Alcoholic alcohol. List of alcoholic drinks. Types of alcohol. Ethyl alcohol intoxication

All alcoholic beverages contain ethyl alcohol. It is this component that adversely affects human health, depressing the central nervous system and destroying many internal organs. However, it is not prohibited by law, like some potent substances. Ethyl alcohol can be drunk, because it does not pose a danger to life. Destructive properties are given to it by the person himself, when he often and in large quantities consumes alcohol.

The emergence of ethanol

Alcoholic beverages have been consumed since ancient times. After accidentally tasting fermented fruit juice, people learned the properties of ethanol. After that, winemaking began to develop in the world, the products of which were initially not at all cheap. Wine recipes changed all the time, so everyone could choose a drink to their taste.

To obtain pure ethanol, it is necessary to undergo a distillation or distillation process. This method has been known since the time of the alchemists, so it used to be considered that this product is nothing more than the spirit of wine, since it was obtained in such an unusual way for those times. Alcohol production came to Europe in the 11th century with the invention of the distillation apparatus. In its pure form, people initially did not use the resulting ethanol inside. After long experiments, it turned out that alcohol esters can have a hypnotic effect on a person.

After some time, people began to divide the resulting product into technical and food. Technical alcohol could be obtained by splitting wood waste. So that no one would think of eating it, they began to introduce all kinds of additives with a bad smell into it so that people would not get poisoned. Pure ethyl alcohol very quickly found its application in medicine and was actively used during wars.

To date, the alcohol industry has isolated the production of ethanol and alcoholic beverages. It brings large incomes to the treasury of states, being considered a highly developed branch of the national economy.

Properties, types and varieties

Ethanol has a number of characteristic properties that distinguish it from all other types of alcohols. Firstly, this alcohol has a characteristic, recognizable smell and a volatile base. A distinctive feature of wine alcohol is that its boiling point is 79 degrees Celsius, and the highest boiling point is 242 degrees. It should be remembered that ethanol has a high calorie content, which is as much as 7.1 kilocalories per 1 gram of product. Also, ethanol is able to mix with various liquids - water, acetone, ethers, and to separate water during the distillation of alcohol, its concentration in the distilled liquid should not exceed 96%.

You can drink ethyl alcohol when vodka or other alcohol is obtained from it. The degree of the drink goes down, and it becomes less aggressive for the mucous membranes. However, not all types of ethanol are suitable for the production of alcohol.

The raw material for the production of edible ethyl alcohol can be:

• millet;
• rye;
• potato;
• beet;
• oats;
• berries;
• fruit.

At the same time, the addition of beets or potatoes to the production process in the form of raw materials leads to a decrease in the quality of the resulting distillate.

According to state standards, today there are the following grades of ethanol produced in industry:

1. Alcohol of the first grade. If the question arises whether they drink ethyl alcohol, then in the case of this product the answer is unambiguously negative - this brand is not used in the production of alcohol.
2. Alcohol of the highest grade. This ethanol is drunk in the form of tinctures and vodka of the economy segment.
3. "Basis". It is used to make alcohol of the middle price category.
4. "Extra". A distinctive feature of the brand is its high degree of purification from ethers and methanol. Such ethyl alcohol can be drunk, which is why medium-class vodka is often made from it.
5. "Lux". This type contains less than 35% potato starch in its composition, it undergoes multi-stage filtration and is used for the high-end alcohol industry.
6. "Alpha". The product of this brand can be drunk because it does not contain all kinds of impurities, it is made from pure grain crops and is used only in premium alcohol.

At the same time, each brand of ethanol has its own taste. Alcohol on store shelves most often includes a mixture of several brands of ethyl alcohol that you can drink.

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Among the types of ethyl alcohol, it is customary to distinguish the following:

• raw - a product with a strength above 85%, in which there are a lot of impurities and oils, obtained by distillation of fermented raw materials;
• rectified - a product obtained by boiling raw, in which the amount of impurities is reduced, and the fortress increases to 96%;
• drinking - alcohol obtained as a result of dilution of rectified with distilled water to a strength of 95%.

