What is ethanol (ethyl alcohol), isopropand (isopropyl alcohol) and antiseptic alcohol?
Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is a compound consisting of two carbon atoms with an alcohol group attached to one of the carbons. Its formula is CH3CH2OH. Proponal (isopropyl alcohol) is a three carbon compound with an alcohol attached to one of its carbons. The formula is (CH3)2CHOH. Purell, Germ-X and most other hand sanitizers must contain at least 62% ethyl alcohol in order to be FDA certified as a hand disinfectant. While ethyl alcohol is effective in killing most bacteria on the skin surface, it is not as effective as isopropyl alcohol. This is why when nurses and doctors give you shots, they use isopropyl alcohol pads to sterilize the skin. As for flammability, alcohol is very flammable and anything over 40% alcohol by volume will readily ignite.