alcohol 96%

[nick12]

The fuel I'm using in my pop can stove in Indonesia is 96% alcohol which can be bought at the apotek (chemist) in 1lt bottles for under £2. It is so good that the stove which the pan sits directly on top of is primed in about 5 seconds. It uses slightly more fuel than with meths which can be obtained in some places but not everywhere and is called spiritus and is used to prime storm lamps. I haven't used it though as the alcohol is superb.

[Cunobelin]

I tend to "scan posts" initially then go back and read if it interests me...

When I scanned this I was quite worried!

96% alcohol which can be bought at the apotek (chemist) in 1lt bottles for under £2.

It is so good

the alcohol is superb.

Then I went back and read the above in context!

[nick12]

Its used as an antiseptic and disinfectant. You can get sall bottles but 70% which I haven't tried as I doubt it will be as good.

[thelawnet]

Seems like a good point for some chemistry:

Ethanol aka ethyl alcohol aka 'alcohol' (but not really precise enough') = C2H5OH, and burns releasing 21.1MJ/litre of heat energy. It's the intoxicant we find in beer, wine, vodka, etc
Methanol aka methyl alcohol is the single carbon version, CH3OH, and releases 15.8MJ/litre. It's a nasty poison quite commonly involved in poisoning deaths in dodgy alcohol in Indonesia as an adulterant in drinks, as it kills in low concentrations while still being 'alcohol'.
Isopropyl alcohol is a different group, C3H80. Apparently it is not good for burning & is sooty, though you CAN burn it.

Methylated spirits in the UK refers to denatured 'alcohol', i.e. ethanol. 'Denaturing' is done by various means, but the EU standard is now 100 parts ethanol to 3 parts isopropyl alcohol to 3 parts methyl isobutyl ketone, plus a bittering agent. Apparently at one time it was 90% ethanol, 10% methanol, but it seems in the UK likely that is no longer the case and is thus more like 94% ethanol.

'Spiritus' in Indonesia is supposed to be methanol, though they have the word 'metanol', so you can't be 100% sure spiritus is actually ethanol, though it likely is. It is suitable for burning.

Pharmaceutical alcohol is something else again, and could be ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. In the UK it is called 'surgical spirit' and is 95% meths, 2.5% castor oil, 2% diethyl phthalate (DEP), and 0.5% methyl salicylate.

Apparently DEP is a plasticiser, and "When burned, DEP produces toxic gases.Several studies suggest that DEP can cause damage to the nervous system as well as to the reproductive organs in males and females."

so it's basically the same as burning plastic.

In Indonesia I've seen mostly 70% alcohol, though evidently there is 96% as well.

96% 'alcohol' in a pharmacy could be isopropyl alcohol or it could be ethanol.

Best as I can ascertain it is ethanol, but that is not completely clear.

Anyway, if it is, it is much the same as meths.... Whereas methanol is a second-rate fuel. If you have smoke then it's likely isopropyl alcohol rather than ethanol, but I don't think that is the case.

[nick12]

I believe it to be surgical spirits . It burns very clean indeed and there is no soot or blackening to the cooking vessel. Its the best fuel I have used.
That's Avery comprehensive run down on the fuel thelawnet . I will enquire about price of surgical spirit in uk when I return but would guess it is considerably more expensive than meths.

[Bmblbzzz]

Seems like a good point for some chemistry:

Ethanol aka ethyl alcohol aka 'alcohol' (but not really precise enough') = C2H5OH, and burns releasing 21.1MJ/litre of heat energy. It's the intoxicant we find in beer, wine, vodka, etc
Methanol aka methyl alcohol is the single carbon version, CH3OH, and releases 15.8MJ/litre. It's a nasty poison quite commonly involved in poisoning deaths in dodgy alcohol in Indonesia as an adulterant in drinks, as it kills in low concentrations while still being 'alcohol'.
Isopropyl alcohol is a different group, C3H80. Apparently it is not good for burning & is sooty, though you CAN burn it.

Methylated spirits in the UK refers to denatured 'alcohol', i.e. ethanol. 'Denaturing' is done by various means, but the EU standard is now 100 parts ethanol to 3 parts isopropyl alcohol to 3 parts methyl isobutyl ketone, plus a bittering agent. Apparently at one time it was 90% ethanol, 10% methanol, but it seems in the UK likely that is no longer the case and is thus more like 94% ethanol.

'Spiritus' in Indonesia is supposed to be methanol, though they have the word 'metanol', so you can't be 100% sure spiritus is actually ethanol, though it likely is. It is suitable for burning.

Pharmaceutical alcohol is something else again, and could be ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. In the UK it is called 'surgical spirit' and is 95% meths, 2.5% castor oil, 2% diethyl phthalate (DEP), and 0.5% methyl salicylate.

Apparently DEP is a plasticiser, and "When burned, DEP produces toxic gases.Several studies suggest that DEP can cause damage to the nervous system as well as to the reproductive organs in males and females."

so it's basically the same as burning plastic.

In Indonesia I've seen mostly 70% alcohol, though evidently there is 96% as well.

96% 'alcohol' in a pharmacy could be isopropyl alcohol or it could be ethanol.

Best as I can ascertain it is ethanol, but that is not completely clear.

Anyway, if it is, it is much the same as meths.... Whereas methanol is a second-rate fuel. If you have smoke then it's likely isopropyl alcohol rather than ethanol, but I don't think that is the case.

Good explanation first para!

[Tigerbiten]

I believe it to be surgical spirits . It burns very clean indeed and there is no soot or blackening to the cooking vessel. Its the best fuel I have used.
That's Avery comprehensive run down on the fuel thelawnet . I will enquire about price of surgical spirit in uk when I return but would guess it is considerably more expensive than meths.

Surgical spirits doesn't burn clean due to the oil in it.

The easy way to stop the soot buildup on pans with meths is to add a little water to the fuel.
This cools the flame and slows the evaporation of the meths.
Less fuel to air means all the alcohol gets fully burnt to CO2 and no soot.
But the cooler flame does mean it takes a little longer to bring things to the boil.
So with meths you have to accept either the fastest speed with a little soot or no soot but it takes a little longer.

Luck .......

[pete75]

Had some Poteen once that was reputed to be about 95% alcohol. Don't know how it would burn in a stove but it certainly burnt the back of my throat!