Drinking ethyl alcohol in its pure form, even if purified, is strictly forbidden; drinking alcohol is used to produce medical products, as well as alcoholic beverages.

Depending on the basis for distillation, alcohols are divided into:

• wine spirit obtained from fruits, which is used for various alcoholic beverages due to the fact that it has a special taste and smell;
• grain, used exclusively for the production of whiskey, for which it is suitable;
• potato, rich in harmful impurities and hydrocyanic acid, not used in the alcohol industry.

However, in the process of making alcoholic beverages, all of the above spirits undergo multi-stage purification and multiple distillation, only after that they become suitable for ingestion.

Production and application

The production of ethyl alcohol can be divided into three main technological stages:

1. At the preparatory stage, the raw materials are to be cleaned of all kinds of impurities, after which they begin to prepare the malt.
2. At the main stage, the starch is boiled and saccharified, and then the fermentation of what is the result of these two processes begins. Braga is distilled and crude alcohol is obtained.
3. At the final stage, rectification is carried out, since raw materials cannot be used for food purposes due to the large amount of harmful substances that can cause severe poisoning.

Ethanol is used in many industries, and not only as a raw material for alcoholic beverages. In the fuel industry, it acts as a fuel for rockets, as well as an integral part of gasoline and other fuels. In the chemical industry, many substances are obtained with it, it is used as a solvent. In medicine, it acts as an antiseptic and antibacterial agent, is used to obtain tinctures and extracts, and helps fight poisoning with other alcohols. In the cosmetic industry, perfumes and various tonics, lotions and many other products are made on its basis.

And, of course, in the food industry, ethanol is used as the basis for any alcoholic beverages. It is also found in small quantities in some fermented milk products, kvass, non-alcoholic beer. The most common in the food industry is wine alcohol, which is also used in the manufacture of pastries as a preservative.

Impact on a person

Can you drink ethyl alcohol? In its pure form, it is absolutely impossible to drink any alcohol, this will lead to a burn of the mucous membranes. In addition, ethanol is capable of exerting a narcotic, toxic, intoxicating or anesthetic effect on the human body, which should always be taken into account when taking products or preparations with such a component. How alcohol will affect a person in a particular situation depends on the method of administration and its concentration. In large quantities, ethanol can poison a person and even lead to death. But when used properly, it can work well in many medicines without causing any harm to health.

The safest type of alcohol is wine, on the basis of which the highest quality and, so to speak, harmless alcoholic beverages are produced. But it is absolutely impossible to drink ethanol in its pure form or in the form of low-quality cheap alcohol, since this can cause irreparable harm to health.

Alcohols are a fairly large group of chemicals, but in common parlance this concept is often referred to as ethanol (aka ethyl alcohol), which is a colorless liquid with disinfectant and bactericidal properties. Ethanol is widely used for the preparation of alcoholic beverages (mainly vodka), medicine, perfumery, electronics and other industries.

The quality of alcohol depends on the feedstock and the degree of purification. For the manufacture of food ethanol, raw materials rich in carbohydrates are used: wheat, rye, oats, corn, potatoes, sugar beets, various fruits, molasses (black molasses). Elite brands of alcohol must be made from wheat and rye, and the addition of potatoes, beets or molasses reduces the quality.

Brands of ethyl alcohol for vodka

According to GOST R 51652-2000 “Rectified ethyl alcohol from food raw materials. Specifications "depending on the degree of purification, ethanol is divided into:

• first grade alcohol– for the production of alcoholic products is not used;
• alcohol of the highest purity- made from a mixture of grain, potatoes, sugar beets, molasses (in any proportions). It undergoes minimal filtration from fusel oils and impurities. It is used to make tinctures, liqueurs and vodka of the economy segment;
• "Basis"- is made from grain and potatoes in any proportions, but the content of potato starch in the feedstock cannot be more than 60%. Vodka of the middle price segment is made from this alcohol;
• "Extra"- is made from the same raw materials as "Basis". Due to better cleaning, it has a lower content of methanol and esters. This alcohol is also used to make mid-price vodka;
• "Lux"- made from grain and potatoes in any proportions, but the content of potato starch cannot be more than 35%. Alcohol passes through several degrees of filtration. Premium segment vodka is made from it;
• "Alpha"- It is made exclusively from grain raw materials (wheat or rye). This alcohol contains the least impurities, it is used to produce super-premium vodka.

