THE USES OF ALCOHOL

MEDICINE

 In methanol poisoning: When excess methanol is consumed, the person will have terrific symptoms leading to
death. The methanol in the body converts to formaldehyde and formic acids which causes pain and irritation all
over. The sting of ants has formic acid. So, we can imagine the extent of damage when formic acid is formed in the
body due to methanol poisoning.

 As rubefacient: 70% ethanol and even Isopropanol have rubefaceint character. When applied to skin, it leads tp
dilation of blood vessels and then redness. In this condition the applied skin area is tender and has greater
absorption property. This can be used to enhance drug absorption from ointment applied to skin. Further, this
relieves acute pain locally where applied.

 To reduce pain: In case of sever pain as cancer, alcohol is injected near the nerve endings to destroy the nerve.
This leads to lack of pain from that nerve.

 Antiseptic: When an injection is to be made, a cotton swab soaked in alcohol is used to clean the surface. Then
after injection, it is left there to see that there is no bleeding. This is done to clear the area of injection from any
bacteria or microbes. Further, this cleaning removes any dirt in the site of injection.

 Diluent: Tinctures are alcoholic extracts of drugs. When a substance is in low concentration, it cannot be given as
such for the person. Hence, to enhance the volume of drug, alcohol is used as a diluent. Since, alcohol at such low
doses is safe to the body and also sterile, it is acts as a safe diluent. Especially, in homeopathy, drugs are extracted
with alcohol . Further, they are diluted with it for easy administration. Besides alcohol, lactose is also used as a
diluent. However, alcoholic extract tinctures are also administered to patients.

 Preservative: The tinctures which are alcoholic extracts of plant and animal material have long half life. This is
because, alcohol is a good preservative.

 Cough Syrups: Many cough and cold liquids and other OTC (over-the-counter) products contain some alcohol. In
the formulation, alcohol helps to dissolve active ingredients or preserve the product.

INDUSTRY

 As a solvent: Ethanol like water is good solvent for many polar compounds. This helps the solid material to be
concentrated into a solution of desired concentration. This solution is used for further processing like filtration,
distillation or removing impurities.
Ethanol is commonly used as an organic solvent to dissolve organic compounds which are insoluble in water.
Advantages of ethanol as a solvent is that it is volatile, colourless and has a relatively high boiling point of 78°C. It is
also miscible in both water and other organic solvents.

 For extraction: Alcohol being a good polar solvent can be used for extraction of active ingredient from any raw
material like the plant or other solids. This extraction is usually done by use of steam distillation connected to a
soxhlet extractor. Due to low boiling point, alcohol easily evaporates and then percolates again through the solid
material. In this way there can be effective extraction.
 Cleaning: Alcohol is one of the best solvent used for cleaning in industry. Its properties of antimicrobial effects and
solubility are effective used.

 Sterilization: Alcohol is one of the good chemical sterilizing agent used for sterilization.

 De-staining : When any cloth material in industry is caught by stains, alcohol is used to remove stains.

 Industrial Feedstock: Most methanol is used to make other compounds, for example, methanal (formaldehyde),
ethanoic acid, and methyl esters of various acids. In most cases, these are then converted into further products.

DAILY LIFE

 Clean marker stains: We tend to use markers often. These marker stains can be easily removed by use of alcohols.

 As automobile fuel: Uses of ethanol- fuel Ethanol is mixed with petrol to minimize the pollution, price of fossil fuels
and also greater energy.

 In lamp: Alcohol lamps are used in laboratories due to their non-suit flames.

 Beverages: Alcohol is used for recreation in the form of alcoholic beverages. It is a type of social lubricant.

 Alcoholic inks: These inks have a pigment or dye dissolved in alcohol. When these inks are put on a tile, metal or
other surface, the mark is left. Alcohol dries quickly leaving the pigment behind. These alcohol inks are used in
making background of stamping and cards.

 Nail polish remover: Nail polish is easily removed by ethyl acetate or acetone. But if you do not find it at home or
cannot tolerate odor of ethyl-acetate, then ethanol is best. It takes a longer time to remove but it definitely
removes alcohol. Though i have never seen it, but some claim to do so.

