently derived from corn (maize), wheat, rye, and barley grains.

 To begin, we boil the grain in water to create the mash. The wort is subsequently fermented with malt (sprouted barley). Malt contains an enzyme (diastase) that aids in the conversion of grain starches to sugar maltose. We then add brewer’s yeast to the wort, which produces the enzyme maltase, which converts maltose to glucose.

 Additionally, it provides the enzyme zymase for converting glucose to ethanol. Two of the glucose’s six carbon atoms oxidized to become carbon dioxide (CO2), which supplies energy to the yeast cells.

 Fermentation produces a solution containing approximately 12–15% alcohol, as higher amounts are harmful to yeast cells. We can distill this solution to increase its ethanol level to 95%. Fermentation is an inefficient way of producing ethanol. Thus, industrially, we generate ethanol by catalyzing the addition of water to ethylene at high temperatures (C2H4).

Ethanol’s Applications

 Ethanol is a great motor fuel since it has a high octane rating and less carbon dioxide. However, we can use it to fuel unique systems that can survive alcohol’s proclivity for dissolving plastic components. We can drive most cars with solutions of 10% ethanol in gasoline (gasoline) without alterations. Nowadays, most ethanol fuels are made from natural ingredients such as corn or sugar.

Isopropyl Alcohol

To make isopropyl alcohol (2-propanol), we use indirect hydration of propylene as the starting material (CH2CHCH3). It is commonly used in industries as an industrial solvent and as rubbing alcohol that we use on our skin to remove dirt and grime. Even though isopropyl alcohol is more poisonous than ethanol, it has less drying on the skin than the latter.

Ethylene glycol

Ethylene glycol is a chemical compound that translates as “ethylene glycol generated from ethylene.” Ethane-1,2-diol is the chemical name for this compound. Ethylene glycol is extensively used as an antifreeze in automobiles and an ingredient in hydraulic fluids, printing inks, and paint solvents, among other things. It’s also used as a reagent in producing polyesters, explosives, alkyd resins, and synthetic waxes, among other things.

Glycerol

Glycerol (also known as glycerine) is a sweet, syrupy chemical containing three hydroxyl groups derived from alcohol. Propane-1,2,3-triol is the chemical name for this compound. Chemists discovered that they could obtain Glycerol as a by-product of soap manufacturing by the saponification (hydrolysis in the base) of fats for the very first time.

With each ton of soap produced, we can extract approximately 25 kg (60 pounds) of Glycerol. We can also obtain it by fermentation, which can be accomplished using molasses and sugar. It was necessary to produce vast quantities of Glycerol during World War II to manufacture glyceryl trinitrate (nitroglycerin). This demand was supplied by synthetic Glycerol derived from propylene, CH2=CH3.

Alcohol’s Negative Effects

Ethanol depresses the central nervous system by decreasing metabolic processes when drunk in high amounts. As a result, incoordination, mental disorientation, and drowsiness may occur. Consumption of modest quantities of dilute ethanol results in drunkenness, and while an individual may feel comfortable after taking alcohol, they lose their sense of judgment. Additionally, muscular coordination may be significantly reduced. Further, chronic alcohol drinking results in significant health complications.

Methanol consumption is more deadly and can result in death. It is converted to methane in the liver and swiftly interacts with cell components, coagulating the protoplasm. Additionally, it damages the optic nerve, which might result in blindness.

Alcohols for Industrial Use

Ethanol is a critical raw ingredient that is widely used. It is available in various purity grades to suit a variety of applications. Among them are the following:

Alcohol in its pure form: It is one hundred percent pure ethanol. Carbohydrate fermentation produces ethanol that contains some water. Fractional distillation of aqueous ethanol solution has a continuous boiling azeotropic liquid containing 95% ethanol. To obtain 100 percent ethanol, a trace of benzene is added and then distilled with an azeotropic combination. At 351.1K, pure ethanol is filtered as the final fraction. Ethanol in various concentrations is produced from this and is used for multiple uses, including alcoholic beverages, fuel, and solvents.

Beverages containing alcohol: Alcohol is the primary intoxicating agent in liquors intended for consumption. Additionally, these are referred to as alcoholic beverages. They are made from various ingredients and include varying amounts of alcohol. Beverages are classified into two categories: distilled and undistilled. Wines are undistilled liquids made from grapes and other fruit juices. Distilled liquors have a greater alcohol level and are classified as whiskey, rum, brandy, or gin.

Denatured spirit or methylated spirit: It is composed of 95% ethyl alcohol. To prevent the misuse of alcohol intended for industrial use, it was rendered unfit for human consumption by combining ethanol with a trace of methanol, some copper sulfate for color, and pyridine for a terrible odor. Denaturation of alcohol is the process, and the resulting alcohol is referred to as the methylated spirit or denatured alcohol. It is relatively inexpensive and can be used for non-alcoholic applications, most notably in industries. Because methylated spirit is flammable, it can be used as a fuel for lighting and stoves. Methylated spirit is a solvent that is used in glass cleaners.

Power alcohol: It is a 20% ethanol and 80% gasoline blend. Due to the incompatibility of alcohol with petrol, a solvent such as benzene or ether is added in trace amounts. Petrol is generally in short supply due to the scarcity of natural resources. Because we can generate enormous volumes of alcohol from molasses, power alcohol as a substitute for gasoline has promised a bright future.

Conclusion

 Alcohol is the most widely used functional group of organic molecules due to its numerous applications. It would help if you now understood the meaning of alcohol and commercial alcohol, as well as the applications of the most common alcohols, such as methanol and ethanol, and industrial alcohols, such as absolute alcohol, denatured alcohol, power alcohol, and alcoholic beverages. Apart from that, consider the detrimental effects of alcohol usage.