What is ethanol?
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a clear, volatile alcohol used in pharmaceuticals, personal care, sanitizers, inks, coatings, extraction, laboratory work, and industrial processing. It is miscible with water and valued for its solvency, volatility, and broad formulation utility.
For sourcing, ethanol is one of those chemicals where grade language matters a lot. Buyers may encounter industrial ethanol, denatured ethanol, absolute ethanol, extra neutral alcohol, pharma-grade ethanol, and other application-specific descriptions. These are not interchangeable for every use case.
Chemical Dekho indexes ethanol under CAS 64-17-5 so buyers can start with the correct chemical identity, then narrow down by grade, purity, denaturant status, documentation, packaging, compliance requirements, and supplier location.
CAS Number
64-17-5
Common names
Ethyl alcohol, alcohol
Buyer focus
Grade clarity
Applications
Where ethanol is used
Ethanol is used wherever a volatile, water-miscible alcohol solvent is useful, but regulated and sensitive applications need tighter supplier conversations.
Pharmaceutical and healthcare
Used in selected pharmaceutical, sanitizer, disinfectant, extraction, and cleaning workflows depending on grade and compliance.
Cosmetics and personal care
Common in perfumes, sprays, personal-care formulations, and solvent systems where grade and odor profile matter.
Inks, coatings and process solvent
Used in printing inks, coatings, cleaning blends, extraction, and manufacturing environments requiring quick evaporation.
Laboratory and research
Used for sample preparation, reagent work, washing, extraction, and general lab workflows where the specified grade is suitable.
Grade Selection
How to choose the right ethanol grade
The most important ethanol question is whether the buyer needs denatured or non-denatured ethanol, and which purity or compliance grade is required. Industrial cleaning may tolerate different specifications than pharmaceutical, food-adjacent, cosmetic, perfumery, or laboratory use.
A useful RFQ should mention exact application, denaturant requirement, purity percentage, water content, odor constraints, packaging, COA/SDS requirements, and any regulatory or licensing expectations. Ethanol can be commercially sensitive, so documentation and supplier credibility matter.
RFQ checklist
- Denatured or non-denatured
- Purity percentage
- Water content
- Odor profile
- COA/SDS
- Licensing or compliance needs
Specification Snapshot
Ethanol specifications buyers usually compare
Ethanol sourcing depends heavily on end use. The same chemical identity can be offered in different grades, denatured statuses, and compliance profiles, so buyers should not compare quotes without matching specifications first.
Safety basics: ethanol is flammable and grade-sensitive.
This blog is a buyer guide, not a replacement for your SDS, site EHS procedure, or local compliance requirements.
Ethanol vapors can ignite, so teams should control ignition sources, use ventilation, store material properly, and follow SDS guidance. Buyers should also verify whether their application has licensing, denaturant, or regulatory constraints.
Connect to Ethanol page
Ready to compare ethanol suppliers?
If you are sourcing ethanol in India, use the Ethanol CAS 64-17-5 product page to compare grade details, supplier documentation, packaging, and sourcing options before sending RFQs.
Better RFQs start here
Use the product page to align product identity, specifications, documentation, and supplier comparison before you ask for quotes.
FAQ
Ethanol buying questions
What is ethanol used for industrially?
Ethanol is used in pharmaceuticals, sanitizers, cosmetics, perfumery, inks, coatings, extraction, laboratory work, and cleaning applications depending on grade.
What is the difference between ethanol and denatured ethanol?
Denatured ethanol contains added denaturants to make it unsuitable for consumption. Buyers must confirm denaturant status because it affects suitability for many applications.
Which ethanol grade should I buy?
The right grade depends on your application, purity requirement, water content, denaturant status, documentation needs, and regulatory constraints.
Where can I compare ethanol suppliers in India?
Chemical Dekho has an Ethanol CAS 64-17-5 page for supplier discovery, specification comparison, and better RFQ preparation.
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Read guideTurn ethanol research into a supplier shortlist.
Chemical Dekho connects chemical discovery with actual procurement intent, so buyers can search by CAS, compare specs, and speak with suppliers using the right technical vocabulary.