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What are some industrial uses of ethanol besides alcoholic beverages?
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alcohol
The answer involves lighting liquid on fire.
Beyond its role in alcoholic beverages, ethanol is a versatile and essential industrial chemical. Its primary industrial applications include:
- Motor Fuel: Ethanol is widely used as a high-octane motor fuel or as an additive in gasoline to create gasohol, which helps reduce emissions.12
- Chemical Synthesis: It serves as a critical intermediate in the production of other organic chemicals. A major use is its conversion via oxidation into acetaldehyde, which is further processed into various related compounds. It is also used in the preparation of derivatives such as ethyl chloride and in the manufacturing of various plastics.3
- Solvent: Due to its chemical properties, ethanol is extensively utilized as a solvent in various industrial processes.2
To ensure it is not diverted for human consumption, industrial ethanol is typically denatured—rendered unfit to drink through the addition of substances like methanol, benzene, or kerosene—which avoids the prohibitive taxes placed on beverage-grade alcohol.23