Despite the fact that, according to GOST, alcohol should not have a pronounced taste, each type of vodka has its own, unique taste and smell. Almost any vodka is a blend (mixture) of several alcohols of different classes diluted with water. Unfortunately, manufacturers usually do not provide information on the percentage of one or another type of alcohol in vodka.

A consumer who knows the differences between grades of food ethanol will understand that if the label says “high purity alcohol”, then we are talking about the worst vodka, even if its price is not the lowest.

Types of alcohol

Depending on the stage of production, the following types of alcohol are distinguished:

• raw alcohol;
• rectified alcohol;
• drinking ethyl alcohol.

Raw alcohol with a strength of about 88% is obtained by distillation (distillation) of fermented raw materials. In fact, this is ordinary moonshine. It contains a large amount of fusel oils and other impurities.

For purification, raw alcohol is subjected to rectification. The boiling points of impurities contained in the distillate differ from the boiling point of pure ethanol. Impurities that boil at low temperatures are called head impurities, and at high temperatures they are called tail impurities. For their separation, high (up to several meters) distillation columns are used. During this process, the concentration of harmful substances can be minimized, and the strength of alcohol can be increased up to 96 degrees.

For the production of drinking ethyl alcohol, the rectified product is diluted with distilled water so that the strength of the resulting liquid is 95%.

The alcohol obtained as a result of rectification is called drinking only because it is used for the production of alcoholic beverages and medicines. Drinking pure alcohol is not recommended, as it burns the mucous membranes.

Medical alcohol, the purity of which is considered by many to be the standard, is the appropriately diluted rectified ethanol.

Varieties of alcohol

Foreign classification. Depending on the raw material, the main varieties of edible alcohol are distinguished:

• wine (fruit);
• grain;
• potato.

Wine alcohol is the basis for the manufacture of different types of brandy, in particular cognac. In addition to grapes, alcohol can be produced from other fruits. So, calvados is a distillate from fermented apples, slivovitz is from plums, tequila is from agave.

Grain distillates: wheat, rye, barley, corn - are used to make whiskey.

Due to hydrocyanic acid and a high concentration of harmful impurities, pure potato alcohol is prohibited for the production of alcoholic beverages in Russia and most EU countries.

These varieties can be called alcohol only with a stretch, since rectification is not used to obtain them. The quality is improved by multi-stage distillation (often double or triple) with separation into fractions.

Our forefathers called alcohol “the thief of reason”, Bernard Shaw called it “anesthesia from life”, and psychiatrist A.V. Melnikov clearly noticed the false joy and true grief that came with him.

There are many deliberately erroneous opinions about the strong drink. It amuses and invigorates some, it serves as sleeping pills and sedatives for others, it helps the third to survive adverse circumstances. What kind of drink is so intoxicating and escaping from reality, anesthetic and driving to the grave?

Alcohol is a drug, harder than heroin. We will deal with its toxic and narcotic qualities, how the stages of intoxication manifest themselves, why persistent addiction occurs.

Is it possible to get out of the binge on your own. Causes and manifestations of binges, what damage is done to health.

Khmelnoye from the standpoint of science

The components of all alcoholic liquids are water and ethyl alcohol. The concentration of the latter determines the strength of the effect on the body. Other ingredients (which give smell, color, improve taste) have little effect.

Alcohol

is formed from the hydrocarbon CH, where the hydrogen atom (H) is displaced by the hydroxyl group (OH). Alcohols with a single hydroxo group are monohydric, those with several are polyhydric.

