Question

Denatured spirit is mainly used as a:
A. Drug
B. Good fuel
C. Material in preparing oils
D. Solvent in preparing varnishes

Answer 1

Hint: Denatured alcohol is a poisonous and toxic substance with various industrial uses. It is also commonly known as methylated spirit.

Complete answer:
Denatured alcohol is also called methylated spirits or wood spirit or denatured rectified spirit. It is an ethanol that has additives to make it poisonous, ad-tasting, foul-smelling or nauseating to discourage recreational consumption. It is also sometimes dyed so that it can be identified visually. Pyridine or methanol or both can be added to make denatured alcohol poisonous and denatonium is added to make it bitter.
It is used as a solvent and as fuel for alcohol burners and camping stoves. Because of the diversity of industrial uses for denatured alcohol, hundreds of additives and denaturing methods have been used. The main additive has traditionally been 10% methanol, methyl alcohol giving rise to the term “methylated spirits”. Other typical additives include isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and methyl isobutyl ketone.
Denaturing alcohol does not chemically alter the ethanol molecule unlike the denaturation process in biochemistry. Rather, the ethanol is mixed with other chemicals to form a foul-tasting and toxic solution.

Therefore, option D is correct.

Additional Information:
In the United States the mixtures sold as denatured alcohol often have much greater percentages of methanol and can be less than 50% ethanol. Even though it is poisonous, denatured alcohol is sometimes consumed as a surrogate alcohol. This can result in blindness or death if it contains methanol. Substances like pyridine are added to give an unpleasant odour and syrup of ipecac to induce vomiting.

Note:
Denatured alcohol has various industrial uses but its main use as a solvent and as a fuel for alcohol burners and camping stoves. It is a poisonous and toxic substance.