Types of Alcohol
Methyl (wood alcohol, methanol)
Manufacture: By destructive distillation of wood. Also by synthesis from hydrogen and carbon monoxide under high pressure.
Uses: Solvent for fats, oils, resins, nitrocellulose. Manufacture of dyes, formaldehyde, antifreeze solutions, special fuels, plastics.
Ethyl (grain alcohol, ethanol)
Manufacture: By fermentation of sugar, starch, or waste sulfite liquor. Synthesis from ethylene or acetylene. Direct hydration of ethylene.
Uses: Solvent for products such as lacquers, paints, varnishes, glues, pharmaceuticals, explosives. Also as "building block" in making high-molecular-weight chemicals.
Isopropyl (isopropanol)
Manufacture: By hydration of propylene from cracked gases. Also as by-product of certain fermentation processes.
Uses: Solvent for oils, gums, alkaloids, resins. Making acetone, soap, antiseptic solutions.
Normal propyl
Manufacture: As a coproduct of air oxidation of propane and butane mixtures.
Uses: Solvent for lacquers, resins, coatings, films, waxes. Also as brake fluid, in manufacture of propionic acid, plasticizers.
Butyl (n-butanol)
Manufacture: By fermentation of starch or sugar. Also by synthesis, using ethyl alcohol or acetylene.
Uses: Solvent for nitrocellulose, ethyl cellulose, lacquer, urea-formaldehyde, urea-melamine plastics. Diluent of hydraulic fluids, extractant of drugs.
Isobutyl
Manufacture: By synthesis from carbon monoxide and hydrogen at high pressure, then distillation from products formed.
Uses: Solvent for castor-oil-base brake fluids. Substitute for n-butyl alcohol in making urea resins.
Secondary butyl
Manufacture: By hydration of 1-butane, formed in petroleum cracking.
Uses: In making other chemicals such as methyl ethyl ketone. Solvent in nitrocellulose lacquers. Production of brake fluids, special greases.
Tertiary butyl
Manufacture: By hydration of isobutylene, derived from petroleum cracking.
Uses: In perfume making. As wetting agent in detergents. Solvent for drugs and cleaning compounds.
Amyl (pentyl)
Manufacture: By fractional distillation of fusel oil, a coproduct of ethyl alcohol manufacture by fermentation.
Uses: Solvent for many natural and synthetic resins. Diluting brake fluids, printing inks, lacquers. In medicinal products.
Ethylene glycol
Manufacture: By oxidation of ethylene to glycol. Also by hydrogenation of methyl glycolate made from formaldehyde and methanol.
Uses: Deicing fluid, antifreeze, brake fluid. In production of explosives. Solvent for stains, oils, resins, enamels, inks, dyes.
Diethylene glycol
Manufacture: As coproduct in manufacture of ethylene glycol.
Uses: Solvent for dyes, resins. Antileak agent. In gas drying. Softening agent in adhesive printing inks.
Triethylene glycol
Manufacture: Coproduct in manufacture of ethylene glycol.
Uses: Air disinfectant and dehumidifier. Production of resins, plasticizers.
Glycerol (glycerin; 1-, 2-, 3-propanetriol)
Manufacture: From treatment of fats in soapmaking. Synthetically, from propylene. By fermentation.
Uses: In alkyd resins, explosives, cellophane. Tobacco humectant.
Pentaerythritol
Manufacture: By condensation of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde.
Uses: In synthetic resins. As tetranitrate in explosives. Also as drug for treatment of heart disease.
Sorbitol
Manufacture: By reduction of sugar, usually corn sugar, with hydrogen.
Uses: In foods, pharmaceuticals, in chemical manufacture. Conditioning agent in paper, textiles, glue, cosmetics. Source of alcohol in resin manufacture.
Cyclohexanol
Manufacture: By catalytic hydrogenation of phenol. By catalytic air oxidation of cyclohexane.
Uses: Intermediate in making chemicals used in nylon manufacture. Stabilizer and homogenizer of soaps, synthetic detergents. Solvent.
Phenylethyl
Manufacture: By synthesis from benzene and ethylene oxide.
