Methylated spirit, flash-point

Nature produces a tremendous amount of methyl aleohol, simply by the fermentation of wood, grass, and other materials made to some degree of eellulose. In faet, methyl aleohol is known as wood aleohol, along with names sueh as wood spirits and methanol (its proper name the proper names of all aleohols end in -ol). Methyl aleohol is a eolorless liquid with a eharaeteristie aleohol odor. It has a flash point of 54°F, and is highly toxie. It has too many eommereial uses to list here, but among them are as a denaturant for ethyl alcohol (the addition of the toxie ehemieal methyl aleohol to ethyl aleohol in order to form denatured aleohol), antifreezes, gasoline additives, and solvents. No further substitution of hydroxyl radieals is performed on methyl aleohol. 

Aqueous ethanol has a flash point lower than would be expected (Table 16.2) and the 4% of methanol added to convert it to industrial methylated spirits makes it lower still. In the event of a large spillage which might be diluted by adding water the ethanol would tend to form a top layer if it were not agitated. 

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