Ethanol - what is this stuff?What is it used and how it is produced?Ethanol is known to all under a different name - alcohol.Of course, this is not entirely correct designation.But in the meantime, it is the word "alcohol" we mean "ethanol."Our ancestors knew of its existence.They got it by the fermentation process.In the course were different products from cereals to fruit.But Brahe received, this is the name in the old spirits, the amount of ethanol does not exceed 15 percent.Pure alcohol is able to select only after studying the process of distillation.
Ethanol - what is it?
Ethanol - a monohydric alcohol.Under normal conditions it is a volatile, colorless, flammable liquid having specific smell and taste.Ethanol is widely used in industry, medicine and everyday life.It is an excellent disinfectant.Alcohol is used as fuel and as a solvent.But the most famous formula of ethanol C2H5OH fans of alcoholic beverages.This is where the substance is widely used.But do not forget that alcohol acts as a component of alcoholic drinks is a strong depressant.It is a psychoactive substance can depress the central nervous system and cause heavy dependence.
Nowadays hard to find an industry where unused to ethanol.It is difficult to list all that is so useful alcohol.But most of all its properties evaluated in the pharmaceutical industry.Ethanol - the main component of almost all medicinal tinctures.Many of the "grandmother recipes" for the treatment of human diseases based on this material.It stretches from the plants all the nutrients, storing them.This property of the alcohol has been used in the manufacture of household herbal and berry liquors.And although it is alcohol, but in moderation they are beneficial to health.
benefits of ethanol
formula of ethanol is known to everyone from school lessons in chemistry.But what is the use of this chemical, so not everyone will respond immediately.In fact, hard to imagine an industry where unused to alcohol.First, ethanol is used in medicine as a powerful disinfectant.They treated the operating surface and wounds.Alcohol detrimental effect on virtually all groups of microorganisms.However, ethanol is used not only in surgery.It is indispensable for the manufacture of medicinal extracts and tinctures.
In small doses, alcohol is useful for the human body.It promotes blood thinners, improve circulation and vasodilation.It is even used for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.Ethanol facilitates the work of the gastrointestinal tract.But actually only small doses.
In special cases psychoactive effects of alcohol can drown out the most severe pain.Ethanol has found application in cosmetology.Due to its pronounced antiseptic properties, it is included in almost all cleansing lotions for oily and oily skin.
harm ethanol
Ethanol - an alcohol produced by fermentation.Excessive use of it can cause the strongest toxicological poisoning, and even coma.This material is a part of alcoholic beverages.Alcohol is a strong psychological and physical dependence.Alcoholism is considered a disease.Harm ethanol directly associated with scenes of unrestrained drunkenness.Excessive consumption of beverages containing alcohol, leads not only to food poisoning.Everything is much more complicated.Frequent drinking of alcohol affects almost all organ systems.From oxygen starvation which causes ethanol die in multiple brain cells.The degradation of the individual.In the early stages of waning memory.Then the person develops kidney, liver, intestine, stomach, heart and blood vessels.In men, there is a loss of potency.In the latter stages of an alcoholic detected deformation of the psyche.
history of alcohol
Ethanol - what kind of substance and how to get it?Not everyone knows that it has been used since prehistoric times.He was part of the alcoholic beverages.However, its concentration was small.But between those traces of alcohol was found in China 9000 years ceramics.This clearly shows that people are still in the Neolithic drink alcohol-containing drinks.
first case of alcohol production was recorded in the 12th century in Salerno.True, it was a water-alcohol mixture.Pure ethanol is allocated Johann Tobias Lovitz in 1796.He used a method of filtering through activated charcoal.Production of ethanol in this way for a long time remained the only method.Formula alcohol calculated Nicholas Theodore de Saussure, and described it as a carbon compound Antoine Lavoisier.In 19-20 centuries many scientists have been studying ethanol.We reviewed all its properties.Currently it is widespread and is used in virtually all spheres of human activity.
ethanol by alcoholic fermentation
Perhaps the most famous way to produce ethanol - is alcoholic fermentation.It is only possible when using organic products, which contain large amounts of carbohydrates, such as grapes, apples and berries.Another important component to the fermentation proceeded actively - is the presence of yeasts, enzymes and bacteria.Just look processing potatoes, corn, rice.For the fuel alcohol is raw sugar that is produced from cane.The reaction is quite complicated.As a result, the fermentation solution is obtained which contains not more than 16% ethanol.Higher concentrations can not be obtained.This is because in a saturated solution yeast can not survive.Thus, ethanol production processes must be subjected to purification and concentration.Typically, the distillation process is used.
To obtain ethanol, use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae view different strains.In principle, they are able to activate the process.As nutrient substrate sawdust may be used as an alternative to, or - a solution obtained from them.
Fuel
Many people know about the properties possessed by ethanol.What is alcohol or disinfectant, it is also widely known.But still the alcohol and fuel.It is used in rocket engines.The well-known fact - during the First World War, 70% aqueous ethanol is used as fuel for the world's first ballistic missile of the German - "V-2".
Currently, alcohol was more common.As it is used as a fuel in internal combustion engines, for heating devices.In laboratories it is poured into a spirit lamp.Catalytic oxidation of ethanol used for the production of heaters, both military and tourist.Alcohol restriction applied in admixture with the liquid fuel oil due to its hygroscopicity.
Ethanol in the chemical industry
Widely use of ethanol in the chemical industry.It is the raw material for the production of substances such as diethyl ether, acetic acid, chloroform, ethylene, acetaldehyde, tetraethyl ethyl acetate.In the paint industry, ethanol is widely used as a solvent.The alcohol is the main component of antifreeze and windscreen.Use alcohol and household chemicals.He is a member of detergents.Very often it is found as a component in liquids care sanitary and glass.