 Rocket Propellant: Previously ethyl alcohol was used as a combination of rocket fuels. It was used along with liquid
oxygen diluted with water. But now, due to availability of new and more efficient fuels, it is no longer used.

 Rubbing Alcohols: Isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol, commonly referred to as rubbing alcohol, can be found in
pharmacies and grocery stores at concentrations of around 70 percent alcohol. This can be used as a cleaning
agent and for first aid purposes.

 Household Products: Ethanol mixes easily with water and many organic compounds, and makes an effective
solvent for use in paints, lacquers and varnish, as well as personal care and household cleaning products. As an
additive to cleaning products, ethanol is also used as a preservative because it is effective in knocking out
organisms that could pose a danger to consumers.

 Personal Care Products: Ethanol is a common ingredient in many cosmetics and beauty products. It acts as an
astringent to help clean skin, in lotions as a preservative and to help ensure that lotion ingredients do not separate,
and in hairsprays to help the spray adhere to hair.
HOW BLOOD ALCOHOL IS MEASURED

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a standard measurement used to describe how drunk a person may be.
Different percentages of alcohol in the blood lead to different levels of mental and physical changes and risks.
In the United States, a BAC of 0.08% is the legal limit, meaning one can no longer safely drive after this point.
The percent is related to how many parts alcohol are in the blood; a BAC of 0.1% represents one part alcohol
per 1,000 parts blood.

As the liver metabolizes about one standard drink per hour, one to two drinks raises the BAC a small amount:
ranging from 0.01% to 0.05%, depending on individual factors like weight, gender, age, and potential
prescription medications. Two to three drinks raise BAC to between 0.06% and 0.1%. Memory, judgment,
reaction time, perception, and fine motor skills are affected at this point. Higher BACs lead to inappropriate
social behaviors, loss of balance, slurred speech, memory loss, blackouts, low body temperature, trouble
breathing, vomiting, and even sudden death.

Because of the dangers from high levels of alcohol in the blood, there are several scientific measurements that
can measure BAC. The entire body is affected by alcohol, especially in large quantities, so there are several
tests that are applied in different situations to determine how intoxicated someone may be.

Tests for Blood Alcohol Concentration

 Breathalyzer: Breath tests to determine BAC rely on the body’s metabolism of alcohol to assess the level
of alcohol in the blood. About 92-98 percent of an alcoholic beverage moves through the digestive
system to be broken down by the liver, so 2-8 percent is lost through other processes, including
breathing. Some alcohol will enter the bloodstream through the stomach walls before the liver breaks it
down; this alcohol-tinged blood will then circulate throughout the body, including the lungs, where
some alcohol is exhaled. The liver processes about one serving of alcohol per hour, so if a person drinks
more than one standard drink in an hour, more of that alcohol will enter the bloodstream at this point,
circulating through the heart and lungs so more alcohol will be exhaled. The amount of alcohol
collected in the lungs correlates to the amount of undigested alcohol in the bloodstream at a ratio of
about 2,100 breath to 1 blood. So, for example, 2,100 milliliters of alcohol in an exhale correlates to
about 1 mL in the blood.Breath tests can detect alcohol consumption about 24 hours after the person
 drinks, although they do not measure how high the individual’s BAC may have been in the past. Any
remaining alcohol in the lungs will be measured in a chemical reaction in the device, which detects
whether alcohol is present in the exhale by changing color from reddish-orange to green.

 Romberg balance test: Often given to determine whether one is intoxicated or not, the Romberg
balance test is based on the concept that three functions are necessary to remain standing still: vision,
proprioception (knowing where limbs are in space), and vestibular function (equilibrium as provided by
the inner ear). Drinking alcohol changes how the inner ear senses the body’s orientation in space and
changes how the brain processes visual images. Clues listed by the Romberg test that may indicate
drunkenness include: Amount and direction of body swaying, Eyelid or body tremors, Estimation of time
passing, Muscle tone, Sounds or phrases during the test, including whether speech is slurred, Ability to
follow directions and how quickly.

