Alcohol Specifications

United States of America

Food Chemical Codex (F.C.C.) 4th Edition Published 1996
(and first Supplement, published 1997)

Ethyl Alcohol

(Note: This is a brief extract from the standard. Reference should be made to the original, and to any Supplements (published by National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.) for full, current test procedures.)

1.
Characteristics: A clear, colorless, mobile liquid, having a slight characteristic odor and a burning taste. It is miscible with water, with ether and with chloroform. It boils at about 78°C and is flammable. Its refractive index at 20°C is about 1.364.
2.
Specifications:
(a)
Ethanol content: Not less than 94.9% by volume (92.3% by weight)
(b)
Acidity, as acetic acid: Not more than 0.003% (30 ppm*)
(c)
Alkalinity, as NH3: Not more than 3 mg/kg (3 ppm*)
(d)
Fusel oil content: Passes odor test on evaporation residue
(e)
Heavy metals, as lead: Not more than 1 mg/kg (1 ppm*)
(f)
Ketones and iso-propanol: Passes mercuric sulfate test
(g)
Methanol: Passes test with chromotropic acid
(h)
Non-volatile residue: Not more than 0.003% (30 ppm*)
(i)
Solubility in water: Passes dilution test
(j)
Substances darkened by sulfuric acid: Passes test
(k)
Substances reducing permanganate: Passes test (more than 5 minutes at 15°C)
*
The "ppm" (parts per million) figures are not included in the original standard, but are added to facilitate comparisons with other standard specifications.



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