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Ethanol

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Ethanol also called Ethyl Alcohol is a commercially important organic compound. It is the second member of the alcohol family and is used for a variety of purposes. It is sometimes also called Alcohol and it is used by humans for consumption. Ethanol is also represented as, EtOH. Ethanol is the IUPAC name of Ethyl Alcohol. Ethanol is also called Grain Alcohol. The general properties of Ethanol are added below,

Generic Name

Ethanol

Chemical Name

Ethyl Alcohol

Chemical Formula

C2H5OH

Weight

46 gram/mol

In this article, we will learn about, Ethanol, the chemical formula of Ethanol, its structure, its physical and chemical properties of Ethanol, and its uses of Ethanol in detail.

What is Ethanol?

Ethanol is the second member of the homologous series of alcohol whose first member is methanol. Ethanol is also known as Ethyl alcohol which is the most prevalent and commonly used alcoholic beverage, therefore it is sometimes referred to simply as alcohol. 

Ethanol is produced at a large scale using the fermentation of carbohydrates (the method used for alcoholic beverages) and the hydration of ethylene. In the fermentation process, yeast is used to convert carbohydrates (sugarcane, beets, wheat, corn, etc.) to ethanol, and in the hydration of ethylene method, ethanol is produced by passing a mixture of ethylene and steam over an acidic catalyst t temperature and pressure.

Ethanol Chemical Formula

Ethanol contains two atoms of Carbon, one atom of Oxygen, and six atoms of Hydrogen, thus the chemical formula of Ethanol is C2H5OH, where -OH represents alcohol functional group. Thus,

  • Chemical Formula Ethanol is, C2H5OH

Ethanol Molecular Weight

Molecular weight of Carbon, Oxygen, and Hydrogen are 12, 16, and 1 respectively. Thus, molecular weight or atomic weight of ethanol is calculated using the sum of all the individual atoms of the compound, i.e.

Molecular Weight of Ethanol

= 12 × 2 + 16 + 1 × 6

= 46 a.m.u.

Ethanol Structure

Ethanol is the second member of the alcohol family, and its structure is added in the image below,

Ethanol Structure

Physical Properties of Ethanol

Physical properties of Ethyl Alcohol are added below,

  • Ethanol is a colorless liquid with a pleasant odor and a burning flavor.
  • Ethanol is a volatile liquid with a low boiling point of 78.5 °C.
  • Melting point is -114 °C. 
  • Specific Gravity of Ethanol is 0.8, and it has a lower density than water.
  • Ethanol is soluble in water and can be mixed with water in any ratio.
  • Ethanol is neutral in nature and it does not effect the Litmus Paper.
  • Ethyl alcohol is a Covalent Compound.

Chemical Properties of Ethanol

Some of the chemical properties of ethanol include combustion, oxidation, dehydration, esterification, and reaction with sodium metal, which are explained as follows:

Combustion of Ethanol

The liquid ethyl alcohol is extremely flammable. It easily catches fire and begins to burn. It quickly burns in the air, producing carbon dioxide and water vapor as well as a large amount of heat and light.

C2H5OH (Ethanol) + 3O2 (Oxygen) → 2CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) + 3H2O (Water Vapour) + Heat + Light

Oxidation of Ethanol

Controlled combustion is referred to as oxidation. Ethyl alcohol is oxidized to ethanoic acid when heated with an alkaline potassium permanganate solution of acidified potassium dichromate solution(or any other strong oxidizing agent).

To perform this reaction, dropwise add a 5% aqueous potassium permanganate in sodium hydroxide solution to ethyl alcohol until the purple color of the potassium permanganate solution no longer exists. Ethyl alcohol is oxidized to ethanoic acid when the test tube holding ethyl alcohol and alkaline potassium permanganate solution is gently warmed in hot water.

This reaction, which is carried out in the presence of an alkaline potassium permanganate solution, is given below.

CH3CH2OH (Ethanol) + 2[O] (Nascent Oxygen) → CH3COOH (Ethanoic Acid) + H2O (Water)

Dehydration Reaction: Ethanol

Dehydration refers to the loss of water molecules from alcohol. When ethyl alcohol is heated to 1700C with excess concentrated sulfuric acid, it dehydrates to generate ethene. The concentrated sulphuric acid acts as a dehydrating agent, removing water molecules from the ethyl alcohol molecule in this reaction. At 1700C, this reaction takes place in the presence of concentrated H2SO4.

CH3CH2OH (Ethanol) → CH2=CH2 (Ethene) + H2O (Wtaer Vapour)

Ethanol: Reaction with Sodium

Sodium ethoxide and hydrogen gas are formed when ethyl alcohol reacts with sodium. This reaction is used to detect the presence of ethyl alcohol.

2C2H5OH + 2Na →  2C2H5ONa+ + H2

Esterification Reaction: Ethanol

When the Alcohal group reacts with carboxylic acid, the product of this reaction is ester, which is why it is called esterification. The reaction of Ethanol with Ethanoic acid is one example of esterification, i.e., when ethyl alcohol is heated in the presence of a few drops of strong sulphuric acid, it combines with ethanoic acid to form ethyl ethanoate, a sweet-smelling ester. Esterification is the reaction in which a carboxylic acid reacts with an alcohol to form an ester.

