Alcohol refers to a class of substances. Two of the more common alcohols that are widely known and used are ethanol and methanol. Ethanol is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages but also has a wide range of other uses in various substances, including foods. It is available in varying strengths and has a wide range of applications from the manufacture of food to cleaning agents and solvents.

Ethanol and Methanol

Ethanol is the alcohol that is suitable for human consumption. It is important to differentiate ethanol such as food grade alcohol from other types of alcohol such as 95E5 ethanol for ink. Methanol on the other hand is the component of the solvent methylated spirits and is unfit for human consumption. Even with ethanol, there are different strengths for different purposes.

Food Grade Alcohol

Food grade alcohol is ethanol that is suitable for human consumption. It is widely used in the production of certain beverages, foods and food ingredients. Food grade alcohol is also an important chemical used in the preparation of certain pharmaceuticals as well as herbal tinctures and extracts.

95E5 Alcohol

Also known as absolute alcohol, 95E5 ethanol is alcohol of 99.9% purity that is denatured with ethyl acetate. It has a wide range of uses including as a laboratory solvent, industrial applications such as a cleaning agent, disinfectant and preservative as well as a raw material for printing inks or additive to printing inks.

Oshechem is a leading supplier of alcohol, from food grade alcohol and 95E5 ethanol for ink to isopropanolol (isopropyl alcohol) and methanol. We are conveniently located in the heart of Johannesburg, South Africa. As a supplier to small, medium and larger enterprises, we have a range of alcohol to suit our clients’ needs.