The physical properties of ethanol are mainly related to:
Its low-carbon linear alcohol properties are related. The hydroxyl groups in the molecule can form hydrogen bonds, so ethanol is very viscous, and it is not as polar as organic compounds with similar relative molecular weights. At room temperature, ethanol is a colorless, flammable, and volatile liquid with a special fragrance.
At λ=589.3nm and 18.35°C, the refractive index of ethanol was 1.36242, which was slightly higher than water.
As a solvent, ethanol is volatile and can be miscible with solvents such as water, acetic acid, acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, ether, ether, glycol, glycerin, nitromethane, pyridine and toluene. In addition, low-carbon aliphatic hydrocarbons such as pentane and hexane, and chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane and tetrachloroethylene can also be miscible with ethanol. As the carbon number increases, the solubility of high-carbon alcohols in water decreases significantly.
Due to the presence of hydrogen bonds, ethanol is deliquescence and can quickly absorb moisture from the air. The polarity of the hydroxyl group also makes many ionic compounds soluble in ethanol, such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, ammonium chloride, ammonium bromide and sodium bromide. Sodium chloride and potassium chloride are slightly soluble in ethanol. In addition, its non-polar hydrocarbon group allows ethanol to dissolve some non-polar substances, such as most essential oils and many flavor enhancers, color enhancers and pharmaceutical reagents.