THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF RUBBING ALCOHOL - Rubbing alcohol is a mixture of denatured alcohol, water, and agents added to make the alcohol unpalatable to drink. It may also include colorants. Most rubbing alcohol is made from isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol in water. Isopropyl rubbing alcohol is commonly found at concentrations from 68% alcohol in water up to 99% alcohol in water. The 70% rubbing alcohol is highly effective as a disinfectant. Additives make this alcohol bitter-tasting to try to prevent people from drinking it. Isopropyl alcohol is toxic, in part because the body metabolizes it into acetone. Drinking this alcohol can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, central nervous system depression, organ damage, and potentially coma or death. The other type of rubbing alcohol consists of 97.5% to 100% denatured ethyl alcohol or ethanol with water. Ethyl alcohol is less toxic than isopropyl alcohol. It is the alcohol that naturally occurs in wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages. The alcohol is denatured or made undrinkable in rubbing alcohol, both to control its use as an intoxicant and because the alcohol has not been purified to make it safe to drink. In the United States, additives make it as toxic as isopropyl alcohol. Rubbing alcohol made using ethanol must conform to Formula 23-H, which specifies it consists of 100 parts by volume of ethyl alcohol, 8 parts by volume of acetone, and 1.5 parts by volume of methyl isobutyl ketone. The remainder of the composition includes water and denaturants and may include colorants and perfume oils.

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The Chemical Composition of Rubbing Alcohol

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

One of the types of alcohol that can be bought over the counter is rubbing alcohol, which is used for disinfection and may be applied to the skin to produce a cooling effect.

Do you know the chemical composition of rubbing alcohol?

It is a mixture of denatured alcohol, water, and agents added to make the alcohol unpalatable to drink. It may also include colorants.

There are two common types of rubbing alcohol:

·         Isopropyl alcohol

·         Ethyl alcohol

Isopropyl Alcohol

Most rubbing alcohol is made from isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol in water.

Isopropyl rubbing alcohol is commonly found at concentrations from 68% alcohol in water up to 99% alcohol in water.

The 70% rubbing alcohol is highly effective as a disinfectant.

Additives make this alcohol bitter-tasting to try to prevent people from drinking it.

Isopropyl alcohol is toxic, in part because the body metabolizes it into acetone.

Drinking this alcohol can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, central nervous system depression, organ damage, and potentially coma or death.

Ethyl Alcohol

The other type of rubbing alcohol consists of 97.5% to 100% denatured ethyl alcohol or ethanol with water.

Ethyl alcohol is naturally less toxic than isopropyl alcohol. It is the alcohol that naturally occurs in wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages.

However, the alcohol is denatured or made undrinkable in rubbing alcohol, both to control its use as an intoxicant and because the alcohol has not been purified to make it safe to drink.

In the United States, additives make it as toxic as isopropyl alcohol.

Rubbing Alcohol in the UK

In the United Kingdom, rubbing alcohol goes by the name "surgical spirit." The formulation consists of a mixture of ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol.

Rubbing Alcohol in the US

In the United States, rubbing alcohol made using ethanol must conform to Formula 23-H, which specifies it consists of 100 parts by volume of ethyl alcohol, 8 parts by volume of acetone, and 1.5 parts by volume of methyl isobutyl ketone.

The remainder of the composition includes water and denaturants and may include colorants and perfume oils.

Rubbing alcohol made using isopropanol is regulated to contains at least 355 mg of sucrose octaacetate and 1.40 mg of denatonium benzoate per 100 ml volume.

Isopropyl rubbing alcohol also contains water, stabilizer, and may contain colorants.

Toxicity

All rubbing alcohol manufactured in the United States is toxic to ingest or inhale and can cause excessively dry skin if used often.

If you read the product label, you'll see there is a warning against most of the common uses of rubbing alcohol.

All types of rubbing alcohol, regardless of their country of origin, are flammable.

Formulations closer to 70% are less likely to catch fire than rubbing alcohol that contains a higher percentage of alcohol.

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Chemistry Expert

Education

Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Introduction

Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville - Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Science educator with experience teaching chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels.

ThoughtCo and About Education chemistry expert since 2001.

Widely-published graphic artist, responsible for printable periodic tables and other illustrations used in science.

Experience

Anne Helmenstine, Ph.D. has covered chemistry for ThoughtCo and About Education since 2001, and other sciences since 2013. She taught chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels. She has worked as a research scientist and also abstracting and indexing diverse scientific literature for the Department of Energy.

In addition to her work as a science writer, Dr. Helmenstine currently serves as a scientific consultant, specializing in problems requiring an interdisciplinary approach. Previously, she worked as a research scientist and college professor. 

Education

Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a B.A. in physics and mathematics with a minor in chemistry from Hastings College. In her doctoral work, Dr. Helmenstine developed ultra-sensitive chemical detection and medical diagnostic tests.

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https://www.thoughtco.com/ingredients-in-rubbing-alcohol-603997