Is It Possible to Denature Alcohol at Home? (2024)

You can get tert-butyl alcohol to denature it, but butyl alcohol is as 'smelly' as methanol or isopropyl, IMHO. The ratio isopropyl actually needed is low enough (less than 1%) that you would not know the difference by smell. However, isopropyl doesn't work well for perfumery. MEthanol is pretty toxic, so using it for something on the skin is not advised.

The usual ratio for SD40B is 99.88% Ethanol, and 0.12% t-butyl alcohol, volume to volume, of course. Sometimes they add another nice flavor enhancer, such as Bitrex (denatonium benzoate--several other trade names) to prevent ingestion. Instead of tert-butyl alcohol, they can use hexalene glycol, sometimes dipropylene glycol (NOT propylene glycol, the main component in anti-freeze....dipropylene glycol is a double alcohol, and a good fragrance carrier) or other additives. And they do.

You can buy up to 5 gallons of denatured SD40B without any licensing (annually). It should be about $25 per 32 oz. If you are paying more, you are getting robbed. If you can find everclear for less than $25 per 32 oz, it's a pretty good buy, I think. The reason that everclear is so expensive is because it is taxed by the Bureau of ATF. When I buy 200 proof or 190 proof alcohol for the lab, I have to be licensed and bonded so that I agree not to sell it. Always odd getting 190 proof undenatured alcohol for under $5 a gallon Is It Possible to Denature Alcohol at Home? (1) The taxes levied on alcohol for consumption are darn high.

SD40B is the industry standard for perfumers alcohol. It really is almost 200 proof ethanol, with some minor denaturant.

The amount of denaturant is a juggling match between how much denaturant to add, without going over federal exposure limits for the denaturant. If you don't know how to read an MSDS, leave the home denaturing to someone else. It is pretty cheap, clean, and safe to get pre-denatured stuff.

While you may or may not value my advice, I didn't figure on the dismissive tone. I'm a damn good bench biochemist by degree and training, and have a couple advanced science degrees, so I may know a little something of value. Now that I understand your wants/needs, I hope my answers were a bit better.

SD40B ready to use, in quantities you can get legally...

http://www.creatingperfume.com/16ounceperfumersalcohol.aspx

http://mistralni.co.uk/products/perfumers-alcohol (Overseas, big shipping problems)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/5609001...campaign=GPS&gclid=CPj5hLXetbICFYk-MgodKAkA3g (seems pretty expensive, but no worries about availability--quick shipping?)

Good luck with your search!

Is It Possible to Denature Alcohol at Home? (2024)
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