Testing for the type of alcohol

[big_shlomi]

How can I test if a mixture I have contains ethanol or isopropyl (mixture is 70% alcohol and 30% purified water)? Will a simple "salting out expuriment" work (seeing if the mixture separated with salt or not)? Or is there a better way to check it?

Edited December 25, 2024 by big_shlomi

[KJW]

I don't know what resources you have, but one way to distinguish between ethanol and 2-propanol is to oxidise the sample with excess acidified dichromate or excess acidified permanganate under mild conditions. Ethanol will oxidise to acetic acid, whereas 2-propanol will oxidise to acetone. These are more readily distinguished than the original alcohols, although the practicalities of doing so might not be straightforward. However, the difference in odour may suffice.

 

Edited December 25, 2024 by KJW

[chenbeier]

Smell like vodka is ethanol. Smell like air in hospital  is isopropanol.