deceit methyl alcohol is that in a mixture with ethanol, it is indistinguishable in its organoleptic properties (taste, color, transparency, viscosity, etc.). This means that buying a bottle is even expensive and, as you think, quality vodka, you cannot say with certainty - there is an admixture in it methanol or not. And even if instead of ethanol fill the bottle methanol you still won't feel the difference until you're in intensive care. And yes, this is not a joke.
methanol is the strongest organotoxic poison. Once in the body, it turns into formic acid and formaldehyde, which act on all organ systems. human body. The optic nerves suffer the most - you will remain blind, using even a small amount methanol. The next blow will be taken by the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.
The earliest symptoms of poisoning that you will feel while still conscious are flickering dots or “flies” before your eyes, blurred vision, aching or cramping pain in the abdomen, profuse salivation, vague internal restlessness, urine staining red.
First aid for methanol poisoning
Emergency care for poisoning methyl alcohol is to correct disorders of the heart, respiration and kidneys. It is impossible to carry out all these medical manipulations at home, therefore, if poisoning is suspected methanol The person must be taken to the hospital immediately.
Before the arrival of doctors, if the victim has not lost consciousness, it is necessary to rinse the stomach with water as soon as possible room temperature. After the urge to vomit stops, it is necessary to give the victim a drink. 100ml 30% ethanol, only you must be absolutely sure that it is ethanol that you are giving to drink. All. The further fate of the victim is in the hands of doctors. But there is little hope. If not much time has passed from taking the poison and the victim survives, then he will most likely remain blind. But this rarely happens. Despite the best efforts of doctors, such patients most often die.
Methods for determining methanol in vodka
Therefore, it is easier to prevent a disaster than to deal with its consequences later. Buy a bottle of vodka. You can also buy whiskey and cognac, for which the soul reaches out and for which there is enough money, that's not the point. Arriving home, open the bottle and pour approximately 30 ml into a separate clean container. Light it up and watch the flames. methanol when burning, colors the flame in green color, and ethanol in blue. There is another way. Take a piece of copper wire and heat it in a flame, for example, with a lighter, and then lower it into the liquid to be examined. If it contains methanol, then a sharp bad smell formaldehyde. Ethanol will produce a light aroma of rotten apples.
Thank you for your attention!
26.12.2016 23:23
Tragedies in Norilsk..75 deaths..
From this .. pack of "baboon" idlers, who call themselves government officials, preoccupied with their rank swarms, spitting on the life of the population, from collecting tribute from which they live, there is only one reaction - to ban the sale of alcohol-containing substances. For a month. Expected reaction.
By type - how to do something to do nothing.
I give practical advice:
And best of all - do not drink alcohol!
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How to distinguish ethanol from methyl
Finding low-quality alcohol in a container and drinking it is not so bad. It is much more terrible to use methyl alcohol instead of ethyl alcohol. It is very difficult to distinguish them by eye, which leads to frequent poisoning. Methanol is the strongest poison that adversely affects the nervous and vascular system as well as vision. If a person survives, he often remains blind. Taking methyl alcohol causes lethargy, headache, general malaise, pain in the lower back and abdomen. Possible loss of consciousness. Ingestion of 30 to 100 ml of methanol is fatal.
Ethyl and methyl alcohol exactly the same in taste, smell and color, so to distinguish common man they will be hard enough. There are several methods to determine what is in front of you - ethanol and methanol. To determine the quality of alcohol, you can try lighting the liquid.
1. Follow the color of the fire. If alcohol burns with a blue flame, then most likely you have ethanol in front of you. Methyl alcohol blazes green.
2.K folk method refer the sample with the use of potatoes. Clear raw potatoes and throw a small slice into the container. After a few hours, it may change its color. If it turns pink, the alcohol being tested is methanol. In ethyl alcohol, potatoes practically do not change color.
3. One of the most reliable ways to check the chemical identity of alcohol is a formaldehyde test. Take a copper wire and heat it up on a fire. Then dip it into the liquid. Methanol will give off a strong, unpleasant odor of formaldehyde.
Ethanol in such cases is practically odorless or smells of a faint aroma of apples.
