food and nutrition

Spirit

Question: What is the difference between White Spirit and Methalated Spirit? And what are the uses for both of them? I know you may use Methalated Spirit as fuel for small stoves and lamps - may you use white spirit for the same purpose? What are the uses for them both?

Answer: Methylated spirit in mostly ethanol (ethyl alcohol) with small amounts of methanol to make it poisonous, pyridine (to make it taste horrible) and purple dye (to stop you swigging it). It's used in lamps, heaters and for general cleaning and degreasing purposes. White spirit is a substitute for oil of turpentine and is used for thinning paint and cleaning paint brushes. It is a mixture of paraffin oil and ethanol. A very similar liquid (more paraffin less ethanol) is used for starting barbeques.


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