We are interested in monoatomic:

• woody (methanol) - CH₃OH,
• ethyl (wine, ethanol) - C₂H₅OH,
• propyl - C₃H₇OH,
• butyl - C₄H₉OH,
• amyl - C5H11OH.

• extremely toxic, used as a raw material in chemical plants;
• have narcotic properties;
• are present in alcohol as dangerous impurities.
• Lethal in quantities (ml):
  • 30 - 100 - methyl,
  • 250 - 400 - ethyl,
  • 100 - 400 - propyl,
  • 200 - 250 - butyl,
  • 30 - 50 - amyl.

You should know that there are almost no taste and aroma differences between methanol and ethanol. But pay attention to their mortal portions.

Ethyl alcohols- the main component of alcoholic products.

Used in production explosives, fuels, plastics, lubricants, detergents, acetic acid, solvents, etc.

Production methods and raw materials- are very diverse, but the formula of the liquid at the outlet is always the same - C2H5OH.

At the same time, as both industrial and food ethanol are equally toxic for people and animals, proven by British scientists.

Impact on a person

Toxic influence

Intoxication with alcohol and its counterfeits - most common among all poisonings, state toxicologists who study poisons.

Ethanol refers to the group of general toxic poisons, leading to the active synthesis of free radicals that affect the body, muscle spasms, cerebral edema, paralysis, loss of consciousness. By the way, this also includes extremely dangerous carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide.

Alcohol absorption is very fast: in the stomach - partially, in the small intestine - the main volume.

It enters the blood after five to ten minutes, and the highest degree is reached:

• after one hour when consumed on an empty stomach;
• after one and a half to two hours when full.

Stages of intoxication, symptoms

The behavior of a drunkard depends on the concentration of alcohol in the blood:

0.1% (per 100 ml - 100 mg of ethanol) - light stage of intoxication.

Symptoms:

• euphoria,
• loose tongue,
• increasing self-worth
• decreased attention,
• abnormal thinking, which is controlled by alcohol that has entered the brain.

A person "under a degree" feels like the soul of any party, eloquent, witty, happily shows vocal and dance talent.

Sober people, looking at her from the side, hear vulgarity, tediousness, repeated repetition of some stupidity, groaning instead of singing, non-rhythmic "twitching" instead of dancing.

If you manage to capture the fun, and then show the participants the recording, many refuse to believe their sober eyes and ears.

0.2% (per 100 ml of blood - 200 mg of alcohol) - the middle stage of intoxication:

incoherent slurred speech, improper motor coordination, inability to move independently, hallucinations, delirium.

0.4% - coma, depression of the central nervous system, lack of reflexes, impaired breathing.

0.6 - 0.7% - death from stopped breathing.

Processes in the body

Disorganization of the whole body, including the brain, or "biochemical storm", according to experts.

Acute suppression of the nervous system replacing strong excitement. Destruction of the meninges.

oxygen hunger due to cellular hypoxia. In case of severe poisoning, the center responsible for breathing is inhibited in the brain, which threatens to stop respiratory functions.

Water deficiency, as cell membranes are destroyed.

The body is under tremendous stress., trying to neutralize the toxin that has entered the bloodstream, which is first reorganized into acetaldehyde (an extremely heavy poison), then into no less harmful acetic acid. And only after that it is divided into carbon dioxide and water, capable of leaving the body through the kidneys and lungs.

The process of energy supply, the absorption of glucose is degraded, its level drops.

For the disposal of ethanol are spent:

• the most valuable trace elements, enzymes and vitamins necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates;
• glycogen (an energy source) deposited by the liver for a rainy day.

Conclusion: alcohol is a poison that affects the body in all directions..

Alcohol is a drug

Experts call the alcohol molecule "dumb", because its structure is quite primitive (much simpler than that of drugs).

