Dave (imported) wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:06 pm I don't think that you can buy pure ethyl alcohol in Pennsylvania unless you are registered. I'm not absolutely sure... Purchase is restricted for various "blue law" type reasons. I know that the State Stores will not sell pure ethyl alcohol with just water in it at any proof.
The highest purity of ethyl alcohol is 180 proof. Anything beyond that contains poisonous benzene. Alcohol forms an azeotrope (a chemistry thing) with water above 180 proof. Benzene breaks the azeotrope but it is carcinogenic, poisonous, bad, nasty, etc... Be careful.
Ethanol of 190 proof produced for laboratories has no impurities. Just look at a catalog of any supplier that sells absolute ethanol. Ethanol doesn't change by itself, so the benzene must come from impurities. I don't know if this is the case for Everclear or 190 proof vodka.