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Understanding Denatured Alcohol

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When using alcohol in your products, you will often hear the distinction between pure alcohol and denatured alcohol. But what exactly is denatured alcohol? And how does it differ from pure ethanol?

What are denatured alcohol and denaturants?

Essentially, denatured alcohol is ethanol rendered unfit for human consumption by mixing in denaturants. A denaturant is a chemical ingredient that makes the ethanol unpalatable and gives it an unpleasant taste or smell. There are several types of denaturants that are used worldwide, and several reasons why they play such a big role in the ethanol distribution industry.

 

The need for denatured alcohol

Ethanol has numerous applications across many different industries, from food, beverages and personal care to pharmaceuticals and electronics. Most countries place excise taxes on any alcohol that can be used in alcoholic beverages or food, but ethanol that can’t be used for human consumption is exempt from these excise duties. So, for customers that are in need of ethanol for non-food purposes, such as in the industry sector, alcohol is denatured to ensure that it can’t be used for human consumption and therefore won’t be subject to excise duties.

Types of denaturants

At Nedstar, we use several different types of denaturants to denature your alcohol. Next to the ones Nedstar offers, there are various other types of denaturants used in ethanol, each with its own properties and applications. Some of the most common denaturants include:

Isopropanol

Also known as isopropyl alcohol or IPA, isopropanol is a colourless, flammable liquid used not only as a denaturant for ethanol, where adding even small amounts (3%, 5% or 10% of the total blend) renders ethanol unsuitable for consumption, but also as a solvent and disinfectant. Less toxic than methanol, isopropanol is often used in personal care products.

Euro Denaturant

Euro denaturant is an ethanol-based blend used across the EU. It typically contains isopropanol, MEK and denatonium benzoate. It is regulated under the European REACH legislation, which sets the rules for handling chemical substances. Using alternative denaturant formulas in the EU requires different excise licences. Ethanol treated with Euro denaturant is also known as completely denatured alcohol.

 

Methyl Ethyl Ketone

Methyl ethyl ketone, or MEK, is a colourless and flammable liquid used as a solvent and in the production of resins and coatings. MEK is also used as a denaturant for ethanol, where a small amount, typically 1%, makes ethanol unfit for consumption. It is particularly popular in the German market. MEK has a strong odour and can irritate the eyes and skin.

Linalool

Linalool is a terpene alcohol naturally present in many plants, including lavender, mint and citrus fruits. It has a pleasant floral scent and is therefore often used in perfumes, cosmetics and aromatherapy. It is also a relatively mild and low toxicity ethanol denaturant. Although not as widely used as some of the other denaturants listed here, linalool may become increasingly popular as more people view it as an environmentally friendly alternative.

Tertiary Butyl Alcohol

Tertiary butyl alcohol, or TBA, is another commonly used ethanol denaturant. It is a clear, colourless, highly flammable liquid with a strong odour. TBA denatured ethanol is widely used in industry, for example in the production of solvents, adhesives and coatings. The main advantages of TBA are its low boiling point, its water solubility, and the fact that it is less toxic than many other denaturants.

Methanol

Methanol is a colourless, flammable and highly toxic liquid that can cause blindness or even death if ingested. Adding only 5% of the total volume to ethanol renders it unsuitable for human consumption. In addition to being one of the most widely used ethanol denaturants, methanol is also used as a fuel and as a feedstock for the production of chemicals.

Denatonium Benzoate

Denatonium benzoate, best known as Bitrex, is a bitter tasting chemical used almost exclusively in ethanol denaturants. Bitrex is not toxic, but its extremely bitter taste is likely to cause nausea and vomiting if ingested, making it a widely used denaturant.

Diethyl Phthalate

Diethyl phthalate (DEP) is a colourless and odourless liquid. Besides its role as a denaturant, DEP is often used as a plasticiser, solvent or fixative, for example in cosmetics, perfumes and personal care products.

TSDA 1-9

TSDA 1-9 are nine different blends of denaturants commonly used in ethanol, including isopropanol, MEK and denatonium benzoate, among others. TSDA 1 to 9 are used in a wide range of industrial and scientific applications where pure ethanol is not required.

Partially vs completely denatured alcohol

The term ‘partially denatured alcohol’ is commonly used in the European Union and refers to alcohol that is denatured with only one denaturant or a different mix of denaturants than Eurodenatured. Euro denatured alcohol is therefore considered to be completely denatured. Partially denatured applies to denatured alcohol in products not intended for human consumption, but for which the rules on completely denatured alcohol are not suitable. Examples of such products are cosmetics, perfumes, hygiene products, bio-fuels, screen wash, anti-freeze, inks, and cleaning material.

 

Can denatured alcohol be transformed into pure alcohol again?

While it is technically possible to transform denatured alcohol back into pure alcohol, it is highly regulated or even illegal to do so in many countries. As a general rule, the chemicals involved in the denaturation process are specifically chosen to make it difficult and impractical to reverse denaturation.

Denaturants - here to stay

Denatured alcohol has numerous applications across many industries. Aside from its useful physical properties, denatured ethanol owes much of its rapidly growing popularity to the lower excise duties it carries. However, the amount of different chemicals used and regulations around denaturation are highly dependent on the country and economic region, increasing the risk of misunderstandings. With experienced ethanol distribution partners such as Nedstar, customers can source suitable alcohol products for their industries with more ease and without compromising on quality.
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