MCQ Detailed View

Rectified spirit is a highly concentrated form of alcohol obtained by repeated distillation of fermented liquids. It is a mixture of ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and water, purified to a very high strength. Rectified spirit typically contains about 95% alcohol by volume and the remaining 5% is water and trace impurities. This concentration is the maximum that can be achieved by simple distillation because ethanol and water form an azeotropic mixture at this level.In chemistry, azeotrope refers to a mixture of two or more liquids that boils at a constant temperature and composition. For ethanol and water, this azeotropic point occurs at 95.6% ethanol and 4.4% water by volume. Beyond this, pure ethanol (100%) cannot be obtained without additional dehydration techniques such as adding drying agents or using special chemical processes.

Rectified spirit is a clear, colorless, highly flammable liquid with a strong odor. It is widely used in:

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  Pharmaceutical industry: for making tinctures, antiseptics, and medicinal preparations.

  
  


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  Laboratories: as a solvent and disinfectant.

  
  


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  Industrial applications: in varnishes, perfumes, and cosmetics.

  
  


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  Beverage industry: as a base for alcoholic drinks (after dilution and proper treatment).

  
  

Lower concentrations like 70–85% alcohol are typically known as denatured spirit or rubbing alcohol, used for cleaning and medical disinfection. However, rectified spirit is specifically recognized for its 95% ethanol content, making it one of the strongest commercially available alcohol solutions.

Thus, the correct answer is 95%, as rectified spirit naturally stabilizes at this concentration during distillation due to ethanol-water azeotropy.