Fermented lime

Other names: ethyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, ethanol, ethanol, alcohol, alcohol

Harm score: 2 (Derivatives of natural substances)

Fermented alcohol, known primarily by the names ethyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, ethanol, ethanol or simply alcohol, is a colorless liquid with a characteristic odor, flammable, slightly poisonous and forms mixtures with water in all proportions. Its chemical formula is C2H5OH and it is one of the simple alcohols. Ethanol is produced in nature by fermentation processes in which yeasts break down sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. In industry, fermentation alcohol is produced mainly by fermenting carbohydrates from grain, potatoes or sugar cane and then distilling them.

Ethyl alcohol is used in a wide variety of products. Probably the best known use of ethanol is in the production of alcoholic beverages, where it is the main psychoactive ingredient. Ethanol is also used as a solvent in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, as well as in perfumery and cosmetics. It is also used as an additive in motor fuels or as a basis for the production of certain organic substances. In dentistry, ethyl alcohol is used as an antiseptic, in medicine for disinfecting the skin before surgery or wound treatment. In the home it can also be used as a home remedy for some ailments, for example, in rinsing the mouth for gingivitis. In the technical sphere, ethyl alcohol is a component of brake fluids, antifreeze and printing inks. In food production, ethanol is used in fermentation, as a natural preservative, but also to enhance the flavour of certain foods and beverages. For example, in the bakery industry it is part of the leaven and in the sugar industry it is used to make spirits.