Denatured alcohol

[George E. Cawthon]

[Doug Miller]

It's a *lot* more poisonous than the other common alcohols.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

[Blair]

Holy Cow,

I didn't want to start a controversial thread, but I do appreciate the feedback I got. I had asked at the local Home Depot and the people in the paint department were unfamiliar with denatured alcohol, I guess like someone posted, we have to have a permit for it in Canada.

Thanks to all for the input,

Blair

[Young Carpenter]

I forgot to also say that Isopropyl is often diluted in the first place. If it is diluted with water there are other troubles to consider.

[Young Carpenter]

Denatured drinking alcohol has been for the most part cheapest to make .

[Luigi Zanasi]

On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 01:53:24 GMT, Nova scribbled

it wasn't for those regulations, people might get drunk, beat each other up and kill other people while driving. It's time to ban it, nevermind the ineffective regulations. Oh ... You mean it's been tried?

Note that Lee Valley can't export its shellac thinner, so I suspect that the US Revenooers probably have similar regulations.

But we can get pure methyl alcohol, sold as methyl hydrate in all the better borgs.

Luigi Replace "no" with "yk" twice in reply address for real email address

[Michael Daly]

Making denatured alcohol is not a tiny business in Canada. A lot is used in gasoline. I can see needing a permit for making and importing it, but not for buying it in small quantities.

Try Fisher Scientific Canada:

If they can't sell it directly, they may be able to point you to someone who can.

Mike

[Barry Lennox]

Courtesy: Irvine Sax "Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace"

Isopropyl alcohol OSHA limit 400ppm. Eye irritant and low toxicity via skin.

Methyl alcohol OSHA limit 200ppm. Irritant and cumulative poison. Readily absorbed via skin.

Ethyl alcohol OSHA limit 1000ppm. Is readily oxidised in the body, in contrast to methanol, no cumulative effect occurs. Large or repeated doses can cause alcoholism, liver cirrhosis, and alcohol poisoning. (I guess many of us know that!)

Barry Lennox

[Eddie Munster]

But what really is the difference?

John

Luigi Zanasi wrote:

[Phisherman]

Methanol ("Wood alcohol," or methyl alcohol) is poison ious and known to be carcinogenic. Rubber gloves, respirator, and plenty of fresh air is recommended.

[George E. Cawthon]

So? I'm not drinking it.

[Swingman]

I don't like methanol mostly because of its inhalation toxicity, and the fact that it is a regulated substance for disposal hereabouts. The first might not bother someone young and in good heath, but some of us older farts, ex smokers and drinkers to boot, need all the help we can get for our lungs and livers.

I know ... wear a mask. I try to, but am not always successful.

[George E. Cawthon]

OSHA ppm limits are for what? the air? or liquids that touch you? If the latter, it is nonsense. 70 percent isopropyl alcohol is actually 7000 ppm. 1000 ppm ethanol is

10 percent whereas many after shaves are near 50 percent. then 1000 ppm ethanol is a 10 percent solution. Anyway, all that is irrelevant to the discussion. 200 ppm methanol is a 0.2 percent solution. You don't drinking itand you wear protective breathing equipment, don't you? You want to compare the effect with paint thinner, turpentine, lacquer thinner, and other solvents?

Unless you are drinking these fluids, spraying without using a respirator, or have you bare hands and arms emersed in liquid, I don't see the problem?

[George E. Cawthon]

Right, that doesn't make it nasty. Compared to many solvents and other fluids in the workshop, it is practically benign, unless you drink it.

[john carlson]

You don't need to. It's poisonous when absorbed through the skin or when the fumes are inhaled.

-- jc Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection. If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

[Blair]

I hope you aren't making martinis with that stuff John!

[Wood Butcher]

Not quite right. ppm is parts per million not parts per ten thousand.

100% = 1,000,000ppm 70% = 700,000ppm 1000ppm = 0.10% 200ppm = 0.02%

Art

[George E. Cawthon]

[Barry Lennox]

You probably know full well it's PEL in air

Agreed, nonsense, no point in duscussing it.

Quite wrong, 70% would be 700,000 ppm. But you are missing the point anyway.

Yes, Sax lists all those, and thousands more; but the OP was discussing the toxicities of alcohols.

Excellent, use whatever you want.

[George]

Ayup.

Silliness by other posters aside, what's in the air can't kill you. Has to get inside first.