Anhydrous ethanol is ethanol with a purity higher than 99.5% and virtually no water content. Its chemical formula is C₂H₆O, and its structural formula is C₂H₅OH. As a fundamental bulk chemical and an excellent solvent, anhydrous ethanol is a colorless, transparent liquid at room temperature and pressure. It has a characteristic pungent odor, is volatile and flammable, and is miscible with water and most organic solvents. The hydroxyl groups in its molecule endow it with weak acidity and reducing properties, allowing it to participate in various chemical reactions such as esterification, halogenation, dehydration, and oxidation.
Industrial production methods for anhydrous ethanol mainly include grain fermentation, ethylene hydration, and the rapidly developing modern processes such as carbonylation hydrogenation. With the needs of environmental protection and energy structure adjustment, technologies for producing ethanol from non-grain feedstocks such as syngas, coal, and methyl acetate are gradually being industrialized, promoting the development of ethanol production towards high efficiency, low carbon emissions, and resource diversification.
Due to its high purity, anhydrous ethanol plays an irreplaceable role in many fields. It is an important raw material and extractant in the pharmaceutical industry, a core component of fuel ethanol, and a key solvent in fine chemicals, electronic cleaning, and daily chemical manufacturing. Furthermore, anhydrous ethanol also demonstrates broad application potential and significant value in scientific research, new energy materials, and high-tech fields.