Also used are similar end result verification methods. Moisten a cotton ball with alcohol, set it on fire and put it out sharply. You can also add potassium permanganate to the liquid and set it on fire. Based on the above outgoing odors, determine if the alcohol belongs to the ethanol or methanol group.
How to distinguish methanol from ethanol
Externally, methanol (technical alcohol) is very similar to ethyl alcohol. It has approximately the same density and refractive index (the ability to refract the sun's rays). It has the same smell and color. AT laboratory conditions Distinguishing methanol from ethanol won't amount to much there. At home, this is more difficult to do. However, there are several ways to distinguish ethyl alcohol from methyl alcohol without sophisticated equipment.
You will need
- metal container (mug, Turk, etc.),
- copper wire,
- gas burner (suitable household gas stove),
- thermometer,
- transparent dishes (glass),
- potassium permanganate.
Instruction
First way.
1. Place a metal container with the test liquid on a burning gas burner (stove).
2. Measure with a thermometer the temperature at which the liquid begins to boil. Methanol boils at about 64°C, ethanol at about 78°C.
The second way.
1. Twist a small spiral from copper wire. This is necessary to increase the contact surface of copper and the test liquid.
2. Heat the copper wire white, and preferably black: this is the degree of heat when copper oxide begins to form on the surface of the wire.
3. Dip the hot wire into the prepared container with the liquid to be tested.
4. Smell: if the aroma of rotten apples appears, this is ethanol. If there is a sharp, unpleasant and irritating odor to the mucous membrane, this is methanol.
The third way.
1.Pour the liquid to be tested into a transparent container.
2. Add a little potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) to the test liquid.
3. If gas bubbles appear in the liquid, this is methanol. If there are no bubbles and it smells like vinegar, it's ethanol.
Useful advice
Ethanol can also be distinguished from methanol using the iodoform reaction: when iodine, alkali (sodium hydroxide), ethyl alcohol and water heated to 50 ° C are mixed, a yellow precipitate forms - iodoform. Methanol does not give such a reaction.
The bubbles released during the interaction of methanol with potassium permanganate are carbon dioxide. And when ethanol is oxidized with potassium permanganate, there are no gas emissions - it forms acetic acid. This is used in the purification of ethanol from methyl alcohol impurities.
Finding low-quality alcohol in a container and drinking it is not so bad. Much worse to use instead of ethyl alcohol methyl. It is very difficult to distinguish them by eye, which leads to frequent poisoning. Methanol is the strongest poison that adversely affects the nervous and vascular systems, as well as vision. If a person survives, he often remains blind. Taking methyl alcohol causes lethargy, headache, general malaise, pain in the lower back and abdomen. Permissible loss of consciousness. Ingestion of 30 to 100 ml of methanol is fatal.
Instruction
1. Ethyl and methyl alcohol are ideally identical in taste, smell and color, so it will be quite difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish them. There are several ways to determine what is in front of you - ethanol and methanol. To establish the quality alcohol you can try lighting the liquid. Follow the color of the fire. If alcohol burns with a blue flame, then, most likely, you have ethanol in front of you. Methyl alcohol blazes green.
2. The folk method includes a sample using potatoes. Peel a raw potato and toss a small wedge into a bowl. After a few hours, it may change its color. If it turns pink, the alcohol being tested is methanol. In ethyl alcohol, potatoes actually do not change color.
3. One of the most reliable methods to check the chemical affiliation alcohol considered formaldehyde test. Take a copper wire and heat it up on a fire. Then dip it into the liquid. The methanol will give off a strong unpleasant smell of formaldehyde. Ethanol in such cases is virtually odorless or smells of a faint aroma of apples. Similar verification methods are also used in the final result. Moisten a cotton wool with alcohol, set it on fire and put it out coolly. You can also add potassium permanganate to the liquid and set it on fire. Determine the presence of the accessory from the above outgoing odors alcohol to the ethanol or methanol group.
Methyl alcohol is a compound belonging to the group of monohydric alcohols. Methanol is highly toxic, each 10 ml of this substance can cause severe damage to the central nervous system, blindness, and 30 ml - death. That is why there is a need for its identification. It is much easier to review methyl alcohol in a toxicological laboratory, but it is absolutely acceptable to make the simplest determination even at home.
