Aguaetanol

Aguaetanol, or aqueous ethanol, refers to an ethanol–water solution. Ethanol is completely miscible with water, so the mixture can range from very dilute to nearly pure ethanol. In practice, aqueous ethanol is widely used as a solvent, reactant, and intermediate in chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, as well as in laboratory work.

A key property of the ethanol–water system is the existence of a minimum-boiling azeotrope at about 1 atmosphere. This azeotrope contains roughly 95.6% ethanol by volume and boils near 78°C, lower than the boiling points of either pure ethanol or water. As a consequence, simple distillation cannot yield highly pure ethanol beyond the azeotropic composition. To obtain anhydrous or high-purity ethanol, methods such as azeotropic distillation with entrainers, pressure-swing distillation, or dehydration with molecular sieves are used. Molecular sieves can produce ethanol with water content well below 0.5%.

Production of aguaetanol typically involves fermentation to generate ethanol, followed by distillation to concentrate it. Dilute solutions are common in beverages and cleaners, while higher concentrations are used as solvents and feedstocks for chemical synthesis or as biofuel components, such as in gasohol blends in some regions.

Safety and handling: aguaetanol is highly flammable and can form explosive vapors in air. It is a respiratory and eye irritant in concentrated forms and should be stored in appropriate containers with adequate ventilation, away from heat sources and ignition points. Proper labeling and regulatory compliance are important for industrial use.