Ethanol (Ethyl Alcohol): What It Is and Why It's Used

Origin

Ethanol is one of the most ancient manufactured chemicals — alcoholic fermentation by yeasts was known and exploited in every ancient civilisation that grew grains or fruit. The distillation process to concentrate ethanol was refined by Arab chemists in the 8th–9th centuries CE. Industrial ethanol is produced both by fermentation and by hydration of ethylene from petrochemical feedstocks. In cosmetics, denatured ethanol (ethanol to which bittering or denaturing agents are added to prevent consumption) is the regulated form, as it avoids the taxes applied to potable alcohol.

Why It's Used

Ethanol is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial effective against bacteria, viruses, and fungi, which makes it the active ingredient in hand sanitisers. It functions by denaturing proteins and disrupting lipid membranes in microorganisms. In hand sanitisers, the WHO-recommended minimum effective concentration is 60%; the EU and FDA require a minimum of 60–70% for hand hygiene products making antimicrobial claims. It evaporates rapidly, which is why hand sanitisers require no rinsing.

Elsewhere

Ethanol is a major industrial chemical used as a solvent, fuel additive, and raw material for chemical synthesis. It is the consumable component in alcoholic beverages globally. Its use as a hand sanitiser active became globally prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What the Framework Sees

a case where the method's own foundation was tested directly.

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