Instruction
1. Methanol is colorless, smell and taste indistinguishable from ethyl alcohol. However, qualitatively these substances differ significantly. As a result, many poisonings occur. If the test solution contains only one alcohol, then it will not be difficult to determine which one. But if you have a mixture of alcohols or alcohol with impurities in front of you, then you can find out a good and quantitative table of contents only in laboratory conditions. To determine some alcohols (ethanol, glycerin), there is a good reaction - an iodoform test. It is carried out very first in order to verify or exclude the content of ethanol in methanol. As a result of the test, clear yellow crystals of triiodomethane (iodoform) precipitate. Methanol does not give this reaction. C? H? OH + J? + NaOH = CHJ?? + NaJ + HCOONa + H?O
2. Many good reactions to methyl alcohol are based on its transformation into methyl aldehyde (formaldehyde). Pour the solution into a test tube with a gas outlet tube, add potassium permanganate in the presence of sulfuric acid. As a result of distillation, formaldehyde is formed, which can be done with different reagents. Schiff's reagent gives a stubborn violet color, chromotropic acid - a violet color of the solution, potassium hexacyanoferrate - a blue-violet color, Felling's reagent - a black precipitate. These reactions are confirmatory for methanol.
3. At home, the survey can be carried out using copper wire. Heat it over the fire and dip it into the solution to be studied. If it contained methanol, then the smell of formalin will appear - cool and hefty unpleasant. There will be no such result with ethanol. The quantitative determination of the content of methanol is carried out in laboratory conditions by titrimetric methods and gas-liquid chromatography.
methanol and ethanol are clear liquids that are indistinguishable in taste. However, taking 10 ml of methyl alcohol, which is equal to 2 teaspoons in volume, can lead to severe poisoning, and 30 ml or more can be fatal. Consequently, it is not at all superfluous in everyday conditions to be able to distinguish one alcohol from another.
You will need
- - Cup;
- - thermometer;
- - plate;
- - copper wire;
- - tincture of iodine;
- - potassium permanganate;
- - drinking soda;
- - potato.
Instruction
1. Take a metal mug and fill it one third with the liquid to be tested. Put on the stove and turn on the burner. Dip the thermometer in alcohol. Record the boiling point of the liquid, it is possible to assume the chemical composition of alcohol from it. Methyl alcohol boils at 64°C, ethyl alcohol at 78°C.
2. Heat a piece of copper wire over the flame of a lighter and dip it in alcohol. The copper oxide formed during heating will react with the test liquid. Among other reaction products there will be an aldehyde having classic scent. If the test liquid is ethanol, you will smell vinegar or rotten apples. In the case of methanol, you will inhale formalin vapors, which annoyingly irritate the nasal mucosa.
3. Pour a small amount of alcohol into a transparent container, add a pinch of baking soda and stir thoroughly. Drop tincture of iodine into the resulting mixture. See if there is any sediment. Ethanol reacts with iodine to form iodoform, a yellow insoluble substance. methanol remains clear and does not precipitate.
4. Add a few crystals of potassium permanganate to alcohol and heat the pink solution. The release of gas bubbles indicates that you have methyl alcohol in front of you.
5. Try the popular method of determining chemical composition alcohol. Soak the peeled potatoes in the liquid for a few hours. A pink hue indicates that the alcohol is methyl, blue - ethyl.
Note!
The above methods will not be authentic if the methyl alcohol contains ethanol impurities and vice versa.
Useful advice
Household methods for determining the chemical composition of alcohol are not unconditionally correct. The exact result is admissible only after the chromatographic review in the chemical laboratory.
A strong figure is, before everyone else, an individuality that manifests itself in any act, in work or communication. A strong person is not afraid of being different from others; on the contrary, he is drawn to self-expression.
