Denatured alcohol

Denatured alcohol, also known as methylated spirits, metho, or meths in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, and as denatured rectified spirit, is ethanol that has additives to make it poisonous, bad-tasting, foul-smelling, or nauseating to discourage its recreational consumption.

Denatured alcohol is used identically to ethanol itself but only for applications that involve fuel, surgical and laboratory stock.

In molecular biology, denatured ethanol should not be used for the precipitation of nucleic acids, since the additives may interfere with downstream applications.

If pure ethanol were made cheaply available for fuel, solvents, or medicinal purposes, it could be used as a beverage without payment of alcohol tax.

From 25–27 December 1926, which was roughly at the midpoint of nationwide alcohol prohibition, 31 people in New York City alone died of methanol poisoning.

Substances, such as pyridine, are added to give the mixture an unpleasant odour, and agents such as syrup of ipecac may also be included to induce vomiting.

Its consumption is mentioned in songs of Vladimir Vysotsky, as well as written works of Venedikt Yerofeev, Yuz Aleshkovsky, and Vyacheslav Shishkov.

[11] A specially denatured alcohol is a combination of ethanol and another chemical substance, e.g., ethyl acetate in SDA 29, 35, and 35A, added to render the mixture unsuitable for drinking.