What happens when alcohol burns? How long does it take for alcohol to evaporate?

Regarding alcohol, we have relatively little contact with it in our daily lives, and many of our friends do not know much about it, but it is dangerous to a certain extent, so it is necessary for us to understand the relevant common sense in this regard. The following is a detailed explanation for you from the perspectives of alcohol combustion, alcohol volatilization and alcohol content.

Contents of this article

1. What changes occur when alcohol burns?

2. How long does it take for alcohol to evaporate?

3. Alcohol content

What changes occur when alcohol burns

The combustion of alcohol is both a chemical change and a physical change. When alcohol burns, it evaporates from liquid alcohol to gaseous alcohol, which is a physical change. Then the gaseous alcohol reacts with the oxygen in the air to produce water vapor and carbon dioxide, which is a chemical change.

Alcohol generally refers to ethanol, an organic compound. At room temperature and pressure, it is a volatile, colorless, transparent liquid with low toxicity. The pure liquid cannot be drunk directly.

Ethanol can be used to make acetic acid, beverages, flavors, dyes, fuels, etc. In medicine, ethanol with a volume fraction of 70% to 75% is often used as a disinfectant.

Ethanol is miscible with water in any ratio, and is miscible with chloroform, ether, methanol, acetone and most other organic solvents.

How long does it take for alcohol to evaporate?

If alcohol is applied to the skin, it will evaporate in a few minutes to 10 minutes. When the area where the alcohol was applied becomes dry when touched by hand, the alcohol has evaporated. If alcohol is used in a closed space, it will evaporate after opening a window for ventilation for one to two hours.

When using alcohol indoors, you need to ensure that the room is ventilated. Used towels and other cloth cleaning tools should be washed with plenty of water after use and then stored in a sealed container or placed in a ventilated place to dry.

Before use, clean up the surrounding flammable materials and do not spray directly in the air. Alcohol has a low ignition point and is prone to spontaneous combustion when exposed to fire or heat. Do not use it near heat sources or open flames.

Avoid storing in glass bottles to prevent them from falling and breaking. Store in a cool place such as a cabinet away from light. When storing, close the lid tightly and label well to avoid volatilization.

Alcohol content

The alcohol content of wine indicates the volume percentage of ethanol in the wine, usually expressed as a volume ratio at 20°C. For example, 50-degree wine means that at 20°C, 100 ml of wine contains 50 ml of ethanol. The alcohol content is generally calculated by volume.

The standard alcohol content was invented by the famous French chemist Guy-Lussac. It refers to the number of milliliters of alcohol contained in every 100 milliliters of wine at 20°C. This method of expression is easy to understand and is therefore widely used.

The alcohol content of beer does not indicate the ethanol content, but rather the concentration of the raw material used to make beer, that is, wort. Taking 12-degree beer as an example, the concentration of the extract before wort fermentation is 12% (by weight).

Generally speaking, the alcohol content of wine is between 8% and 15%, which is mainly determined by the sugar content in the grapes. The most important chemical change in grape fermentation is the conversion of sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide under the action of yeast.