Confidence, initiative, responsibility
Under all circumstances, a strong figure is confident in himself and his abilities. He believes that he will achieve his goals and get the desired result, while realistically assessing his abilities. A strong person continuously expands his probabilities, continuously improves himself. A weak figure, on the contrary, is not confident in himself and his abilities. Such a person is not really interested in anything. While doing something, he does not gravitate towards more and remains on the same tier, slowly degrading. A powerful person values himself and his abilities above everyone else, and a weak person values something that is outside of him. It can be money, location, connections, relatives. Strong people are not afraid of uncertainty in life, on the contrary, it stimulates them to knowledge and change. Preparedness for continuous internal and external changes is the source of their inner confidence. A strong person is convinced that everything in his life depends only on him. He does not try to win the approval of others. He takes full responsibility for his actions. Such a person does not believe in anyone, he considers himself the owner of his own destiny and does not demand anything from people.
Relationships with others, feelings
An integral quality of a strong person is the knowledge to establish favorable and great relationships with people. He accepts those around him as they are, without teaching or educating anyone, without bothering to subdue or apply anyone. It is very difficult for weak people to build relationships even with the closest ones. They do not know how to get from those around them what they need to satisfy their needs. A strong person understands that it is unrealistic to change the people around him without starting to change himself. This, in his judgment, leads to the achievement of the desired result. Weak people more often than anyone in communication use a limited number of behavioral patterns, therefore they are never satisfied with their relationships with others. Strong people openly show their feelings, both positive and negative. The weak ones try to hide behind a mask, only to be afraid of confessing their own weakness. Even to themselves, they do not admit what they are really experiencing. It is easy to communicate with powerful people, because they do not suffer from complexes and snags, they are cheerful and open. To the weak, on the contrary, a non-standard approach is invariably needed, and one has to adapt to them. A strong person is emotional to his own thoughts and experiences. He tries to allow all the internal strife and objections that arise in order to feel great. A weak figure lets everything take its course, thereby turning them into psychological complexes, neuroses, etc. A powerful person periodically feels the need for solitude, without feeling lonely at the same time. A weak person is sad with himself, he constantly finds it hard to go into a mob, trying to merge with it and forget about his inner emptiness. A powerful person is invariably optimistic, for him this is not connected with a physical disposition, affairs at work or someone else's judgment. Even getting into difficult situations, he does not lose his composure and optimism. Powerful people are not sensitive, do not harbor resentment in themselves, adequately respond to the situation.
Note!
If you accidentally ingest methyl alcohol, call your doctor immediately. An antidote to this case is 10% ethyl alcohol. Give it intravenously at the rate of 1-2 ml of 96% ethanol per kilogram of body weight. Suitable is the introduction of calcium salts and gastric lavage.
The level of deaths from the use of "scorched" alcohol remains consistently high, in connection with this, the question of the quality alcoholic beverages. One of the reasons for this is the difficulty of distinguishing between medical and industrial alcohols. Both of them have identical external features. It is possible to find out where the liquid is usable and where the poison is with the help of expertise or special experiments.
Comparison of ethyl and methyl alcohol
Ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol, is known in everyday life as food or medical. In small doses, it is allowed to take it inside. Ethanol acts on the human body by stimulating the central nervous system. When it is used, hormones are synthesized that inhibit the functioning of the brain. The use of ethanol and products containing it in excessive doses threatens with severe poisoning. From overly frequent use ethanol usually develops addiction, which is not easy to overcome.
In addition to the alcohol industry, ethanol is widely used in the production of other substances, including:
- paint and varnish products;
- cosmetics;
- household cleaners;
- medicines and other medical products;
- fuel substitutes.
Speaking about methyl alcohol (carbinol), first of all, it should be noted that this is a very dangerous poisonous substance, which is strictly forbidden to drink. Ingestion of 10 ml of methanol leads to severe poisoning with unpleasant consequences up to irreversible loss of vision. A dose of 80 milliliters and above is the cause of death, in some cases - instantaneous.
In production, it is used for:
- synthesis of artificial silks;
- in the production of glass products and organic dyes;
- in the production of solvents and other technical compositions.
The use of methanol for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages in our country and a number of other states is strictly prohibited, this is followed by criminal liability. But it happens that unscrupulous manufacturers neglect this rule and make strong drinks based on methanol. The result is the fact that about two-thirds of deaths due to poisoning are due to industrial alcohol in alcohol. In some cases, deaths become massive, dozens of people become victims of methanol.
