Purification of Methyl Alcohol

Colourless liquid spirituous odour miscible in all proportions with water B.P. 66-5° D. 24° 0-79133. (B., 41, 4322.) 

Methyl alcohol of very high purity can be obtained by fractional distillation using a column of 1-3 metres effective length and then refluxing with aluminium amalgam. It is then refluxed under a column packed with dehydrated copper sulphate, to remove ammonia. A sensitive test for acetone and formaldehyde is the addition of cone, mercuric cyanide solution, in 6N-sodium hydroxide. A white precipitate indicates ketone if it darkens on standing aldehyde is also present. (J. C. S., 127, 2552.) 

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