However, this dumb molecule is so fast is integrated into the body and becomes a part of literally all the most important life processes that a person falls into alcohol dependence faster and stronger than drug addiction.

All drugs work in the same way, the differences are only in the nuances. To understand the mechanism, let's look at how they affect the brain.

The neurons of the brain (according to some sources, there are 100 billion of them) differ from the cells of the peripheral nervous system by the ability to exchange electrochemical impulses.

This happens through long processes (dendrites that receive the signal, axons that transmit it) and synapses (points of contact between neurons).

In a healthy person inhibitory and excitatory processes are balanced in the brain. Excited neurons send impulses along axons to synapses, in which neurotransmitters (active biological substances, neurotransmitters) begin to be released.

Drugs work on synaptic connections, increase or decrease the production of neurotransmitters that perform various tasks.

For example, cocaine is a psychoactivator that promotes the synthesis of neurotransmitters of excitation. Ethanol, on the other hand, stimulates inhibitory neurotransmitters.

In this way, alcohol and drugs lead to imbalance of neurotransmitter systems.

Barbiturate (a depressant) acts similarly to ethanol.

When poisoned by it, a person experiences symptoms similar to hopping: impaired movements and coordination, slurred speech, general lethargy. Barbiturate withdrawal is similar to alcohol withdrawal - chills, lack of normal sleep, anxiety, trembling of the limbs.

Important! Barbiturate and ethyl alcohol DO NOT COMBINE, they add up and increase the effects of each other, which can lead to death.

people get pleasure from the narcotic effect of intoxicating liquids. By the way, he is selective, because. A lot of people are disgusted with drinking.

BUT! Everyone is at risk, even those who use from time to time and consider themselves invulnerable. There is a lot of evidence that alcohol begins to bring pleasure after many years of experience. The threat of alcoholism exists for any age..

In this way, alcohol is a drug, a depressant, that is, a substance, like heroin, that suppresses the psyche.

Withdrawal syndrome is an indicator of the degree of dependence. The higher it is, the harder the patient tolerates abstinence from heroin or alcohol. The peak of torment occurs when the toxin completely leaves the blood.

Summary

Ethanol is the heaviest poison, its systematic consumption provokes irreparable pathologies in the body. When you refuse it, people feel withdrawal, similar to a drug.

According to materials: A.V. Melnikov "Alcoholism" PUBS.NIAA.NIH.GOV

Elena Valve for the Sleepy Cantata project

ALCOHOL AND ALCOHOL

Alcohol is an Arabic word that refers to a solid or volatile liquid. In our time, only the volatile and combustible derivative of the fermented liquid, which is called wine alcohol, is called alcohol. Alcohol was discovered in the 14th century. We owe this discovery to the famous alchemist from Montpellier named Arnaud de Villeneuve. Alcohol is a derivative of sugary substances, it can be extracted from wine, alcohol, cider, rice, sugar, and most often from fruits, grains or resins that contain sugar. Weak alcohol is called vodka, strong alcohol is a combustible wine alcohol with a strong taste. It causes intoxication and mental retardation. Its taste is stronger, the better the alcohol is purified. It dissolves very well in water, combining with which forms vodka. There is a very close relationship between these two liquids, so that what we say now about alcohol applies to vodka as well.

Vodka is an alcohol containing liquid with a lot of water, it also contains some acetic acid. Vodka is obtained by distilling wine, grain, potatoes, grapes, peppers, cider, molasses, wine sludge, rice, cherries, plums, carrots, currants, date juice, coconuts, junipers, peas, beans, beets and maple syrup. We also owe the first experiments on the distillation of wine to obtain vodka to Arnaud de Villeneuve, an alchemist from Montpellier. This distillation of wine into vodka is the basis for all table liqueurs. It is a clear, colorless, strong-tasting, volatile liquid that varies in density depending on how much water it contains. It ignites, which is directly related to its density, and has the property of dissolving resins and aromatics. In addition, it can protect plant and animal products from spoilage and decay. (Dictionary of Drinks by M.F. Olanye).