Rectified spirit contains:

People often describe rectified spirit in different ways depending on how it’s used and how pure it is. To get a clear idea, let’s take a closer look at what rectified spirit really is and what it contains.

Rectified spirit is a very pure form of alcohol. It’s also known by other names like:

• Neutral spirit 
• Rectified alcohol 
• Ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin

It is made by repeatedly distilling alcohol to remove most of the water. This process is called rectification, and it helps to get alcohol that is about 95.5% pure ethanol and 4.5% water. You cannot remove that last bit of water just by simple distillation because alcohol and water form a special mix (called an azeotrope) that can’t be separated by boiling. So, a rectified spirit contains 95.5% alcohol by volume, which makes it very strong and highly flammable.

Where is Rectified Spirit Used?

• Pharmaceuticals – for making medicines and tinctures
• Laboratories – as a solvent
• Industrial uses – for cleaning, making perfumes, etc.
• Sometimes it’s used in making alcoholic beverages, but in many places, it’s denatured (chemicals are added to make it undrinkable) so it can’t be misused.

Important Note: Even though it’s called ‘pure alcohol,’ rectified spirit still has a small amount of water. 100% alcohol (absolute alcohol) can only be made using special chemical methods, not just regular distillation.

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