List: In case it helps when you make your choices ethanol is "grain alcohol" and will not contain less than 5% water when water is boiled out of it to concentrate it from mash since water and ethanol form a "constant boiling mixture" at 5/95 percents, respectively, of each. This means one cannot make ethanol stronger than 95% when boiled just with water . Ethanol can be made to go to 100%, I believe by boiling with benzene (highly toxic). It would then be called "absolute" ethanol although there would be residual benzene. The U.S. Government permits use of several formulas (schedules) using fixed percentages added to ethanol of various chemicals so it is "denatured" or made undrinkable (poisonous) and thus not taxed as drinkable alcohol. These formulae are different enough that some may work better for some industrial purposes than others: yours? Some could conceivably be made back into drinkable form more easily than others (none easily.) E.g., one of these uses methanol or as the only denaturant. For this reason the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol Tax and Firearms) requires--or at least used to require--special handling/permitting for this grade. This may be available to you; you could call the BATF for information. "Wood alcohol," methanol, is easily obtainable as 100%, and both this and denatured ethanol are sure to be cheaper than 190 proof drinking alcohol. Methanol may work well to dissolve shellac, but methanol vapor at any significant concentration air would be something I certainly wouldn't recommend. The denaturant formulas in ethanol (and possibly colorant) may possibly be a problem for piano technicians. The denaturants are indeed toxic, but are in low concentrations. Depending upon ventilation and quantity used they may not give you difficulty. Again, 5% water is present in all grades unless sold as "absolute" ethanol. If you feel you need more info. all the people that sell alcohol--for that matter, all chemicals: and what isn't a chemical?-- must be prepared to supply those that request it an MSDS, a Material Safety Data Sheet, that tells more than you'll want to know about that chemical. You may call the chemical manufacturer's number (or the state or federal EPA if you get a hard time)! When you read the MSDS, you'll be scared to death. Their respective MSDS' make aspirin and table salt to appear as terrible poisons: and don't bother reading the one on saccharin! I'd guess this "crying wolf" is to minimize potential legal problems for the manufacturer. By the way, any of these alcohols are very water soluble (as is acetone (very much more volatile & thus more flammable) or methyl ethyl ketone (a bit less so)), and when they evaporate rapidly, will chill the area drawing moisture from the air--more so in humid climates. This moisture has the potential to release the press in the wool! (Re: Susan Kline's correct "steam in a bottle" comment on 04 Sep 2001 18:30:15) I could say lots more but I'm sure you're sick of it by now. Apologies. Thanks for your patience. Keep on doing the great jobs you're doing, RPTs. Earl Dunlap, Textile Chemist and lurker (with your kind permission)
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