Methylated and white spirits are both very important chemical products obtained for various purposes. Extracting crude oil at the specified temperatures provides us with methylated spirit and the white spirit. Heating of naturally occurring petroleum products at 4800C provides us with methylated spirit. Heating of naturally occurring petroleum products at 2300C provides us with white spirit. There is a huge difference in the temperature of both. Hence, we get the white spirit more quickly and with less energy than the methylated spirit.
In this blog you will learn more about the differences between white and methylated spirits. We will also guide you on buying good quality methylated and white spirits. We will also tell you why we add dyes and bittering agents to methylated spirits and the answer to the main question of whether you can use methylated spirits instead of white spirits. So keep reading.
Difference Between White Spirit and Methylated Spirit
Multiple points of difference can tell us about methylated spirits and their comparison with the white spirit. Following are some main differences that will help you know and choose the best for your services.
Methylated Spirit
Methylated Spirit, also known as denatured alcohol, is an important solvent used for various cleaning purposes and other services. It can be used in the pharmaceutical industry to assay certain compounds. Heating the petroleum products to 480 C produces methylated spirit. It is a bit expensive and time-consuming process to manufacture these because the methylated spirit requires more heat, energy, and time to manufacture, which is why it is comparatively more expensive than the other.
Main Uses of Methylated Spirit
Methylated spirits have multiple uses, which are as follows:
- It is used as an effective solvent in paints.
- It is also used in lacquers.
- Methylated spirit is also used in the varnish industries.
- Methylated spirit can be used in the cosmetics such as toners, makeup brush cleansers and much more.
- We can use methylated spirit as a window cleaner, spray and wipe disinfectant.
- It has been widely used in sanitizers and hand washes as a sterilizer.
Specific Uses of Methylated Spirit
The primary use of the methylated spirit is as a solvent. However, the other specific uses of methylated spirit are as follows:
- It is widely used as a fuel for laboratory alcohol lamps.
- Methylated alcohol is a preservative for biological specimens
- It is widely used as a paint thinner and remover, efficiently removing paint stains.
- Methylated spirit is an effective cleaning agent for hard surfaces like marble floors.
- Methylated spirits can be used as a disinfectant for medical equipment.
- It is a really good insecticide for plants and is widely used for providing protection to plants from certain harms.
White Spirit
White spirit is a mineral spirit that has multiple names. It is a flammable, colorless, clear liquid with a mixture of petroleum hydrocarbons having certain names such as petroleum spirit, turpentine substitute, mineral turpentine and much more.
The spirit is usually used as an organic solvent for painting obtained by heating the petroleum products at 240 C. The solvent is a bit thicker than other alcohols but is a good substitute for other spirits because of the reasonable price.
Main Uses of White Spirit
There can be many uses of the white spirit in different conditions. The main are as follows:
It is used in paints, coatings, waxes, varnishes, adhesives, printing inks, liquid photocopier toners, etc.
The white spirit is used in industries as a solvent to serve the purpose of cleaning, degreasing, substance extraction and much more.
In normal households, white spirit is commonly used for cleaning the paint brushes or thin paints.
Specific Uses of White Spirit
Following are the specific uses of white spirit in which white spirit is highly used. These are as follows:
- It is widely used as a solvent for paints, varnishes, printing inks, and adhesives.
- White spirit is used as an industrial cleaning agent.
- We can use white spirit as a degreasing agent to remove grease from dirty machinery, etc.
- White spirit also helps in extracting certain substances.
- Its use as a home dry cleaning fluid is also very common.
- In the UK, it is the best substitute for turpentine and turpentine oil.
Why do we add Dyes and Bittering Agents to Methylated Spirits?
Methylated spirit is ethanol or ethyl alcohol with a 10% concentration of methanol. Ethanol is the only safe type of alcohol used for consumption, which is why it is widely used in wines, beers and other alcoholic beverages. We cannot use methylated spirit because it contains a 10% concentration of methanol, which is highly poisonous and unsuitable for consumption as a drink.
However, since 10% concentration is a very low concentration, that does not really affect the chemical and physical properties of the ethyl alcohol. However, it can highly damage the internal parts of the body. Due to this reason, people usually fail to distinguish between pure ethyl alcohol and methylated spirit as the taste, colour, appearance, etc., of them both, remain the same.
Adding dyes and bittering agents to the methylated spirits can highly influence and help consumers and suppliers to identify their differences. Normally the dye which is preferably used is violet dye to distinguish clearly. However, you must ensure that the dye has no other properties besides the coloring property.
The commonly used bittering agent in the methylated spirit is the Denatonium benzoate (C28H34N2O3) to prevent the animals and other organisms from drinking it. The Denatonium benzoate is so bitter that even adding a small amount can cause a much bittery taste.
Can We Use White Spirit Instead of Methylated Spirit?
Both methylated spirit and white spirit are used for the purpose of cleaning and as a solvent. However, the methylated spirit is much better to be used but is a bit expensive. It can work much better than the white spirit.
Methylated spirits and white spirits are used as paint thinners and paintbrush cleansers, but a methylated spirit being 90% pure ethanol, is volatile and dries up very quickly. It has high vapor pressure and volatility and less viscosity than white spirits. They perform their action quickly, so many people prefer them.
Compared to methylated spirits, the white spirit is much thicker and has high consistency. It is much cheaper than the methylated spirit, so people also prefer it because it is economical. However, it takes longer to dry out, so people also neglect it.
Depending upon your situation and the work you need to perform, you can easily substitute them as they have almost the same properties.
From Where Can We Buy Methylated Spirit?
There are many amazing places in the UAE that supply different petroleum products. However, Al Faraji oil is the best Oil Trading company that offers almost all kinds of petroleum products, including used oil, gasoline, kerosene oil, methylated spirit, white spirit, and much more. The use of methylated spirit and white spirit is many. The composition may differ at different places from where you buy those. However, the best products are delivered at Al Faraji oil, which is 100% pure and delivered timely at the best wholesale prices. The hardworking individuals at Al Faraji oil ensure you get the best quality products at the most suitable time.
