Question

What is the denatured spirit?

Answer 1

Denatured spirit is also known as methylated spirit. Alcohol or ethyl alcohol is used for manufacturing alcoholic beverages. To control its production and use government has imposed heavy excise duty on the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. But the alcohol used for other purposes such as preparation of varnishes, fuels for spirit lamp, etc. is cheaper and duty free. To prevent the misuse of industrial alcohol it is made unfit for drinking by the addition of some poisonous substances to it. Substances like methyl alcohol and pyridine are added to the alcohol and it is known as methylated spirit or denatured spirit.