Uses: Principally in perfumes.
Manufacture: By destructive distillation of wood. Also by synthesis from hydrogen and carbon monoxide under high pressure.
Uses: Solvent for fats, oils, resins, nitrocellulose. Manufacture of dyes, formaldehyde, antifreeze solutions, special fuels, plastics.
Ethyl (grain alcohol, ethanol)
Manufacture: By fermentation of sugar, starch, or waste sulfite liquor. Synthesis from ethylene or acetylene. Direct hydration of ethylene.
Uses: Solvent for products such as lacquers, paints, varnishes, glues, pharmaceuticals, explosives. Also as "building block" in making high-molecular-weight chemicals.
Isopropyl (isopropanol)
Manufacture: By hydration of propylene from cracked gases. Also as by-product of certain fermentation processes.
Uses: Solvent for oils, gums, alkaloids, resins. Making acetone, soap, antiseptic solutions.
Normal propyl
Manufacture: As a coproduct of air oxidation of propane and butane mixtures.
Uses: Solvent for lacquers, resins, coatings, films, waxes. Also as brake fluid, in manufacture of propionic acid, plasticizers.
Butyl (n-butanol)
Manufacture: By fermentation of starch or sugar. Also by synthesis, using ethyl alcohol or acetylene.
Uses: Solvent for nitrocellulose, ethyl cellulose, lacquer, urea-formaldehyde, urea-melamine plastics. Diluent of hydraulic fluids, extractant of drugs.
Isobutyl
Manufacture: By synthesis from carbon monoxide and hydrogen at high pressure, then distillation from products formed.
Uses: Solvent for castor-oil-base brake fluids. Substitute for n-butyl alcohol in making urea resins.
Secondary butyl
Manufacture: By hydration of 1-butane, formed in petroleum cracking.
Uses: In making other chemicals such as methyl ethyl ketone. Solvent in nitrocellulose lacquers. Production of brake fluids, special greases.
Tertiary butyl
Manufacture: By hydration of isobutylene, derived from petroleum cracking.
Uses: In perfume making. As wetting agent in detergents. Solvent for drugs and cleaning compounds.
Amyl (pentyl)
Manufacture: By fractional distillation of fusel oil, a coproduct of ethyl alcohol manufacture by fermentation.
Uses: Solvent for many natural and synthetic resins. Diluting brake fluids, printing inks, lacquers. In medicinal products.
Ethylene glycol
Manufacture: By oxidation of ethylene to glycol. Also by hydrogenation of methyl glycolate made from formaldehyde and methanol.
Uses: Deicing fluid, antifreeze, brake fluid. In production of explosives. Solvent for stains, oils, resins, enamels, inks, dyes.
Diethylene glycol
Manufacture: As coproduct in manufacture of ethylene glycol.
Uses: Solvent for dyes, resins. Antileak agent. In gas drying. Softening agent in adhesive printing inks.
Triethylene glycol
Manufacture: Coproduct in manufacture of ethylene glycol.
Uses: Air disinfectant and dehumidifier. Production of resins, plasticizers.
Glycerol (glycerin; 1-, 2-, 3-propanetriol)
Manufacture: From treatment of fats in soapmaking. Synthetically, from propylene. By fermentation.
Uses: In alkyd resins, explosives, cellophane. Tobacco humectant.
Pentaerythritol
Manufacture: By condensation of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde.
Uses: In synthetic resins. As tetranitrate in explosives. Also as drug for treatment of heart disease.
Sorbitol
Manufacture: By reduction of sugar, usually corn sugar, with hydrogen.
Uses: In foods, pharmaceuticals, in chemical manufacture. Conditioning agent in paper, textiles, glue, cosmetics. Source of alcohol in resin manufacture.
Cyclohexanol
Manufacture: By catalytic hydrogenation of phenol. By catalytic air oxidation of cyclohexane.
Uses: Intermediate in making chemicals used in nylon manufacture. Stabilizer and homogenizer of soaps, synthetic detergents. Solvent.
Phenylethyl
Manufacture: By synthesis from benzene and ethylene oxide.
Uses: Principally in perfumes.
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