 Urine Test: Because the liver is the main alcohol metabolizer in the body, the digested toxins will filter out
of the body, in part, through the kidneys. Urine tests can detect metabolized alcohol between 12 and
48 hours after the person drinks, depending on how much alcohol they drink.

 Hair tests: Very few occasions require a hair test to determine whether a person drank alcohol, but
alcohol consumption can be detected for up to 90 days in hair tests.

 Blood Test: Alcohol does not remain in the blood for long, and a blood test can only detect alcohol in
the blood stream for up to 12 hours after the last drink. It is the preferred test to determine whether a
person is drunk at the specific time their blood was drawn. This is used during DUI arrests or in
rehabilitation centers treating people with chronic alcohol use disorder. Other tests, especially the hair
test, can show that the person drank alcohol but not specifically when or how drunk they got.
WHY ARE PHENOLS ARE MORE ACIDIC THAN ALCOHOLS

Compounds like alcohols and phenol which contain an -OH group attached to a hydrocarbon are very weak
acids. Alcohols are so weakly acidic that, for normal lab purposes, their acidity can be virtually ignored.
However, phenol is sufficiently acidic for it to have recognizably acidic properties - even if it is still a very weak
acid. A hydrogen ion can break away from the -OH group and transfer to a base. For example, in solution in
water:

Phenol is a very weak acid and the position of equilibrium lies well to the left. Phenol can lose a hydrogen ion
because the phenoxide ion formed is stabilised to some extent. The negative charge on the oxygen atom is
delocalised around the ring. The more stable the ion is, the more likely it is to form. One of the lone pairs on the
oxygen atom overlaps with the delocalised electrons on the benzene ring.

This overlap leads to a delocalization which extends from the ring out over the oxygen atom. As a result, the
negative charge is no longer entirely localized on the oxygen, but is spread out around the whole ion.

Spreading the charge around makes the ion more stable than it would be if all the charge remained on the
oxygen. However, oxygen is the most electronegative element in the ion and the delocalized electrons will be
drawn towards it. That means that there will still be a lot of charge around the oxygen which will tend to attract
the hydrogen ion back again. That is why phenol is only a very weak acid.
 Why is phenol a much stronger acid than cyclohexanol?

To answer this question we must evaluate the manner in which an oxygen substituent interacts with the
benzene ring. As noted in our earlier treatment of electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions, an oxygen
substituent enhances the reactivity of the ring and favors electrophile attack at ortho and para sites. It was
proposed that resonance delocalization of an oxygen non-bonded electron pair into the pi-electron system of
the aromatic ring was responsible for this substituent effect. A similar set of resonance structures for the
phenolate anion conjugate base appears below the phenol structures.

The resonance stabilization in these two cases is very different. An important principle of resonance is that
charge separation diminishes the importance of canonical contributors to the resonance hybrid and reduces
the overall stabilization. The contributing structures to the phenol hybrid all suffer charge separation, resulting in
very modest stabilization of this compound. On the other hand, the phenolate anion is already charged, and
the canonical contributors act to disperse the charge, resulting in a substantial stabilization of this species. The
conjugate bases of simple alcohols are not stabilized by charge delocalization, so the acidity of these
compounds is similar to that of water.

An energy diagram showing the effect of resonance on cyclohexanol and phenol acidities is shown on the
right. Since the resonance stabilization of the phenolate conjugate base is much greater than the stabilization
of phenol itself, the acidity of phenol relative to cyclohexanol is increased. Supporting evidence that the
phenolate negative charge is delocalized on the ortho and para carbons of the benzene ring comes from the
influence of electron-withdrawing substituents at those sites.

In this reaction, the hydrogen ion has been removed by the strongly basic hydroxide ion in the sodium
hydroxide solution.

Acids react with the more reactive metals to give hydrogen gas. Phenol is no exception - the only difference is
the slow reaction because phenol is such a weak acid. Phenol is warmed in a dry tube until it is molten, and a
small piece of sodium added. There is some fizzing as hydrogen gas is given off. The mixture left in the tube will
contain sodium phenoxide.