Methods for determining methanol and ethanol
The danger of carbinol increases due to the fact that it has absolutely no external differences from ethyl alcohol. They taste and smell completely identical (ethanol has a slightly richer aroma). Medical and industrial alcohol have the same colorless color. Even a specialist is not always able to determine where the liquid is suitable for consumption, and where the toxic substance is.
Several experiments can help in determining the name of a particular type of alcohol. The simplest of them is the ignition of the liquid. Ethyl alcohol burns blue, but industrial alcohol has a green flame. If methanol contains any third-party additives, then the experimental data may be inaccurate.
Another simple test is the usual heating of alcohol in a metal vessel. It is necessary to detect with a thermometer at what temperature the boiling process will occur. Methanol reaches this state at 64 ° C, and ethyl alcohol - upon reaching 78 degrees.
A peeled raw potato is lowered into a container with the liquid under study for several hours. If it retains its natural color or turns blue, alcohol is ethyl alcohol. The acquisition of a pink color will signal the presence of methanol. Medical alcohol will retain its texture and color during the experiment, it can even be eaten later. Technical alcohol contributes to the release of starch into the surrounding liquid, as a result of which it becomes cloudy.
In the next experiment, a copper wire heated in a fire is used, which is placed inside a container with cold alcohol. If after that the smell of rotten apples begins to spread, then copper oxide has entered into a chemical reaction with aldehyde, which can only occur in ethanol. A sharp unpleasant odor from formalin vapor indicates that technical alcohol was involved in the experiment.
AT a small amount liquids are thoroughly mixed a few grams baking soda. If as a result of this the mixture remains pure, then it is carbinol. Soda diluted in ethanol will precipitate into an insoluble yellow precipitate - a consequence of the reaction of ethanol and iodine.
A certain amount of potassium permanganate is lowered into the liquid and the solution is heated. The appearance of gas bubbles will indicate that carbinol is used in the experiment. Instead of potassium permanganate, any other oxidizing agent can be used in the experiment.
Lang's method
It is possible to distinguish methyl alcohol from ethyl alcohol by the Lang method, the main task of which is to establish the quality of the liquid under study. 200 mg of potassium permanganate are diluted in 2 ml of distilled water and mixed thoroughly. Next, the studied liquid is taken in a volume of 50 ml and heated to a temperature of 18 ° C. A solution of potassium permanganate is poured into the liquid, the whole mixture is again thoroughly mixed. After some time, the liquid will change from purple to yellow-pink. This process takes longer, the higher quality alcohol is involved in the experiment.
It is known that the use of low-quality alcoholic beverages can lead to serious intoxication of the body. But the consequences can be much more deplorable if the drink contains methyl alcohol instead of ethyl alcohol. It is impossible to distinguish between these two alcohols by eye, but being able to determine the presence of methanol is an important skill that can save life and health. Methanol is poisonous and deadly for the human body: having consumed only thirty milliliters of this type of alcohol, a person can lose his sight, fall into a coma, or even die.
In the laboratory, it is not difficult to distinguish ethanol from methanol. But how to do it at home? Let's bring helpful tips on this topic in the following sections of the article.
Above, we have already said that it is impossible to distinguish ethanol from methanol by eye. They have the same color, taste, smell.
At home, you can distinguish ethanol from methanol using a fairly simple method - the liquid will need to be poured into a small container and then set on fire. Ethyl alcohol burns with a blue flame, but methanol gives off a green flame when burned.
Method number 2: Indicator potato
To determine what exactly is poured into the bottle - ethanol or methanol can help the most ordinary potatoes.
Take a root tuber and peel it. Cut off a small piece from a potato and place it in the liquid to be tested. If after a couple of hours the potato turns pink, methanol is present in the drink. If the potatoes just darken, then the liquid contains ethyl alcohol.
If you have copper wire, then it is better to test for the determination of methanol with its help, since this method is considered as reliable as possible. A small piece of copper wire should be heated over a fire and then lowered into a liquid, and if you immediately feel a strong smell of formaldehyde, you have methanol in front of you.
These simple ways can help you accurately determine the presence of dangerous methanol in a drink, but you should be aware that if an unscrupulous alcohol manufacturer mixed several types of alcohol into one mass, artisanal tests may not give the correct results. Therefore, it is better to buy alcohol in good shops, high quality and be sure to check the excise tax.
