Rubbing alcohol - wikipedia Rubbing alcohol `` Surgical spirit '' redirects here. For the sitcom, see Surgical Spirit ( TV series ). A bottle of isopropyl rubbing alcohol Rubbing alcohol refers to either isopropyl alcohol ( propan - 2 - ol ) or ethanol based liquids, or the comparable British Pharmacopoeia defined surgical spirit, with isopropyl alcohol products being the most widely available. Rubbing alcohol is undrinkable even if it is ethanol based, due to the bitterants added. They are liquids used primarily as a topical antiseptic. They also have many industrial and household uses. The term `` rubbing alcohol '' has become a general non-specific term for either isopropyl alcohol ( isopropanol ) or ethyl alcohol ( ethanol ) rubbing - alcohol products. The United States Pharmacopeia defines ' isopropyl rubbing alcohol USP ' as containing approximately 70 percent by volume of pure isopropyl alcohol and defines ' rubbing alcohol USP ' as containing approximately 70 percent by volume of denatured alcohol. In Ireland and the UK, the comparable preparation is surgical spirit B.P., which the British Pharmacopoeia defines as 95 % methylated spirit, 2.5 % castor oil, 2 % diethyl phthalate, and 0.5 % methyl salicylate. Under its alternative name of `` wintergreen oil '', methyl salicylate is a common additive to North American rubbing alcohol products. Individual manufacturers are permitted to use their own formulation standards in which the ethanol content for retail bottles of rubbing alcohol is labeled as and ranges from 70 - 99 % v / v. All rubbing alcohols are unsafe for human consumption : isopropyl rubbing alcohols do not contain the ethyl alcohol of alcoholic beverages ; ethyl rubbing alcohols are based on denatured alcohol, which is a combination of ethyl alcohol and one or more bitter poisons that make the substance toxic. Contents 1 History 2 Properties 3 US legislation 4 Warnings 5 References 6 External links History The term `` rubbing alcohol '' came into prominence in North America in the mid-1920s. The original rubbing alcohol was literally used as a liniment for massage ; hence the name. This original rubbing alcohol was rather different from today 's precisely formulated surgical spirit ; in some formulations it was perfumed and included different additives, notably a higher concentration of methyl salicylate. The name `` rubbing '' also emphasized that the alcohol was not intended for consumption, a significant distinction in Prohibition - era America ; nonetheless it had become a well - documented surrogate alcohol as early as 1925. Properties All rubbing alcohols are volatile and flammable. They have an extremely bitter taste from additives. The specific gravity of Formula 23 - H is between 0.8691 and 0.8771 at 15.56 ° C ( 60.01 ° F ). Isopropyl rubbing alcohols contain from 50 % to 99 % by volume of isopropyl alcohol, the remainder consisting of water. Boiling points vary with the proportion of isopropyl alcohol from 80 ° C ( 176 ° F ) to 83 ° C ( 181 ° F ) ; likewise freezing point vary from − 32 ° C ( − 26 ° F ) to − 50 ° C ( − 58 ° F ). Surgical spirit BP boils at 80 ° C ( 176 ° F ). Naturally colorless, products may contain color additives. They may also contain medically - inactive additives for fragrance, such as wintergreen oil ( methyl salicylate ), or for other purposes. US legislation Main article : Denatured alcohol To prevent against alcohol abuse in the United States, all preparations classified as Rubbing Alcohols ( defined as those containing ethanol ) must have poisonous additives to limit human consumption in accordance with the requirements of the US Treasury Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, using Formula 23 - H ( 8 parts by volume of acetone, 1.5 parts by volume of methyl isobutyl ketone, and 100 parts by volume of ethyl alcohol ). It contains 87.5 -- 91 % by volume of absolute ethyl alcohol. The rest consists of water and the denaturants, with or without color additives, and perfume oils. Rubbing alcohol contains in each 100 ml more than 355 mg of sucrose octaacetate or more than 1.40 mg of denatonium benzoate. The preparation may be colored with one or more color additives. A suitable stabilizer may also be added. Warnings Product labels for rubbing alcohol include a number of warnings about the chemical, including the flammability hazards and its intended use only as a topical antiseptic and not for internal wounds or consumption. It should be used in a well - ventilated area due to inhalation hazards. Poisoning can occur from ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or consumption of rubbing alcohol. References Jump up ^ `` Industrial Alcohol In Washington State '' ( PDF ). Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. p. 3. Retrieved 22 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Surgical Spirit meaning ''. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 21 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Alcohols, phenols, and ethers ''. University of Nebraska -- Lincoln. Britannica.com. Retrieved 22 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` 12 Ways to Use Rubbing Alcohol ''. Reader 's digest. Retrieved 22 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol, chemical structure, molecular formula, Reference Standards ''. newdruginfo.com. United States Pharmacopeia. Retrieved 22 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Rubbing Alcohol, chemical structure, molecular formula, Reference Standards ''. newdruginfo.com. United States Pharmacopeia. Retrieved 22 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Surgical Spirit, BP ''. British National Formulary. Retrieved 21 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` ' rubbing alcohol ' wintergreen - search results ''. Drugs.com. Retrieved 22 January 2016. Jump up ^ Wilson, Charles ; John H. Block ; Ole Gisvold ; John Marlowe Beale ( 2004 ). `` 8 ''. Wilson and Gisvold 's textbook of organic medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry ( 11 ed. ). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 219. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7817 - 3481 - 3. Jump up ^ `` Isopropyl alcohol 50 % '' ( PDF ). National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Retrieved 22 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Surgical Spirit BP Safety Data Sheet '' ( PDF ). Chemtek Limited. Retrieved 22 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` 1993 MUACC Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Experiments '' ( PDF ). University of Minnesota. p. 83. Retrieved 22 January 2016. Jump up ^ Expert Committee : ( PA2 ) Pharmaceutical Analysis 2, USP28 -- NF23 Page 62, Pharmacopeial Forum : Volume No. 27 ( 3 ) Page 2507 ( 1 ) Jump up ^ DeBellonia RR, Marcus S, Shih R, Kashani J, Rella JG, Ruck B ( April 2008 ). `` Curanderismo : consequences of folk medicine ''. Pediatr Emerg Care. 24 ( 4 ) : 228 -- 9. doi : 10.1097 / PEC. 0b013e31816b7a92. PMID 18418260. Jump up ^ Trullas JC, Aguilo S, Castro P, Nogue S ( October 2004 ). `` Life - threatening isopropyl alcohol intoxication : is hemodialysis really necessary ? ''. Vet Hum Toxicol. 46 ( 5 ) : 282 -- 4. PMID 15487656. External links Why Is Drinking Rubbing Alcohol Bad ? Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rubbing_alcohol&oldid=826947141 '' Categories : Antiseptics Cleaning products Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Magyar 日本 語 Slovenščina 粵語 Edit links This page was last edited on 21 February 2018, at 22 : 03. 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Question: what is the chemical name for rubbing alcohol
Answer: isopropyl alcohol