C2H5OH (Ethanol) + CH3COOH (Ethanoic Acid) → CH3COOC2H5 (Ethyl Ethanoate) + H2O (Water Vapour)

Ethanol Uses

Ethanol is used in modern times very aggressively in many fields, some of those applications are as follows:

  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Ethanol Blending
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Fragrances
  • Medications

Alcoholic Beverages

Most alcoholic beverages have Ethanol and water as their main components, other than ethanol other alcohol compounds, carbonyl compounds such as aldehyde, hydroxy acids, etc. are also present in these beverages in minute quantities.

Ethanol Blending

When ethanol is mixed with traditional fuel such as petrol to create a new fuel blend, this process is called ethanol blending. It is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the octane rating of the fuel. Also as ethanol is a renewable biofuel that can be created using the fermentation of carbohydrates such as sugar cane and corn.

Learn more about, Ethanol Blended Petrol

Chemical Synthesis

For the synthesis of many organic compounds such as esters, acetic acid, diethyl ether, ethyl amines, etc, ethanol is used as a raw material.

Fragrances

In the fragrance and perfume industries, ethanol is used as a solvent for essential oils and fragrances and can carry them from the bottle to the place of application. 

Medications

In hospitals and medications, ethanol or other alcohol is used for many purposes such as sterilizing wounds, as hand sanitizer for doctors, cleaning the thermometer, etc.

Harmful Effects of Drinking Alcohol

We should not consume alcoholic beverages because of the following negative consequences.

  • When you consume a large amount of alcohol on a single occasion, you will experience staggering movement, slurred speech, blurred vision, dizziness, and vomiting. A man becomes unconscious after consuming large amounts of alcohol and may even die.
  • Since alcohol reduces the activity of the nervous system and the brain, a person’s judgment is compromised and his reaction is slowed. As a result, a driver under the influence of alcohol is unable to assess the situation accurately or respond swiftly in an emergency. As a result, drunken driving causes a rise in traffic accidents.
  • Drinking a lot of alcohol for a long time can harm your stomach, liver, heart, and even your brain. Alcohol-induced liver damage, known as ‘cirrhosis,’ can be fatal.
  • As a result of the loss of inhibitions caused by alcohol consumption, a drunken person gets irritable. As a result, there are more quarrels and clashes, which leads to a rise in violence and crime in society.
  • A person who consumes a lot of alcohol becomes addicted to it.
  • Drinking methyl alcohol-containing contaminated alcohol produces severe poisoning, which can result in blindness and even death.

Denatured Alcohol

In the manufacturing of various items, a lot of ethyl alcohol is used. The government does not charge a production tax on ethyl alcohol used for industrial purposes. As a result, industrial alcohol is significantly less expensive than commercial alcohol. To prevent industrial alcohol from being used for drinking or black market purposes, it is denatured by adding small amounts of harmful substances such as methanol, pyridine, or copper sulphate, among others. 

The harmful compounds added to ethyl alcohol make it unfit for consumption. Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol that has been made unfit for drinking by adding small amounts of harmful substances such as methanol, pyridine, copper sulfate, and other poisonous substances. A little amount of copper sulfate is added to industrial ethyl alcohol to give it a blue color that makes it easy to identify.

Learn about, Commercially Important Alcohol

Read More,

Ethanol – FAQs

1. What makes Ethyl Alcohol Flammable?

Ethanol, like all carbohydrates, is flammable, because it will combine relatively well with oxygen, releasing carbon dioxide and water as waste products.

2. What is Melting Point of Ethyl Alcohol?

The melting point of ethyl alcohol is -114.1 ℃.

3. What makes Ethyl Alcohol a Good Solvent?

Ethanol is a very polar molecule with high oxygen electronegativity, allowing for hydrogen bonding with other molecules, due to its hydroxyl (OH) group. As a result, ethanol can be used as a solvent to dissolve both polar and non-polar compounds.

4. Why is Alcohol included in Cough Medicine?

Alcohol is found in many cough and cold liquids as well as other treatments because it is used in the formulation to help dissolve active components and preserve the product.

5. Why is Ethyl Alcohol used as a Fuel?

Ethyl alcohol burns with clear flame giving a lot of heat, therefore it is used as a fuel.

6. What is Ethanol Formula?

The formula for the organic compound of Ethanol is C2H5OH. It is the first member of the organic family of alcohol. Its chemical name is Ethyl Alcohol.

7. What is Ethanol Used For?

The uses of Ethanol are,

  • In making Alcoholic Beverages.
  • In Ethanol Blending of fuel.
  • In the Chemical Synthesis of various compounds.
  • In making the Fragrances.
  • Medications for various diseases.

8. Why is Ethanol Used in Petrol?

Ethanol is used as blending in petrol as it has higher octnae number than gasoline. It reduces the carbon footprint of the petrol.

9. Is Ethanol Used in Drinking?

Yes, Ethanol is used for drinking, the alcohol that is used for drking is ethanol.

10. Is Ethanol a Fuel or Alcohol?

Ethanol is used both as fuel as well as alcohol.



Last Updated : 19 Dec, 2023
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