Ethanol medicine
Ethyl alcohol can be attributed to antiseptic.It is a devastating impact on virtually all groups of microorganisms.It destroys the cells of bacteria and fungi.The use of ethanol in medicine is almost pervasive.This is an excellent dried and disinfectants.Due tanning properties alcohol (96%) was used for processing operating tables and the surgeon's hands.
Ethanol - solvent drugs.It is widely used for making infusions and extracts of medicinal herbs and other plant materials.The minimum concentration of alcohol in these substances does not exceed 18 percent.Frequently ethanol is used as a preservative.
Ethanol perfectly applied to the friction.During rush it produces a cooling effect.Very often, alcohol is used for warming compresses.At the same time it is completely safe for the skin remains redness and burns.In addition, ethanol is used as a defoamer by artificial feeding oxygen during ventilation.Also, alcohol is a component of general anesthesia, which can be used in the event of shortages of medicines.
Oddly enough, but medical uses ethanol as an antidote for poisoning by toxic alcohols such as methanol or ethylene glycol.Due to its effect that the presence of several substrates enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase carries only competitive oxidation.It is through this immediate after receiving ethanol after toxic methanol or ethylene glycol, a decrease of the current concentration of toxic body metabolites.Methanol is formic acid and formaldehyde, and ethylene glycol - oxalic acid.
Food Industry
So, how to get ethanol, was known to our ancestors.But the most widely used, he received only in the 19-20 centuries.Along with water, ethanol is the basis of almost all alcoholic beverages, especially vodka, gin, rum, brandy, whiskey, beer.Small amounts of alcohol found in drinks, which are produced by fermentation, such as yogurt, mare, kvass.But they do not consider alcohol as the alcohol concentration in them is very small.Thus, fresh yogurt content of ethanol does not exceed 0.12%.But if it settles, the concentration may increase up to 1%.The kvass ethanol slightly more (1.2%).Most of the alcohol contained in koumiss.In the fresh dairy product concentration - from 1 to 3% and in spaced comes to 4.5%.
Ethanol - a good solvent.This property can be used in the food industry.Ethanol is a solvent for the flavoring.Furthermore, it can be used as a preservative for baked goods.He is registered as a food additive E1510.Ethanol has an energy value of 7.1 kcal / g.
effect of ethanol on the human body
Worldwide launched production of ethanol.This is a valuable substance used in many spheres of human life.Tinctures on alcohol is a drug.Wipes impregnated with this substance is used as a disinfectant.But the impact ethanol is having on our body if swallowed?Useful whether he or harmful?These questions require detailed study.It is well known that mankind has consumed alcoholic beverages for centuries.But only in the last century, the problem of alcoholism has gained massive size.Our ancestors drank home-made beer, mead, and even now so popular beer, but these drinks contain a weak percentage of ethanol.Therefore, to cause substantial harm to the health, they could not.But after Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev alcohol diluted with water in certain proportions, everything has changed.
Currently alcoholism - it is a problem of almost all countries of the world.Once in the body, pathological alcohol has effects on almost all organs without exception.Depending on the concentration, dose, route of entry and duration of exposure to ethanol may exert toxic and narcotic effect.It is able to disrupt the cardiovascular system, it contributes to the digestive tract diseases, including stomach ulcers and 12 tiperstnoj intestine.Under the narcotic effect of alcohol means the ability to cause stupor, insensitivity to pain and depression of the central nervous system.In addition, the person has alcohol excitement quickly becomes addicted.In some cases, the excessive use of ethanol can cause coma.
What happens in our bodies when we drink alcohol?Ethanol molecule capable of hitting central nervous system.Under the influence of alcohol endorphin hormone is released in the nucleus accumbens, and people with a pronounced alcoholism and the orbitofrontal cortex.But, nevertheless, in spite of this, ethanol is not recognized as an addictive substance, even though it takes all appropriate action.Ethanol was not included in the international list of controlled substances.And this is a controversial issue, because in certain doses, namely 12 grams of substance per 1 kg of body weight, ethanol causes acute poisoning first and then death.
What diseases is ethanol?
solution of ethanol itself is not a carcinogen.But its major metabolite - acetaldehyde - a toxic and mutagenic substances.In addition, it is also carcinogenic and provoke development of cancer.His qualities were studied in the laboratory for experimental animals.This research work has led to very interesting, but at the same time alarming results.Turns, acetaldehyde - not just a carcinogen, it can damage DNA.
Long-term use of alcohol can cause in human diseases such as gastritis, cirrhosis of the liver, ulcers 12 tiperstnoj bowel cancer, stomach, esophagus, small intestine and colon, cardiovascular disease.Regular penetration of ethanol in the body can cause oxidative damage to neurons in the brain.Blood-brain barrier, they die.Abuse of beverages containing alcohol leads to alcoholism and clinical death.People who regularly drank alcohol, the risk of heart attack and stroke increases several times.
But that's not all the properties of ethanol.This substance is a natural metabolite.In small quantities, it can be synthesized in the human body tissues.It is called the true endogenous alcohol.Also, it is produced as a result of cleavage of carbohydrate food in the gastrointestinal tract.Such ethanol is called "conditionally endogenous alcohol."Can a breathalyzer to determine a normal alcohol, which was synthesized in the body?It is theoretically possible.It rarely exceeds the amount of 0.18 ppm.This value is at the lower boundary of the latest instrumentation.
