Why do companies create completely denatured alcohol?

Why do companies create completely denatured alcohol?

Completely denatured alcohol is a combination of ethanol alcohol as well as some other chemical substances. When creating these products, companies focus on adding chemicals that will change the product’s color, taste, and smell, making it visibly different from standard alcohol. The main reason for creating denatured alcohol is so that a company can avoid otherwise high taxes that are imposed on regular alcohol.

Although this might sound like a pretty straightforward product, there are still a few precautionary measures that you need to take. In the end, completely denatured alcohol is a volatile substance, and it is not meant for human consumption. This is why it is so important to buy it from reputable stores such as Simple Solvents. 

In this article, we will see what makes completely denatured alcohol CDA 12A so special and what are the potential problems with it.

How do companies create this product?

The reason why this is called “de-natured” alcohol is that it is changed from its natural state. A company will add certain chemicals to alcohol in order to change its characteristics. 

As mentioned, there are different ways the substance can be altered. For example, a company can change its taste, smell, or color. No matter what was done with the substance, you can no longer drink it. The change needs to be as obvious as possible so that a person wouldn’t consume the product by mistake. 

The underlying substance of CDA 12A is always either ethanol or grain alcohol. As for the denaturants, companies have a lot of options at their disposal. Oftentimes, these substances are toxic by themselves, or they might become toxic when mixed with alcohol. 

The most important thing about denatured alcohol is that companies and individuals shouldn’t be able to split components once they’re mixed together. In other words, you cannot restore the substance to its previous ethanol form. That way, you are not able to turn denatured alcohol into consumable alcohol.

Most commonly, people buy this product so they can use it in labs and medical facilities. Denatured alcohol can also serve as a cleaning product, although it won’t work as a disinfectant (given that it’s no longer pure alcohol that kills microbes). The liquid might also be utilized for certain manufacturing processes.

Depending on where you bought denatured alcohol, it can vary in terms of its color. For example, some countries have special laws that are meant to tackle this substance. CDA 12A will always have a specific color, taste, or smell, which would make it even easier to distinguish from the original product.

Unfortunately, the US doesn’t have the same type of laws. Denatured alcohols can look, taste, or smell in numerous different ways. While this is great for manufacturers, as it allows them to use almost any substance to denature alcohol, it is potentially troublesome for buyers as it makes it harder to distinguish the product from others. 

Why do companies perform complete denaturation of alcohol?

Given that this is a toxic substance and that it is much less useful than ethanol, most people are wondering why you would denature alcohol in the first place. In the end, this substance doesn’t perform better than some other cleaning agents, nor is it that better for lab work than regular alcohol.

The most important thing about denatured alcohol is that it’s always toxic. In fact, the focal point of denaturation is not to change its physical traits but instead to change its ability to be consumed. Previously, it would be a food-grade substance, but after the processing, it will no longer be regarded as a consumable.  

So, why is this done?

Simply put, consumable alcohol is very expensive as it has high tax rates. Taxing alcohol in such a manner makes sense as governments want to make food-grade alcohol less available to potential consumers. 

Can you easily spot denatured alcohol?

As mentioned, being able to spot completely denatured alcohol often depends on the country where it was produced. In some places, governments make sure that you never make a mistake by consuming the liquid. Usually, this is done by changing the product’s color. Alternatively, they might legislate the completely denatured alcohol needs to have a pungent smell. 

The color is changed by adding aniline dye. In some countries, CDA 12A will have purple or blue colors making it easy to distinguish from the standard stuff.

If you need to buy completely denatured alcohol, make sure to visit the Simple Solvents store!
About the writer: Nikolay Stoyanov is ther founder of a top quality marijuana SEO company located in the United States. Nik has over a decade of SEO experience in working with CBD, Cannabis and marijuana companies in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates

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