Alcohols and Polyols

Many alcohols are highly flammable (with flash points below 100 degrees F). Especially dangerous are methanol and ethyl alcohol, because of their wide flammability limits. Polyols are generally combustible. Their generally low volatility means that they are poorly flammable.

Flammable and/or toxic gases are generated by the combination of these materials with alkali metals, nitrides, and strong reducing agents. They react with anhydrides to form acids and esters, generating noticeable heat, and also with oxoacids and carboxylic acids to form esters plus water, but the heat of reaction in the latter case typically is low. Oxidizing agents convert them to aldehydes or ketones. They exhibit both weak acid and weak base behavior. They may initiate the polymerization of isocyanates and epoxides.

Alcohols and polyols vary widely in toxicity. Among the most toxic are methyl and allyl alcohol, which act as nervous system depressants.

These materials are organic compounds containing one or more hydroxyl (-OH) groups linked to hydrocarbon groups. Alcohols may have straight-chain, branched-chain or ring structures. Polyols contain two or more hydroxyl groups; diols contain exactly two hydroxyl groups, each attached to a different carbon atom.

Ethyl alcohol, methanol, propanol, butanol, ethylene glycol, hexanol, allyl alcohol, amyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, cyclopentanol, glycerol, isopropyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol.