ethanol
Sign in to saveEthanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an alcohol, with its formula also written as , or EtOH, where Et is the pseudoelement symbol for ethyl. Ethanol is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid with a pungent taste. As a psychoactive depressant, it is the active ingredient in alcoholic beverages, and the second most consumed drug globally behind caffeine.
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Ethanol is a colorless, flammable liquid that is the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks and the second most consumed drug worldwide after caffeine. It is a psychoactive depressant that affects the brain and body, and has a sharp taste and pungent smell.
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Article
33 sectionsContents
- Name
- Uses
- Recreational drug
- Medical
- Energy source
- Other uses
- Chemistry
- Physical properties
- Solvent properties
- Azeotrope with water
- Flammability
- Natural occurrence
- Production
- Sources
- Hydration
- Fermentation
- Testing
- Purification
- Grades of ethanol
- Reactions
- Ester formation
- Dehydration
- Combustion
- Acid-base chemistry
- Halogenation
- Oxidation
- Metabolism
- Safety
- History
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an alcohol, with its formula also written as , or EtOH, where Et is the pseudoelement symbol for ethyl. Ethanol is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid with a pungent taste. As a psychoactive depressant, it is the active ingredient in alcoholic beverages, and the second most consumed drug globally behind caffeine.
Ethanol is naturally produced by the fermentation process of sugars by yeasts or via petrochemical processes such as ethylene hydration. Historically it was used as a general anesthetic, and has modern medical applications as an antiseptic, disinfectant, solvent for some medications, and antidote for methanol poisoning and ethylene glycol poisoning. It is used as a chemical solvent and in the synthesis of organic compounds, and as a fuel source for lamps, stoves, and internal combustion engines. Ethanol also can be dehydrated to make ethylene, an important chemical feedstock. As of 2023, world production of ethanol fuel was , coming mostly from the U.S. (51%) and Brazil (26%).